The Martyrdom of Stephen: An Unavoidable Corollary of Professing Christ
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A Happy Ending
The Baltimore Catechism asked “why did God make me?” The answer was “to know, love, and serve Him in this life and to be happy with Him in the next.”
Jesus wants us to have a happy ending. An eternal happy ending.
Sin is the one obstacle to that.
Today is also an ending: it is the last day of the Church year. A new liturgical year begins tomorrow, with the First Sunday of Advent. Throughout the upcoming year, most of our Sunday Gospels will come from Matthew.
In today’s First Reading, [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112925.cfm ] which concludes our reading of the Book of Daniel for the moment, the prophet – who has considered the awful judgment scene he recounted yesterday – admits he is confused and “terrified.” Once more, God assures us to “be not afraid.” Apocalyptic writing is not intended to scare but to console us, to assure us God is in ultimate charge.
Yes, there is a beast. There is evil and evil will do horribly evil things. That’s the price of freedom and man’s choice in freedom to do evil. But that is not the final word in history. The beast’s rule is terrible, but it is limited. The final word belongs to good, to the Most High. God has the ultimate Word in history – and that Word is Christ.
Again, the echoes of Daniel in the Book of Revelation are clear. The latter ends with the destruction of the beast and the coming of the New Jerusalem. The final words in the final book of the Bible are: “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22: 20-21). Today’s Gospel tells us what to do: to pray to be ready “to stand before the Son of Man.”
Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!
John Grondelski (PhD Fordham) was former associate dean of the School of Theology, Seton Hall University in New Jersey. He is a Catholic theologian with special interests in moral theology and the thought of St. John Paul II. All views are his own.
