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“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you
are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your
Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19–20
These words of our Lord came to fruition in the life of Saint
Stephen, the Church’s first martyr. Saint Stephen was martyred
within a couple of years after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. He was
one of seven deacons who the Apostles appointed to assist them in
their work of caring for the poor as the Church began to
grow.
Stephen was a man of deep faith and was filled with the Holy
Spirit. After he was appointed deacon, he began to preach with
boldness. Among his listeners were members of the synagogue of
Hellenistic Jews. Stephen debated them vigorously and proved
himself to be full of wisdom and power, performing many signs and
wonders in their midst. But this only led his listeners to become
outraged to the point of seeking his death. As a result, they made
false claims that Stephen was preaching against the Temple and the
Law of Moses.
In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:2–53), Stephen responded by
giving a long and detailed speech by which he explained the full
truth of Jesus in light of the Old Testament. Stephen concluded by
saying, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your
ancestors.” This infuriated his listeners in the synagogue even
more. After this, something truly miraculous happened. Stephen had
a vision. He looked up to Heaven and said, “Behold, I see the
heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of
God.” He saw his Lord, standing at the right hand of the Father.
And it was his proclamation of this vision that finally drove the
infuriated crowd to drag him out of the synagogue and city and to
stone him to death. Stephen’s story, however, ended in a beautiful
and inspired way. As the crowd was stoning him, he spoke two
powerful statements. First, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit.” And then he prayed in a loud voice, “Lord, do not
hold this sin against them.”
As mentioned above, the words our Lord speaks in the Gospel today
came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen. First of all, we see
that Jesus’ prediction that some of His followers would be handed
over to deaths by their own kinsmen came true in the life of Saint
Stephen. But Jesus also promised that when this would happen, “You
will be given at that moment what you are to say.” And it will be
the Spirit of the Father “speaking through you.” And that’s exactly
what happened with Saint Stephen. First, he was given a glorious
vision of Heaven. Second, he was inspired to fully surrender his
spirit over to Jesus. And third, he was inspired to pray for his
persecutors and forgive them. These words and actions did not come
from Stephen alone. They were the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise
that when one is persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, the Father
will be especially present and give powerful inspiration at the
moment of need.
Reflect, today, upon the profound truth that God never abandons us.
In fact, when we suffer the most or endure persecution, rejection
or any form of mistreatment, God is especially present. Look at
your own life and consider those moments that you find most
challenging. Pray to Saint Stephen and ask him to pray for you so
that you will be open to the inspired words and actions of our Lord
when you need them the most.
Most glorious Saint Stephen, please pray for me. Pray for me
especially when I experience the heaviest crosses in my life. Pray
that I, like you, will be open to God’s inspiration and grace at
those times I need it the most. St. Stephen, pray for me. Jesus, I
trust in You.
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