Lambs still lead to slaughter

The text today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary makes us aware of martyrs. The Merriam-Webster On Line Dictionary defines martyrdom as “the suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause and especially to one's religious faith” The press today contains stories of St Stephen from Catholic sources and many stories from the Middle East, North Africa, India and Afghanistan about people who have died as martyrs. The Pope has mentioned the continuing attacks which have killed Christians in Nigeria in his Christmas message. The passage from the Book of Acts tells of the killing of Stephen, a Greek speaker, who had been chosen to be the first deacon of the early Church, as his preaching about Jesus in sensed the members of the Synagogue of Freedmen, a Greek-speaking synagogue in Jerusalem. Friar Jude Winkler describes the trial and stoning of Stephen as illegal mob action. We are aware that the action of mobs stirred by passion is difficult to control. The passage from Acts, written by Luke, concludes with reference to Saul (Paul) as a young Jew, a witness to the stoning, with whom the combatants left their cloaks. The psalmist praises God for the protection given to the faithful. The Gospel from Matthew advises followers of Jesus that the message we bring will stir up the passion of those who perceive a threat to their privilege, power or pride in living as His disciple. Matthew addressed a Jewish audience who had been banished from synagogue worship as followers of the Way. Friar Jude questions whether we are being effective Christians if we do not encounter difficulty in living the Word. The Prince of Peace sets the example in His Life, which is mirrored by Stephen, of being in communion with God at all times and being open to the Presence of the Spirit to guide our words and actions even as lambs to slaughter if that is part of our spiritual journey.