Saint Talk: St. Stephen, the First Martyr

The Martyr, Swartzruber

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and patron of deacons. Stephen is described in the Acts of the Apostles (6:4) as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit." Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Stephen "did great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). Eventually, his works angered the enemies of the early Church so they trumped up charges against Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. During the trial, Stephen recounted the entire salvation history from Abraham to the crucifixion of Christ, chastising his accusers for failing to believe in Jesus. This enraged his captors and they took him out of Jerusalem to be stoned. As they prepared to stone Stephen, they lay their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. While he was being stoned, Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right of the Father. Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" and then, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (Acts 7:58-60). These prayers are remarkably similar to Christ's words on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) and "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" (Acts 23:46)

From Pope Benedict's Angelus message:

Finally, St. Stephen is a model for all those who want to serve the New Evangelization. He shows that the novelty of proclamation does not primarily consist in the use of original methods or techniques, which certainly have their uses, but in being filled with the Holy Spirit and allowing ourselves to be guided by Him. The novelty of proclamation lies in immerging ourselves deeply in the mystery of Christ, the assimilation of His Word and of His presence in the Eucharist, so that He Himself, the living Jesus, can act and speak through His envoy. In essence, the evangelizer becomes able to bring Christ to others effectively when he lives of Christ, when the newness of the Gospel manifests itself in his own life. We pray to the Virgin Mary, so that the Church, in this Year of Faith, sees more men and women who, like St. Stephen, know how to give a convinced and courageous witness of the Lord Jesus
Read more: National Catholic Register

Stephen's martyrdom is significant in the history of the Church. His faithful example and intercession affected Saul profoundly. (I believe this scene is beautifully portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the TV mini-series Peter and Paul.) "If Stephen had not prayed to God, the Church would not have had Paul" (St. Augustine, "Sermons", 315, 7).