5

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Sunday of Easter
Stephen
5
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Sunday of Easter
1. Last week I was copied on an e-mail from the Bishop indicating that Paul
Chalakani has been officially accepted as a candidate for the diaconate
There are 3 levels of Holy Orders in the Church: deacon, priest and bishop. The creation of
order of deacons was one of the fist step undertaken by the Apostles. The Book of Acts tells
us that they selected 7 men of impeccable reputation to assist them with charitable work.
Last weeks reading from Acts explained that the early disciples had decided to sell all their
possessions and use the money to take care of the poor, widows and orphans. Human nature
being what it is, there were complaints of favoritism: the Gentile Christians felt that charity
was slanted in favor of Jewish Christians. So the apostles decided to disassociate themselves
from these matters and appointed 7 deacons to take over the distribution of charity and to
help them preach the Gospel.
The word deacon in Greek word means servant, messenger, minister. One of these seven
deacons was a man named Stephen
Stephen was so successful in his charitable work and in his preaching that he became a
lightning rod for the Pharisees. They accused him of blasphemy, the same accusation they had
brought against Jesus. He was brought to trial in front of the Sanhedrin (ruling council) and
gave a fiery speech in which he summarized the whole history of Israel, and demonstrated
that Jesus had not subverted by teaching of the Bible, but had fulfilled them. The he told his
own accusers that, just like their ancestors, they were guilty of persecuting the prophets and
opposing the action of the Holy Spirit.
Needless to say this speech did not win him any friends: he was condemned to die and was
stoned to death. In the book of Acts, the account of Stephens execution ends with a note
indicating that a young man named Saul was present at the execution. He was too young to
take part in the stoning, so he guarded the coats of the men who killed Stephen.
Young Saul was a Pharisee and a sworn enemy of the first Christians. Eventually God would
shock him and convert him. He became and Apostle and changed his name to Paul.
5
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Sunday of Easter
2. Stephen was the first follower of Jesus to give his life for his faith. Eventually all
the Apostles and many other disciples would be martyred for their faith in Jesus.
Martyrdom is not a common event in our society. In all Western countries there laws that
protect freedom of religion. Yet, there are still places around the world where it is dangerous
to be a Christian. More often than not, the Christians who today give their life for their faith
are not killed because they believe in Jesus. Usually they are killed because like Stephen they
protect the poor and the defenseless against those who exploit them and deny them the most
basic rights. It is risky to love your neighbors as yourself.
3. I would like to direct your attention to Saul, the young man who was not old
enough to participate in the stoning of Stephen; only adults were allowed to
participate in executions.
In the Gospel we red last Sunday, Jesus labeled the Pharisee thieves and bandits. Paul was a
devoted Pharisee and was headed in the same direction.
A few years later, Paul, still a fanatic Pharisee, was charged by the leadership of the Jews to
go to Damascus to round up Christians and bring them back in chains to stand judgment.
But, while on his way to Damascus, he was thrown from his horse and temporarily blinded
by a flash of lightning. Jesus appeared to him, and Paul was converted. He was told to go to
Ananias to learn about Christianity. He was baptized, became a Christian, and a leader of
the Church.
The tragic story of Stephens martyrdom has in it the seed of redemption. God had a plan
that included even a little fanatic Pharisee-in-training named Saul of Tarsus. God would use
Pauls stubborn energy, drive, and devotion to spread Christianity. Paul hustled more than
anyone else to spread the Gospel. He was also the brightest and best educated of all the
Apostles and his letters are the foundations of Christian doctrine.
4. The second reading, 1
st
Peter has a quote Psalm 118, the stone the builders
rejected has become the cornerstone

5
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Sunday of Easter
Psalm 118 celebrates the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The
remnant of Israel who had returned from exile was the stone rejected that became the
cornerstone of the rebuilding of the people of God.
The New Testament writers appropriated that verse and applied it to Jesus and to his disciples.
They were the stones rejected by the leaders of the Jews, and became the cornerstones of a
new religion: Christianity.
1
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Peter applies that metaphor to every Christians and goes on to proclaim, you are now a
chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods own people
5. Saul of Tarsus did not become an Apostle because he deserved to be an Apostle.
(He was a fanatic who dreamed of killing all Christians). Paul became an Apostle
because God chose him, loved him, and called him.
We are not Christians because we deserve to be adopted children of God. In fact we are
Christians because God called us to be here. Of course we are free and we freely decided to
be here, but we dont deserve Gods call any more than Paul did.
The strangest thing about God is that God is love and God sees in us a goodness that we
cannot even see in ourselves, and so God chose each of us to be here and to become a
cornerstones of this church
This speaks to the possibility of redemption in each of us and in all our brothers and sisters,
no matter how bad they appear to be, no matter how annoying we may find them.
Christianity was not built by the most worthy people in the world, but by very average
people that God selected for his own purpose
St. James would not survive if we were to rely on our own worthiness and on our own
talents. We are here because God has chosen us to be here, and we will be successful only
to the extent that we become instruments in the hands of God.
Let us accept our weakness, ask Gods forgiveness for our own shortcomings and allow God
to use us as his instruments as he used Stephen and Paul.
5
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Sunday of Easter
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where
there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury,
pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is
despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to
understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving
that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are
pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to
eternal life.