Saint Stephen
Summary of Life:
It is unknown whether Saint Stephen was a disciple of Jesus Christ or converted through the preaching of the Apostles. However, it is certain that he quickly distinguished himself with virtues and earned the position of leader among the seven deacons chosen by the Apostles to assist in the secondary functions of their ministry. The account of his election, preaching, and martyrdom attributes five fullnesses to him. He was full of faith, firmly believing in all mysteries and having a special grace to explain them. He was full of wisdom, and no one could resist the words that came from his mouth. Full of grace, he showed celestial fervor and perfect love for God in all his actions. Full of strength, as his eloquent martyrdom demonstrated. Finally, he was full of the Holy Spirit, having received it in the upper room through the laying on of hands by the Apostles.
Such virtues quickly bore abundant fruits of salvation in Jerusalem. Stephen, educated at the school of Gamaliel, excelled in the knowledge of Jewish traditions and had a special authority to convert priests and educated individuals of his nation. His miracles added to the prestige of his eloquence and holiness. These successes soon aroused jealousy, and he was accused of blaspheming against Moses and the temple.
Stephen was brought before the Council, victoriously responded to the accusations against him, and proved that blasphemy was on the side of his adversaries. At that moment, the face of the holy deacon appeared radiant with light like that of an angel. However, facing stubborn and blind opponents, his words and the celestial prodigy did not deter them. In response to his words and the heavenly sign confirming their truth, they gnashed their teeth and prepared for the darkest vengeance. To make their conduct even more sinful, God performed a new miracle: the heavens opened, and Stephen, lifting his eyes upward, exclaimed with delight, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Hearing this, his enemies could no longer contain themselves; they cried out for his death, dragged the martyr out of the city, and stoned him as a blasphemer. Calm and smiling, Stephen invoked God, saying, "Lord, receive my spirit!... Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Among the executioners was Saul, the future Saint Paul. As Saint Augustine remarked, "If Stephen had not prayed, we would not have had Saint Paul."
Abbé L. Jaud, Life of the Saints for Every Day of the Year, Tours, Mame, 1950
Extended Version:
The Church Fathers, including Saint Augustine, Saint Fulgence, Saint Peter Damian, and others, have not found enough praises to celebrate Stephen, the first deacon and martyr of the Church. His name, which means "crowned" in Greek, was predestined.
We have few details about his youth, but it is believed that he was born into one of the Jewish families in the provinces of the former Greek empire.
The School of Gamaliel:
In Jerusalem, there were schools in synagogues where young people from the provinces flocked to learn the law of Moses, the ceremonies, and the traditions of the ancients in the capital of Judea.
Among these schools, the one led by the Pharisee Gamaliel stood out, the most reasonable man in the Sanhedrin, the same one venerated by all the people, and the one who secured the release of the apostles, according to Saint Luke. His school had about a thousand disciples, with a young Cilician named Saul, who would later be miraculously converted to become the Apostle to the Gentiles. This school would also give two more disciples to the emerging Church: Saint Barnabas and Saint Stephen. Gamaliel himself later converted and died saintly.
Therefore, it was at the side of this rabbi that Stephen studied the Holy Scriptures, alongside Saul, believed to be his cousin. Later on, he became a disciple of Jesus, as suggested by Saint Augustine and Saint Epiphanius; others say he was won over by the preaching of Peter, immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit.
What is certain is that he quickly distinguished himself with wisdom and zeal.
Election of the Seven Deacons:
At that time, with the number of disciples growing in the nascent Church of Jerusalem, murmurs arose among the Jews born outside Palestine, known as Hellenists (Greek Jews), against the Jews born in Judea, called Hebrews. The former complained that the widows of their nation were neglected in the daily ministry, either because they were not given as much responsibility as other widows in assisting the poor (some widows were chosen to care for individuals of their gender, called deaconesses), or because they were not treated as well as others in the distribution of alms.
Therefore, the twelve apostles, having gathered the disciples, said to them, "It is not right for us to neglect the preaching of the word of God to wait on tables. Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
This proposal pleased the whole assembly, and the disciples chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, along with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.
They presented them to the apostles, who, after praying, laid their hands on them. This was the first ordination of deacons in the Holy Church.
The Five Fullnesses of Saint Stephen:
Stephen's virtues earned him the first position, and the Holy Spirit himself, through the voice of Saint Luke, took care to let us know them. Sacred scripture attributes five fullnesses to him:
1. Full of faith, as he firmly believed in all the mysteries of faith and had a special gift to explain and persuade.
2. Full of wisdom, and no one could resist the words that came from his mouth.
3. Full of grace, for he was highly pleasing to God, possessed all gratuitous gifts, and this grace radiated outward, especially when his enemies accused him before the Sanhedrin.
4. Full of strength, and his glorious martyrdom was the most striking proof of it.
5. Full of the Holy Spirit, received either on the day of Pentecost or later, through the laying on of hands by the apostles.
Saint Augustine added to these gifts and merits the grace of virginity. Despite his youth and attractive features, the apostles did not hesitate to entrust him with the care of widows.
His Success Provokes Jealousy:
Such combined virtues did not take long to bear fruitful results in Jerusalem. Through his zeal, the word of God spread more and more in the Holy City, and the number of disciples continued to grow.
Stephen, to confirm the holy doctrine he proclaimed, performed miracles and great wonders among the people, attracting many Jews to the faith of Jesus Christ. Fueled by envy and a false zeal for the law, thinking that the Gospel would destroy it, members of various synagogues, called the Freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians, and Asians, began to argue with Stephen and tried to confound him. But the Spirit spoke through him with such eloquence and wisdom that they could not resist the wisdom and the spirit that inspired him.
Despite their failure, they succeeded in stirring up hatred against him and dragged him before the Sanhedrin, accusing him of blasphemy against Moses and God. Although surrounded by enemies, Stephen remained composed and unafraid, facing the tribunal of the high priest and elders. Saint Luke reports in the Acts of the Apostles: "And all that sat in the council, looking on him, saw his face as if it had been the face of an angel."
His Speech Before the Sanhedrin:
Accused of blasphemy, Stephen was given the opportunity to defend himself. His discourse, which can be found in Acts 7:2-53, is a masterful summary of the entire history of salvation, from Abraham to Solomon, highlighting the rejection of the prophets and ultimately the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In this speech, Stephen reproached his adversaries for their stubbornness and resistance to the Holy Spirit.
As he neared the conclusion of his speech, he addressed the members of the Sanhedrin, saying: "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."
Stephen's Martyrdom:
The members of the Sanhedrin, upon hearing these words, were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. However, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He declared, "Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
This declaration further infuriated the crowd, and they rushed at him. They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses who testified against him laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul, who would later become the Apostle Paul.
As Stephen was being stoned, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" and then knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." After saying this, he fell asleep in death, becoming the first Christian martyr.
The Impact of Stephen's Martyrdom:
The martyrdom of Saint Stephen marked a significant moment in the early Christian Church. It was the first instance of someone giving their life for their faith in Jesus Christ. The impact of his witness was profound, and it had far-reaching consequences.
Firstly, Stephen's martyrdom had a profound effect on Saul of Tarsus, who was present at the stoning and approved of it. The young man named Saul would later encounter the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, undergo a radical conversion, and become the Apostle Paul, one of the most influential figures in the spread of Christianity.
Secondly, Stephen's death triggered a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem. The believers scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, and the persecution served as a catalyst for the spread of the Gospel to new regions.
Thirdly, Stephen's martyrdom established a pattern of Christian witness through suffering and death, inspiring countless martyrs throughout the centuries to stand firm in their faith, even in the face of persecution and death.
Stephen's Feast Day:
The Church commemorates the feast of Saint Stephen on December 26th. It is a day to honor and remember the first Christian martyr, whose life and death exemplify steadfast faith, courage, and forgiveness in the face of opposition.
The Collect (opening prayer) for the Feast of Saint Stephen in the Roman Catholic Church reads:
"We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand: where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen."
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