26 December 2014 Daily Saints, Bible Readings, Reflections, Prayer, Promise & Praise..... SAINT STEPHEN The first martyr Feast Saint Stephen is one of the first deacons chosen by the early church in Acts of the Apostles. Upon the death of Jesus, Stephen began to work hard to spread what was then called The Way. He preached the teachings of Jesus and participated in the conversion of Jews and Gentiles. Acts tells the story of how Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy and was then stoned to death by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, the future Saint Paul. He died praying for those who killed him : Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Saint Stephens name is simply derived from the Greek Stephanos, meaning crown, which translated into Aramaic as Kelil. Saint Stephen is traditionally invested with a crown of martyrdom for Christianity and is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs palm. In Eastern Christian iconography he is shown as a young beardless man with a tonsure, wearing deacons vestments, and often holding a miniature church building and censer. ***************** Lord, today we celebrate the entrance of Saint Stephen into eternal glory. He died praying for those who killed him. Help us to imitate his goodness and love our ennemies. 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 ps 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 ps 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 mt 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.”... Reflections: 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. 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 worlds 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? 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. WITNESS STAND You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to give witness before them. Matthew 10:18 Christmas is a special opportunity to witness for Jesus. Because St. Stephen was the first witness to give up His life for Jesus the faithful Witness (Rv 1:5), it is appropriate that he is the first of the Christmas saints. Witnessing is not just saying good things about Jesus. Witnessing is communicating a personal experience of Jesus. St. Stephen was a witness not just because he spoke about Jesus, but because he saw Jesus at the Fathers right hand and proclaimed this to the crowd (see Acts 7:56). Witnesses for Jesus share not just what they have received from other human beings in conversation or instruction. Rather, their witness is based on their personal experience of revelation from Christ (Gal 1:12). Moreover, witnessing is not just communicating a personal experience of Jesus. Witnessing is in the context of a trial. This may not be a legal trial but any situation where people have decided to cross-examine Jesus again and to pronounce judgment on His followers. These courts are set up at work, in politics, social events, entertainment, mass media, and even church. When we proclaim our personal experience of Jesus in a legal court or in a kangaroo court, we are witnesses for Jesus in the true sense of the word. Then the Holy Spirit will put words in our mouths (Mt 10:20). We will be persecuted and possibly even martyred. Then Sauls will become Pauls, and Christmas will be truly the celebration of Jesus birth. Prayer: Father, may my simple, persistent witness shake the social fabric in which Im involved. Promise: As Stephen was being stoned he could be heard praying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Acts 7:59 Praise: St. Stephen witnessed to a young unbeliever about the lordship of Jesus, the resurrection, and forgiveness of enemies (see Acts 7:56, 59, 60). This unbeliever, Saul, was eventually converted and personally led many thousands of people to Jesus...
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 19:45:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015