Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church

We find in the Acts of the Apostles, chaps, vi. and vii., the history of St. Stephen, the first martyr, which in substance is as follows:

"And in those days, the number of the disciples increasing, there arose a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews, for that their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve, calling together the multitude of the disciples, said: It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word. And the saying was liked by all the multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles: and they praying imposed hands upon them. And the word of the Lord increased, and the number of the disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly: a great multitude also of the priests obeyed the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people. Now there arose some of that which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen: and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke. Then they suborned men to say that they had heard him speak words of blasphemy against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the ancients, and the scribes: and running together, they took him, and brought him to the Council. And they set up false witnesses, who said: This man ceaseth not to speak words against the holy place and the law: for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the traditions which Moses delivered to us. And all that sat in the Council looking on him, saw his face as if it had been the face of an angel."

Then the high-priest, having asked Stephen if these things were so, the holy deacon answered by a lengthy discourse, in which he reminded the crowd that surrounded him of the great mercies of God towards their fathers, and of their ingratitude towards the Almighty; then reminding his hearers of their own hardness of heart in not believing in Jesus Christ, he went on as follows: " You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost. As your fathers did, so you also do. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted ? And they have slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One, of Whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. Now, hearing these things, they were cut to the heart: and they gnashed with their teeth at him. But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. And they, crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him: and casting him forth without the city, they stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death "(Acts vii. 51-59).

It may be asked what connection there is between the life and death of St. Stephen and the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. We think that if we take the Church for our guide as she comments on the actions of St. Stephen, we shall have no difficulty in showing that our saint had found sanctity at its very source; that is, in participation of the Holy Eucharist, and in attending at the holy altar.

The Church begins the Office of St. Stephen by the following words: "Come, let us adore the new-born Christ, Who on this day has crowned blessed Stephen."

Here we see that the Infant born at Bethlehem is the Lord, Who is the crown of all the saints. But the Blessed Son of the Virgin Mary is at present living in the tabernacle, as He was many centuries ago in the stable. If you keep this in mind whilst reading the following passages, you will at least partly understand what a treasure we possess in the Most Adorable Sacrament: "Yesterday we celebrated the Nativity in time of our Eternal King: to-day we celebrate the death and triumphs of His soldier. Yesterday, Our King, clothed in the garb of our flesh, come out of the glorious womb of His virgin mother, vouchsafed to visit the world: to-day the soldier goes out of the tabernacle of his body, and enters triumphant in heaven. The former, assuming the vile garb of our flesh, enters the battle-field of this world as a warrior: Stephen, throwing off the wornout garment of his body, goes up to the palace of heaven, there to reign forever. The former descends, veiled in the flesh: the second ascends, all beautiful in his blood. Yesterday the holy angels sang exultingly, 'Glory to God in the highest:' to-day again, full of joy, they receive Stephen in their glorious society. Yesterday Christ came out of the womb of the Virgin: to-day the soldier has come out of the prison of his body.Yesterday Christ was for us wrapped in swaddling clothes; to-day Stephen is by Him clothed with the garment of immortality. Yesterday the narrow manger contained the infant Christ: to-day Stephen enters triumphant the immensity of heaven. The Lord came down alone, that He might save many: our King humbled Himself that He might exalt His soldiers" (St. Fulgentius de Sancto Stephano). Many hundred years have passed since St. Fulgentius spoke these words concerning St. Stephen, but Our Lord in His Sacrament has been at all times since His Incarnation the King of all the saints. He was the source of their sanctity; He has been the crown of their saintly lives in heaven.

"We should know, however, what weapons Stephen used to overcome the rage of the Jews. His only weapon was charity, and through charity he was victorious on every battle-field. Love of God made him triumph over the fury of the Jews; love of his neighbor made him intercede for those who stoned him. Out of charity he rebuked the erring, that they might correct their ways; out of charity He implored forgiveness for those who stoned him. Through the virtue of charity he showed himself superior to Saul, who tormented him in his fury, and he has now for companion in heaven him who was his persecutor on earth" (St. Fulgentius de Sancto Stephano). That the love of St. Stephen towards Jesus Christ and his neighbor was immense, we gather from the account of his last moments on earth: "They stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord 1 (Acts vii. 58, 59).

Now, charity which makes men rejoice to die for Christ, charity which moveth them to pray for their murderers, such charity can be found only in the Holy Eucharist. In the days of St. Stephen the early Christians received Communion every day (see Acts); whence we must infer that our saint communicated often at the hands of the apostles, and perhaps in the very room where Our Lord had instituted the Holy Eucharist. (That room is thought to have been used as the first Christian church.)

Our glorious saint had also the privilege not merely of assisting at the Holy Sacrifice, but of participating as minister in its offering. St. Stephen was a deacon, and the head of those ministers. Now the duty of deacon at Jerusalem was not merely to minister at the tables, or to act as steward for the Christian community, but also and principally to help the priests in serving at the Eucharistic table. Deacons nowadays, in the Church, after ordination by a Bishop, have the power of preaching and of baptizing, with the permission of the Bishop; and their principal office is to assist the priest at solemn Mass, to offer with him the bread and wine at the altar, to open the tabernacle, and give Holy Communion. St. Stephen was a deacon, "a man full of the Holy Ghost,' who had been ordained by prayer and the imposition of the hands of the apostles. In a word, St. Stephen used to receive Communion daily, as did all the early Christians of Jerusalem. He distributed the Holy Sacrament to the faithful, especially in their sickness. When assisting the apostles at Mass, and offering with them the unbloody sacrifice, he edified all by his piety and interior recollection; and because Almighty God was with him, he was powerful in words and works: "They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke." And when the moment came to confess the Divinity of Christ, he, like the other deacon, St. Laurence, neither feared nor felt the torments, because he had worthily received the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

May Our Lord Jesus Christ grant us, through the intercession of St. Stephen, an increase of faith and of devotion towards the great Sacrament of the Altar !