- St. Stephen (35). Patron of stonemasons. (Current, Traditional) the first martyr
THERE is good reason to believe that St. Stephen was one of the seventy-two disciples of our Blessed Lord. After the Ascension he was chosen one of the seven deacons. The ministry of the seven was very fruitful; but Stephen especially, “full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people.” Many adversaries rose up to dispute with him, but “they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit that spoke.” At length he was brought before the Sanhedrin, charged, like his Divine Master, with blasphemy against Moses and against God.” He boldly upbraided the chief priests with their hard-hearted resistance to the Holy Ghost and with the murder of the “Just One.” They were stung with anger, and gnashed their teeth against him. But when “filled with the Holy Ghost and looking up to heaven, he cried out, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God,’ they rushed upon him, and dragging him forth without the city. they stoned him to death.”
REFLECTION: If ever you are tempted to resentment, pray from your heart for him who has offended you
WORD OF THE DAY
PERSECUTIONS, ROMAN. The ten great persecutions of the Church from apostolic times to the Edict of Milan (A.D. 313) are generally identified by the reign of the ruling emperor: 1. Nero (54-68) accused the Christians of being haters of mankind; 2. Domitian (81-96) took his victims mainly from the Christian nobility; 3. Trajan (98-117) considered Christianity an organized menace to the empire; 4. Marcus Aurelius (161-80) confiscated the property of the faithful and tortured his victims; 5. Septimus Severus (193-211) forbade fresh conversions; 6. Maximinus Thrax (235-38) persecuted the clergy; 7. Decius (249-51) ordered all subjects who would not sacrifice to the state gods to be put to death; 8. Valerian (253-60) forbade all Christian assemblies and concentrated on clergy and nobility; 9. Aurelian (270-75) allowed the anti-Christian legislation to remain but did not seriously enforce it; 10. Diocletian (284-305) reversed Aurelian’s policy and unleashed the bloodiest of all Roman persecutions.
Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon SJ (Get the real one at Eternal Life — don’t accept an abridged or edited version of this masterpiece!)
Christmastide Meditations
Daily devotional meditations on the Birth of Our Savior and Christmastide: The New-born Child & The Essential Happiness of Heaven – Christmas Meditation Day 2 (Dec 26)
