Sermon 318
SERMO 318
On the Martyr Stephen
The relics of Stephen the martyr placed in a sacred location. The discovery of the bodies of Gervasius and Protasius. An altar erected to God over the relics of Stephen.
Your Holiness desires to know what is placed in this location today. These are the relics of the first and most blessed martyr Stephen. You heard, when the reading of his passion from the canonical book of the Acts of the Apostles was read, how he was stoned by the Jews, how he commended his spirit to the Lord, and how, even at the end, kneeling, he prayed for his stoners. His body lay hidden from that time until now; recently, however, it appeared, as the bodies of the holy martyrs are accustomed to appear, by the revelation of God, when it pleased the Creator. Thus several years ago, when we were young and living in Milan, the bodies of the holy martyrs Gervasius and Protasius appeared. You know that Gervasius and Protasius suffered much later than the most blessed Stephen. Why then were theirs revealed first, and his later? Let no one dispute: God's will seeks faith, not questioning. Nevertheless, it was revealed to him who showed the things found. For the place was indicated by preceding signs; and just as it had been revealed, so it was found. Many took relics from there, because God willed it, and they came here. Therefore, your Charity is commended both the place and the day: both should be celebrated in honor of God, whom Stephen confessed. For in this place we have made an altar not to Stephen, but to God from the relics of Stephen. Such altars are pleasing to God. Do you ask why? Because precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. They were redeemed by blood, who shed their blood for the Redeemer. He shed his blood so that their salvation might be redeemed: they shed theirs so that his Gospel might be spread. They repaid him, but not from their own: for in order to do this, he gave them the gift; and so that it might be done by them, he gave the gift. By showing his favor, he gave the opportunity. It was done, they suffered, they trampled the world.
Martyrs overcame not only the delights of the world, but, what is more difficult, torture. Struggle even unto blood.
It was not enough for them to disdain the delights of the world; they overcame punishments, threats, and tortures. For to disdain what is pleasing for the confession of God is indeed a great thing: but it is less to disdain what is pleasing than to conquer what is distressing. Suppose it were said to someone, "Deny Christ, and I will give you what you do not have": he disdained what is pleasing, and he did not deny. But then the persecutor added: "Do you not want to take what you do not have? I will take what you have." Profit does not taste as loss pains: for it is easier not to eat than to vomit. He did not gain, he did not eat: he lost what he had gained, he vomited what he had eaten. In not eating, the throat is cheated; in vomiting, the stomach is upset. Therefore, stronger in the confession of Christ is he who feared not losses than he who disdained gains. But what kind of losses? Loss of money, loss of inheritance, loss of all things he had. But the enemy had not yet come close. The things which perished were those external things lying around. If they were not loved when possessed, they did not cause sadness when lost. And to speak briefly, when they are lost, they leave as much sadness as they could have been loved when possessed. But to the persecutor of those times, when the saints were killed, it was not enough to say, "I take away what you have." He said, "I torture, bind, kill." Whoever feared not this, conquered the world. They brought the struggle for truth to the utmost, who struggled up to these points. This is what it says in the Epistle to the Hebrews: "For you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin." These are the perfect ones, who struggled against sin up to bloodshed. What is it to struggle against sin? Against great sin: against the denial of Christ. You know how Susanna struggled against sin up to bloodshed. But lest only women find consolation from this, and men seek something from their number similar to what was in Susanna: you know how Joseph struggled against sin up to bloodshed. The cause is similar. And she had false witnesses, those same ones to whom she would not consent, lest she sin; and he had her who would not consent. Both had false testimony given against them for not consenting to sin; and those who heard believed: but they did not conquer God. She was freed, and he was also freed. What if they had died, would they not be freed all the more when crowned securely? Why did I say, crowned securely? Because no temptation would remain. For even if Susanna was freed, she still had to be tested; and Joseph, freed, still had to be tested. From what should he be tested? Because human life on earth is a temptation. Until death, all is a trial; after death, there is only blessedness; but only for the Saints, whose death is precious in the sight of God. Thus, she struggled against sin, that is, against adultery, and he against such sin, up to bloodshed. It is a greater sin to deny Christ than to commit adultery. Adultery of the flesh is to lie together illicitly: adultery of the heart is to deny the truth. In faith, in the mind, there must be chastity. The first corrupted parent was Eve. Do you wish to know the magnitude of her iniquity in that corruption? Consider the magnitude of the calamity in us, who were born from her. I will cite the Holy Scripture of this word of mine as a witness: "From a woman was the beginning of sin, and because of her, we all die." What she received in punishment, the martyrs scorn for their victory. God threatened them with death so that they would not sin: the enemy threatened the martyrs with death so that they would sin. They sinned to escape death: the martyrs died to avoid sinning. From where the punishment was inflicted on them, hence the glory was raised for these.
A certain struggle of martyrdom in daily temptations.
They have struggled, therefore, and they have conquered. The earlier ones conquered: but they did not cut off the bridge by which they crossed and prevented our access. It is open to anyone who wishes: the persecution they suffered is not to be desired; but the daily trial of human life is. Sometimes a faithful person falls ill, and there is the tempter. An illicit sacrifice is offered for their health, a harmful and sacrilegious binding, an impious spell, a magical consecration is promised, and it is said to them: "So-and-so and so-and-so were in worse danger than you, and they escaped in this way; do it if you want to live; you will die if you do not do it." See if it is not, "You will die if you do not deny Christ." What the persecutor openly said to the martyr, the hidden tempter indirectly says to you. "Take this remedy, and you will live:" is this not, "Sacrifice, and you will live?" "If you do not do it, you will die:" is this not, "If you do not sacrifice, you will die?" You have found an equal struggle, seek an equal reward. You are on a bed, and on a course; you lie down, and you wrestle. Remain in faith; and while you are worn out, you conquer. Therefore you have, dearest ones, no small comfort, a place for prayers. Let martyr Stephen be honored here: but in his honor, let the crown-giver of Stephen be worshipped.