Whoever Endures To The End Will Be Saved
Introduction
From the very beginning of its existence, the Church suffered persecution like its founder Jesus. St. Stephen was of Greek pagan origin and highly respected in the young Church of Jerusalem. Like Jesus, he died praying for his persecutors and entrusted himself, even as he died, into the hands of God. He had been one of the seven deacons who assisted the apostles, particularly in the ministry to the poor. He is described in Acts of the Apostles as “filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit” and “full of fortitude.”
1 Reading: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
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.”
Responsorial Psalm 31:3CD-4, 6 and 8AB, 16BC AND 17
R. (6) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me. R.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy. R.
Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness. R.
Alleluia: Ps 118:26A, 27A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD:
the LORD is God and has given us light.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: 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.”
Commentary
On the day after Christmas, it may seem strange that persecution is our theme. St. Stephen is the church’s first martyr, and his feast is celebrated in immediate proximity to the birth of the Lord whom he served. Not only was a Stephen a grace-filled person, he was also a skilled debater, with the result that his litigants proved to be no match for him. As happens all too frequently, disagreement turned to violence, with his opponents railing against Stephen. They finally killed him in a classic case of religious zeal gone berserk. Among the opponents is an interesting figure, the young Saul who will soon become Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.
Early Christians fared no better than the protomartyr. The death of Stephen was an omen of things to come. Today’s Gospel presents a picture of what transpired in the latter part of the first century. Cruel torture, public litigation, sharp family division. The followers of Jesus endured all of these things. But Jesus assured them of divine guidance and a future that is certainly theirs. Perseverance spells salvation.
Have this mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus—his reminder of Paul is clearly reflected in the death of Stephen. During his trial, Jesus assured his accusers that they would one day see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven; so Stephen dies with a vision of this eschatological figure. Stephen, like Jesus, dies by surrendering his spirit to God.
The spirit of Christmas is not limited to ornaments and tinsel. Nor even to the peace and calm of the crèche. It is the assurance that the child came to suffer that gives us hope, and so, like Stephen, Christ’s surrender must be our own. As we pass through this valley of tears, we are certainly called to suffer. But with Christ’s sentiments as our own we shall surely prevail. And the true spirit of Christmas will never be lost.
Blessing
How much Stephen was like Jesus , living in the hands of the Father and dying as he forgave those who were killing him and entrusted himself to God. May God give us such a beautiful faith and bless us, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!