Guidelines Sheet - Easter Series: 22-26 April, 2024

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This week, we will pray and reflect on Chapters 6 to 12 of the Acts of the Apostles which narrates how the believers continue the mission of evangelization.

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MONDAY (APRIL 22)
​ Acts 6:1-7

The quarrel between the Greek-speaking Jews and the native Jews was brought out to the twelve apostles whose decision was to search for seven persons appointed to serve and to handle the finances. They suggested the profile of these seven deacons or servers: good standing, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom. It means that everybody in the Christian community regardless of status, specific work, responsibility is a person guided by the Spirit.

Do I believe that everybody in our Verbum Dei Missionary Family is a disciple called by God first and foremost to be guided by the Spirit? How to help each other to be open to the guidance of the Spirit? God counts on each of us to be an evangelizing community guided by the Spirit.

At the same time, for the apostles, it is very clear their concrete dedication: “We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching.” In the NRST Bible, it says: “We, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” To serve has a wider connotation than to preach.
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In Identity and Mission of the Verbum DEI Missionary Family (IMVDMFa) no. 25: “Therefore, the Verbum Dei Missionary Family, with the motto of the first disciples of Jesus, ´Orationi et ministerio verbi instante´ (Acts 6:4), and the spirit of the first Christian community, concretizes and centers its specific mission in the Word of God: to pray with the Word, assimilating it until it becomes our own life, transforming ourselves in it and teaching others to do the same, so they may pray, live and teach it experientially to others”. It´s quoted from CVDMF 17 (Verbum Dei Constitutions).

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TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY (APRIL 22-23)
Acts 6:8 – 7:60

Today and tomorrow, we will read and pray on these two chapters. On Tuesday, we will focus more on Acts 6:8-7:53 and on Wednesday on Acts 7:54-60.

Stephen´s witness is narrated in these two chapters. Stephen is one of the deacons or servers chosen by people with the approval from the apostles. He was persecuted and eventually became the first martyr in the history of the Church (we celebrate his feast day on December 26). The first martyr is a member of the group of believers, not one of the apostles. How was his faith in Jesus? He was a person of prayer and ready to defend Jesus’ life up to death.

Stephen´s speech to the Jews authorities is a manifestation of his spiritual life and his love for Jesus. He is well versed about the history of salvation. In fact, this speech is a summary of the whole history from Abraham up to Jesus. He was not afraid to speak boldly about their disobedience to the law of Moses and their part in Jesus’ passion and death by betraying him.

The Jews could not bear such kind of accusations and killed Stephen by stoning him. The last words of Stephen were like those pronounced by Jesus on the cross: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” and “Lord, do not remember this sin against them.” These questions came into my mind: Was Stephen present in Calvary when Jesus died? Did he learn from Jesus how to pray forgiving his enemies?

Lord, what can I learn from Stephen today? Holy Spirit, lead us to be disciples in love with you and for you.
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Saul (future Saint Paul) was present in the martyrdom of Stephen and approved it.

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THURSDAY
Acts 8:4 -8, 26 - 40

The believers were persecuted and it was a good occasion to preach the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ to Samaria and the places nearby.

In this passage, the apostle Philip met the Ethiopian official on his way to Samaria. There are some important points to take into consideration:

1. The Holy Spirit guides Philip to approach the person who is hungry for the Word of God.
2. Philip´s missionary work is to explain the Word of God to this concrete person.
3. When the Ethiopian official was baptized and received the Holy Spirit, Philip disappeared.

We can identify our apostolic work with this passage:

1. The Holy Spirit pushes us to approach people to transmit the Word of God to them. Do I allow myself to be pushed by the Holy Spirit when I have people around me willing to hear the Good News of salvation? Do I think of myself or (do I think) of them?
2. To explain the Word of God requires constant and mature prayer, formation on the Bible, fidelity to pray in the way we are taught in the Verbum Dei as quoted before in IMVDMFa 25. Am I aware of my improvements in praying with the Word of God? What formation or help do I need to grow as disciple of Christ? (You can share about it with your spiritual director for improvement and implementation)
3. The goal of our missionary work is each person could encounter Jesus and remain united to Him. When somebody is already with Jesus, we can disappear. The goal of our missionary activity is that everybody will be a friend of Jesus and not only my friend or our friend.

Do I lead people around me to a friendship with Jesus? How to introduce Jesus to them?

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FRIDAY
Acts 8:1-3.9:1-19; 22:6-16; 26:12-18

Saint Paul, from persecutor to an apostle of the Gentiles. Who could say that Saul may become Saint Paul? In the history of the Church, we have many saints who were great sinners. Nothing is impossible for God. At the same time, these saints have received God´s grace without resistances. Am I listening to God without blocking the way for Him to talk to me? Is His powerful grace transforming me?

When Saint Paul heard the voice calling him by name, he was brave enough to ask: “Who are you, Lord?” The voice was not familiar to him that´s why he asked. Many times, we can´t recognize Him talking to us but we can ask Him and He´ll clarify our doubts, our confusions, our uncertainties.

In our daily encounter with the Trinity, we are transformed. This is what Jaime Bonet called “humble conversion.” It may be a humble conversion but not insignificant. We become faithful disciples of Christ when His Word penetrates to the level of our thoughts, feelings, and inner attitudes in a way that we are more evangelical in our way of thinking, feeling, and acting. Nothing is impossible for God. We are the ones deciding to remain in an increasing openness to His grace.

Do I identify myself with Saint Paul? In what way, yes? In what way, no?
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Saint Paul is the patron saint of Verbum Dei. Why do you think that Jaime Bonet chose him as our patron saint?

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PRAYER FOR THE CONGRESS
To be held in Loeches, Spain from August 30 – September 27, 2024

“Communion, Consecration and Participation in the Mission”

Father, you who create and sustain all things with your love, we ask you to make us artisans of communion, so that as we journey towards the Congress we may know how to welcome the diversity that characterizes us as the Verbum Dei Missionary Family.

Jesus, human face of God, consecrate us to your Word so that the Congress may be prepared and carried out in profound fidelity to your voice, listening to each one of us and to the signs of the times.

Holy Spirit, you who open rivers in the desert, guide us in this time of discernment and decision, so that we may live, embody and offer our charism ever more fully, so that all the baptized may participate in the mission of Jesus entrusted to the Church.
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Accompany us, Mary, with your loving motherly presence and intercession, so that this Congress may be a channel of hope in which God transforms us and makes all things new. Amen.