We are well into the Acts of the Apostles, hearing about the apostles going out and proclaiming the Gospel based on their firsthand experiences with Jesus Christ. They were filled with zeal for the Lord, and unafraid of the authorities, especially after they saw the risen Jesus and saw the wounds in his hands, feet, and side.
The Pharisees in the Sanhedrin were beside themselves, not knowing what to make of this. They had jailed the apostles who were subsequently set free by an angel and told to go back to the temple area and proclaim the Word of God.
Stephen
And the number of disciples continued to grow, with many of them selling their property and belongings and bringing the proceeds to the apostles to distribute to the needy. When this job got to be too demanding for the apostles and took away from their preaching ministry, they convened and decided to choose seven reputable men to see to the hospitality and distribution duties. Stephen was one of the seven men chosen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit.
Meanwhile, the Pharisees started persecuting the followers of Jesus with a vengeance, Saul being one of the foremost destroyers of the newly formed Church. He would do a house-to-house search, dragging out men and women who were believers, and handing them over for imprisonment. Stephen became the first martyr of the church when he was stoned to death.
Those were scary times. Would we be brave enough to stand up for Christ if we were there? Or would we chicken out, like Peter did, and say we do not know Jesus? We would like to think that we would be stalwart and faithful, even unto death.
But it appears that there is a persecution going on even now against Christians. It seems like everyone takes pot shots at Christians and we seem to be easy targets, as we typically do not fight back. We all know that any slight against Islam is taken very seriously even to the extent of a fatwa (death wish) being declared on anyone who dares to criticize their faith or their prophet. Why do we not rise up also? Why are we silently indignant?
Mocked
The justice department does nothing when churches are desecrated, not arresting perpetrators who engage in destruction and theft, even of the Most Blessed Sacrament! Media in general mock Christians and our values, declaring them old fashioned and out of sync with the current culture. For all the good works that Christians have done over the centuries, like building hospitals, schools, food pantries, and shelters, taking care of countless less fortunate, our morals and values do not seem to account for much.
We just celebrated Easter; should we not be filled with a similar zeal like the Apostles, for the church that Jesus Christ founded, and died for?
Let us renew our fervor for our Risen Lord who suffered and died for each and every one of us. Let it not have been in vain. As we continue in the Easter season, may our hearts be filled with joy and zeal to evangelize in our everyday lives.
