At noon on Thursday in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
You are not afraid of the rain; you are very brave!
The liturgy prolongs the Solemnity of the Nativity for eight days: a time of joy for all God's people! On this second day of the Octave, we observe the feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. The book of the Acts of the Apostles, which speaks of him as a man of faith, filled with the Holy Spirit (6:5), chosen along with six others to serve widows and the poor in the first community in Jerusalem. It also recounts the details of his martyrdom: when, following a passionate speech which aroused the anger of the members of the Sanhedrin, he was dragged outside the city walls and stoned. Stephen died like Jesus did: asking for forgiveness for his executioners (7:55-60).
In the joyful atmosphere of Christmas, this commemoration might seem out of place. In fact, Christmas is the festival of life, based on sentiments of serenity and peace; why should we disturb the charm by recalling such terrible violence? The truth is that from the perspective of faith, the Feast of Saint Stephen is in full harmony with the deeper meaning of Christmas. Through martyrdom, violence is overcome by love and death by life. The Church sees in the sacrifice of the martyrs, their heavenly birth. So, today we celebrate Stephen's birth which in truth begins with the birth of Christ. Jesus transforms the deaths of those who love him into the dawn of new life!
In the martyrdom of Stephen, the comparisons between good and evil, between hatred and forgiveness, between gentleness and violence ... which culminated in the cross of Christ, are also played out. The memorial of the first martyr thus instantly dissolves any false conception of Christmas as a fabled or sentimental image which does not exist in the gospel! The liturgy brings us back to the true meaning of the incarnation, connecting Bethlehem to Calvary and reminding us that divine salvation involves a fight against sin which passes through the narrow gate of the cross. This is the path that Jesus has clearly pointed out to his disciples, as we see in today's gospel: You will be despised by all for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved (Mt 10:22).
Today, we should pray especially for Christians who are discriminated against because of the witness they bear to Christ and to the gospel. We are close to those brothers and sisters who, like Saint Stephen, are unjustly accused and subjected to violence of various kinds. I am sure that, unfortunately, such persecutions are more numerous today than they were in the early days of the Church. There are so many of them! It happens especially in cases where religious freedom is still not guaranteed or not yet assured. It also occurs in countries where, at least on paper, such liberties and human rights are assured, but where in fact, believers and especially Christians encounter limitations and discrimination. I would like to ask you all to pray for a few moments in silence for these brothers and sisters of ours ... and we entrust them to the protection of Mary (Hail Mary ...) For Christians, this persecution should not be surprising because Jesus predicted it as an opportunity for us to testify. However, in the civil order, such injustice must be denounced and eliminated.
May Mary, the Queen of Martyrs, help us to live this time of Christmas with the conviction of faith and love that shines in the lives of Saint Stephen and all the martyrs of the Church.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
I greet the families, the parish groups, the associations and all the faithful who have come from Rome, from Italy and from all other parts of the world. May our visits the crib during these days to admire Mary and Joseph along with the Child awaken in all of us a generous commitment to loving one another so that within our families and among our various communities, we may experience a climate of fraternity that is so beneficial for the common good.
Happy Christmas, and enjoy your lunch!
In the joyful atmosphere of Christmas, this commemoration might seem out of place. In fact, Christmas is the festival of life, based on sentiments of serenity and peace; why should we disturb the charm by recalling such terrible violence? The truth is that from the perspective of faith, the Feast of Saint Stephen is in full harmony with the deeper meaning of Christmas. Through martyrdom, violence is overcome by love and death by life. The Church sees in the sacrifice of the martyrs, their heavenly birth. So, today we celebrate Stephen's birth which in truth begins with the birth of Christ. Jesus transforms the deaths of those who love him into the dawn of new life!
In the martyrdom of Stephen, the comparisons between good and evil, between hatred and forgiveness, between gentleness and violence ... which culminated in the cross of Christ, are also played out. The memorial of the first martyr thus instantly dissolves any false conception of Christmas as a fabled or sentimental image which does not exist in the gospel! The liturgy brings us back to the true meaning of the incarnation, connecting Bethlehem to Calvary and reminding us that divine salvation involves a fight against sin which passes through the narrow gate of the cross. This is the path that Jesus has clearly pointed out to his disciples, as we see in today's gospel: You will be despised by all for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved (Mt 10:22).
Today, we should pray especially for Christians who are discriminated against because of the witness they bear to Christ and to the gospel. We are close to those brothers and sisters who, like Saint Stephen, are unjustly accused and subjected to violence of various kinds. I am sure that, unfortunately, such persecutions are more numerous today than they were in the early days of the Church. There are so many of them! It happens especially in cases where religious freedom is still not guaranteed or not yet assured. It also occurs in countries where, at least on paper, such liberties and human rights are assured, but where in fact, believers and especially Christians encounter limitations and discrimination. I would like to ask you all to pray for a few moments in silence for these brothers and sisters of ours ... and we entrust them to the protection of Mary (Hail Mary ...) For Christians, this persecution should not be surprising because Jesus predicted it as an opportunity for us to testify. However, in the civil order, such injustice must be denounced and eliminated.
May Mary, the Queen of Martyrs, help us to live this time of Christmas with the conviction of faith and love that shines in the lives of Saint Stephen and all the martyrs of the Church.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
I greet the families, the parish groups, the associations and all the faithful who have come from Rome, from Italy and from all other parts of the world. May our visits the crib during these days to admire Mary and Joseph along with the Child awaken in all of us a generous commitment to loving one another so that within our families and among our various communities, we may experience a climate of fraternity that is so beneficial for the common good.
Happy Christmas, and enjoy your lunch!
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