The celebration of the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr, on the day after Christmas is like getting a slap or dash of cold water in the face. As it is, the significance of the feast can be lost in the aftermath of "cleaning up" that has to take place after Christmas day! No one wants to think of bloody death by stoning, to be sure! Jesus' prediction of martyrdom, written by the evangelist Matthew, years after his (Jesus') death, was already being experienced in the early Christian community. It may seem strange to think of Jesus as a martyr, but he really does qualify! One of his own disciples betrayed him!
The earthly birth of Jesus gets all the attention in the Christmas season, but it is a celebration of his entire earthly life as well as placing that life in the context of eternity, as the Gospel According to John reminded us at Mass During the Day yesterday: In the beginning was the Word!...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." These beautiful and lofty thoughts are abruptly brought to earth by martyrdom. The shepherds and the Magi had to go away from the stable and resume their lives that were now changed by what they had heard and seen. The feast of St. Stephen is a reminder that this can be a dangerous thing to do! AMEN