Our Venerable Father Theodore Trichinas.
Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60; John 4:46-54.
Read Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60
In today’s reading we have two contrasting images of what it means to speak boldly.
The men testifying against St. Stephen stood and spoke boldly before the Sanhedrin saying that, “we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God…we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us”.
Scripture tells us that these men were secretly induced (read bribed) to speak thus against Stephen by those who were not able to withstand his wisdom in a disputation. We also read that they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes against Stephen. The boldness with which they spoke proceeded from this stirring up of the passions, though they may have been genuinely moved by a sense of injustice, or fear at the perceived threat of their cherished customs or way of life.
In contrast, the boldness of Stephen’s speech proceeds, not from a stirring up of the passions, but from a reliance on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the grace given him to witness (μάρτυρος) to Jesus Christ. Even his enemies who saw him before the council, “saw his face as the face of an angel”.
St. John Chrysostom reminds us that, “if we are to have boldness we must be free from wrath, that none may impute our words to anger” (Homily XVI on Acts). This presupposes that we are living the Christian life and earnestly trying to overcome our passions. Purity of heart is required – “blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”.
If we reflect on the moments that we boldly speak out on some topic, we can see that it can be very difficult to know whether we truly speak from virtue or from a stirring up of our passions. In such situations we should try to imitate proto-martyr, defaulting to silence and praying before speaking and relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us.
So when we feel the urge to speak out strongly, may God grant us the humility to say, “Lord, let me not speak out because of the stirring up of my passions, but give me the words that You want me to speak, and help me to be detached from success or failure”