Beneath the Hay

~~~ Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr ~~~

~~Acts of the Apostles 6:8-10; 7:54-59 ~~Psalm 31~~Matthew 10:17-22~~

Amid the joy of the birth of Jesus; 

we are reminded that we must die to ourselves 

if we are to serve the Lord.

Beneath the hay upon which the infant Jesus 

rests is his crucifixion.

Our joy of new life is quickly tempered with the

reality of martyrdom. Stephen is the first

of many who would follow their hearts to their death.

Stephen was filled with grace and strength from the Lord.

He was given a vision of the glory of God.

He was blessed with the grace to face stoning.

He was stoned to death by the very people he was preaching before.

They could have just turned and walked away

leaving him standing there alone.

If we are to align ourselves with following Christ;

then we must also be willing to die for him...

knowing that he will be with us.

When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.

The light of Christ lights our way.

May we be inspired by Saint Stephen 

to speak the words of the Lord...

 living words, more numerous than the strands of hay

nestled in the crib upon which he lay.

May you be blessed in the joy 

and peace of the Nativity.

May you be strengthened in your 

commitment to the Lord, 

modeled perfectly for us by Stephen.

The Peace of Christ,

be with you.

We have been given a great light!

The Crib: Peace and Love

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 6:8-10, 7:54-59 ~~~Psalm 31~~~Matthew 10:17-22~~~

 

Today we commemorate the feast of Stephen, the first martyr.

We are reminded, while kneeling at the side of the crib,

of the cross.

We can fool ourselves into thinking only of this gift

of the Word becoming flesh.

 

The Word became flesh to accomplish one thing...

to save us from ourselves.

In just a few years the crib morphs into the cross.

The crib cradles the tiny body of our God made flesh.

The infant Jesus allows himself to be placed into the crib.

The crib represents peace and love.

For God so loved the world.

The cross ironically also represents peace and love

in the middle of the brutality of the crucifixion.

 

The body of Jesus is violently held onto the cross.

Nails held the crib together.

Nails held Jesus to the cross.

 

 

Saint Stephen drew his strength from the crib and the cross.

Without the crib we would not have the cross.

God wanted us to love him from the very beginning...

thus he took on the form of a baby.

 

Come Let us Adore him.

Today I am inspired by the faith of Saint Stephen.

 

When faced with his imminent death by stoning...

When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

 

The Crib prepares us for the Cross.