December 26, 2005
Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Psalm: Monday 3
Reading IActs 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 PsalmPs 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.
GospelMt 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.”
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.
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.
