26-12-2012
FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN PROTO-MARTYR BY OGUN IKECUKWU FR
The Feast of St. Stephen the
proto-martyr follows immediately the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord
Jesus Christ 25th December. This presents to us the Liturgical cum
Spiritual character of the opening of the heavens for the entrance therein by
the true witnesses and testimony of Christ. Christ was born into the world that
the “womb
of the heavens” may allow the glorious birth of St. Stephen through
martyrdom, so it is to all who seek Christ sincerely. By this Stephen imitated
Christ as in Lk. 23:34 Iesus autem dicebat: Pater, dimitte illis;
non enim sicunt quid faciunt – Father, forgive them for they know not what they
are doing; in His suffering and
death. Positis autem genibus, clamavit voce magna dicens: Domine, ne statuas
illis hoc peccatum - Et, cum hoc dixisset, obdormivit in Domino - Kneeling down
in prayer he said: Lord, do not remember this sin against them Acts 7:60.
Christ while on the cross commended his spirit to the Father, Et clamas voce magna Iesus ait: Pater,
<<in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Ps.31: 6 >> - Jesus cried
out in a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit Lk.23:46.
Imitating Christ, while Stephen was been stoned to death commended his spirit
to Our Lord Jesus, Et lapidabant
Stephenum invocantem et dicentem: Domine Iesu, suscipe spiritum meum – As they
were stoning Stephen he cried out and said: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit
Acts. 7: 59. From this feast of St. Stephen we learn from him what exactly the
new born child brought to us, LOVE and FORGIVENESS which comes out from sincere
sacrifice and peace of soul in our salvation history. Our call to holiness of
life and our eternal joy in heaven is indeed receiving Stephen or crown at last. This is because from the etymology the
name Stephen implies Crown of glory, derived from the Greek
name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning crown, garland, in turn from the Greek
word στέφανος, meaning wreath, crown,
honour, reward, therefore, literally, that
which surrounds or encompasses. In receiving this crown we must be martyrs
but we ought to be servants to others as to receive this. Indeed Stephen was a deacon
hence we ought to be deacons before receiving our crown, for the word deacon is derived from the Greek word diakonos
(διάκονος), which is a standard ancient Greek
word meaning servant, waiting-man,
minister or messenger. To be martyr is to bear witness or testimony which
is the same word in Greek, a martyr (Greek: μάρτυς, mártys, witness; with the stem μάρτυρ-, mártyr-) as seen in Acts of the Apostles:
ἀλλὰ
λήψεσθε δύναμιν ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες (et eritis mihi testes- And you shall be my
witness) ἔν τε Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου
τῆς γῆς.
Acts.1:8. When we bear witness or testimony to the Truth- Christ the new born
baby we shall be hated by many, nevertheless let us be patient as to wait for
our Stephen, for the Bible said: Et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum (Mt.24:9);
qui autem perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit (Mt.24:13; Dn.12:12f) –
and you will be hated because of me; but whoever holds unto the end will be
saved Mt.10:22. Happy Christmas to
you all and a prosperous new 2013. God loves you.
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