April 21, 2026 // Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter // Optional Memorial of Saint Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Acts 7:51-8:1a
Reflect on the Word //
I was returning from a funeral at my parish when surprised by joyful news: A friend was in labor with her second child. My thoughts were suddenly torn between melancholic considerations of the brevity of existence and tender excitement for an infant’s coming. The close, paradoxical succession of sorrow and joy in life is unpredictable and often catches me unprepared. An expectant mother does not know when her child’s birth will begin, and the moment of death cannot be anticipated either. But we can trust that the Holy Spirit is with us in these moments.
Today’s First Reading recounts the martyrdom of Saint Stephen. It is almost shocking how quickly after Easter day the stories of the sufferings of the first Saints in Acts are paired with Christ’s lifegiving discourses from the Gospel of John. Yet rather than being unsettled by this, I can see it as a sign of the Holy Spirit present in the liturgical year and in our world.
The Holy Spirit figures prominently in the story of Saint Stephen’s death. In fact, the entire Blessed Trinity is present to the first martyr, for he is “filled with the Holy Spirit” and sees “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). By contrast, the people stoning Stephen are told they “always oppose the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). I, too, at times oppose the Holy Spirit instead of consenting to be filled with His grace. I want to always desire to be like Stephen, convicted of the Blessed Trinity’s presence, asking them to deepen my trust in the Holy Spirit present in my life and open Heaven even amid mundane moments (see Acts 7:56).
The Blessed Trinity is present in our paradoxes and will welcome us into eternity one day, at a moment still hidden to us. Life and death, joy and sorrow stand alongside each other here below, but the final word is rebirth in the Resurrection.
Relate to the Lord // Pay attention for the Holy Spirit’s life-giving presence today. Where is moving?
Leila Joy Castillo is passionate about bringing Christ to others through the written word in her freelance work, particularly as a media contractor for Ascension and as a homeschool literature tutor. She studied at Ave Maria University and is a lifelong Floridian, so mountains especially delight her heart. Leila could spend far too long chatting about Catholic travel destinations, the saints, life with her three wonderful siblings, and almost anything Jane Austen. You can follow her creativity via Instagram @leila_joyinthejourney.
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