Word to the Wise
Friday, December 26, 2014 - Dec. 26 - Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr
[Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 and Matt 10:17-22]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. [Matthew]
DECEMBER 26 ST. STEPHEN [first martyr]
By the time the Acts of the Apostles (by Luke) and the Gospel of Matthew were put into writing, Stephen was, of course, long deceased. But his life served as an inspiration to the early Christian communities that endured persecution until the emperor Constantine legitimized Christianity in 313 AD! The whole Catholic belief in saints began with remembering the martyrs and venerating their graves. At the same time, there was still the problem of the persecution and how to respond to it. The Gospel of Matthew contains a resassuring but sobering piece of advice. There will be persecution but God will enable you to be faithful in whatever persecution comes.
The story of the Flight into Egypt which is part of the infancy narrative is a warning that Jesus faced persecution from the very beginning of his life. Christians everywhere should know that persecution can be part of living the faith. Our brothers and sisters in the Middle East are experiencing that as I write this!
A faithful life is the best testimony, but it can also be a dangerous testimony. We who live in the U.S.A. and other countries where freedom of faith is respected may be grateful this Christmas that we can live our Christian commitment faithfully without much fear of violence. We should never forget to pray for our brothers and sisters who do not have that privilege. AMEN
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