Today's Ornament of Grace for Monday of the Octave of Christmas is St. Stephen, the Martyr.
Matthew 10:17-22
Be on your guard with respect to others. They will haul you into court; they will flog you… You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings… When they hand you over, 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…The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death.
As we begin the Octave of Christmas, we continue to celebrate Jesus’ coming. Yet, the happiness of Christmas seems to stand in stark contrast with the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel today remind us that Jesus’ birth cannot be somehow separate from His death and resurrection. Neither can our birth by baptism be separated from our death and resurrection in Jesus.
After Jesus’ resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles needed more help to serve the growing early Christian community. Disputes began to arise between the Greek-speaking Jews and the Hebraic Jews about fair food distribution to their widows. The Greek-speaking Jews felt their widows were not being treated as well as the others. Stephen was highly respected as a man of faith and fairness. An added benefit was that he spoke Greek. So, the Apostles asked Stephen to be one of seven deacons to distribute food and other necessities to those in need.
Stephen had many talents, though, and he not only served food, but he preached in the synagogues of the Greek-speaking Jews. There, he spoke powerfully and worked miracles among the people. The prominent members of these synagogues argued with him. Stephen engaged in their debates and showed all the truth of his teachings.
Unfortunately, winning the debates humiliated those who had challenged Stephen. So, the leaders of the synagogues made up lies, saying Stephen had showed contempt for God and a lack of respect for Moses. Such blasphemy was considered a serious crime, a crime that would have to go to trial before the supreme court of the Jewish elders, the Sanhedrin.
Angry members of the synagogues dragged Stephen before the Sanhedrin for trial. There, they accused him of preaching against the Temple and the Law of Moses. Stephen must have remembered Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel because he did not get upset. He gave a long speech to the Sanhedrin, carefully outlining his understanding of the history of Israel. Speaking of Abraham, the patriarchs, and Moses, he explained how the Chosen People disobeyed God and needed the Messiah. He showed how Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it.
Stephen bravely told those before him how they were, by falsely accusing him, doing what their ancestors had done by persecuting the prophets. He warned them that they were not listening to the Holy Spirit, and he reminded them that they even killed the Messiah who came to save them.
Stephen’s words angered the crowd who began to throw stones at him. Stephen looked up to heaven and cried out, “Look! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God!” As he died, he asked the Lord to receive his spirit and forgive those who stoned him.
We will suffer in following Jesus, but Christmas reminds us that He lives among us to give us everything we need to stay faithful in the moments
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