Date: April 28, 2020 ()

Bible Text: First Reading: ACTS 7:51-8:1A; Gospel: JN 6:30-35 |

Series:

They believe in Moses and the prophets but they can hardly believe in Jesus, who is greater than Moses and the prophets. In today’s gospel, the Lord tried to clarify some things in the past - it was not Moses who gave them manna to eat, it was His Father in Heaven. The truth is: God is with us at all times protecting us; providing us; giving us life. He continues to give whatever that sustains us physically, and also that which makes us live eternally. He is the Bread that came down from heaven, whoever comes to Him will never hunger again.

The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? It’s not actually what God will do. It’s what we people should do that we may see and believe.

Stephen in the first reading was bold in pointing out some hard realities that hindered them from accepting the Lord. “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit.

What is it like when we are stiff necked. It’s when we can hardly look back in gratitude what God has done for us. We become ungrateful like Israel who easily forgets. Uncircumcised in heart could mean - their religiosity is only external, they performed rituals of their religion but their hearts are not into it - chosen people of God by rituals but their hearts are far from God. Ears uncircumcised means they are all close, there is no more room for Jesus ever because they can’t listen to the Holy Spirit. Anger consumes them instead, that’s why they cannot listen anymore.

I remember a story in the Old Testament when at Meribah and Masah, the people provoked God and it made Him angry so that Moses struck the stone with his rod and water gushed forth. It satisfied their thirst and it gave them life. Even God’s anger generates life and its sustenance, but our human anger destroys life: it only escalates into furiousness and violence that made them execute and stone Stephen to death.

St. Stephen witnessed for Christ with boldness that we may open our eyes to the bold truth. And he was strong in his conviction, in fact, even stronger than the solid stones that was thrown to him. Today, what can we do so that we may continue to believe? Taking St. Stephen’s advice - we don’t oppose the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we just need to continue praying and listen more!