Sermon 316

SERMO 316

On the Solemnity of Stephen the Martyr

Stephen first among the deacons. Miracles were done by Stephen, but through the name of Christ.

The most blessed and gloriously martyred in Christ, Stephen, has already nourished us with his speech: but after that nourishment, I present to you from the discourse of my ministry as if a second table. And what do I find sweeter to place on it than Christ and the Martyr himself? He, indeed, the Lord, this one a servant: but Stephen from a servant a friend. We, however, are undoubtedly servants: may he grant that we also be friends. Yet what kind of servants? Such that we can sing with a clear conscience: "But to me, your friends are greatly honored, O God." Before the holy Stephen was killed openly and crowned secretly, you heard of his election by the Apostles. He is named first among the deacons, just as Peter among the Apostles. Therefore, when he was ordained by the Apostles, he soon preceded his ordainers in passion: he was ordained by them, but first crowned. What did you hear then, when his passion was read? “But Stephen, full of grace and the Holy Spirit, performed great wonders and signs among the people, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Understand who, by whose name. Those of you who love Stephen, love him in Christ. This is what he wants, this pleases him: from this he rejoices, this he welcomes. For he did not wish to glorify his own name before his stoners. Consider whom he confessed when he was stoned; whom he confessed on earth, whom he saw in heaven; for whom he surrendered his flesh, to whom he commended his soul. Do we read anywhere, or can we read in sound doctrine, that Jesus performed or performs wonders by Stephen's name? Stephen did, but by Christ's name. He does so even now: whatever you see happening by Stephen's memory, it happens in Christ's name; so that Christ may be commended, Christ may be adored, Christ awaited as judge of the living and the dead, and those who love him may stand at the right hand. For when he comes, they will stand on the right, they will stand on the left: blessed are those on the right; wretched those on the left.

The Jews were harsh towards Stephen.

Let the most blessed Stephen, however, imitate his Lord. In a wondrous manner he suffered among hard stones, those casting them, what were they doing but showing what they were? That you may know he was suffering against hard ones; this he said to them: "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit." You wish to die, you hasten to be stoned, you burn to be crowned. "You always resist the Holy Spirit." While he was saying such things, they raged and gnashed their teeth at him. Add, Stephen, add what they cannot bear, add what they cannot endure: add what may cause them to stone you, so that we might find what to celebrate. The heavens were opened: the Martyr saw the head of the martyrs; he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father: he saw what he would not keep silent. They did not see, but they envied; and therefore they did not see, because they envied. He did not keep silent about what he saw, that he might come to him whom he saw. "Behold," he said, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of majesty." They stopped up their ears, as if against blasphemy. You recognize them in the Psalm: "Like the deaf asp, stopping its ears, so that it does not hear the voice of the charmer, and the spell skillfully woven by the wise." For it is said that asps, when enchanted, press one ear to the ground and stop the other with their tail, and yet the charmer draws them out: thus these still raged in their dens, burning within their hearts. They had not yet burst forth: they stopped their ears. Now let them burst forth, let them show who they are: let them run to the stones. They ran, they stoned.

The dying Lord Stephen imitates, commending his spirit and praying for his killers.

What about Stephen? What? Pay attention first to him whom the good friend was imitating. The Lord Jesus Christ, when he was hanging on the cross, said: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." He said this as a man, as one crucified, as one born of a woman, as one clothed in flesh; as one about to die for us, as one to be laid in a tomb, as one to rise on the third day, as one to ascend into heaven. All these things happened in a man. Therefore, the man said: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." He said "Father"; Stephen said "Lord Jesus." What about himself? "Receive my spirit." You said it to the Father, I say it to you. I recognize the Mediator. You have come to lift the fallen: you did not fall with me. He said, "Receive my spirit." He prayed this for himself; another thought came to his mind, from which he imitated his Lord. Recall the words of the one hanging on the wood, and pay attention to the words of him who was being stoned confessing. What did he say? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Perhaps Stephen was among them, who did not know what they were doing. For many believed afterward. And it is uncertain to us where the most blessed Stephen was from, whether he was from those who first believed in Christ, like Nicodemus who came to him by night, who deserved to be buried where this one also was, because through him this one was found as well: whether he was therefore among those, or perhaps among those who, after the ascension of the Lord, when the Holy Spirit came, when the disciples were filled and spoke in all the languages of the nations, were pricked in their hearts and said to the Apostles: "Men and brothers, what shall we do?" Tell us. For they despaired of salvation, because they had killed the Savior. And Peter said to them: "Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and you will receive the Holy Spirit, and your sins will be forgiven." Do you think all? What of their sins remained, when that sin was also forgiven, by which the forgiver of sins was killed? What is worse than killing Christ? This was erased. What then? Perhaps Stephen was among those. If he was among those, his prayer was efficacious: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." However, Saul was also among those. When Stephen the lamb was being stoned, he was still a wolf, still thirsting for blood; he still considered his own hands insufficient for stoning, he guarded the clothes of those stoning. Therefore, recalling what was said for him, if he was also among those about whom the Lord said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," imitating therefore even in this his Lord, to be his friend, he also said: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." But how did he say it? Kneeling on the ground. He commended himself standing; when he prayed for his enemies, he knelt. Why did he commend himself standing? Because he was commending a righteous man. Why did he kneel for them? Because he was praying for the guilty. "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Saul, a wolf, was changed into a sheep because of Stephen's speech.

Do you think Saul heard these words? He heard them, but he mocked: and yet it related to the prayer of Stephen. He was still raging, and already Stephen was being heard for him. You know already, as to say something about Saul, and afterward about Paul; surely you know: it is written in the same book how Paul believed. After Stephen was killed, the Church in Jerusalem suffered very severe persecution. The brothers who were there were scattered: only the Apostles remained; the others were driven away. But like burning torches, wherever they went, they kindled. Foolish Jews, when they drove them from Jerusalem, they were casting coals of fire into the forest. Still, Saul, for whom the death of Stephen was not enough, what do we recall gladly, because we now honor him, what did he do? He received letters from the priests and scribes, so that wherever he found men of this way, that is, Christians, he would bring them bound to take punishments, like those Stephen had taken. And Saul went in anger, he went as a wolf to the sheepfolds, to the flocks of the Lord: like a rabid wolf he thirsted for blood, he panted for slaughter, he went along the way. And he from above: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Wolf, wolf, why do you persecute the lamb? When I was killed, I killed the lion. Why do you persecute me? Strip off the wolf: be a sheep from a wolf, a shepherd from a sheep."

A painting depicting the stoning of Stephen and the conversion of Saul.

This picture is most sweet, where you see Saint Stephen being stoned, you see Saul keeping the garments of the stoners. This is Paul, Apostle of Christ Jesus, this is Paul, servant of Christ Jesus. You have well heard the voice: Why do you persecute me? You were cast down, you were raised up: cast down as a persecutor, raised up as a preacher. Speak, let us hear: Paul, the servant of Christ Jesus, by the will of God. Was it by your own will, O Saul? By your own will we know, we have seen your fruits: Stephen was killed by your will. By the will of God, we see your fruits: you are read everywhere, recited everywhere, everywhere you convert hearts opposed to Christ, everywhere as a good shepherd you gather large flocks. With him whom you stoned, with Christ you reign. Both of you see us there; both of you now hear our speech; both of you pray for us. Both of you will be heard, who crowned you, one first, the other afterward: one who suffered persecution, the other who persecuted. He then was a lamb, but he was a wolf: but now both are lambs. May the lambs recognize us, and in the flock of Christ may they see us: may they commend us with their prayers, that they may grant the Church of their Lord a quiet and peaceful life.