The trial of Stephen unleashed a great persecution against the Church. In today’s reading, the story of his apostolate and his martyrdom is told (cf Acts 6:8-15). Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. The same means, almost the same words, as were used against Jesus were used against him. We have heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene is going to destroy this place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.
Stephen proclaimed bravely his belief in the risen Jesus. And even if Our Lord does not ask us for our lives as he asked Stephen, he is an example to us of a coherent Christian life, lived naturally and openly, undeterred by false scandals or by what people might say. We have to expect that at times people will judge us in a twisted manner because they fail to understand the nature of a Christian way of acting or many of the loving demands of Christ’s doctrine. We would then have to imitate Our Lord and his faithful followers, even if it meant giving our life for him — acting with serenity, leading a Christian life with all its consequences. Doubtless it would be more comfortable to adapt ourselves to these pagan situations and lifestyles, but if we did we could not continue to be faithful disciples of Jesus. Such situations, in which we need firmness of character and fortitude in the faith can arise anywhere — in the university, at work, or in the place where we go on holiday with the family.
In their public activities Catholics should be inspired by the criteria and Gospel objectives lived and interpreted by the Church. Legitimate diversity of opinion in temporal matters should not detract from the necessary agreement of Catholics in defending and promoting values and projects of life derived from the morality of the Gospel (Spanish Episcopal Conference, Witnesses to the living God, 28 June 1985). Catholics must reject any fear of causing upset if, on account of living as faithful disciples of our Lord, their behaviour is adversely
interpreted or clearly rejected. One who would hide his Christian personality in the midst of an environment of pagan customs would be giving in to human respect, and would do well to remember to hear those words of Jesus: He who denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven(Matt 10:32).
Do you know what is the first temptation the devil presents to someone who has begun to serve God better? asks the Curé d’Ars — It is human respect (St Jean Vianney – The Curé d’Ars, Homily on Temptations). What is our behaviour like when we are with our friends, at work, at a social gathering? Do we show our condition as sons and daughters of God with simplicity and daring?
Sometimes it seems to go down well to speak without warmth of the real truths of life, or else not to speak about them at all. And there is a tendency to describe as a fanatic someone who speaks enthusiastically about a noble cause — such as the right to life from conception, freedom in education — or else there is a tendency to brand a person with certain adjectives if he or she has deep convictions about the meaning of life and tries to put them into practice.
Without being intemperate, which would be alien to the lovable example that Jesus left us, we should try to live our lives, with the help of grace, in a way that is replete with profound and firm Christian conviction. We are well aware, for example, that indifference in the face of God’s marvels is a great evil, the consequence of lukewarmness or of a dead or sleeping faith, no matter how much people try to disguise their indifference as objectivity.
In Baptism we receive the grace which saves and which gives meaning to our earthly pilgrimage. With such a great good to hand, a Christian is naturally cheerful and optimistic, and seeks to communicate his happiness to those around him with an unceasing apostolate.
Jesus always did good. I ask you, he once said to some Scribes and Pharisees who were spying on him, is it right to do good or evil? after which he cured the man with the withered hand. We must do good everywhere, communicate in every environment the joy of knowing Christ. We fee! the need to win souls for Truth, for Love, for Christ. This is called, in a correct use of terminology, ‘proselytism'. Word-manipulation intervenes at this point. The word `proselytism' has been tarred by some people with the notion of furthering selfish interests, with the use of dishonourable means to fascinate, to coerce or trap those to whom it is directed Such an attitude must be condemned But what must be condemned is sectarian proselytism, which is mercenary, which makes use of other people’s ignorance, of their material poverty, of their emotional loneliness.
But does that mean that we Christians have therefore to renounce apostolic fruitfulness, the communicative fraternity of genuine proselytism? (C. Lopez Pardo, in Palabra Magazine, 245).
Our certainty of the truths of our faith — only a person with convictions is capable of convincing others — and the love of Christ lead us to communicate in a fruitful manner what we ourselves have found: this is true proselytism. And we must carry it out everywhere.
The place where we look for holiness is in our work, in our relationships with the people who share the same tasks with us, in our social contacts, and in our families.
When we come across obstacles, lack of understanding or unjust criticism, we will ask Our Lord for his grace to keep us calm, and, normally, we will not stop doing apostolate. Our Lord did not always find well-intentioned people when he was spreading the Good News. This never stopped him from talking about the marvels of the kingdom of God. The Apostles, at the beginning of the Church, and the first Christians also, found themselves in situations and environments which, at least at first, completely rejected the doctrine of salvation they had in their hearts, but they still managed to convert the ancient world. Why are you so apathetic? If you come across a group at work who are a bit difficult, you lose interest in them. Perhaps they have become difficult because you have neglected them. Yet you throw in the towel and think of them as a dead weight which holds back your apostolic ideals because they do not understand you … You may love and serve them with your prayer and mortification, but how do you expect them to listen to you if you never speak to them? (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 954).
On the other hand there is no such thing as an unchangeable or definitive situation. The passage of time always shows in a true light the person who works and deals honourably with everyone, with a right intention and without seeking personal interest.
Only those of unsteady character with a superficial formation, and without clear criteria to guide them, allow themselves to be influenced by what people say. Often this attitude, which even humanly speaking is unattractive, is backed up by the desire to avoid having a hard time, or the fear of putting one’s job in danger, for example, or the desire not to be different from others in any way.
We read in the Responsorial Psalm: Even though princes sit plotting against me, thy servant will meditate on thy statutes. Thy testimonies are my delight, they are my counsellors (Ps 118:23-24).
In order to get over worrying about what people will say, we need to have a right intention, being more concerned about God’s opinion than anyone else’s. We also need strength to ignore small criticisms in a cheerful and imperturbable manner, and be ready to communicate the treasure which each disciple of the Lord has found. We need, too, to give good example, which is simply living coherently with the grace our Lord has placed in our hearts. It is one thing we will never regret. Even in the most difficult environments we can win souls for Christ if we really want to make those friends, colleagues and acquaintances of ours happy. Before wanting to make saints out of all those people we love, we must make them happy and joyful, for nothing better prepares a soul for grace than joy.
You already know that when you have in your hands the hearts of those whom you wish to make better, if you are able to attract them through the meekness of Christ you have already gone halfway on your apostolic road. When they love you and trust you, when they are content, the field is ready for the sowing. For their hearts are open like fertile ground, ready to receive the white grain of your word as an apostle or educator.
If you know how to speak without wounding, although you may have to correct or reprimand, hearts will not close themselves to you. The seed will fall on truly fertile ground and the harvest will be plentiful. If things were otherwise your words would find, not an open heart, but a brick wall; your seed would not fall on fertile ground but ‘on the side of the road’ of indifference or distrust; or ‘on the rocky ground’ of a soul that is ill-disposed; or ‘among the thorns’ of a wounded and resentful heart.
We must never lose sight of the fact that our Lord has promised his effectiveness to friendly faces, to cordiality, good manners, and clear, persuasive words which direct and form without wounding. We should never forget that we are men relating to other men, even when what we want is to do good to souls. We are not angels. And therefore our appearance, our smile, our manners, are factors which condition the effectiveness of our apostolate (S. Canals, Jesus as friend).
In the Blessed Virgin we find, as the Apostles found, the necessary strength to speak about God without worrying about what people might say. The Master, before ascending to the right hand of the Father, told the disciples: ‘Go and preach to all the nations', and they had remained full of peace. But they still had doubts: they did not know what to do, and they gathered around Mary, Queen of Apostles, so as to become zealous preachers of the Truth which will save the world (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 232).
