First Reading - Acts 6:8-10,7:54-59
Gospel - Matthew 10:17-22
The First Reading from Acts presents the witness of Stephen. He is not portrayed as reckless or aggressive, but as someone filled with wisdom and the Spirit. His opponents cannot refute what he says, not because he is louder or stronger, but because truth has its own authority. What ultimately leads to his death is not hatred, but clarity. Stephen sees God’s faithfulness so clearly that even violence cannot silence his hope. As stones are raised against him, his final words are prayer and forgiveness. This is not natural courage; it is grace at work in a human heart.
The Gospel from Matthew prepares the disciples for the same reality. Jesus does not offer false reassurance. He speaks honestly about betrayal, opposition, and suffering. Faith, he says, will sometimes divide even the closest relationships. Yet in the middle of this sobering message, there is a profound promise: you will not speak alone. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you. Endurance, not success, becomes the measure of faithfulness.
Dear friends, today's readings challenge a common misunderstanding of discipleship. Following Christ is not a guarantee of comfort or approval. It is a call to remain faithful when it would be easier to remain silent, to stay rooted in truth when compromise feels safer. Stephen does not win his trial, but he remains free. His courage does not come from confidence in himself, but from confidence in God.
Many people experience quieter forms of persecution: pressure to hide faith, fear of being misunderstood, reluctance to speak honestly about values, or exhaustion from standing alone. These moments may not make headlines, but they test the heart just as surely. The readings remind us that God does not ask us to be fearless; God asks us to be faithful.
The promise is not that suffering will be removed, but that we will not face it alone. The same Spirit who strengthened Stephen, who gave him vision beyond his pain, is promised to all who endure in faith. When words fail, the Spirit speaks. When courage runs thin, grace sustains.
The call today is simple and demanding: do not retreat into silence out of fear. Do not trade truth for safety. Trust that God is present in the struggle, shaping witnesses whose lives speak even when voices are silenced. Those who endure, Jesus says, will be saved. And sometimes, the strongest testimony we give is not in winning arguments, but in remaining faithful, forgiving, and hopeful to the very end.
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