Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter
(Acts 8:1b-8; John 6:35-40)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
the president of Ukraine, may have had a small place in history if Russia had
not invaded his country. But it seems
now that he will be remembered as a courageous defender of freedom whether or
not the Ukrainians defeat the Russians.
Zelenskyy has refused to back down to the mighty Russian forces. He has successfully appealed to the world for
solidarity in the cause of national sovereignty. There is a parallel here with what takes
place in today’s first reading.
The Greek-speaking Jewish Christians have been expelled from
Jerusalem. Stephen’s diatribe against
the temple set off a persecution against them but apparently not against the
Hebrew-speaking church. The oppression turns
out to be not so much a threat to Church existence as a catalyst to its
growth. Powerful preachers like Philip
will win converts in different lands among non-Jews. The Church can now be seen as beginning to
fulfill its universal mission.
Both Zelenskyy and the Greek-speaking Christians should
inspire us to not surrender to defeatism when facing opposition. Rather we should pray to God for courage,
strength, and prudence to fulfill our destiny.
Of course, prayer is often accompanied by action. We should pursue the struggle for justice while
protecting our loved ones.
