Saint Stephen, The First Martyr

Today December 26, the Church honors Saint Stephen the first martyr of Christianity, patron saint of Altar servers, Acoma Native American Pueblo,Bricklayers, casket maker, deacons.


According to the Acts of the Apostles,
Stephen is one of the seven deacons whose job it is to care for the widows in the early Church in Jerusalem. His eloquent speech before the Sanhedrin, in which he shows the great sweep of Jewish history as leading to the birth of Jesus, the long-expected Messiah, and his impassioned plea that all might hear the good news of Jesus, leads to his inevitable martyrdom by being stoned to death.The description of Stephen in Acts bears direct parallels to that of Christ in Luke’s gospel: for example, the passion; being filled with the Holy Spirit; seeing the Son of Man at the right hand of God, as Jesus promised he would be; commending his spirit to Jesus, as Jesus commended his to the Father; kneeling as Jesus did in Gethsemane and asking forgiveness for his persecutors. Witnessing to Jesus by acting like Jesus in every way is thus seen by Luke as of the essence of the Christian life

Accused of blasphemy at his trial, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was then stoned to death. Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul the Apostle, a Pharisee and Roman citizen who would later become an apostle, participated in Stephen's execution.

"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."" - Acts Chapter 6

Prayer to Saint Stephen 

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Stephen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to devote himself to Your service as a deacon in the early Church.

St. Stephen, you were chosen by the Apostles to serve the Church as one of the first deacons. You served God faithfully in this role.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so faithfully!