The contrast between the readings today is striking; persecution and scattering in Acts, yet healing, joy, and fullness of life in the Gospel. The Church, barely born and already under attack, is forced out of Jerusalem. Yet rather than silencing the message, this scattering becomes the seed of mission. Philip brings the Gospel to Samaria, and the result is “great joy in that city.” This paradox reminds me that growth in faith often happens through disruption. God’s Spirit works powerfully not in spite of hardship, but through it.
Saul’s violence and Stephen’s martyrdom could have extinguished the community’s hope, but instead, they reveal the unstoppable energy of God’s plan. The early disciples teach us that faith is not a protected place; it is a movement outward, sometimes compelled by pain or loss. Each place of suffering becomes a new space for grace to unfold.
In the Gospel, Jesus identifies Himself as the Bread of Life—the one who satisfies all hunger and thirst. His words move us from an outward struggle to an inward promise. “Whoever comes to me will never hunger.” The same Spirit who scattered the disciples now gathers all who believe into communion with Christ. Here, joy is not the denial of suffering but the fruit of being united to the will of the Father, who desires that “none be lost” but have eternal life.
When I read these passages together, I sense a call to trust in God’s transforming purpose. Even in times of fear or uncertainty, the divine pattern holds: persecution leads to witness, hunger leads to fulfillment, loss leads to resurrection. The story of the early Church is our story too. Christ feeds us with His presence so that we, nourished by the Bread of Life, can bring joy to the cities and hearts we touch today.
Blessings and Happy Easter!
Jane Stein
I was born and grew up in Omaha. After my husband, Ed (who is a Creighton graduate as well) and I married (at St. John’s on campus) we moved to Arizona to work with the U.S. Public Health Service and lived on the Apache reservation and served the native-American population. We moved to Phoenix 4.5 years later to raise our three children John, Maggie and Michael. We are now blessed to have two beautiful grandchildren, Ernesto and Emelia.
I first served in the Dominican Republic with Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC) as a 4th-year Pharmacy student while attending Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. I then served as a professional volunteer there in 2018 and 2019 and now have the privilege of serving ILAC as Co-Director of Pharmacy since 2021.
I am humbled to have been invited to write for the online ministry. My hope is that I can bring others in closer relationship with God through my reflections. I have been blessed with spiritual mentors and would like to pay it forward.
