Thursday, December 26, 2002
St. Stephen, First Martyr
1st Reading: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Gospel: Mt 10:17-22
Jesus said to his apostles, "Be on your guard with respect to people, for they will hand you over to their courts and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, and so you may witness to them and the pagans.
But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say and how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it is not you who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you.
Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved."
Commentary
The mysteries of the life of Jesus, from birth to death, Christmas to Easter, are like a seamless robe. And so, on the second day of Christmas, the liturgy presents the first martyr, witness to Christ. Stephen dies witnessing that Jesus Christ is our divine Lord, the one to whom we pray and entrust our lives upon leaving this world. Stephen witnesses to joy even in the jaws of death, seeing a vision of Jesus in glory at God's right hand, and dying, like Jesus, with words of forgiveness on his lips. The gospel tells us a Christian must expect martyrdom, but will also find the Spirit's presence, nurturing hope in the fullness of life beyond this one.