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| “The Stoning of St. Stephen” by Annibale Carracci, 1603-04 |
Reading 1: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Now 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 is interesting to note
that the "Saul" at whose feet the cloaks were laid is our own St. Paul
"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.").[4]
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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
“But 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.
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Reflection:
Each
year, on the day following Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of St.
Stephen. The Gospel of St.
John from 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 members of 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 considered 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 he and the others, 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; that is he was proclaiming the good news in a way that infuriated
the Hebrew leadership. We see the irony of the participation of Saul (later St. Paul St. Paul
We
here in the psalm, the prayer for strength in the face of like 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 sentence; "You will be hated by all because of my name."
It is ironic that we are now called “haters”.
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 “The Stoning of St. Stephen” by Annibale Carracci, 1603-04
[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
[4]
The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, ©
2002, pp. 763
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