Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr
It is jarring to go from Christmas and its beautiful Gospels about the birth of Jesus, straight into the martyrdom of St. Stephen and today’s Gospel that speaks of persecution and hatred in store for those who follow Jesus. But we must remember that Advent is less about looking to the past at the first coming of Jesus, and more about reflecting on that mystery in preparation and anticipation for the second coming of Jesus. For even from the earliest days of Jesus’ life persecution followed Him; ordinarily, only a few days after Christmas, we remember the Holy Innocents, slaughtered by Herod in his mad effort to kill Christ. On December 30th is traditionally celebrated the first Martyrs of Rome.
If we reflect on the circumstances of the birth of Jesus—having to travel to Bethlehem because of a Roman-imposed census, rejection from every home and even the local inn, birth in the midst of animals and all that entails—we see that suffering is simply part of the Christian reality. Indeed, many over the years have pointed out the connection between Jesus lying in a wooden manger at His birth, and upon the wood of the Cross at His death. One of the Magi would bring myrrh, foreshadowing the spices that would be brought to His burial.
Let us not be disturbed or discouraged, then, and lose sight of our Christmas joy! For in our Gospel Jesus tells us not to worry about what to say in moments of trial; the Holy Spirit will inspire us. We need only endure through these things—they will not last—and for those who endure faithfully to the end, they will be saved. Emmanuel—God is With Us—has said so, and if God is with us, what have we to fear?