THEY WERE INFURIATED

PRAYER PAUSE

Monday 26 December 2016, Stephen

THEY WERE INFURIATED

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “They were infuriated when they heard what Stephen said, and ground their teeth at him.” (Acts 6;8-10)

Reflection. Luke, with his sense of symmetry, gives us a stunning event in the birth of the early Church to match the astonishing event of the birth of Jesus. Jesus’ birth released an energy in the way people lived: he stirred the awakening of people. Stephen’s death was a new birth which confirmed the early Church in its provocative mission. And people did not like it. In this case they were infuriated and set about ridding themselves of Stephen. But, as we know, that only quickened the pace of the Church’s reaching out beyond Jerusalem to the ends of the earth

Prayer. Lord, may the celebration of your birth stir up the pot of life everywhere and hasten the coming of yur kingdom. Amen.