Today, we hear about the aftermath of the martyrdom of Stephen. Holy men of faith bury Stephen in an act of dignity and respect; they lament his violent and tragic death. These men of faith contrast the actions of Saul, as Saul had a part in Stephen’s death. Even now, after Stephen’s death, Saul is actively pursuing followers of Jesus, dragging them out of their homes and handing them over to the Roman authorities. We know the rest of the story about Saul, how he has a conversion of faith and becomes one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church.
Saul was tearing down the Church and the kingdom of God in today’s reading from Acts. We have the choice as well: we can work for the values of God’s kingdom and for peace and justice, or we can tear down and destroy. We can criticize the Church and insult it, or we can volunteer to help and make things better. We can put our faith in hope, or we can mire ourselves in cynicism and sarcasm. Our reading today ends with Philip going to Samaria in order to preach the Word of God to the people there; he has great success. May our reading today from the Acts of the Apostles give us encouragement and hope on our own journey in the Easter season.
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