Matthew 10:17-22

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Psalm 31:3cd-5, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, grant me the courage of your Spirit to bear witness to you and your Son. Help me to know what to say and do in the right moments. With your Spirit as my consolation, I will persevere in your love.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Four Feasts: After Christmas, we normally celebrate three feasts in a row: the Feast of St. Stephen on December 26, the Feast of St. John on December 27, and the Feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28. These three feasts are known for the various ways these holy people gave witness to Jesus. St. Stephen was a martyr or witness in both desire and act. St. John gave witness in desire but was not actually killed for his faith. The Holy Innocents gave witness in act but were too young to desire their martyrdom. This year, we will celebrate a fourth feast on Sunday, December 29: The Feast of the Holy Family. Each member of the holy family bore witness in different ways. Joseph promptly heeded God’s will revealed to him through dreams. He gave witness through his righteousness and readiness to obey God. Mary offered herself to God as a handmaiden, persevered in the grace of holiness, and maternally offered her son to God the Father at the foot of the Cross. She bore witness to the power of God’s saving grace. Jesus, the Son of God, bore witness throughout his entire life to the Father’s love. How am I called to bear witness to God?

2. The Content of Stephen’s Preaching: Stephen was one of the seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to serve the growing Christian community and evangelize in Jerusalem. Peter preached in the Temple (Acts 5:42), while Stephen preached in the local synagogues. Opposition to Stephen’s preaching was fierce. Just as Jesus preached about the coming destruction of the Temple, the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, and the rejection of the Messiah, Stephen does the same. And when Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin and falsely accused (Acts 6:13), we hear a misrepresentation of his preaching. This recalls the trial of Jesus and how the religious authorities misrepresented Jesus’ teaching. In his defense, Stephen moves through the Scriptures and points out all the places and times God appeared away from the Temple. He also points out how Israel rejected the prophets, leaders, and saviors sent by God. What Stephen is driving home is that God can be worshipped anywhere and not just in the Jerusalem Temple, and that Jesus was a true prophet rejected by the religious authorities (see Bergsma, New Testament Basics for Catholics, 145).

3. The Martyrdom of Stephen: Stephen ended his preaching by calling the people “stiff-necked” and accusing them of resisting the Holy Spirit and murdering Jesus, the righteous one. The crowd reacted by accusing Stephen of blasphemy, rushing upon Stephen, casting him out of the city, and stoning him to death. In many ways, Stephen’s death recalls Jesus’ death: like Jesus, Stephen forgives his persecutors; like Jesus, Stephen cries out in a loud voice. At the moment of death, Jesus committed his spirit to his Father; Stephen, in a similar fashion, committed his spirit to the Lord Jesus. As he was dying, Stephen had a vision of Jesus in heaven. Jesus wasn’t sitting at the Father’s right hand but standing up, ready to welcome his good and faithful servant to enjoy his heavenly reward.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have given us the ultimate example of what it means to be a faithful martyr. You sacrificed yourself every day on our behalf, spoke the truth to all people, and gave your life so that we might live eternally with you.

Living the Word of God: How am I called to imitate Stephen today? Do I need to grow in my understanding of God’s revealed Word? Do I need to intensify my service to those in need? Do I need to serve in and through my local parish? Do I need to fix my eyes heavenward and contemplate the goal of my striving?