When: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 12:00 AM to Thursday, December 27, 2007 12:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
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Words of Jesus
And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, `Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, `Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’" Luke 13:6-9
The one who is our very Life descended into our world, and bore our death, and slew it with the abundance of His own life. Thundering, He called out to us to return to Him in heaven. – St. Augustine
Abba Father, Lord God, today the identity of Saul at the stoning of Stephen along with the wisdom and Spirit with which Stephen spoke followed by the words of Jesus to the disciples about how if we let You, You will through the Spirit speak and work through us. This is what I feel and see in the parable of the fig tree. For under the sun as human beings driven by the desires of the body and subject to ways of man we cannot bear fruit, but because of Your love and patience in and through Jesus we can be redeemed. Let Paul be our example, and reason for hope. That if we open our hearts and allow the love and passion of Jesus to awaken our spiritual being we will find the faith that You have planted in all our hearts and the miracle of Christ Jesus will begin in us. O Lord God continue Your work within me let the love of Jesus produce eyes of faith and let those eyes of faith be nurtured in hope to bare the fruit of love. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyre’nians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cili’cia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
3 Yea, thou art my rock and my fortress; for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me, 4 take me out of the net which is hidden for me, for thou art my refuge. 6 Thou hatest those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in the LORD. 8 and hast not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a broad place. 17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call on thee; let the wicked be put to shame, let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
17 Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter
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