Tuesday 26 December 2017
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59. Psalm 30(31):3-4, 6, 8, 16-17. Matthew 10:17-22.
St Stephen.
Into your hands, O Lord, I entrust my spirit—Psalm 30(31):3-4, 6, 8, 16-17.
‘Into your hands, O Lord, I entrust my spirit.’
The book of Acts tells us that Stephen was
‘full of the Holy Spirit and boldly spoke out’.
His message was met with hostility, but he ‘saw
the glory of God’. When he was being stoned, he
had the fortitude to pray, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’, and then, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin
against them’. We see here a parallel story with
Jesus’ own life. In his Transfiguration, he saw God the Father in a personal encounter. On the cross,
he prayed, ‘Father, forgive them. They know not what they do’, and then he entrusted himself into
his Father’s hands.
May Stephen obtain for us, the gift of being ‘full of the Spirit’, and the ability to not only give ourselves completely to our God but also to have the unconditional love and humility to offer forgiveness for all those who have offended us.
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