Daily Reflection

Stephen full of grace and power did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. (Acts. 6:8)One who is filled with the Holy Spirit, lives in the power of the Holy Spirit to meet the challenges of life. We see in St Stephen, one who is filled with the Holy Spirit as presented in the Word of God. The Spirit empowers Stephen to make a difference in the lives of the people.
Christianity was growing fast among the Jews and several attempts were made to stop the growth. The more impact Stephen made the more the religion spread and the more converts were made. Consequently, the Jewish leaders looked for whatever way possible to bring about a stop in the spread of Christianity. But Stephen full of grace and power became an impossible case for them. He challenged the challenges of Christian faith.
Whenever you are empowered to do good, to spread the good news, you are working against a lot of forces. Many challenges will certainly attempt to stop you on the way. The forces would be against you, there would be insults on you, there would be persecution, and you may even be arrested and jailed. Stephen was faced with many challenges, but because he was full of grace and power, he challenged the challenges.
It is interesting to know that Stephen did not respond with violence. Rather, he was quiet. In his quietness, he became an impossible case for the Jews. In his quiet mood, he became a transformed man. The face appeared to them like that of an angel. This attempt was to bring about a stop in the spread of the Good News, but it was not successful because the power of God is at work in the world. The messengers of God who have fully surrendered to Him are always full of grace and power.