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Patron Saints of the Parish
St Stephen
- First
Martyr, lived in Jerusalem.
- ??? - c. 35
- Feast
day 26th December
Stephen's name means "crown," and he was the
first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown. Stephen was a deacon
in the early Christian Church. The apostles had found that they needed helpers
to look after the care of the widows and the poor. So they ordained seven
deacons, and Stephen is the most famous of these.
God worked many miracles through Stephen and he spoke with such wisdom and
grace that many of his hearers became followers of Jesus. The enemies of
the Church of Jesus were furious to see how successful Stephen's preaching
was. At last, they laid a plot for him. They could not answer his wise argument,
so they had men lie about him, saying that he had spoken sinfully against
God. Stephen faced that great assembly of enemies without fear. In fact,
the Bible says that his face looked like the face of an angel.
The saint spoke about Jesus, showing that He is the Savior, God had promised
to send. He scolded his enemies for not having believed in Jesus. At that,
they rose up in great anger and shouted at him. But Stephen looked up to Heaven
and said that he saw the heavens opening and Jesus standing at the right
hand of God.
His hearers plugged their ears and refused to listen to another word.
They dragged St. Stephen outside the city of Jerusalem and
stoned him to death. The saint prayed, "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then he fell to his knees and begged God not to
punish his enemies for killing him. After such an expression of love,
the holy martyr went to his heavenly reward.
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© Ss Alban
& Stephen Catholic Church 2004
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