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Catholic Caucus; Daily Mass Readings, 12-26-05, Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 12-26-05 | New American Bible

Posted on 12/26/2005 9:27:26 AM PST by Salvation

December 26, 2005
Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

Psalm: Monday 3

Reading I
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But he, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and he said,
“Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears,
and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17

R. (6) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Gospel
Mt 10:17-22

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”




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To: annalex
et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum qui autem perseveraverit in finem hic salvus erit

One passage where martyrdom resulting from faith, rather than faith in itself, contains a promise of salvation.

21 posted on 12/26/2005 4:30:00 PM PST by annalex
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To: kindred

**The Catholic religion does not teach the scriptures and portrays the early Christians as Catholics, which they were not. **

This is not a thread for argumentation, but rather meditation and prayer, and Holy Scripture.

And, for what it's worth, Catholics read Holy Scripture every day!


22 posted on 12/26/2005 4:31:40 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation

Thank you, Salvation. Hope you had a merry Christmas.


23 posted on 12/26/2005 4:43:36 PM PST by Nihil Obstat
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To: Nihil Obstat

See #5 and 6 above.


24 posted on 12/26/2005 4:47:44 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: kindred; Salvation

Please feel free to post your opinions and flag me on any appropriate thread that deals with Catholicism today, the early Church, or the concept of salvation by faith alone. I often, and gladly, discuss these important issues with Protestants and Orthodox, as do many others.

The daily mass threads that Salvation posts are by tradition reserved to the daily scripture readings and the celebration of the lives of the saints. Just like you won't enter a liturgy in process in a church and start an argument, we ask that you find a thread that is disputative in nature, and then we'll be thrilled to debate you.

Have a blessed Christmas season.


25 posted on 12/26/2005 4:55:48 PM PST by annalex
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To: All
 
 
A Voice in the Desert
 
 

Monday December 26, 2005   Feast of Saint Stephen

Reading (Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59)   Gospel (St. Matthew 10:17-22)

It has always been to me a point of interest that the first day after Christmas the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. There is clearly a link that the Church is trying to make in our minds between the events we celebrated yesterday and what it is we commemorate today. It is interesting, given the political circumstances in which we are living today, that we would celebrate this feast today, because if you took notice as you drove around over the last days, things were pretty dark; in other words, there was not a whole lot out there anywhere that suggested anything to do with Christmas.  

Yesterday I went to a hospital to anoint somebody who was dying. On one of the doors there was a menorah, and it said “Happy Hanukah.” On the other door there was a Santa Claus, and it said “Merry Christmas.” For the Jewish people, the menorah, the candelabra is the symbol of what it is that they are celebrating. That is precisely what Hanukah was all about: the rededication of the temple at the time of the Maccabees and the miraculous lighting of the menorah. But for Christians, instead of anything having to do with the Holy Family, they put up Santa Claus. You see some of these things that go on. For the Jewish people to have a symbol of their religion is perfectly acceptable, but for a Christian it has become nothing more than a secular holiday.  

It is always fascinating to me that people who are pagan are more than happy to celebrate Christmas–because it is not a religious holiday anymore. I remember even thirty years ago there was a Buddhist woman who said to me that their Buddhist priest told them to go out and buy a Christmas tree and get gifts and celebrate Christmas. When asked why, he said, “It doesn’t have any religious significance anymore. It’s just a secular holiday.” So we see what is happening in our country. 

When Our Lord tells us that there are going to be difficulties and people are going to hand you over, so they did with Stephen, and so they may do with us. But we have to learn two lessons from this. First of all, Our Lord tells us we do not need to worry about what we are going to say; the Holy Spirit will take care of that. That is something that is so important for us to understand. Even with that, we are told, for instance with Stephen, that these people were not able to match the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. Now if the Holy Spirit is speaking through us, our natural inclination would be to think that He is going to convert these people who are hearing it. But look at what they did to Stephen. They took him out and stoned him, and that is what gave glory to God. He was the first person to die for his faith in Christ. So it does not necessarily imply that people are going to accept what we are saying, even if it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.  

Secondly, we have to learn from Stephen, just as we learn from Jesus, what it is that we are supposed to do in the circumstances: to pray for the people who are doing this and to turn to Jesus. But in the meantime, we also need to learn from Stephen what we are to do even before there is any trouble, that is, to give witness to Christ and to give glory to God. Stephen did not care that these people hated him. He said, Look! I see the heavens opened and I see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of God the Father. He gave witness to Christ. He did not back down because it was politically incorrect, and he was willing to die for his faith in Christ.  

As I have told you before, we have an opportunity now for really the first time as Americans to suffer for our faith. Thanks be to God for that, because now we are going to find out who really is a Catholic and who is not–and that means on every part of what it means to be Catholic, not just “am I going to put up a Christmas tree,” because even the pagans will do that, but “am I going to put my faith on the line, am I going to stand up and give witness to Christ, am I willing to bring Jesus out into the world by the way that I live, by the way that I act, by what I say.” When Christ is hated, that is when we are going to find out who we really are. The rejection for Jesus Christ and the hatred for Him is growing everyday. So we have a choice.  

As we watch people walk away from Christ because He is politically incorrect, and we watch other people, which is really the majority of those who would call themselves Christian, as we watch them water down the Faith to make it more palatable for the people who do not want to hear about Jesus to the point that He is just a “nice guy,” we have to look at what we believe. We have to look at all of those who have gone before us who were willing to suffer and die for their faith, and we need to look at Jesus, Who was willing to suffer and die for us so that we could have faith. We have to ask ourselves, as we look at that beautiful little Baby in the manger, “Am I willing to suffer for Him? Am I willing to stand up and be counted with Him? Am I willing to die to myself in order to live for Him? Am I willing to give witness to Him?” These are the kinds of things we have to look at.  

Herod wanted to kill Him; that did not stop Him from being born in the place where He was. He could have been born anywhere that He wanted to; He is God. But He walked right into the middle of it. He is God; He could have wiped out the people who crucified Him, but He did not. They wanted to persecute Him, and they did, all the time of His public life. Instead of going someplace else, He allowed the persecution to happen. So it has been throughout history, and so it will be again. It is just may be that this time we are the ones who may have the privilege of being able to suffer for Him. Are we willing? How much do we really believe in Christ? How much is our faith worth to us? Are we willing to continue to live our faith in its fullness, even in the face of persecution? Because the persecution has arrived. Jesus Christ is politically incorrect and He is a social stigma in this society. Thanks be to God, because now we have a choice to find out who we really are as Christian people.  

*  This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.        


26 posted on 12/26/2005 5:10:04 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Excellent points here:

As I have told you before, we have an opportunity now for really the first time as Americans to suffer for our faith. Thanks be to God for that, because now we are going to find out who really is a Catholic and who is not–and that means on every part of what it means to be Catholic, not just “am I going to put up a Christmas tree,” because even the pagans will do that, but “am I going to put my faith on the line, am I going to stand up and give witness to Christ, am I willing to bring Jesus out into the world by the way that I live, by the way that I act, by what I say.” When Christ is hated, that is when we are going to find out who we really are. The rejection for Jesus Christ and the hatred for Him is growing everyday. So we have a choice.

27 posted on 12/26/2005 5:13:20 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
The Word Among Us


Monday, December 26, 2005

Meditation
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59



How could anyone so willingly embrace the death that Stephen faced? How could anyone be so peaceful—even joyful—as he is being stoned to death? Stephen could do this only because he had walked with Jesus every other day of his life. Day in and day out, he sought to touch the throne of God in prayer. Even as he waited tables for the Jerusalem church, he sought grace and mercy from God. And it is that same grace that kept him hopeful and steadfast on his final day.

Why do you think Luke tells us twice that Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5; 7:55)? Is it possible that when he introduced Stephen, Luke was talking about the deacon’s day-to-day disposition—and then when he recounted Stephen’s martyrdom, he spoke of a special gift of the Spirit that made Stephen stand strong?

What a great source of encouragement for us! When we face crisis points in our lives, God can move powerfully to remind us that he is still in control and that he has not abandoned us. At these moments, he will pour out a special “boost” from the Holy Spirit, just as he did for Stephen, so that we can hear his voice, know his comfort, and even proclaim his words.

During this time after Christmas, which can be anticlimactic, we tend to consider resolutions of how we will change in the new year. Can we decide to stay close to the presence of God a little bit more next year? Can we resolve to spend time with him every day so that we will be open to his Spirit during whatever challenges or crises we may face? This may involve a decision to pray every day, but it also means inviting Jesus into our thoughts during the day. It means sharing with him the frustrations, guilt, and fears—as well as the joys and surprises—of the day. Like St. Stephen, the more we walk with Jesus in our everyday lives, the more powerfully we will experience him when we face a test.

“Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me with the fire of your love. Remind me that Jesus is my first love and that anything else is secondary. Help me to hear your voice throughout the day so that I can especially hear you when things get rough.”

Psalm 31:3-4,6,8,16-17; Matthew 10:17-22



28 posted on 12/26/2005 5:19:49 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Monday, December 26, 2005 >> St. Stephen
 
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Psalm 31 Matthew 10:17-22
View Readings
 
THE REAL CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
 
"You are always opposing the Holy Spirit..." —Acts 7:51
 

The spirit of the world is at odds with the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:17). Because of this, it is crucial for us to be absolutely certain we are following the Holy Spirit in our celebrations of the Christmas season. Otherwise, we are "opposing the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51), just like the Jewish leaders who put St. Stephen to death. These leaders sincerely thought they were serving God by killing Stephen, but were unwittingly fulfilling Jesus' prophecy instead (see Jn 16:2).

Martyrs like Stephen empty themselves of their blood, just as Jesus emptied Himself (Phil 2:7). Likewise, we must empty ourselves of the world's spirit so that we don't blindly oppose the Holy Spirit. When we are completely empty of self and the spirit of the world (2 Cor 4:4), we can be full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). If we aren't empty of the things of the world, we will have no room for the Father's gift of the Spirit (see 1 Jn 2:15).

Get the real Christmas spirit. For your Christmas present, "receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22). May you be found guilty of always opposing the world's spirit and always receiving the Holy Spirit.

 
Prayer: Father, pour out Your love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rm 5:5). Come, Holy Spirit!
Promise: "Do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. When the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. You yourselves will not be the speakers; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you." —Mt 10:19-20
Praise: St. Stephen was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and received the great vision of seeing Jesus at the right hand of the Father. He followed Christ in life and in praying for those who killed him.
 

29 posted on 12/26/2005 7:39:45 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Baraonda

Faith-sharing bump.


30 posted on 12/26/2005 10:22:12 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: Knitting A Conundrum

Christian poetry bump.


31 posted on 12/26/2005 10:23:51 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: Ohioan from Florida

The early Christians turned the world upside down by their devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. It's truly humbling to read their stories.


32 posted on 12/26/2005 10:32:38 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: Salvation

Catholic Culture bump. Good teaching on St. Wenceslaus.


33 posted on 12/26/2005 10:59:23 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: lightman

Here's hoping all FReepers reading this thread are enjoying the blessings of this wonderful Christmas season.


34 posted on 12/26/2005 11:06:40 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: annalex
The Stoning of St. Stephen

Beautiful artwork. I'm looking for St. Paul in the depiction. Could he be the seated figure on the lower left, with two cloaks at his feet and one in hand?

35 posted on 12/26/2005 11:12:12 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: All

From: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59


Stephen's Arrest



[8] And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people. [9] Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue
of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the
Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed
with Stephen. [10] But they could not withstand the wisdom and the
Spirit with which he spoke.


The Martyrdom of Stephen


[54] Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they
ground their teeth against him. [55] But he, full of the Holy Spirit,
gazed into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the
right hand of God; [56] and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." [57] But they
cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together
upon him. [58] Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and
the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named
Saul. [59] And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit."




Commentary:


8-14. From the text it would appear that Stephen preached mainly among
Hellenist Jews; this was his own background. Reference is made to
synagogues of Jews of the Dispersion (Diaspora). These synagogues were
used for worship and as meeting places. The very fact that these
Hellenist Jews were living in the Holy City shows what devotion they
had to the Law of their forebears.


No longer is it only the Sanhedrin who are opposed to the Gospel; other
Jews have been affected by misunderstanding and by misrepresentation of
the Christian message.


The charge of blasphemy--also made against our Lord--was the most
serious that could be made against a Jew. As happened in Jesus' case,
the accusers here resort to producing false witnesses, who twist
Stephen's words and accuse him of a crime the penalty for which is
death.


55-56. "It is clear", St. Ephraem comments, "that those who suffer for
Christ enjoy the glory of the whole Trinity. Stephen saw the Father
and Jesus at His side, because Jesus appears only to his own, as was
the case with the Apostles after the Resurrection. While the champion
of the faith stood there helpless in the midst of those who had killed
the Lord, just at the point when the first martyr was to be crowned, he
saw the Lord, holding a crown in His right hand, as if to encourage him
to conquer death and to show that he inwardly helps those who are about
to die on his account. He therefore reveals what he sees, that is, the
heavens opened, which were closed to Adam and only opened to Christ at
the Jordan, but open now after the Cross to all who share Christ's
sufferings, and in the first instance open to this man. See how
Stephen reveals why his face was lit up: it was because he was on the
point of contemplating this wondrous mission. That is why he took on
the appearance of an angel--so that his testimony might be more
reliable" ("Armenian Commentary, ad loc.").


57-59. The cursory trial of Stephen ends without any formal sentence of
death: this Jewish tribunal was unable to pass such sentences because
the Romans restricted its competence. In any event no sentence proves
necessary: the crowd becomes a lynching party: it takes over and
proceeds to stone Stephen, with the tacit approval of the Sanhedrin.


Tradition regards Stephen as the first Christian martyr, an example of
fortitude and suffering for love of Christ. "Could you keep all God's
commandments," St. Cyprian asks, "were it not for the strength of
patience? That was what enabled Stephen to hold out: in spite of being
stoned he did not call down vengeance on his executioners, but rather
forgiveness.... How fitting it was for him to be Christ's first
martyr, so that by being, through his glorious death, the model of all
the martyrs that would come after him, he should not only be a preacher
of the Lord's Passion, but should also imitate it in his meekness and
immense patience" ("De Bono Patientiae", 16).


Martyrdom is a supreme act of bravery and of true prudence, but to the
world it makes no sense. It is also an __expression of humility, because
a martyr does not act out of bravado or overweening self-confidence; he
is a weak man like anyone else, but God's grace gives him the strength
he needs. Although martyrdom is something which happens rarely, it
does show Christians what human nature can rise to if God gives it
strength, and it establishes a standard, both real and symbolic, for
the behavior of every disciple of Christ.


"Since all the virtues and the perfection of all righteousness are born
of love of God and one's neighbor," St. Leo says, "in no one is this
love more worthily found than in the blessed martyrs, who are nearest
to our Lord in terms of imitation of both His charity and His Passion.


"The martyrs have been of great help to others, because the Lord has
availed of the very strength as He granted them to ensure that the pain
of death and the cruelty of the Cross do not frighten any of His own,
but are seen as things in which man can imitate Him....


"No example is more useful for the instruction of the people of God
than that of the martyrs. Eloquence is effective for entreating,
argument for convincing; but examples are worth more than words, and it
is better to teach by deeds than by speech" ("Hom. on the Feast of St.
Laurence").


The Second Vatican Council has reminded us of the excellence of the
martyrdom as a form of witness to the faith. Although there are heroic
ways of imitating and following our Lord which do not involve the drama
of bloodshed and death, all Christians should realize that confession
of the faith in this way is not a thing of the past and is sometimes
necessary.


"Since Jesus, the Son of God, showed His love by laying down His life
for us, no one has greater love than he who lays down his life for Him
and for his brothers (cf. 1 John 3:16; John 15:13). Some Christians
have been called from the beginning, and will always be called, to give
this greatest testimony of love to all, especially to persecutors.
Martyrdom makes the disciple like his Master. [...] Therefore, the
Church considers it the highest gift and supreme test of love. And
although it is given to few, all must be prepared to confess Christ
before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross amidst the
persecutions which the Church never lacks.


"Likewise the Church's holiness is fostered [...] by the manifold
counsels which the Lord proposes to His disciples in the Gospel"
(Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 42).


The Liturgy of the Church sums up the asceticism and theology of
martyrdom in the preface for Christian martyrs: "Your holy martyr
followed the example of Christ, and gave his life for the glory of Your
name. His death reveals Your power shining through our human
weakness. You choose the weak and make them strong in bearing witness
to You."


Like Jesus, Stephen dies commending his soul to God and praying for his
persecutors. At this point St. Luke brings in Saul who cooperates in
the proceedings by watching the executioners' clothes; Saul will soon
experience the benefits of Stephen's intercession. "If Stephen had not
prayed to God, the Church would not have had Paul" (St. Augustine,
"Sermons", 315, 7).


Stephen has died, but his example and teaching continue to speak across
the world.



Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.


36 posted on 12/27/2005 8:04:33 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All

From: Matthew 10:17-22


Jesus' Instructions to the Apostles



(Jesus said to His disciples,) [17] Beware of men; for they will deliver
you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, [18] and you will
be dragged before governors and kings for My sake, to bear testimony
before them and the Gentiles. [19] When they deliver you up, do not
be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you
are to say will be given to you in that hour; [20] for it is not you who
speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. [21] Brother
will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will
rise against parents and have them put to death; [22] and you will be
hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be
saved."




Commentary:


16-23. The instructions and warnings Jesus gives here apply right
through the history of the Church. It is difficult for the world to
understand the way of God. Sometimes there will be persecutions,
sometimes indifference to the Gospel or failure to understand. Genuine
commitment to Jesus always involves effort--which is not surprising,
because Jesus Himself was a sign of contradiction; indeed, if that were
not the experience of a Christian, he would have to ask himself whether
he was not in fact a worldly person. There are certain worldly things
a Christian cannot compromise about, no matter how much they are in
fashion. Therefore, Christian life inevitably involves nonconformity
with anything that goes against faith and morals (cf. Romans 12:2). It
is not surprising that a Christian's life often involves choosing
between heroism and treachery. Difficulties of this sort should not
make us afraid: we are not alone, we can count on the powerful help of
our Father God to give us strength and daring.


20. Here Jesus teaches the completely supernatural character of the
witness He asks His disciples to bear. The documented accounts of a
host of Christian martyrs prove that He has kept this promise: they bear
eloquent witness to the serenity and wisdom of often uneducated people,
some of them scarcely more than children.


The teaching contained in this verse provides the basis for the
fortitude and confidence a Christian should have whenever he has to
profess his faith in difficult situations. He will not be alone, for
the Holy Spirit will give him words of divine wisdom.



Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.


37 posted on 12/27/2005 8:05:44 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Ciexyz; annalex

From the commentary which I just posted (Got it late.):

Like Jesus, Stephen dies commending his soul to God and praying for his
persecutors. At this point St. Luke brings in Saul who cooperates in
the proceedings by watching the executioners' clothes; Saul will soon
experience the benefits of Stephen's intercession. "If Stephen had not
prayed to God, the Church would not have had Paul" (St. Augustine,
"Sermons", 315, 7).


38 posted on 12/27/2005 8:07:56 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Ciexyz
Could [St. Paul] be the seated figure on the lower left, with two cloaks at his feet and one in hand?

It seems, you are right, even though he doesn't look young.

Acta 7:57 And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul.

39 posted on 12/27/2005 2:07:58 PM PST by annalex
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To: annalex

The artwork that you post is always such a blessing.


40 posted on 12/27/2005 9:25:12 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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