I always wonder why the Church placed the feast of S. Stephen the First Martyr a day after the joy of Christmas. Yesterday we celebrated the Nativity of our Lord, a day for which we waited a long time, just to be with loved ones, to sing Christmas carols, exchange gifts, share a meal together, to laugh and thank God for coming to us. But today we hear about the martyr Stephen and Jesus’ scary words: “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.” However, when I reflect on all this, I realize that for St. Stephen this was a happy day, a day when he was born into heaven. What more could we receive? Stephen receives eternal life which we all want to have. Most of us still focus on the things of this life, and we are troubled when we face rejection and hatred because of our faith in Jesus. But for Jesus if we persevere this is the proof of our strong faith in Him. For that we will be rewarded just like Stephen. The day that you will be born into heaven will be the happiest day of your life.
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