December 26, 2020Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

2020년 12월 26일 성 스테파노 첫 순교자 축일 

오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp 

제1독서

사도행전. 6,8-10; 7,54-59
그 무렵 8 은총과 능력이 충만한 스테파노는
백성 가운데에서 큰 이적과 표징들을 일으켰다.
9 그때에 이른바 해방민들과 키레네인들과 알렉산드리아인들과
킬리키아와 아시아 출신들의 회당에 속한 사람 몇이 나서서
스테파노와 논쟁을 벌였다.
10 그러나 그의 말에서 드러나는 지혜와 성령에 대항할 수가 없었다.
7,54 그들은 스테파노의 말을 듣고 마음에 화가 치밀어 그에게 이를 갈았다.
55 그러나 스테파노는 성령이 충만하였다.
그가 하늘을 유심히 바라보니,
하느님의 영광과 하느님 오른쪽에 서 계신 예수님이 보였다.
56 그래서 그는 “보십시오, 하늘이 열려 있고
사람의 아들이 하느님 오른쪽에 서 계신 것이 보입니다.” 하고 말하였다.
57 그들은 큰 소리를 지르며 귀를 막았다.
그리고 일제히 스테파노에게 달려들어,
58 그를 성 밖으로 몰아내고서는 그에게 돌을 던졌다.
그 증인들은 겉옷을 벗어 사울이라는 젊은이의 발 앞에 두었다.
59 사람들이 돌을 던질 때에 스테파노는,
“주 예수님, 제 영을 받아 주십시오.” 하고 기도하였다.

 

복음

마태오. 10,17-22
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
17 “사람들을 조심하여라.
그들이 너희를 의회에 넘기고 회당에서 채찍질할 것이다.
18 또 너희는 나 때문에 총독들과 임금들 앞에 끌려가,
그들과 다른 민족들에게 증언할 것이다.
19 사람들이 너희를 넘길 때, 어떻게 말할까,
무엇을 말할까 걱정하지 마라.
너희가 무엇을 말해야 할지, 그때에 너희에게 일러 주실 것이다.
20 사실 말하는 이는 너희가 아니라
너희 안에서 말씀하시는 아버지의 영이시다.
21 형제가 형제를 넘겨 죽게 하고 아버지가 자식을 그렇게 하며,
자식들도 부모를 거슬러 일어나 죽게 할 것이다.
22 그리고 너희는 내 이름 때문에 모든 사람에게 미움을 받을 것이다.
그러나 끝까지 견디는 이는 구원을 받을 것이다.”

December 26, 2020

Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

Reading 1

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But he, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and he said,
"Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God."
But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears,
and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul. 
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17

R. (6) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake you will lead and guide me.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

 

Gospel

Mt 10:17-22

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
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.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved."

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

 In his recent Encyclical Letter, Pope Francis challenges his readers to place themselves in the story of the Good Samaritan, and by doing so begin to understand if we are committed to the flourishing of all persons.  Similarly, one might imagine Luke’s account of the martyrdom of St. Stephen in prayer and place themselves in the scene as one of many actors.  There is Stephen himself, of course, seeing a vision of God with Jesus at his right hand welcoming him into his heavenly inheritance.  Of we could see ourselves (difficult as it might be) as one of those stoning Stephen because he is announcing a new narrative about God’s compassion for the poor and mercy toward outcasts and sinners.  Or we might see ourselves in the role of Saul (soon to become Paul) at this point an enemy of the Christian message, equally enraged with Stephen’s message, not prepared to become involved stoning him but he actively supports what is happening by assisting those doing the stoning.  Or we might see ourselves as a bystander, curious or even anxious about the event but not willing to get involved, or we may be a supporter of Stephen, but who recognizes the risk of intervening.

But this is Christmas, why does the Church ask us to pray with this first martyrdom?  Why would we consider our possible role in such a response to God’s invitation to mercy and compassion?  As has been so often reflected before by Pope Francis (and other spiritual writers) the seeds of such violence lie in every human heart.  The death of this martyr is an example of of the Gospel passage from today’s liturgy:  “Beware of human beings, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you . . .  you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them . . .”  The cost of discipleship that Christmas invites us to is not less than the cost of our own lives. 

If we believe in the wonder of Christmas, the Babe of Bethlehem, and God’s generosity and humility in coming among humans, we must also believe in this cost of the relationship with God and God’s friends.    In today’s liturgy, the Church places in stark relationship what Saint Ignatius Loyola calls “the Two Standards.”  The standard of Christ – love, mercy, commitment to the dignity of human personhood in every situation, community and companionship – and the standard of evil that allows us to relish privilege, ignore the poorest and most vulnerable, and consume the earth’s goods without consideration for the consequences.

If we want to claim Jesus, and the Bethlehem story, as our story then we must claim the cost and the victory of following the Standard of Christ. 

“O Come Let Us Adore Him . . . Christ the Lord.”

 http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

 

CALVARY-CHRISTMAS

“You will be hated by all on account of Me. But whoever holds out till the end will escape death.” —Matthew 10:22

On this second day of Christmas, the Church presents to us St. Stephen, the first martyr. The festive red color of Christmas is mixed with the blood-red of the martyr. The Church proclaims that Christmas is not just a custom, diversion, or triviality. Christmas is glorious — and serious. Christmas is the proclamation of Jesus’ lordship. It is the Word confronting the world (see Wis 18:15).

The Church’s Christmas characters are not Santa, Rudolph, or Frosty. Our Christmas saints are the fearless martyr Stephen, the massacred babies of Bethlehem (Mt 2:16), the bloodied Thomas Becket, joyful and sorrowful mother Mary, and Joseph the impoverished refugee (see Lk 2:7; Mt 2:13). The Church proclaims that Christmas is not primarily for the consumers and shoppers but for the witnesses, the persecuted, and the poor.

You may have had the world’s Christmas for years. Why don’t you try something different and celebrate the Word’s Christmas? Repent, obey, witness, and begin Christ’s Christmas.

Prayer:  Father, give me a good, old-fashioned, Bethlehem-Calvary Christmas.

Promise:  “As Stephen was being stoned he could be heard praying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ ” —Acts 7:59

Praise:  “As Stephen was being stoned he could be heard praying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ ” —Acts 7:59

 http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

 What is the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary - the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? The very reason the Son of God took on flesh and became a man for our sake was to redeem us from slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God. The way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. If we want to share in Jesus' glory, then we, too, must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps.

The cost of following and serving the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst; do you accept it? This is not the world's way of offering a job. After the defeat at Dunkirk during World War II, Churchill offered his country "blood, toil, sweat, and tears." Suffering for the name of Christ is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord commissions us in his service. Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us. The Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Do you know the joy and victory of the cross of Jesus Christ?

Lord Jesus, your coming in the flesh to ransom us from slavery to sin gives us cause for great rejoicing even in the midst of trials and pain. Help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will.

Psalm 31:3-8,15-16

3 Yes, you are my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net which is hidden for me, for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
6 You hate those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in the LORD.
7 I will rejoice and be glad for your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction, you have taken heed of my adversities,
8 and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.
15 My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors!
16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your merciful love!

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Your Father speaks through you in every age, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"To be sure, we heard in that reading, 'But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you are to speak... for it is not you who are speaking but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through you.' And he says in another place: 'Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world' (Matthew 28:20). Does this mean that the people who heard those words of the Lord would be here until the end of the world? The Lord was referring, rather, not only to those about to depart from this life but also to the others, including us and those who would come after us in this life. He saw everyone in his single body, and the words he spoke, 'I am with you even to the end of the world,' were heard by them and by us too. And if we did not hear them then in our knowledge, we heard them in his foreknowledge. Therefore, safe as sheep among the wolves, let us keep the commandments of him who directs us. And let us be 'innocent as doves but cautious as snakes' (Matthew 10:16). Innocent as doves that we may not harm anyone; cautious as snakes that we may be careful of letting anyone harm us." (excerpt from SERMON 64A.2)

 

 

  

More Homilies

December 26, 2018 Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr