This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.
It may seem very puzzling that the day after we celebrate the beautiful, peaceful, consoling reality of God’s initiative to come into our world and become a human being to save us, we have the feast of the first martyr. We have a reading with a scene of violence, and a Gospel passage with a prediction of persecution–albeit together with a promise of the guiding company of the Holy Spirit.
But really, if we look beyond the moment of violence at St. Stephen’s martyrdom, what we find is the ultimate fulfillment of the entire purpose and inspiration behind God’s decision to take on flesh.
As Stephen suffered at the hands of his persecutors, he saw heaven open up before him, and saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand. As he was attacked, here lay his focus.
Stephen was reaching that exalted destiny God had won for him by taking on flesh at the Incarnation and taking that flesh to the cross.
We celebrate in this Christmas octave how Jesus has come to earth for us. But as today’s gospel points out to us, our brief life here on earth is still to be one of difficult travails. We’ve got a difficult journey ahead of us, as St. Stephen did, if we wish to reach the prize that Jesus’ Incarnation won for us. But won it for us He has; our destiny it is; and this octave of Christmas can be one of unmitigated joy as we celebrate not only the Incarnation of God that won for us this destiny, but also the anticipation of the destiny itself.
Ideas for conversation with the Lord: In your Christmas meditation, look beyond the tenderness of the Nativity scene. Ask Jesus why He underwent the immense humiliation and unpleasant path of taking on human flesh. Ask Him His hopes for your destiny, against the backdrop of this feast day, wherein we celebrate St. Stephen’s attainment of his.
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