One of the first deacons
and the first Christian martyr; feast on 26 December. In the Acts of the
Apostles the name of St. Stephen occurs for the first time on the occasion of
the appointment of the first deacons (Acts, vi, 5). Dissatisfaction concerning
the distribution of alms from the community's fund having arisen in the Church,
seven men were selected and specially ordained by the Apostles to take care of
the temporal relief of the poorer members. Of these seven, Stephen, is the first
mentioned and the best known.
Stephen's life
previous to this appointment remains for us almost entirely in the dark. His
name is Greek and suggests he was a Hellenist, i.e., one of those Jews who had
been born in some foreign land and whose native tongue was Greek; however,
according to a fifth century tradition, the name Stephanos was only a Greek
equivalent for the Aramaic Kelil (Syr. kelila, crown), which may be the
protomartyr's original name and was inscribed on a slab found in his tomb. It
seems that Stephen was not a proselyte, for the fact that Nicolas is the only
one of the seven designated as such makes it almost certain that the others were
Jews by birth. That Stephen was a pupil of Gamaliel is sometimes inferred from
his able defence before the Sanhedrin; but this has not been proved. Neither do
we know when and in what circumstances he became a Christian; it is doubtful
whether the statement of St. Epiphanius (Haer., xx, 4) numbering Stephen among
the seventy disciples is deserving of any credence. His ministry as deacon
appears to have been mostly among the Hellenist converts with whom the Apostles
were at first less familiar; and the fact that the opposition he met with sprang
up in the synagogues of the "Libertines" (probably the children of Jews taken
captive to Rome by Pompey in 63 B. C. and freed hence the name Libertini), and
"of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and
Asia" shows that he usually preached among the Hellenist Jews.
That he was pre
eminently fitted for that work, his abilities and character, which the author of
the Acts dwells upon so fervently, are the best indication. The Church had, by
selecting him for a deacon, publicly acknowledged him as a man "of good
reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" (Acts, vi, 3). He was "a man full
of faith, and of the Holy Ghost" (vi, 5), "full of grace and fortitude" (vi, 8);
his uncommon oratorical powers and unimpeachable logic no one was able to
resist, so much so that to his arguments replete with the Divine energy of the
Scriptural authorities God added the weight of "great wonders and signs" (vi,
8). Great as was the efficacy of "the wisdom and the spirit that spoke" (vi,
10), still it could not bend the minds of the unwilling; to these the forceful
preacher was fatally soon to become an enemy.
The conflict broke
out when the cavillers of the synagogues "of the Libertines, and of the
Cyreneans, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia",
who had challenged Stephen to a dispute, came out completely discomfited (vi, 9
10); wounded pride so inflamed their hatred that they suborned false witnesses
to testify that "they had heard him speak words of blasphemy against Moses and
against God" (vi, 11).
No charge could be
more apt to rouse the mob; the anger of the ancients and the scribes had been
already kindled from the first reports of the preaching of the Apostles. Stephen
was arrested, not without some violence it seems (the Greek word synerpasan
implies so much), and dragged before the Sanhedrin, where he was accused of
saying that "Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place [the temple], and shall
change the traditions which Moses delivered unto us" (vi, 12 14). No doubt
Stephen had by his language given some grounds for the accusation; his accusers
apparently twisted into the offensive utterance attributed to him a declaration
that "the most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands" (vii, 48), some
mention of Jesus foretelling the destruction of the Temple and some inveighing
against the burthensome traditions fencing about the Law, or rather the
asseveration so often repeated by the Apostles that "there is no salvation in
any other" (cf. iv, 12) the Law not excluded but Jesus. However this may be, the
accusation left him unperturbed and "all that sat in the council...saw his face
as if it had been the face of an angel" (vi, 15).
Stephen's answer
(Acts, vii) was a long recital of the mercies of God towards Israel during its
long history and of the ungratefulness by which, throughout, Israel repaid these
mercies. This discourse contained many things unpleasant to Jewish ears; but the
concluding indictment for having betrayed and murdered the Just One whose coming
the Prophets had foretold, provoked the rage of an audience made up not of
judges, but of foes. When Stephen "looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the
glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God", and said: "Behold, I
see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God"
(vii, 55), they ran violently upon him (vii, 56) and cast him out of the city to
stone him to death. Stephen's stoning does not appear in the narrative of the
Acts as a deed of mob violence; it must have been looked upon by those who took
part in it as the carrying out of the law. According to law (Lev., xxiv, 14), or
at least its usual interpretation, Stephen had been taken out of the city;
custom required that the person to be stoned be placed on an elevation from
whence with his hands bound he was to be thrown down. It was most likely while
these preparations were going on that, "falling on his knees, he cried with a
loud voice, saying: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (vii, 59).
Meanwhile the witnesses, whose hands must be first on the person condemned by
their testimony (Deut., xvii, 7), were laying down their garments at the feet of
Saul, that they might be more ready for the task devolved upon them (vii, 57).
The praying martyr was thrown down; and while the witnesses were thrusting upon
him "a stone as much as two men could carry", he was heard to utter this supreme
prayer: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (vii, 58). Little did all the people
present, casting stones upon him, realize that the blood they shed was the first
seed of a harvest that was to cover the world.
The bodies of men
stoned to death were to be buried in a place appointed by the Sanhedrin. Whether
in this instance the Sanhedrin insisted on its right cannot be affirmed; at any
rate, "devout men" whether Christians or Jews, we are not told "took order for
Stephen's funeral, and made great mourning over him" (vii, 2). For centuries the
location of St. Stephen's tomb was lost sight of, until (415) a certain priest
named Lucian learned by revelation that the sacred body was in Caphar Gamala,
some distance to the north of Jerusalem. The relics were then exhumed and
carried first to the church of Mount Sion, then, in 460, to the basilica erected
by Eudocia outside the Damascus Gate, on the spot where, according to tradition,
the stoning had taken place (the opinion that the scene of St. Stephen's
martyrdom was east of Jerusalem, near the Gate called since St. Stephen's Gate,
is unheard of until the twelfth century). The site of the Eudocian basilica was
identified some twenty years ago, and a new edifice has been erected on the old
foundations by the Dominican Fathers.
The only first hand
source of information on the life and death of St. Stephen is the Acts of the
Apostles (vi, i viii, 2).
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV
Nihil Obstat, July 1, 1912, Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor
Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
St.
Stephen, Proto-Martyr
by
Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876
St. Stephen, whom
Holy Writ calls a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, full of grace and
strength, was the first who had the happiness to give his blood and life for
the Gospel of Christ; hence he is called "Proto-martyr." He is also called
Archdeacon, because he was the first of those seven men, who were chosen by
the Christian community and ordained deacons by the Apostles. Where he was
born and who his parents were, is not known; but it is certain that he came
from Judea, and had been a disciple of the celebrated Gamaliel, and that, soon
after the descent of the Holy Ghost, he had become famous for his zeal in
professing the faith, and for his eminent piety; and that he had always
enjoyed, among the Jews, the reputation of great wisdom in the divine laws, as
well as of an irreproachable character. After having been ordained deacon, he
had not only to distribute the alms among the poor, but also to aid the
Apostles in their sacred functions, both of which he did most perfectly. There
were no longer complaints about the distribution of alms, as it was done with
love and faithfulness. He preached with the Apostles the gospel of Christ
fearlessly, all through Jerusalem, and was greatly aided by the Almighty, who
bestowed upon him the power of working many and great miracles, as is
testified in Holy Writ in these words: "Stephen, full of grace and fortitude,
did great wonders and signs among the people."
The Jews knew that Stephen was exceedingly well-informed in the laws of Moses;
but as he preached, with great freedom, the Gospel of Christ, they ventured to
dispute with him, to convict him of error by their subtle questions and
assertions. At that period, there existed Various schools at Jerusalem, in
which the Jews were instructed in the laws. Several disciples from each of
these schools came to dispute with him; but, notwithstanding their cunning and
malice, they were unable to contend with the wisdom with which he spoke.
Seeing that he daily converted many to Christ, they became more and more
embittered against him, and endeavored to do away with him. They suborned some
wicked men to disseminate among the people that Stephen had blasphemed against
Moses and God, and that they themselves had heard it. This stirred up not only
the people, but also the Elders and Scribes. Full of rage, they laid hands on
him and brought him to the Council, which had assembled on his account, and
when the Highpriest, Caiphas, and other priests and Pharisees were present,
the accusers brought forward their charges, and the suborned witnesses
testified to them.
"This man," said they, "ceases not to speak words against the holy place and
the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy
this place, and shall change the traditions which Moses delivered to us." All
present looked fixedly into the face of the accused to notice any change which
fear or apprehension might work in it; but, contrary to their expectation, the
countenance of the holy Arch-deacon was so illuminated by God, as a sign of
his innocence, that they deemed it the face of an Angel, as is said in Holy
Writ. And in truth, he might have been called an Angel, not only on account of
his angelic purity, but also on account of his fearless zeal in defending the
honor of God. Is it therefore, to be wondered at, that an angelic brightness
shone in his countenance?" Because he was pure and chaste," writes St.
Augustine, "therefore was his face that of an Angel." But notwithstanding
this, the assembled judges desisted not from their wicked design. The
High-priest asked, whether what his accusers had said and the witnesses
testified, was true? The Saint answered in a long speech, full of learning and
wisdom, which is to be found in the 7th chapter of the Acts. In it he said
much in praise of Moses, and cited his prophecy in regard to the coming of
Christ. In conclusion, he reproached them with their obstinacy, and the murder
they had committed on the true Messiah. "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in
heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so also
do you. Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they have
slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One, of whom you are now the
betrayers and murderers."
This reproach the assembled people could not bear. The wildest rage took
possession of them, their hearts were torn with fury against St. Stephen. He
failed not to perceive it, and knew well that they would sacrifice him to
their rage. Hence, he turned his eyes to heaven, to receive thence strength
for the approaching struggle. At that moment, he saw Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, standing at the right hand of His heavenly Father, as if to assure His
faithful servant that He would aid him in his fight. Stephen cried aloud:
"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right
hand of God." This caused a terrible outcry in the assembly, and they stopped
their ears so as not to hear such blasphemy, and violently assailing him, they
cast him from the Council and dragged him out of the city to stone him to
death. The false witnesses who, according to the law, were to cast the first
stones upon the accused, took off their garments, that they might be more free
in the exercise of their cruelty, and gave them in charge of a youth, named
Saul, who afterwards became the celebrated St. Paul. Hardly was St. Stephen
out of the city, when they began to cast stones upon him. Every one was eager
to take part in his death. The Christian hero stood looking unmoved to heaven,
invoking Jesus, for whose honor he suffered martyrdom, and said: "Lord Jesus,
receive my soul!" After this, kneeling down, to resemble his Saviour, who
prayed for His murderers on the Cross, he said: "Lord, lay not this sin to
their charge." Having said this, he fell asleep in the Lord, amid a hail of
stones.
Some devout men took care to inter the body of the holy Proto-martyr, as Holy
Writ tells us. It is believed that the celebrated Scribe, Gamaliel, was the
principal among these, and that St. Stephen was buried at a country-seat
belonging to Gamaliel, seven miles from Jerusalem, as we related on the third
day of August. The Holy Fathers, in their encomiums of St. Stephen, praise his
blameless life, his angelic purity, his fearless zeal in proclaiming the
Gospel of the Lord, and his strength of mind and constancy; but above all, his
heroic love for his persecutors and enemies, for whom he humbly prayed to the
Almighty in his last moments. Without doubt, many of those, in consequence of
this prayer, received grace from God and were converted. St. Augustine
hesitates not to say this of Saul, when he writes: "If St. Stephen had not
prayed, the Church would not possess Paul. Paul was raised up, because the
prayer of St. Stephen, who was cast down, was accepted by the Almighty. Let
us, therefore," continues this Father, "commend ourselves to his intercession;
for, Christ will surely grant his prayers now more readily, when he intercedes
for those who invoke him."
PRACTICAL
CONSIDERATIONS.
Before I give you some special points for
practical consideration, I wish you to observe why the Jews were so much
embittered against St. Stephen, that they dragged him out of the city and
stoned him. You find no other reason but that the holy Levite preached the
truth fearlessly, and laid their vices clearly before their eyes. Ought not
the Jews to have given thanks to him and have done penance for their sins?
For, what he did, was done only from the desire to save them. He wished them
to recognize their wickedness, and therefore secure their penance and with it
their salvation. Oleaster, an ancient writer, says, that the same happens
today to many preachers, who represent the awful truths of the faith, and duly
reproving the prevailing vices, announce the evident danger of eternal
damnation in plain words to the unrepentant. They do so because they are bound
to it by their office. They have no other intention than to convert the people
and to lead them from the path of vice to that of a Christian life and of
salvation. But many become angry at the words of the preacher, stop their
ears, will no longer listen to him, no longer endure him. If they dared, they
would tear him from the pulpit, cast him out of the city, and who knows if
they would not stone him, as the Jews stoned St. Stephen? As they cannot take
real stones, they have recourse to moral stones, which according to Oleaster,
are defamations, calumnies, and abuse. These they cast at the preacher, and
endeavor to make him hateful to others. But how iniquitous is this, and how
must it end? I fear it will end as it did with the hardened Jews. Most of them
remained in their wickedness and went to destruction. This will be the fate of
those who do not listen to the truth, and who abuse, slander and persecute its
preachers. Will you be one of them? Now to the usual instructions
I. St. Stephen, during his martyrdom, fixes his eyes on the heavens, and sees
them open, and Christ standing at the right hand of His heavenly Father; soon
after, he kneels down, in the midst of the hail of stones thrown at him, and
prays for his executioners: "Lord, lay not this to their charge." First, learn
from this, whither you should turn your eyes, in suffering, that is, upon the
Crucifix, as I have already advised you elsewhere, or towards heaven, which is
open to you, if you suffer patiently. Jesus is ready to strengthen you, and to
reward you eternally, after you have ended your struggle, in submission to His
will. Gazing upward will lighten your burden, however heavy it may be, and the
contemplation of Christ always ready to strengthen you, will not permit you to
become faint-hearted and despondent. Secondly, consider St. Stephen's prayer.
St. Maximus writes: "At a moment when another would have forgotten his best
friends, the holy Levite thinks of his enemies and persecutors, and prays for
them." He had doubtless heard that Christ our Lord had prayed for His enemies,
saying: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." This beautiful
example of his divine Master, St. Stephen, as a faithful disciple, followed.
What are you doing? If you entertain in your heart malice against any one who
has wronged you, cleanse your heart from it, and pray yet today for all those
who have ever offended you. The example of Jesus Christ, your Saviour, demands
it of you, who have not suffered as much as He. "If you say to me," writes St.
Augustine, " Christ could do it, because He was God and man; I cannot, because
I am only human; look at St. Stephen, your fellow servant. Was he a man, or
was he God? Surely he was only human. He was what you are. Well then, if you
cannot follow the Lord, follow your fellow-servant; follow St. Stephen; follow
all the holy Martyrs. They were men; they were your fellow-servants."
II. St. Stephen beholds the heavens open, and enters into it by his heroic
martyrdom. Heaven is also open to you; it is open to all men. You, as well as
all men, may be saved. There is none who can truthfully say that he cannot
gain salvation. Oh! how great a consolation, especially for those who are
oppressed here on earth, and have many trials! How great a consolation for
sinners! To all men heaven is open; all may enter it; all may gain salvation;
because all, with the grace of God, can do what God requires of them. But do
not forget, that heaven is open to you only whilst you live; that is, as long
as you are in this life, you can do all that is necessary to gain salvation;
but after your death, this will be no longer possible. Hence, if you have
neglected to work out your salvation, death closes for you the gates of heaven
for all eternity. As you do not know how long you will live, or when your last
hour will come, you do not know how long, how many weeks, years, months, or
days, heaven will remain open to you. There is no day, no hour, in which it
may not be for evermore closed. If then it is your earnest desire to gain
heaven, postpone not for a day that upon which you know your salvation
depends. And to be still more incited to do this, think of this terrible
truth: hell is open to receive you, hell is open to receive all men. You may
be damned, and there is nobody that may not be damned. Why? You may commit
sin, and die in it; and thus be condemned for ever more; for, those who die in
mortal sin will be condemned. There is none who is not liable to sin; none who
may not die in it, and hence be lost for all eternity. Can you think of this
truth without fear? Besides this, think that hell is open to you as long as
you live; you may be condemned even in your last hour, because you may even
then become guilty of sin. Do you not tremble while earnestly representing
hell to yourself? Trembling alone, however, does not help you. You must
endeavor to escape hell by works. You can escape it, because you can avoid
that which leads to hell; you can do what God requires of you to escape the
eternal flames. Well then, work, do everything that you know is necessary to
escape hell, and in the same manner, do, in remembrance of heaven, everything
that God requires of you to enter there. Say sometimes to yourself: "Heaven
and hell are open to me. I can be saved; I can be damned. I will do everything
to be saved, and will do it without delay; for I do not know how long heaven
will remain open to me. Perhaps I shall die soon; if so, I shall then be able
to do nothing further to gain salvation; heaven once closed to me, will never
again open its gates to admit me, even if I were to cry a thousand times with
the foolish Virgins: "Lord, Lord, open to us." The answer would be: "Amen, I
say to you, I know you not." (Matt., xxv.)
St. Stephen, the First Martyr
by Dom Prosper Gueranger, 1870
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 tell 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 gives us,
in today'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: today, 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:
today, 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 battlefield 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; today, they joyously received Stephen into their company.
Yesterday, was Jesus wrapped, for our sakes, in swaddling-clothes: today, was
Stephen clothed with the robe of immortal glory. Yesterday, a narrow crib
contained the Infant Jesus: today, the immensity of the heavenly court
received the triumphant Stephen."
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; and 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." 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.
In order to understand this, let us consider what is 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 again ascends to the right
hand of His Father; so that His own testimony of Himself has need of a second
testimony, in order to its being received by them that have neither seen nor
heard Jesus Himself. Now, it is the Martyrs who are to provide this second
testimony; and this they will do, not only by confessing Jesus with their
lips, but by shedding their blood for Him. The Church, then, is to be founded
by the Word and the Blood of Jesus, the Son of God; but she will be upheld,
she will continue throughout all ages, she will triumph over all obstacles, by
the blood of her Martyrs, the members of Christ: this their blood will mingle
with that of their Divine Head, and their sacrifice be united to His.
The Martyrs shall bear the closest resemblance to their Lord and King. They
shall be, as he said, like lambs among wolves (St. Luke, x. 3). The world
shall be strong, and they shall be weak and defenceless: so much the grander
will be the victory of the Martyrs, and the greater the glory of God who gives
them to conquer. The Apostle tells us, that Christ crucified is the power and
the wisdom of God (I. Cor. i. 24);--the Martyrs, immolated, and yet conquerors
of the world, will prove, and with a testimony which even the world itself
will understand, that the Christ whom they confessed, and who gave them
constancy and victory, is in very deed the power and the wisdom of God. We
repeat, then--it is just, that the Martyrs should share in all the triumphs of
the Man-God, and that the liturgical Cycle should glorify them as does the
Church herself, who puts their sacred Relics in her altar-stones; for, thus,
the Sacrifice of their glorified Lord and Head is never celebrated, without
they themselves being offered together with him, in the unity of His mystical
Body.
Now, the glorious Martyr-band of Christ is headed by St. Stephen. His name
signifies the Crowned; a conqueror like him could not be better named. He
marshals, in the name of Christ, the white-robed army, as the Church calls the
Martyrs; for, he was the first, even before the Apostles themselves, to
receive the summons, and right nobly did he answer it. Stephen courageously
bore witness, in the presence of the Jewish Synagogue, to the divinity of
Jesus of Nazareth; by thus proclaiming the Truth, he offended the ears of the
unbelievers; the enemies of God, became the enemies of Stephen, and, rushing
upon him, they stone him to death. Amidst the pelting of the blood-drawing
missives, he, like a true soldier, flinches not, but stands, (as St. Gregory
of Nyssa so beautifully describes it) as though snowflakes were falling on
him, or roses were covering him with the shower of their kisses. Through the
cloud of stones, he sees the glory of God; Jesus, for whom he was laying down
his life, showed Himself to his Martyr, and the Martyr again rendered
testimony to the divinity of our Emmanuel, but with all the energy of a last
act of love. Then, to make his sacrifice complete, he imitates his divine
Master, and prays for his executioners: falling on his knees, he begs that
this sin be not laid to their charge. Thus, all is consummated--the glorious
type of Martyrdom is created, and shown to the world, that it may be imitated,
by every generation, to the end of time, until the number of the Martyrs of
Christ shall be filled up. Stephen sleeps in the Lord, and is buried in
peace--in pace--until his sacred Tomb shall be discovered, and his glory be
celebrated a second time in the whole Church, by that anticipated Resurrection
of the miraculous Invention of his Relics.
Stephen, then, deserves to stand near the Crib of his King, as leader of those
brave champions, the Martyrs, "who died for the Divinity of that Babe, whom we
adore. Let us join the Church in praying to our Saint, that he help us to come
to our Sovereign Lord, now lying on his humble throne in Bethlehem. Let us ask
him to initiate us into the mystery of that divine Infancy, which we are all
bound to know and imitate. It was from the simplicity he had learnt from that
Mystery, that he heeded not the number of the enemies he had to fight against,
nor trembled at their angry passion, nor winced under their blows, nor hid
from them the Truth and their crimes, nor forgot to pardon them and pray for
them. What a faithful imitator of the Babe of Bethlehem! Our Jesus did not
send his Angels to chastise those unhappy Bethlehemites, who refused a shelter
to the Virgin-Mother, who in a few hours was to give birth to Him, the Son of
David. He stays not the fury of Herod, who plots his Death--but meekly flees
into Egypt, like some helpless bondsman, escaping the threats of a tyrant
lordling. But, it is under such apparent weakness as this, that He will show
His Divinity to men, and He the Infant-God prove Himself the Strong God. Herod
will pass away, so will his tyranny; Jesus will live, greater in His Crib,
where be makes a King tremble, than is, under his borrowed majesty, this
prince-tributary of Rome; nay, than Caesar-Augustus himself, whose world-wide
empire has no other destiny than this--to serve as handmaid to the Church,
which is to be founded by this Babe, whose name stands humbly written in the
official registry of Bethlehem.
![[Saint Stephen holy card]](sts04003.jpg "16kb jpg holy card, artist unknown; if you have information on this image, please email me; please do not write to ask about the image")
