Martyrdom of St. Stephen the First Martyr

“The Spirit of your Father will speak for you” Mt. 10:17-22

We’ve just celebrated the Feast of Christmas. In celebrations like these, the heart is filled with joy and hope. For us believers, faith in the incarnate God is renewed.

Already today, the next day, the liturgy places before us the martyrdom of St. Stephen – protomartyr – and what Matthew tells us in today’s Gospel becomes relevant: “They will deliver them to the courts, they will scourge them, they will appear before kings; then they will bear witness to me.”

Following Jesus involves a lifestyle that goes against the grain of what the world proposes to us. This sign of contradiction to which Christians are invited often suffers persecution and martyrdom.

However, there is one certainty that accompanies us, which is the confidence that the Spirit will speak for us. We are not alone; God walks with us. Let us continue to walk paths that build unity, peace, and justice

How can we be a ‘witness’ of Jesus today?