At noon today in Rome (6:00am EST), the Feast of Saint Stephen, deacon and the first martyr, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, we are celebrating the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles speaks about him (cf Acts 6-7), and in today's liturgy we encounter the final moments of his life, when he was captured and whipped (cf Acts 6:12; 7:54-60). In the joyous atmosphere of Christmas, this memorial of the first Christian who was killed for the faith can appear to be out of place. However, from the perspective of faith, today's celebration takes place in harmony with the true meaning of Christmas. In Stephen's martyrdom, violence is in fact in conflict with love, death with life: in the hour of the supreme testimony, he contemplates the open skies and forgives his persecutors (cf Acts 7:60).
This young servant of the Gospel, full of the Holy Spirit, was able to narrate Jesus with words, and above all with his life. Looking at him, we see Jesus' promise to his disciples fulfilled: When they mistreat you for my sake, the Spirit of the Father will give you the strength and the words to bear witness (cf Mt 10: 19-20). At the school of Saint Stephen, who became like his Master both in life and in death, we too fix our gaze on Jesus, the faithful witness of the Father. We learn that the glory of Heaven, that which lasts for eternal life, is not made up of wealth and power, but of love and self-giving.
We need to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Heb 12: 2), in order to account for the hope that has been given to us (cf 1 Pt 3:15), through challenges and trials that we have to face daily. For us Christians, heaven is no longer distant, separated from the earth: in Jesus, Heaven descended to earth. And thanks to him, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can take everything that is human and direct it towards Heaven. So that the first testimony is precisely our way of being human, a lifestyle shaped according to Jesus: mild and courageous, humble and noble, non-violent.
Stephen was a deacon, one of the first seven deacons of the Church (cf Acts 6: 1-6). He teaches us to proclaim Christ through gestures of fraternity and gospel charity. His testimony, culminating in martyrdom, is a source of inspiration for the renewal of our Christian communities. They are called to become increasingly missionary, all striving for evangelization, determined to reach men and women in the existential and geographical peripheries, where there is more thirst for hope and salvation. Communities that do not follow the logic of the world, that do not put themselves - their image - at the centre of their focus, but only the glory of God and the good of the people, especially the little ones and the poor.
The feast of this first martyr Stephen calls us to remember all the martyrs of yesterday and today - today there are many! - to feel in communion with them, and to ask them for the grace to live and to die with the name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips. May Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, help us to live this Christmas time by fixing our gaze on Jesus, to become more like him every day.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I share the pain that has struck the dear people of the Philippines as a result of typhoon Phanfone. I am praying for the many victims, for those who have been wounded and for their families. I invite you all to recite with me the Hail Mary for these people who I love so much.
Hail Mary ...
I greet all of you, pilgrims from Italy and from all other countries. The joy of Christmas which, even today, fills our hearts, arouses within us a desire to contemplate Jesus in the manger, and then to serve and love him in our brothers and sisters, especially in those who are poor.
During these days, I have received many messages from Rome and from other parts of the world. It is not possible for me to reply to every one of them but I am praying for all of you. Therefore, today I express my sincere gratitude to you and to all peoples, especially for the gift of your prayers which many of you have promised: thank you very much.
Happy feast of Saint Stephen. Please, continue to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, we are celebrating the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles speaks about him (cf Acts 6-7), and in today's liturgy we encounter the final moments of his life, when he was captured and whipped (cf Acts 6:12; 7:54-60). In the joyous atmosphere of Christmas, this memorial of the first Christian who was killed for the faith can appear to be out of place. However, from the perspective of faith, today's celebration takes place in harmony with the true meaning of Christmas. In Stephen's martyrdom, violence is in fact in conflict with love, death with life: in the hour of the supreme testimony, he contemplates the open skies and forgives his persecutors (cf Acts 7:60).
This young servant of the Gospel, full of the Holy Spirit, was able to narrate Jesus with words, and above all with his life. Looking at him, we see Jesus' promise to his disciples fulfilled: When they mistreat you for my sake, the Spirit of the Father will give you the strength and the words to bear witness (cf Mt 10: 19-20). At the school of Saint Stephen, who became like his Master both in life and in death, we too fix our gaze on Jesus, the faithful witness of the Father. We learn that the glory of Heaven, that which lasts for eternal life, is not made up of wealth and power, but of love and self-giving.
We need to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Heb 12: 2), in order to account for the hope that has been given to us (cf 1 Pt 3:15), through challenges and trials that we have to face daily. For us Christians, heaven is no longer distant, separated from the earth: in Jesus, Heaven descended to earth. And thanks to him, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can take everything that is human and direct it towards Heaven. So that the first testimony is precisely our way of being human, a lifestyle shaped according to Jesus: mild and courageous, humble and noble, non-violent.
Stephen was a deacon, one of the first seven deacons of the Church (cf Acts 6: 1-6). He teaches us to proclaim Christ through gestures of fraternity and gospel charity. His testimony, culminating in martyrdom, is a source of inspiration for the renewal of our Christian communities. They are called to become increasingly missionary, all striving for evangelization, determined to reach men and women in the existential and geographical peripheries, where there is more thirst for hope and salvation. Communities that do not follow the logic of the world, that do not put themselves - their image - at the centre of their focus, but only the glory of God and the good of the people, especially the little ones and the poor.
The feast of this first martyr Stephen calls us to remember all the martyrs of yesterday and today - today there are many! - to feel in communion with them, and to ask them for the grace to live and to die with the name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips. May Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, help us to live this Christmas time by fixing our gaze on Jesus, to become more like him every day.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I share the pain that has struck the dear people of the Philippines as a result of typhoon Phanfone. I am praying for the many victims, for those who have been wounded and for their families. I invite you all to recite with me the Hail Mary for these people who I love so much.
Hail Mary ...
I greet all of you, pilgrims from Italy and from all other countries. The joy of Christmas which, even today, fills our hearts, arouses within us a desire to contemplate Jesus in the manger, and then to serve and love him in our brothers and sisters, especially in those who are poor.
During these days, I have received many messages from Rome and from other parts of the world. It is not possible for me to reply to every one of them but I am praying for all of you. Therefore, today I express my sincere gratitude to you and to all peoples, especially for the gift of your prayers which many of you have promised: thank you very much.
Happy feast of Saint Stephen. Please, continue to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
No comments:
Post a Comment