26 December 2006
+ Stephen, Protomartyr +
26 December, New Testament
The days following Christmas are sometimes called the "Witness Days." The Greek word for "witness" is "martyr," and these days remind us that this sinful world hates the Gospel message of forgiveness in Christ Jesus.
Saint Stephen's Day remembers the first recorded martyr of the Church. Stephen knew the gift of Christmas: His Lord came in human flesh to bring forgiveness and as Jesus forgave His killers, so Stephen forgave those whose stones smashed away his life. The account of his calling, witness, and death is in Acts 6:1-8:2. Notice how closely the martyr's responses echo those of His Savior as each approached death.
In art, Stephen is often represented by the stones which took his life and by the palm branch, an ancient symbol of triumph and, especially in Christianity, of martyrdom. Both stones and branch are prominent in this Carlo Crivelli painting from the Demidoff Altarpiece.
Stephen's feast day supposedly occasioned of a great act of charity by the later martyred Wenceslaus, Kníze of Bohemia. Wenceslaus (or Václav) is remembered in the carol Good King Wenceslaus.
Lection
Psalm 119:137-144
2 Chronicles 24:17-22
Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-60
Matthew 23:34-39
Collect
Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we may also look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through our Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Technorati Tags: Saint Stephen | St. Stephen | Jesus Christ | Jesus | Christ | martyr | Protomartyr | martyrdom | deacon | biblical history | New Testament | church history | Christianity | Advent | church calendar | Church Year | Good King Wenceslaus | Wenceslaus | Wenceslas | Václav ¶ 00:01 |
The days following Christmas are sometimes called the "Witness Days." The Greek word for "witness" is "martyr," and these days remind us that this sinful world hates the Gospel message of forgiveness in Christ Jesus.Saint Stephen's Day remembers the first recorded martyr of the Church. Stephen knew the gift of Christmas: His Lord came in human flesh to bring forgiveness and as Jesus forgave His killers, so Stephen forgave those whose stones smashed away his life. The account of his calling, witness, and death is in Acts 6:1-8:2. Notice how closely the martyr's responses echo those of His Savior as each approached death.
In art, Stephen is often represented by the stones which took his life and by the palm branch, an ancient symbol of triumph and, especially in Christianity, of martyrdom. Both stones and branch are prominent in this Carlo Crivelli painting from the Demidoff Altarpiece.
Stephen's feast day supposedly occasioned of a great act of charity by the later martyred Wenceslaus, Kníze of Bohemia. Wenceslaus (or Václav) is remembered in the carol Good King Wenceslaus.
Lection
Psalm 119:137-144
2 Chronicles 24:17-22
Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-60
Matthew 23:34-39
Collect
Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we may also look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through our Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Technorati Tags: Saint Stephen | St. Stephen | Jesus Christ | Jesus | Christ | martyr | Protomartyr | martyrdom | deacon | biblical history | New Testament | church history | Christianity | Advent | church calendar | Church Year | Good King Wenceslaus | Wenceslaus | Wenceslas | Václav ¶ 00:01 |
