April 19, 2010
Monday of the Third Week of Easter
They presented false witnesses who testified, “This man never stops saying things against (this) holy place and the law. For we have heard him claim that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Acts 6:13-15
“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” John 6:27-29
Piety
Gracious God, you have blessed me with many gifts and talents. Grant me the wisdom to know how best to use them for the glory of your name. Jesus calls, “Come follow me.” I want to follow him and be faithful to my call. Help me to see in myself what you see, and give me the courage to follow wherever you may lead. Amen.
(“Come! Follow Me” prayer from the National Coalition for Church Vocations)
Study
“Follow me.”
These final words of Jesus to Peter from Sunday’s Gospel set forth the theme that the readings will explore all week. What does it take to “Follow?” What will be the outcome?
The answer to the first question is in our Gospel reading today. When the people ask Jesus how they can accomplish the will of god, he replies, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” All of us can engage in “good works” for many positive reasons. However, without faith, those good works are not grounded in the Good News and Catholic Social Teaching. Belief is what moves those good works out of man’s goals and objectives and into God’s mission and vision.
What does it take to “Follow?” Stephen learns that lesson. Despite having the "face of an angel,” Stephen suffers a fate similar to the death of Jesus. People in power will take extraordinary steps when they think (even without grounds) that their power is being threatened. Stephen’s preaching and actions – like those of Jesus – upset the delicate social, political and religious balance. So to restore balance, the people threatened lash out at Stephen.
Following Jesus means letting go of our own desires for power and control, affection and esteem, security and survival. Stephen is about to face the stones that the woman caught in adultery was able to avoid. Throughout the ordeal, he will not lose the face of an angel.
Action
What are you planning to do on May 6? I hope you were not planning to participate in the National Day of Prayer because a judge from Wisconsin has rule the observance unconstitutional. Fortunately, U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb in Madison, Wis., postponed enforcement of the decision until all appeals are exhausted.
According to an article in National Catholic Reporter on the background for the observation:
The roots of the National Day of Prayer can be traced to 1952 when the Rev. Billy Graham led a rally in Washington during which he called for a special day to be set aside for Americans to pray and meditate so that the country would experience a "great spiritual awakening."
Legislation authorizing the day was introduced in the U.S. House the next day and later in the Senate and was quickly passed. President Harry Truman signed the first National Prayer Day proclamation in 1953. President Ronald Reagan made it a permanent event. In 1988, Congress enacted legislation requiring the president to issue an annual proclamation.
Starting in 2001, President George W. Bush annually hosted a high-profile event to mark the day in the East Room of the White House. It was attended by numerous religious and political figures.
In 2009, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation for the day, but did not host a prayer service at the White House.
The way I read the first amendment, the language imposed by our forefathers cuts both ways. Don’t take my word for it, read it yourself in the Bill of Rights. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
I take exception to Judge Crabb’s crabbiness because it seems she stopped short of reading the part that says there shall be no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion either.
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” For the next 16 days and beyond – including May 6 – let’s all pray for Judge Crabb and all our national, state and local leaders. Consider signing the petition to save the National Day of Prayer. You can find it on the website http://nationaldayofprayer.org/news/save-the-national-day-of-prayer/petition/.
