Sermon 319

SERMO 319

ON STEPHEN THE MARTYR

The speech of Stephen to the Jews is very wise. Stephen, as a servant, performs miracles in the name of Christ.

The Lord granted me to speak a few words usefully, just as He granted Saint Stephen to speak so boldly. He began to speak to his persecutors as if he feared them: "Men, brothers, and fathers, listen." What is more gentle? What is more merciful? He conciliated the listener to commend the Savior. He began softly so that he might be heard for a long time. And because he had been accused of speaking against God and the law, he explained the law to them, showing that he was the preacher of the law of which he was accused of being the destroyer. This we have both heard and witnessed: not much of ours is necessary, because you have heard much. I exhort you only in this for the building up of your charity, that you may know that Saint Stephen sought the honor of Christ, that you may know that the holy Martyr was a witness of Christ, that you may know that he then performed such great miracles in the name of Christ. For it is useful for you to know this, that Saint Stephen performed miracles in the name of Christ, but that the Lord Christ performed no miracle in the name of Stephen: that you may discern the servant from the Lord, the worshipper from God, the adorer from the one to be adored. For when you discern this, then you are loved. He did not shed his blood for himself, but he shed it for Christ.

He commends his spirit to Christ.

See to whom he has entrusted his soul. Behold, he says, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. He saw Christ, confessing Christ, about to die for Christ, about to go to Christ; and in his last moments, as the blows of the stones increased, and hard wounds were thrown by hardened hearts, he saw himself near, not to destruction, but to departure; he saw his soul already about to depart, and entrusted it. To whom? To Him whom he saw, to Him whom he worshipped, to Him whom he served, to Him whose name he preached, to Him for whose Gospel he laid down his life, to Him he entrusted his very soul. Lord, he says: Jesus, receive my spirit. You have made me victorious, receive me in triumph. Receive my spirit. They persecute, you welcome; they cast out, you admit. Say to my spirit: Enter into the joy of your Lord. For this is: Receive my spirit.

Where his spirit was received by Christ.

But his spirit with which Jesus received? into which abode? into which heaven of heavens? Who understands? who explains?

Do you want to hear a summary? Listen to Christ Himself: "Father, I desire that where I am, they also may be with me." To be where Christ is—what thought can grasp it? What speech is adequate to explain it? Let it be entrusted to faith, not awaited from the tongue. You heard when the Gospel was read: "Where I am, there also will my servant be." Read the Greek text, and you will find 'deacon.' What the Latin interprets as 'servant,' the Greek has 'deacon,' because 'deacon' in Greek is 'servant' in Latin, just as 'martyr' in Greek is 'witness' in Latin, and 'apostle' in Greek is 'sent forth' in Latin. But we are now accustomed to using Greek terms as Latin. For many Gospel manuscripts have: "Where I am, there also will my deacon be." Consider this said, because this is what is said: "Where I am, there also will my deacon be." Therefore, truly his deacon: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." You promised that the Gospel would be read, I preached the Gospel: "Where I am, there also will my deacon be." I have stood for you as your deacon, I ministered your blood, I laid down my life for you; grant me your promise.

Why does he pray with bended knee for his stoners?

And for the Jews, for his stoners, for the bloodthirsty hearts, for the cruel souls, how did he pray? He bent his knee. Such humility of Stephen is a great accusation against that people. Standing, he prayed for himself; for them, he bent his knee. Did he place them before himself? Far from it: it is not to be believed. He loved his enemies: but it is said of one's neighbor: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Why then did he bend his knee? Because he knew he was praying for the wicked; and the more wicked they were, the harder it would be for him to be heard. The Lord, hanging on the cross, said: Father, forgive them; Stephen, with his knee bent under the stones, said: Lord, do not hold this sin against them. He followed in the steps of his shepherd, like a good sheep: the good lamb followed the Lamb, whose blood took away the sin of the world. He fulfilled what the apostle Peter said: Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps.

Stephen in his suffering, imitator of Christ in patience.

See the man following the footsteps of his Lord. Christ on the cross: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit: Stephen under the stones: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Christ on the cross: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do: Stephen under the stones: Lord Jesus, do not hold this sin against them. How could he not be where the one he followed was, where the one he imitated was?

The discovery of his body. His prayers obtain many things, not everything.

He triumphed, he was crowned. His body lay hidden for such a long time, it came forth when God willed, it illuminated the lands, performed such great miracles, made the dead living, because he himself was not dead. Therefore, I commend this to your Charity, that you know that his prayers obtain many things, but not all. For we also find in the booklets that are given, that he had difficulties in obtaining, and nevertheless later received the benefit, with the faith of the supplicant not failing. There was no ceasing, he prayed, and God later gave through Stephen. These are the words of Stephen praying, and the response was to him: She for whom you pray is not worthy, she did this and that. And nevertheless he persisted, he asked, he received.

He granted us understanding, because in the name in which He acted before He put off the flesh, in His name they make prayers so that benefits may be obtained, knowing that they ought to be given.

Stephen, our fellow servant, is not to be worshipped as God.

But he prays as a servant. A certain angel appeared with John. Such angels are with God, that if we are good and perfectly merit Him, we will be equal to angels: They will be, he said, equal to the angels of God. An angel was showing many miracles to Saint John the Evangelist; disturbed by the miracles, he worshipped him. A man worshipped an angel; and the angel to the man: Rise, what are you doing? Worship Him: for I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers.

If such great humility appeared in an angel, how much do you think there should be in a martyr, as it is? Therefore, let us not believe Stephen to be prideful, as we think that he does what he does by his own power. Let us receive benefits through a fellow servant, and give honor and glory to the Lord. What more shall I say to you and speak much? Read the four verses which we wrote in the cell, read, hold, have them in your heart. For this reason, we wished to write them there, so that whoever wants may read, may read whenever they wish. So that all may hold them, therefore they are few; so that all may read, therefore they are publicly written. It is not necessary to seek a book: that chamber should be your book. We have indeed proceeded somewhat earlier than usual: but because a long reading was recited, and the heats are severe, let us defer to Sunday the book of the benefits of God through him, which we were to read today.