ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
CHAPTER
6
1. Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 1)
Oh God even though there was unity among those chosen by the Holy Spirit to be members of Your body on earth that is the Roman Catholic Church, still there were those who were not being treated as equal as others. |This means that there was an unfair distribution of the available resources. Although oh Jesus we are living better times especially when compared to the times of the apostles, we are still witnessing an imbalance in the distribution and consumption of the resources of the world. Some of us are well of while others hardly meet their basic needs.
In order to obtain a more in depth perception of this reality I invite you to click on the following link::-
2. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 2)
The twelve apostles faced their first major crisis or dilemma. It is through these situations oh God that we experience growth on many levels including the spiritual and even in our decision making processes. The dilemma was that of either celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist on the tables or altars or spreading the message of the Good News which was their original assignment that You gave the twelve before joining Your father in heaven. At times it is necessary to evaluate our lives and assess if we are still on track in our venture to heaven or if we have been side tracked by the ways of the world, which can easily happen to anybody. It is therefore to spend time in a retreat in a group or on an individual level accompanied by a spiritual director who can enlighten us and evaluate the progress of our lives. Your Holy Spirit may even help us to explore other alternatives to improve our lives that we had never ever considered or thought of.
3. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verses 3 to 4)
Time and time again oh God You give us particular assignments to fulfil. Due t o the fact that due to the state of degeneration of our society which is becoming more worldly vocations appear to be on the decrease, the laity are called to participate in the body of Christ by playing important roles such as that of the deacons who are trusted with the responsibility of taking you to those of us who are not fit to come to Church and receive You and nourish their souls with Your body in the sacrament of the Eucharist. When we are helping others in one way or another we are also being deacons to others. Although the Roman Catholic Church has many services by which it gives service to others we can still be of help in our ways and in the areas of life where we are currently active such as family and other environments.
5. What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 5)
Oh Jesus how nice it is to have social approval, that is to be considered by others as a person of faith and blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. As in the conclaves the community agreed on the chosen person and the decision was taken.
6. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 6)
Verse six shows us the power of praying over in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The chosen men were blessed in the Holy Spirit which made them ready to fulfil the task that You oh God had given them. As baptised people we are also given the mission to be holy and to help others be holy in the sense of spreading the Word of God that leads us to a greater intimate relationship with You. that ultimately if it is Your will leads to the salvation of our souls.
7. The word of God continued to spread; greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 7)
In time many people all over the world will embrace Christianity however many people will be influenced and not persuaded by means of the presence of Your Holy Spirit in us and the faith and works done by us and not only by means of sermons. The greatest sermons are acts of love and mercy especially to those whom we consider as enemies or not on equal terms such as people of different beliefs and values. You told us to pray for our enemies and not condemn them by sending a special squad to destroy ISIS. Our greatest weapons and means of proclaiming Your word are faith love, hope and charity and not missile launchers and other means of mass destruction.
8. Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 8)
People who are possessed by Your holy Spirit are able to do many acts of healing, because in truth You are using them to perform such positive acts. Such people may be both Roman Catholics and even those of other churches. Faith in Your Name is able to bring healing whether the transmission is of a Roman Catholic preacher or a person of another church. On listening to many pastors who are of other churches such as Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer You oh God have spoken to my spirit and made me aware of many issues that need to be taken care of in my life. God has no boundaries by which to transmit His messages to us, therefore let us never shut or discourage any preacher for, those who do not preach against You oh Jesus Son of God are in favour of You. Amen.
9. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 9)
When the evil one hears us give testimony of You in our lives, the latter does all he can to silence us so that the positive message of the salvation purchased by Your blood will not continue to spread and flourish. Of such groups or individuals or even members of our family we are to be aware for anyone and and any situation can be used in order to test our faith in You oh Jesus.
In order to imagine such a situation please click on the following link:-
Daughter of satanist forced to persecute street preacher
10. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 10)
When You are with us nobody can stand a chance against us, because Your truth sets us free and nobody is able to bend or manipulate that truth if not for a reason that You are in control of and that You plan to reap positive consequences out of the unseeingly negative situation.
11. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12. They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. 13. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; 14. for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verses 11 to 14)
In order to build a solid accusation against Stephen, the forces of evil united and as in the case of Jesus convinced those in their circles to give false witness against Stephen In contrary to lies the truth will always set us free. Even though we may be incriminated by the world and its crooked and sinful ways, You are the one who can truly implement justice with no bias or form of corruption.
15. And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 15)
When Stephen or St Stephen was standing before the council he was already in the presence of God, who was giving him the testimony to share with those concerned. This presence oh Jesus was so strong that it radiated through his being, as in the case of Your the transfiguration on the mountain Your face and clothes also radiated and shone because You were immersed in the Holy presence of Your Father.
If we look at the faces of the following modern saints it becomes evident that these people have made an intimate experience of You in their lives. I invite you to click on the following link and look at the eyes and faces of the following.
Modern day saints
Oh beloved Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer. I place before You the souls of all the people who were beheaded or tortured to death because they proclaimed that they are Roman Catholics. I also pray for their families who may still be afflicted with the loss of their sons and daughters. May You console their souls. I also pray for all innocent people such as missionaries and others, who were exposed to any form of harassment especially those who ended up dying for whom they believed in as in the case of St. Stephen. I also pray for all of us, that we may be found strong in the Spirit during such times of trials and tribulations. May our faith never come to an end or become subject to compromise in order to save our skin. We are to remember oh Jesus that as You told us, all who seek to save their lives will loose it, but all who give their lives in Your name for Your sake will be gifted with eternal life in Your heavenly home.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 2)
The twelve apostles faced their first major crisis or dilemma. It is through these situations oh God that we experience growth on many levels including the spiritual and even in our decision making processes. The dilemma was that of either celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist on the tables or altars or spreading the message of the Good News which was their original assignment that You gave the twelve before joining Your father in heaven. At times it is necessary to evaluate our lives and assess if we are still on track in our venture to heaven or if we have been side tracked by the ways of the world, which can easily happen to anybody. It is therefore to spend time in a retreat in a group or on an individual level accompanied by a spiritual director who can enlighten us and evaluate the progress of our lives. Your Holy Spirit may even help us to explore other alternatives to improve our lives that we had never ever considered or thought of.
3. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verses 3 to 4)
Time and time again oh God You give us particular assignments to fulfil. Due t o the fact that due to the state of degeneration of our society which is becoming more worldly vocations appear to be on the decrease, the laity are called to participate in the body of Christ by playing important roles such as that of the deacons who are trusted with the responsibility of taking you to those of us who are not fit to come to Church and receive You and nourish their souls with Your body in the sacrament of the Eucharist. When we are helping others in one way or another we are also being deacons to others. Although the Roman Catholic Church has many services by which it gives service to others we can still be of help in our ways and in the areas of life where we are currently active such as family and other environments.
5. What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 5)
Oh Jesus how nice it is to have social approval, that is to be considered by others as a person of faith and blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. As in the conclaves the community agreed on the chosen person and the decision was taken.
6. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 6)
Verse six shows us the power of praying over in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The chosen men were blessed in the Holy Spirit which made them ready to fulfil the task that You oh God had given them. As baptised people we are also given the mission to be holy and to help others be holy in the sense of spreading the Word of God that leads us to a greater intimate relationship with You. that ultimately if it is Your will leads to the salvation of our souls.
7. The word of God continued to spread; greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 7)
In time many people all over the world will embrace Christianity however many people will be influenced and not persuaded by means of the presence of Your Holy Spirit in us and the faith and works done by us and not only by means of sermons. The greatest sermons are acts of love and mercy especially to those whom we consider as enemies or not on equal terms such as people of different beliefs and values. You told us to pray for our enemies and not condemn them by sending a special squad to destroy ISIS. Our greatest weapons and means of proclaiming Your word are faith love, hope and charity and not missile launchers and other means of mass destruction.
8. Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 8)
People who are possessed by Your holy Spirit are able to do many acts of healing, because in truth You are using them to perform such positive acts. Such people may be both Roman Catholics and even those of other churches. Faith in Your Name is able to bring healing whether the transmission is of a Roman Catholic preacher or a person of another church. On listening to many pastors who are of other churches such as Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer You oh God have spoken to my spirit and made me aware of many issues that need to be taken care of in my life. God has no boundaries by which to transmit His messages to us, therefore let us never shut or discourage any preacher for, those who do not preach against You oh Jesus Son of God are in favour of You. Amen.
9. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 9)
When the evil one hears us give testimony of You in our lives, the latter does all he can to silence us so that the positive message of the salvation purchased by Your blood will not continue to spread and flourish. Of such groups or individuals or even members of our family we are to be aware for anyone and and any situation can be used in order to test our faith in You oh Jesus.
In order to imagine such a situation please click on the following link:-
Daughter of satanist forced to persecute street preacher
10. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 10)
When You are with us nobody can stand a chance against us, because Your truth sets us free and nobody is able to bend or manipulate that truth if not for a reason that You are in control of and that You plan to reap positive consequences out of the unseeingly negative situation.
11. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12. They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. 13. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; 14. for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verses 11 to 14)
In order to build a solid accusation against Stephen, the forces of evil united and as in the case of Jesus convinced those in their circles to give false witness against Stephen In contrary to lies the truth will always set us free. Even though we may be incriminated by the world and its crooked and sinful ways, You are the one who can truly implement justice with no bias or form of corruption.
15. And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 verse 15)
When Stephen or St Stephen was standing before the council he was already in the presence of God, who was giving him the testimony to share with those concerned. This presence oh Jesus was so strong that it radiated through his being, as in the case of Your the transfiguration on the mountain Your face and clothes also radiated and shone because You were immersed in the Holy presence of Your Father.
If we look at the faces of the following modern saints it becomes evident that these people have made an intimate experience of You in their lives. I invite you to click on the following link and look at the eyes and faces of the following.
Modern day saints
Oh beloved Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer. I place before You the souls of all the people who were beheaded or tortured to death because they proclaimed that they are Roman Catholics. I also pray for their families who may still be afflicted with the loss of their sons and daughters. May You console their souls. I also pray for all innocent people such as missionaries and others, who were exposed to any form of harassment especially those who ended up dying for whom they believed in as in the case of St. Stephen. I also pray for all of us, that we may be found strong in the Spirit during such times of trials and tribulations. May our faith never come to an end or become subject to compromise in order to save our skin. We are to remember oh Jesus that as You told us, all who seek to save their lives will loose it, but all who give their lives in Your name for Your sake will be gifted with eternal life in Your heavenly home.
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