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Love, prayer and forgiveness: this marked the life of the first martyr of the Church that is celebrated on December 26 and of all those who want to be, like him, witnesses of Jesus transforming evil into good. The Pope speaks of it in the Angelus, insisting on the smallest gestures of love that we can all make in our daily lives, making our life an extraordinary work.
Gabriella Ceraso – Vatican City
After Christmas, the arrival of the “true Light” that conquers the darkness of the world, the Church celebrates Santo Stefano on December 26. witness of jesus and the first of a “host” that continues to bring “light to darkness”, to reflect the light of Jesus, not shining with its own light, like the whole Church that the ancient fathers for that reason called “the mystery of the moon.” Stephen is therefore the first martyr, the first deacon, that is, the first “servant”, he is the “full of grace”, as we read today in the Acts of the Apostles, who modeled his life on that of Christ. His arrest and stoning, with the last words of prayer and forgiveness to the murderers, are testimony to this. This is the starting point of the Pope’s reflection before the Marian prayer of the Angelus, to dwell on the identity and power of the witnesses of Jesus: (Listen to the service with the voice of the Pope)
He is the first martyr, that is, the first witness, the first of a group of brothers and sisters who to this day continue to illuminate the darkness: people who respond to evil with good, who do not yield to violence and violence. A lie, but break the spiral of hatred with the meekness of love. These witnesses illuminate the dawn of God in the nights of the world.
Martyrs, not just examples. Love becomes
Saint Stephen, therefore, gives us an example of how he becomes a witness, that is, how Jesus is imitated, “the way of every Christian”, how the light of Jesus is taken: his life was to put himself at service and his death was marked by forgiveness. In fact, when he is captured, convicted and killed, like Jesus on the Cross, “pray and forgive.” But is it really necessary to give these testimonies of goodness today, when evil is rampant in the world? Actually, the Pope explains, there is much more. It is not just a matter of examples: love can change history. And once again a detail of Stefano’s story returns. In fact, among those – the Pope recalls citing the Acts of the Apostles – for whom Stephen prayed and forgave, was Saul, who approved his martyrdom. The one who, shortly after by the grace of God, would become receiving and welcoming the light of Jesus, thus becoming Paul, “the greatest missionary in history”:
Paul was born of the grace of God, but through Stephen’s forgiveness, through Stephen’s testimony. Here is the seed of your conversion. It is proof that gestures of love change history, even the small, hidden, everyday ones. Because God guides history through the humble courage of those who pray, love and forgive. Many hidden saints, the saints next door, hidden witnesses of life, change history with small gestures of love. Being witnesses of Jesus also applies to us. The Lord wants us to make life an extraordinary work through ordinary gestures, the gestures of each day.
Be witnesses of Christ everywhere, exchanging evil for good
So how can we transform our life? Even “giving the light of a smile”, the light of Jesus, says the Pope, if only “run away from talk and gossip ”or pray for those who make mistakes and forgive when there are tensions. So that we can take Jesus, as a family, to work, anywhere:
When we see that something is wrong, instead of criticizing, gossiping and complaining, we pray for those who made a mistake and for that difficult situation. And when an argument arises at home, instead of trying to prevail, we try to calm down; and start over each time, forgiving those who have offended us. Little things, but they change history, because they open the door, they open the window to the light of Jesus. Saint Stephen, upon receiving the stones of hatred, returned words of forgiveness. Then the story changed. We too can transform evil into good every day, as a beautiful proverb suggests: “Do like the palm tree: stones are thrown at it and it drops dates.”
To Mary we entrust the persecuted of today
Even today many, and the Pope has said so many times, suffer like Stephen, because they are discriminated against, persecuted and killed for their witness to Christ. To them goes the last thought of the Pontiff and the prayer of entrustment to Mary:
Today we pray for those who suffer persecution in the name of Jesus, sadly there are many. More than in the early days of the Church, let us entrust our brothers and sisters to Our Lady, who respond to oppression with meekness and, as true witnesses of Jesus, overcome evil with good.
Greetings: compliance with anti-Covid measures and thanks for the good wishes
While greeting the faithful at the end of the Angelus, Francis recalled the importance of following the anti-life provisions established for the holidays, which forced the faithful to follow “this moment of prayer through the media” to prevent people from being on the streets and “to help us all escape this pandemic.”
The last hope of the Pope was, therefore, that the joyful atmosphere of Christmas, which still fills our hearts, awakens in everyone “the desire to contemplate Jesus in the manger, and then serve him and love him in the people around us. “. . At the end of the greetings also the gratitude for the good wishes of everyone: “It is impossible – Francis said – to respond to each one, but I take advantage and now I express my gratitude, especially for the gift of prayer, which you have. for me, that I gladly forgive “.
