Two young men

One died by stones, the other by sword

Two young men, both are energetic, eager, full of life and wanting to do things big. One is riding on a horseback, the other limping chained with fetters. The one on horseback is thrown to the dust and turns blind, the other looks up and has a vision of  heaven.  One is eager to enforce the law of Moses, and the other wants Jesus and his law of love to reign. One becomes the aggressor, the other the victim. One guards the clothes of the persecutors, and the other prays for his enemies.  One prides to guard the purity of the law,  the other has no laws to defend, other than the law of love and he practices it by praying for his enemies. One is witness to the death of the other. Perhaps the drops of blood of the one being stoned,  are spilled on to the other. One who is alive thought he had the last laugh and had won a victory, but the one dying, with his death would prevail over the other. The death of one young man disturbs the life of another young man. The joy, the serenity, and the prayer of one who is dying disturbs, questions, and becomes the cause of a new life for the other. What Stephen could not do with his arguments, he achieves by his death. He converts his enemy. Saul becomes Paul.  One has finished his course, and the other is about to begin it. 

Death brings life. The first life that Stephen brings with his death is the new life of Saul. There is no doubt what triggered the Conversion of Saul to Paul was the prayer of Stephen as he died. No Prayer is unheard. No tear is wasted. No death is in vain. Why should a young man give up his life? How could one die with the face of an angel?  How could a victim of persecution pray for his enemies? These thoughts deeply disturbed Saul as he rode to Tarsus with power and authority. He was always seeking for the truth in his life. But now the truth seemed to evade him and his enemy who died with a smile on his face and a prayer on his lips seemed to possess the truth. Why should one die if not for the truth?  Saul wanted an answer. Deeply disturbed, struggling for an answer, he hears a voice that throws him down from his horse into the mud. The man who arises from the mud is no more Saul but Paul. Stephen has achieved the victory. Aggressor becomes an Apostle.

It first looks a bit odd that before the Christmas decorations are removed and the stars are taken down, we should see the blood of the first martyr. The merriment of Christmas seems to be cut short by the death of Stephen, the day after Christmas.  There is no dichotomy. Birth and death are two sides of the same coin. The theme of the Crib is the theme of the Cross. Jesus was born onto the Cross. The merriment of the first Christmas did not last long. Soon Herod will hunt for the child. Soon innocent children will shed blood for Jesus. Jesus was born to die and to bring new life with his death. That is what the death of Stephen reminds us. Stephen really had a good catch, a big catch by his death. The new life of Saul.  Saul becomes Paul.

-        Fr T.V. George sdb, 26 December 2023, Feast of St Stephen.