April 13, 2013

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Saturday of the Second Week of Easter 
Lectionary: 272

Reading 1ACTS 6:1-7

As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the Apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

This sounds like a very technical part of Scripture and it is.  The Apostles were trying to make it where they would have more time to preach to the people so they assigned certain men to do the mundane "serving at table" sort of work.  Such as distributing food to the poor in the community and such.    However, it is also an introduction to the first Christian Martyr, St. Stephen.  Keep reading, its in the same chapter.

Responsorial PsalmPS 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

God's mercy is poured out upon the righteous.  The righteous are they which keep the Commandments: 

Exodus 20:6
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.  

God's mercy is also poured out upon the merciful: 

Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

GospelJN 6:16-21

When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading.

This is a miracle which is rarely noticed.  The boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were headed.  It is however, a miracle which the Saints of God frequently experience.  Here's an example of this miracle granted to St. Martin de Porres:

Sometimes the Master of Novices sent his novices to Martin during recreation. On one occasion they went to the good brother's room and while he went out to get them some lunch, the novices rummaged around and found some fruit in a drawer, and a silver coin. When our saint returned, he said that the fruit which they had taken was theirs to eat. But after the novices had eaten their lunch and were about to leave, Martin said to one of the novices, "Brother, put the money back where you found it, it is not ours, it belongs to someone else!" When the guilty novice tried to act innocent, our saint replied, "Take it out of our shoe. It is wicked to take what belongs to Jesus Christ's poor." Another time, thirty novices went with Martin for an afternoon walk in the country. When they arrived at a certain hill the good brother took out a picnic lunch that he had packed for the novices. They ate their lunch and talked freely. The day passed by and as evening approached, the novices suddenly realized that they should have been already on their way back to the monastery, and now they would arrive late! But Martin was not worried; he said a prayer and they all started out. When they were about one and a half miles from the monastery, the Ave bell sounded. Then without knowing how, the novices found themselves at the monastery in less than four minutes, just in time to join the other religious for Compline!