In the first reading Stephen’s death resembles that of the Passion of our Lord, except that it happened pretty quickly. He died and asked the Lord to not hold the sin against those who stoned him. Just think; we carry on our grudges from those who offend us for long periods of time, sometimes saying that you forgive the person, but it’s not a total forgiveness. Stephen forgave on the spot, unconditionally, as he lay dying.
The second reading spells out very effectively that we will be judged on our entire life as John heard the voice saying, “I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds.” Will the compensation be to our liking? Have we done enough? The voice John heard goes on to say, “I am the Alpha & the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning & the end.” He has been with us from the foundation of time and He will always be there at the end, waiting for us. The question is, will we be?
In John’s Gospel, Jesus prays for all of us so that we may achieve that ‘oneness’ with Him, and he asks the Father, “that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” So, we have his love, what more do we need? He loves unconditionally, and when we fall, he picks us up and forgives us. He makes it uncomplicated for us to achieve that “oneness.” We just have to make sure that we don’t complicate matters.
Bob McLaughlin
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