ST. STEPHEN

Liturgy Alive

The liturgical calendar of the year

Description

Thursday, December 26, 2024

ST. STEPHEN, First Martyr, Feast

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.

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; Matthew 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."

Intercessions

– 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.

Reflection:

26 December 2024

Stephen, Protomartyr
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.

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26 December 2024

Feast of St. Stephen, the First Martyr

Matthew 10: 17-22

Trusting in God Amidst Challenges

Some may consider it unusual that a martyr's feast occurs right after the joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus. The feast of St. Stephen’s martyrdom helps to put the meaning of Christmas into perspective for us. Jesus made himself vulnerable as was St. Stephen. He opened himself to the possibility of suffering and death. From the time of his conception and birth, Jesus was destined to win the salvation of the world through his death on the cross.

Jesus commissions His disciples to face a mission filled with trials, using metaphors that resonate even today: sheep among wolves, prudent serpents, and doves. These images highlight the challenging path of faith, calling us to embody both wisdom and innocence as we engage a world often resistant to the Gospel.

Today, the dangers Jesus warned about—persecution, betrayal, and division—persist in modern forms. Social alienation, ideological conflicts, and family tensions can test our commitment to living and proclaiming the Gospel. Yet, these challenges are opportunities for witness, drawing others to Christ’s love. In such moments, the Spirit of the Father strengthens us, providing wisdom and clarity to persevere.

Jesus’ call to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” teaches us to balance discernment with trust. While we must remain alert to hostility, we are also called to radiate the love of the Lord. This balance is essential in transforming opposition into opportunities for evangelisation.

The divisions Jesus describes, even within families, echo the struggles that many of us face today. These painful moments challenge us to place Christ above all. How can we reflectwisdom and innocence in our interactions today? Do we rely on the Spirit’s guidance in challenging times?