Saint Stephen, the First Martyr
Feast
Liturgical Cycle: B | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
From the very beginning of its existence, the Church suffered persecution, like its founder, Jesus. St Stephen was of Greek, pagan origin and highly respected in the young Church of Jerusalem. Like Jesus, he died praying for his persecutors, and entrusted himself, even as he died, into the hands of God. He had been one of the seven deacons who assisted the apostles, particularly in the ministry to the poor. He is described in Acts of the Apostles as “filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit” and “full of fortitude.”
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we honor today St Stephen,
the first martyr of your young Church.
Make us good witnesses like him,
people filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit,
men and women who are full of fortitude,
as we try to live the life of Jesus.
Give us a great trust
that we may live and die in your hands
and make us pray for those who harm us,
that you may forgive them and us.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Stephen Arrested
Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
Some people then came forward, belonging to the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia.
They argued with Stephen, but they couldn’t match the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Death of Stephen
When they heard this reproach, they became furious and gnashed their teeth at Stephen.
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand;
so he declared:
“I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.”
But they shouted, covered their ears with their hands, and rushed at him.
They took him out of the city and stoned him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, saying:
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
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.
Alleluia Verse
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
Be cautious around people, for they will turn you over to their courts and flog you in their synagogues.
You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a witness to them and to the pagans.
But when you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it; when the time comes, you will be given what to say.
For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will give his brother over to death, and a father to his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death.
Everyone will hate you because of me, but anyone who stays firm until the end will be saved.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For faithful witnesses, who testify to God and to the values of the gospel by their life and when necessary by their death, we pray:
– For zealous and compassionate people, who serve their neighbors in their need, we pray:
– For people persecuted because of their faith, that they may keep steadfast in their faith and strong in the Holy Spirit, we pray:
– For deacons in the Church, that God may keep them generous in their ministry of service, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
we bring before you bread and wine,
as we remember how St Stephen
gave food to the hungry.
Make us, too, ministers of your love,
who care for the poor,
that no one in our Christian communities
may suffer any want.
For we try to be one heart and mind
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
as we celebrate the memory of St Stephen,
take away from us all fear
and dispose us to bear witness in all serenity
to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
May we learn from this martyr
to become more like Jesus
in what we say and in the way we live.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
How much Stephen was like Jesus, living in the hands of the Father and dying as he forgave those who were killing him and entrusted himself to God. May God give us such a beautiful faith and bless us, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Gospel: Matthew 10:17-22
Jesus, You Are Life
Life and death are twins. We celebrated the joyous birth of Jesus yesterday, and today we remember the death of Stephen, the first Christian who bore witness to him with his death. And we don’t simply remember his death but celebrate it as a feast!
Death is a fact of life. Everyone knows that everything living must die someday, including you and me. But we avoid facing this reality as much as possible, as we condition ourselves to living as if we could postpone or even avoid death. At the back of our mind though, we know that to die is inevitable; death will surely come just as surely as each of us was born except that we know not when, where and how.
When we begin to accept this reality, life becomes precious for we only have one life to live—this life and only this life, and then, we die. So why not live this precious life with joy and meaning? Make your mark on an otherwise ordinary and passing existence on earth, so that your death, when it comes, will also become meaningful.
Jesus, you are Life. Show us the way that we may live a truly human life to the full. Amen.