Saint Stephen, the first Martyr – Feast
First reading: Acts 6:8-10,7:54-59
On the day after Christmas, the Church places before us Saint Stephen, reminding us that the light born in Bethlehem immediately confronts the darkness of the world. What Stephen saw at the moment of his martyrdom, “I can see heaven thrown open”, is the same heaven that opened on Christmas night when God entered human history. In Bethlehem, heaven was opened quietly in a manger; in Stephen, it is opened through faithful witness and self-giving love. Christmas reveals that God is no longer distant, and Stephen shows the cost and the glory of living this truth. The Child born in humility becomes the Lord who gives strength to forgive, to endure, and to see beyond violence into eternal life. Christmas, therefore, is not sentiment alone; it is the beginning of a life so united with Christ that even death cannot close heaven again. Let’s reflect: Christmas is the opening of heaven to humanity, when God enters our world in Christ, making His presence so real that even suffering and death cannot close the communion He has begun.
Don Giorgio