Today, December 26, is the Feast of St. Stephen, Proto-Martyr. Stephen was a deacon of the Church, on of seven me ordained by the Apostles to the ministry of service to the Church, especially to those in need, so that the Apostles could focus on proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Stephen engaged in debate on matters related to the good news of Jesus with men who called themselves the “Synagogue of Freedmen.” These men were no match for Stephen, so they conspired with others to bring charges of blasphemy against Stephen. He was brought to the Sanhedrin. Stephen accused them of being “stiff-necked people” who oppose the Holy Spirit. Naturally, this angered the members of the Sanhedrin. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was when Stephen related to them a vision he was seeing of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This was too much for them. They dragged him out and stoned him to death. With his dying words, Stephen asked that God would receive his spirit and not hold the sin of his murder against those who stoned him.
Stephen was the first of many. There have been innumerable martyrs of the Church, those who gave the last full measure of devotion to their Lord and Savior. Even the 21st century, still so young, has witnessed many martyrs. The Church in Nigeria is especially oppressed by Islamic terrorist and Fulani herdsmen. An estimated 89% of Christian martyrs in the world today, Catholic and Protestant, are Nigerian, yet 94% of Catholics in Nigeria attend Mass at least weekly, the highest rate of Mass attendance in the world. Why are U. S. Catholics, who attend weekly Mass at a rate of 17%, so pathetic in the practice of our faith, when we rarely face death for our faith? Is it so easy to be Catholic in America that we take it for granted, or that we are so safe from the threat of martyrdom that we easily start questioning the faith and moral teachings of the Church? If only Nigerian Catholics had such a luxery!
Other places where persecution and martyrdom are daily realities for Catholics are the Islamic countries of the Middle East, China, and Nicaragua. The government in Nicaragua, run by dictator Daniel Ortega, is set on a course of destroying the Catholic Church in the country. Catholic universities and schools have been closed or taken over by the government. Catholic newspapers and radio programs have been shut down. Catholic clergy have been imprisoned or exiled. Sadly, the international community, and even Pope Francis, have had little to say about the persecution in Nicaragua.
We here in the U. S. are under very little threat of martyrdom, at least of the red variety. There is, however, a tradition of white martyrdom, where those who profess the faith publicly are targeted for ridicule and even more serious consequences. Even white martyrdom carries little threat here. Yes, there are still those who malign the faith and those who profess it. But the threat of suffering so is minimal, and the consequences rarely terrible.
The greater threat is to suffer for acting on one’s faith. Taking a stand, for instance, against the LGBTQ+ agenda can sometimes lead to losing one’s job. Praying the rosary in front of an abortion clinic can sometimes inspire slurs and curses from those driving by. There have been those arrested, prosecuted, and even imprisoned for protesting abortion in front of an abortion clinic. Hopefully, that will stop with the new administration and Republican majority on both houses of Congress. President Biden has said he will no longer push for mandatory contraception coverage, allowing the first Trump administration’s rule excusing organizations from the mandate to remain in place. They said this was to focus on other matters, but it’s also likely they stopped pushing the mandate because they knew Trump would change it back. Thus, the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious and even secular organizations that object to covering contraceptives and abortifacients are likely off the hook, as the lawsuits filed by a group of states led by California and Pennsylvania will probably disappear. Hopefully, as well, the efforts of the Biden administration to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, sex-change operations, euthanasia, and sterilizations will also stop with the new administration, so these hospitals and doctors can focus their attention on providing excellent care, and not wasting resources on fighting these efforts of the government.
The psalm response for today is: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” That was Jesus’ prayer from the cross. That was Stephen’s prayer as he was being stoned. That is the prayer of every martyr offering the ultimate sacrifice for his or her faith. That will, by God’s grace, be my prayer when I face the day of reckoning.
To be a martyr is to be a witness to the faith. Some are called to offer that witness with their blood. We are all called to offer that witness by the way we live our lives. Sometimes, living the life of the gospel will mean facing ridicule, disparaging words from others, or even serious consequences like losing family, friends, or a job. But the witness must be sustained, even in the face of persecution or loss. Our Lord has called us to faithfulness. If we are faithful, then our prayer of commending our soul into His hands will be honored.
Every time I pray the rosary, I offer the Creed as a prayer for the persecuted Church. I invite you to join me in praying for our brothers and sisters around the world who are witnessing to the faith by offering their very lives, sometimes in blood, sometimes in public witness, but always in faithfulness.
Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.
Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful 