Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

Taken From THE LITURGICAL YEAR, Dom Guéranger OSB, | Christmas

St. Peter Damian on the Feast of St. Stephen

ST. PETER DAMIAN thus begins his Sermon for this Feast:

“We are holding in our arms the Son of the Virgin, and are honouring, with our caresses, this our Infant God. The holy Virgin has led us to the dear Crib. The most beautiful of the Daughters of men has brought us to the most beautiful among the Sons of men, and the Blessed among women to him that is Blessed above all.

She tells us that now the veils of prophecy are drawn aside, and the counsel of God is accomplished. Is there anything capable of distracting us from this sweet Birth? On what else shall we fix our eyes?

Lo! whilst Jesus is permitting us thus to caress him; whilst he is overwhelming us with the greatness of these mysteries, and our hearts are riveted in admiration—there comes before us Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Is it right, that we turn from our King, to look on Stephen, his soldier? No—unless the King himself bid us do so. This our King, who is Son of the King, rises to assist at the glorious combat of his servant. Let us go with him, and contemplate this standard-bearer of the Martyrs.”

The Church’s Liturgy on St. Stephen

The Church gives us, in to-day’s Office, this opening of a Sermon of St. Fulgentius for the Feast of St. Stephen:

“Yesterday, we celebrated the temporal Birth of our eternal King: to-day, we celebrate the triumphant passion of his Soldier.

Yesterday, our King, having put on the garb of our flesh, came from the sanctuary of his Mother’s virginal womb, and mercifully visited the earth: to-day, his Soldier, quitting his earthly tabernacle, entered triumphantly into heaven.

Jesus, whilst still continuing to be the eternal God, assumed to himself the lowly raiment of flesh, and entered the battle-field of this world: Stephen, laying aside the perishable garment of the body, ascended to the palace of heaven, there to reign for ever.

Jesus descended veiled in our flesh: Stephen ascended wreathed with a martyr’s laurels. Stephen ascended to heaven amidst the shower of stones, because Jesus had descended on earth midst the singing of Angels.

Yesterday, the holy Angels exultingly sang, Glory be to God in the highest; to-day, they joyously received Stephen into their company.

Yesterday, was Jesus wrapped, for our sakes, in swaddling-clothes: to-day, was Stephen clothed with the robe of immortal glory.

Yesterday, a narrow crib contained the Infant Jesus: to-day, the immensity of the heavenly court received the triumphant Stephen.”

The Joy of Christmas and the Triumph of Martyrdom

Thus does the sacred Liturgy blend the joy of our Lord’s Nativity with the gladness she feels at the triumph of the first of her Martyrs.

Nor will Stephen be the only one admitted to share the honours of this glorious Octave. After him, we shall have:

John, the Beloved Disciple
The Innocents of Bethlehem
Thomas, the Martyr of the Liberties of the Church
Sylvester, the Pontiff of Peace

But the place of honour amidst all who stand round the Crib of the new-born King belongs to Stephen, the Proto-Martyr, who, as the Church sings of him, was:

“the first to pay back to the Saviour, the Death suffered by the Saviour.”

The Meaning of Martyrdom

It was just that this honour should be shown to Martyrdom; for Martyrdom is the Creature’s testimony, and return to his Creator for all the favours bestowed on him. It is Man’s testifying, even by shedding his blood, to the truths which God has revealed to the world.

To understand this, we must consider the plan of God in the salvation he has given to man.

The Son of God is sent to instruct mankind. He sows the seed of his divine word, and his works give testimony to his divinity. But after his sacrifice on the cross, he ascends to the right hand of his Father. Thus, his own testimony requires a second testimony for those who have neither seen nor heard him.

This second testimony is given by the Martyrs.

They confess Jesus not only with their lips, but by shedding their blood for him.

The Church Founded on Word and Blood

The Church is founded by the Word and the Blood of Jesus, the Son of God. She is upheld through all ages, triumphing over all obstacles, by the blood of her Martyrs, the members of Christ.

Their blood mingles with that of their Divine Head. Their sacrifice is united to his.

The Martyrs resemble their Lord most closely. They are lambs among wolves. The world is strong; they are weak and defenceless. Yet this makes their victory all the more glorious, and magnifies the power of God who gives them victory.

Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God. The Martyrs, immolated yet victorious, proclaim to the world—by a testimony even the world understands—that Christ is indeed the power and the wisdom of God.

St. Stephen, Head of the Martyr Band

It is just, then, that the Martyrs share in the triumphs of the Man-God, and that the liturgical Cycle glorify them. Their relics are placed in altar-stones, so that the Sacrifice of Christ is never offered without their sacrifice being united to his in the unity of the Mystical Body.

At the head of this glorious Martyr-band stands St. Stephen.

His name means the Crowned. A conqueror could not be better named.

He marshals the white-robed army of Martyrs, being the first—before even the Apostles—to receive the summons, and he answered it nobly.

The Martyrdom of St. Stephen

Stephen bore courageous witness before the Jewish Synagogue to the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth. This proclamation offended the unbelievers.

They rushed upon him and stoned him to death.

Amid the storm of stones, he stood firm—like one upon whom snowflakes or rose petals fall. Through the cloud of stones, he saw the glory of God. Jesus himself appeared to him.

Stephen rendered one final testimony to the divinity of Emmanuel, sealing it with his life.

Then, completing his sacrifice, he imitated his Master. Falling on his knees, he prayed for his executioners, begging that this sin not be laid to their charge.

Thus was Martyrdom perfected and revealed to the world as a model for all generations, until the number of Christ’s Martyrs be complete.

Stephen and the Crib of Bethlehem

Stephen sleeps in the Lord until his tomb is revealed and his glory celebrated anew by the discovery of his relics.

He deserves to stand near the Crib of his King, leader of those champions who died for the divinity of the Babe we adore.

Let us join the Church in praying to St. Stephen, that he help us come to our Sovereign Lord lying humbly in Bethlehem.

Imitating the Divine Infancy

Let us ask Stephen to initiate us into the mystery of that divine Infancy which we must know and imitate.

From this simplicity came his fearlessness, his courage, his truthfulness, and his forgiveness.

What a faithful imitator of the Babe of Bethlehem!

Jesus did not call down Angels upon those who refused shelter to his Mother. He fled meekly into Egypt. Under apparent weakness, he revealed his Divinity.

Herod passed away. Jesus lived.

Greater in his Crib than kings in their palaces, greater even than Cæsar Augustus, whose empire served only as handmaid to the Church founded by this Babe—whose name was humbly written in the registry of Bethlehem.

Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

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