Like Stephen, we will find ourselves enduring the eternal love of God in Christ

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings, for the Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr, by Father Perry.

+ Although some might have thought that the word “mangy” comes from the same root word for “manger,” it does not appear to be so.

And although in a manger it would seem that you might find animals with mange, it still does not appear to have a connection except in some minds.

However, the fact is that to have a baby be born in a manger around smelly animals and in a bunch of hay does not sound either clean, wonderful or romantic in any way whatsoever.

Nonetheless, we still have a rather sentimental and even romantic notion packed around the site of countless Christmas mangers in our churches and in our home domestic churches.

And the first day following one of, if not the most, sentimental days of the year (especially for children) the day of Christmas, we immediately focus on one of the, if not the most, tragic consequences of following Jesus the Christ.

Especially for the early Christians, the greatest cost of being his follower and a part of this Christian community was death.

And so, the church presents to us not because it chronologically follows the birth of Jesus the Christ, but because the church wants us to see after the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

After the community of Christians began to grow, the almost necessary confrontation between the Jewish and Christian faiths was indeed realized in the martyrdom of the first martyr — Stephen.

So from Christian joy we bounce to Christian martyrdom, and we see truly the real connection between the crib and the cross.

Ironically, we even are introduced to the future St. Paul as the cloaks of the observers were thrown down at his — Saul, later to become Paul’s — feet.

The real power and spiritual energy in this scene is clearly Stephen’s faith, his spiritual visions, as he proclaims: “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

But the angry mob put an end to that quickly as they led him outside the town and stoned him to death.

His moaning last words rang out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Early in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 10 of 28 chapters), Jesus warns of the dangers that lie ahead: “they will hand you over to courts, scourge you in their synagogues, lead you before governors and kings (where you will be judged); brothers handing over brothers to death, being hated by all. …”

But like Stephen, be prepared to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

Be prepared to see what so many could not and would not see. Be prepared to share in enormous trust that even in the face of death will not diminish.

Be prepared to speak wisdom in the face of danger and impending death.

And be prepared, in the trust and deepest sense of all, to be saved!

+ Jesus’ own words as reflected in the response of the responsorial psalm today will be ours in the end, filled with faith and trust and martyr-like endurance: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”

And, like Stephen, we will find ourselves enduring the never-ending forever and ever eternal love of God in Christ!

Although it is doubtful that anyone reading these words will actually die a martyr’s death like Stephen.

But do we believers in Jesus the Christ follow with the convictions of Stephen?

Do we trust? Do we endure? Do we profess without ceasing?

Do we find joy even in the midst of our little and big sufferings and struggles and rejections and disappointments and sadness and personal crosses?

How sobering, indeed, to look at martyrdom the day after we celebrate the joy of Christmas.

But isn’t that a real and shocking truth — and challenging and helpful — as we attempt to follow Jesus the Christ when convenient and inconvenient, day in and day out, in all circumstances, and always faithfully and joyfully?

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Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.