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“Martyrdom of St. Stephen”
by Bernardo Cavallino, 1660’s |
Readings for the Feast of St. Stephen [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
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.”
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Commentary on Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
The evangelist tells the story of how St. Stephen, one of the first deacons selected by the apostles, was martyred. It was St. Luke’s intent to provide an image of St. Stephen as being similar to Christ. The charges leveled against him were similar. He uttered blasphemies against Moses and God; he spoke out against the temple and the law; and professed Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and asserted the temple would be destroyed.
A prime reason this event is so momentous for the Church is not just the fact that St. Stephen, a Greek, was the first martyr following Christ’s crucifixion, but this marked the crisis within Jerusalem with regard to Christianity. The result was a clear fingerprint of God’s plan. The persecution had the unintended consequence of pushing the Word out of Jerusalem to Samaria, Judea, Galilee, and Syria. [4]
It is interesting to note that the "Saul," at whose feet the cloaks were laid, is our own St. Paul, who before his conversion was a talented prosecutor of Christians.
CCC: Acts 7:56 659
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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.
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Commentary on Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17
This is an individual lament. The section links nicely to the death of martyrs with “Into your hands I commend my spirit” and “You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plottings of men.” The psalmist gives us a song of faith very appropriate for the one who is put to the test for their faith. It is a prayer for rescue and a submission of will to God's saving power.
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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.”
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Commentary on Mt 10:17-22
Jesus gives his disciples instructions on how to deal with the persecution they are to undergo at the hands of those who do not accept him, especially those in power. His instruction is one that relies on faith that the Father, through the Holy Spirit, will supply the words. There is also a presumption that there will be loss of life. Here the Lord tells us that those who are steadfast in their faith cannot die a spiritual death.
“Jesus does not so much caution his disciples against men, in the sense of declaring mankind (οί άυθϱωποι) to be the natural enemies of his disciples and, hence, of himself. Rather, he appears to be warning them against becoming like the rest of men, against fighting violence with violence rather than with the truth, against reacting to contempt and hatred with contempt and hatred rather than with transformative and imaginative love.” [5]
"Here, the hostility the apostles will face comes into sharp focus. They are being sent out like sheep in the midst of wolves - an image of vulnerability and helplessness before fierce attackers. Yet the apostles are not to be passive when enemies assail them. They are to be as shrewd as serpents, prudently anticipating threats and finding ways to survive. But they must at the same time be as simple as doves. The word for simple means 'unmixed,' suggesting that the apostles' shrewd tactics should be animated by pure motives and single-mindedness for their ministry. Shrewdness should never lead them to seek survival or advantage in a way that compromises their integrity." [6]
CCC: Mt 10:19-20 728; Mt 10:22 161, 1821
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Reflection:
"'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.)." [7]
Each year, on the day following Christmas, the Church begins a series of celebrations called the “Christmas Companions.” The first of these celebrates the Feast of St. Stephen. The Gospel of St. John used at the Christmas Mass during the day tells us that the Word incarnate will be rejected by those who are his own (John 1:10). In today’s Gospel, the Lord cautions his followers that they too will face rejection, persecution, and possibly death. With the glow of the Morning Star that illuminated the manger still warming our hearts, we are given a stern reminder of what discipleship means.
For the Order of Deacons (the diaconate), this day is very special. St. Stephen, the first martyr, is also one of the first deacons, ordained by the apostles to serve the Church. His feast day is the day upon which we celebrate the establishment of the diaconate. Since all ordained clergy in the Church (deacons, priests, and bishops) are ordained to that rank and order, this is a very important day in the life of the Church as a whole.
In Scripture today we are given selections that tell us of the unique connection between Jesus, the apostles, and those first seven deacons, most especially St. Stephen. Upon him and the other six, hands were imposed, dedicating them to the service of the poor and marginalized members of the faith community. We hear the story of how St. Stephen was put to death for essentially the same reason as the Lord. He was proclaiming the good news in a way that infuriated the Hebrew leadership.
God’s plan can sometimes only be seen in retrospect. In this case, the martyrdom of St. Stephen marked the beginning of a great persecution of Christians in Jerusalem which drove many faith-filled Christians out of Jerusalem to Samaria, Judea, Galilee, and Syria. Instead of killing the spread of Christianity, the zealot Jews of Jerusalem cooperated with God’s plan, and using the Roman Empire’s great transportation system, pushed the Word into the known world. St. Stephen was the spark that caused God’s Son’s work to spread as only pure truth can.
We see the irony of the participation of Saul (later St. Paul, who also died a martyr's death) in the condemnation and execution of St. Stephen. One must wonder if St. Stephen's words did not, in some way, pave the path for St. Paul’s later conversion.
We hear in the psalm a prayer for strength in the face of persecution, and we are given in the Gospel words of encouragement by Jesus. He tells us: "whoever endures to the end will be saved.” We must expect the same kind, if not the same degree, of resistance in our own Christian witness based upon what the Lord tells us earlier in that same verse: "You will be hated by all because of my name." It is ironic that we are now called “haters” by many of those who reject Christian morality.
On this great feast of the Church, let us give thanks to God for the gift of all his saints, especially St. Stephen, martyr and deacon. Let us also give thanks to all those throughout history who have laid down their lives for the faith and pray that we can be courageous and follow in their steps.
Pax
[1] The picture today is “Martyrdom of St. Stephen” by Bernardo Cavallino, 1660’s.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 45:37, p. 182.[5] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 554.
[6] The Gospel of Matthew, © 2010 Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, p. 145.
[7] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 763.
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