Reflection for December 26
It seems strange that of all days in the year, the Church chooses the day after Christmas to celebrate the violent murder of Stephen, the first martyr. When people are still focused on the shepherds, the angels, the Wise Men, and the peace of Bethlehem, why throw this disconcerting event into the mix? Perhaps it has something to do with discipleship - a reminder that Christ will suffer and that if we make the choice to follow him, we, too, will be confronted with opposition, suffering, and even violence.
Christmas calls forth those events that marked the first moments of the Incarnation. But according to the story, the original visitors to Bethlehem who were present at those first moments are never heard from again in the entire New Testament. They are not allowed to stay there. They leave. The shepherds return to their fields and the Wise Men go back to their country. They are the forerunners of the story of our salvation, yes, but when the public ministry of Jesus begins, those shepherds and Wise Men have no successors - no children, no grandchildren, reminding the people of that day in Bethlehem when their fathers or grandfathers knelt in homage before this Child. And the feast of Stephen reminds us that we are not allowed to linger in Bethlehem either.
It was from Stephen’s belief in the Incarnation that he received the grace to embrace his suffering and to trust in God’s presence. He was before the tribunal of his nation on a capital charge, and his full assertion of Christ was a testimony which the disciples carried with them through all the movements which followed. The same Spirit who was with Stephen is with us as we live through the struggles of our lives in this broken, divided, and fragmented world. The Spirit moves us forward with courage, with fidelity, and with hope.
Sr. Maryann Cantlon, C.S.J.
Holy Family Staff