Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Lectionary: 696
Reading 1
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
Psalm 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.
Alleluia
Psalm 118:26a, 27a
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD:
the LORD is God and has given us light.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
God’s Promised Inspiration
“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.” Matthew 10:19–20
These words of our Lord came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen, the Church’s first martyr. Saint Stephen was martyred within a couple of years after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. He was one of seven deacons who the Apostles appointed to assist them in their work of caring for the poor as the Church began to grow.
Stephen was a man of deep faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. After he was appointed deacon, he began to preach with boldness. Among his listeners were members of the synagogue of Hellenistic Jews. Stephen debated them vigorously and proved himself to be full of wisdom and power, performing many signs and wonders in their midst. But this only led his listeners to become outraged to the point of seeking his death. As a result, they made false claims that Stephen was preaching against the Temple and the Law of Moses.
In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:2–53), Stephen responded by giving a long and detailed speech by which he explained the full truth of Jesus in light of the Old Testament. Stephen concluded by saying, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.” This infuriated his listeners in the synagogue even more. After this, something truly miraculous happened. Stephen had a vision. He looked up to Heaven and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” He saw his Lord, standing at the right hand of the Father. And it was his proclamation of this vision that finally drove the infuriated crowd to drag him out of the synagogue and city and to stone him to death. Stephen’s story, however, ended in a beautiful and inspired way. As the crowd was stoning him, he spoke two powerful statements. First, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And then he prayed in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
As mentioned above, the words our Lord speaks in the Gospel today came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen. First of all, we see that Jesus’ prediction that some of His followers would be handed over to deaths by their own kinsmen came true in the life of Saint Stephen. But Jesus also promised that when this would happen, “You will be given at that moment what you are to say.” And it will be the Spirit of the Father “speaking through you.” And that’s exactly what happened with Saint Stephen. First, he was given a glorious vision of Heaven. Second, he was inspired to fully surrender his spirit over to Jesus. And third, he was inspired to pray for his persecutors and forgive them. These words and actions did not come from Stephen alone. They were the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that when one is persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, the Father will be especially present and give powerful inspiration at the moment of need.
Reflect, today, upon the profound truth that God never abandons us. In fact, when we suffer the most or endure persecution, rejection or any form of mistreatment, God is especially present. Look at your own life and consider those moments that you find most challenging. Pray to Saint Stephen and ask him to pray for you so that you will be open to the inspired words and actions of our Lord when you need them the most.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
IN THE SPIRIT OF STEPHEN
“They proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which [Stephen] spoke.” —Acts 6:10
St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He “was a man filled with grace and power, who worked great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). His ministry was that of a deacon ordained to distribute daily food supplies to the Jewish widows of Greek ancestry (Acts 6:1). Stephen and six other deacons were appointed to this task so that the apostles could “concentrate on prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). Stephen did carry out his food distribution ministry. In addition, through the Holy Spirit, he also ministered so powerfully in evangelization, signs, and wonders that the enemies of the Church killed Stephen even before the Twelve Apostles.
Jesus warned His disciples and apostles of this coming persecution (Mt 10:16-18). Yet persecution leads to the spread of the Gospel rather than its suppression. The world cannot chain the Word of God (2 Tm 2:9), no matter how hard it tries to suppress or persecute Jesus’ witnesses. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians” and of the Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 852). Accordingly, Saul, the persecutor of the Church, who witnessed the martyrdom of Stephen, was transformed into a preacher of the faith he tried to destroy (Gal 1:23). Therefore, be a Stephen. Speak up for Jesus. The Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking and do not be silenced, for I am with you” (Acts 18:9-10).
Prayer: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise” (Ps 51:17).
Promise: “For Your name’s sake You will lead and guide me.” —Ps 31:4
Praise: St. Stephen accepted the grace to forgive his murderers and saw Jesus in heaven before his earthly life ended.
Reflection 3
Shared from Daily Liturgy
The next day of the birth of Jesus, the Church keeps the feast of Saint Stephen, who became the first martyr. This reminds us that if one wants to follow Jesus, s/he should be willing and ready to embrace all kinds of persecutions, even death. Stephen was a man “full of grace and power” and he continued the works of the Lord. Saul, in whose presence Stephen was killed, felt that he was doing the will of God by protecting the old Law. The old wineskin could not contain the new wine. However, later, when he received the grace and power of the risen Lord, he was able to hold the new wine in the new wineskin. This transformation helped him to become a powerful emissary for the Lord. Witness of life is more powerful than words.
Reflection 4
The Servants of the Word
The One Who Endures to the End Will Be Saved
What is the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary - the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? The very reason the Son of God took on flesh and became a man for our sake was to redeem us from slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God. The way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. If we want to share in Jesus' glory, then we, too, must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps.
The cost of following and serving the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst; do you accept it? This is not the world's way of offering a job. After the defeat at Dunkirk during World War II, Churchill offered his country "blood, toil, sweat, and tears." Suffering for the name of Christ is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord commissions us in his service. Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us. The Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Do you know the joy and victory of the cross of Jesus Christ?
Prayers
Most glorious Saint Stephen, please pray for me. Pray for me especially when I experience the heaviest crosses in my life. Pray that I, like you, will be open to God’s inspiration and grace at those times I need it the most. St. Stephen, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, your coming in the flesh to ransom us from slavery to sin gives us cause for great rejoicing even in the midst of trials and pain. Help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 360: Spiritual Battle
The tempter, satan, is real, but he is no one to fear. You should pay no attention to him. You should not engage his ideas. You should not bargain with him. In the face of temptations you should have courage, trust in the Mercy of God, and hope. Do not become curious about the sins of others, do not talk about them, do not be upset when mistreated, and do not complain. Seek wise counsel from others when confused and listen to their advice, as long as it leaves you at peace and is from the Lord. Have strong convictions and do not worry about the battles of this world. Keep your mind and heart on Jesus and let Him defend you (See Diary #1760).
When you feel the oppression of the evil one, how do you react? Do you allow your feelings to take over and enter into anger, despair and doubt? When a spiritual battle rages within, there is one defense. Put your eyes on Jesus and not on the temptations or evils. Seek out His peace and remain sheltered in His Mercy. Reflect upon how well you do this. If you struggle, then resolve to pray, pray and pray some more.
Lord, You and You alone can fight off the temptations of the evil one. Give me the grace to keep my eyes on You and to trust in Your abundant Mercy. Give me Your peace in times of adversity and courage to face all that I may endure. Jesus, I trust in You.
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