Dec. 26, 2012 Wednesday: St. Stephen
Oh my God! I offer You all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to His infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them in the furnace of His merciful love.
The Child in the manger extends its little hands and its smile seems to be
saying what would come forth later from the lips of the man: “Come to me
all you who are weary and heavy burdened” (Mt 11,28)... “Follow me!” say
the little hands, words which later would come from the lips of the Man.
Thus they spoke to the disciple whom the Lord loved and who is now also
part of the group at the manger. St John, the young man with the pure,
youthful heart followed without asking, where to? why? He left his father's
boat (Mt 4,22) and went with the Lord along all his ways, even to Golgotha
(Jn 19,26).“Follow me!” - young Stephen understood this also. He followed
the Lord in the struggle against the powers of darkness, the blindness of
obstinate unbelief; he bore witness to him with his word and his blood; he
followed him in his Spirit, the Spirit of love, which resists sin but loves
the sinner, and even in death intercedes with God on behalf of the
murderer.These are the figures of light who kneel around the manger: the
gentle, Innocent children, the faithful shepherds, the humble kings,
Stephen, the enthusiastic youth and beloved apostle, John - all who
followed the call of the Lord. In contrast to them, there is the night of
incomprehensible callousness and blindness: the scribes who have
information as to the time and place where the Savior of the world was to
be born (Mt 2,5), but who nonetheless did not go to Bethlehem, and King
Herod who wants to kill the Lord of life. In the presence of the Child in
the manger, minds are divided. He is the King of kings and Lord of life and
death. He utters his “Follow me” and whoever is not for him is against him
(Mt 12,30). He also speaks for us and invites us to choose between light
and darkness.
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein], Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe, The Mystery of Christmas
The Child in the manger extends its little hands and its smile seems to be
saying what would come forth later from the lips of the man: “Come to me
all you who are weary and heavy burdened” (Mt 11,28)... “Follow me!” say
the little hands, words which later would come from the lips of the Man.
Thus they spoke to the disciple whom the Lord loved and who is now also
part of the group at the manger. St John, the young man with the pure,
youthful heart followed without asking, where to? why? He left his father's
boat (Mt 4,22) and went with the Lord along all his ways, even to Golgotha
(Jn 19,26).“Follow me!” - young Stephen understood this also. He followed
the Lord in the struggle against the powers of darkness, the blindness of
obstinate unbelief; he bore witness to him with his word and his blood; he
followed him in his Spirit, the Spirit of love, which resists sin but loves
the sinner, and even in death intercedes with God on behalf of the
murderer.These are the figures of light who kneel around the manger: the
gentle, Innocent children, the faithful shepherds, the humble kings,
Stephen, the enthusiastic youth and beloved apostle, John - all who
followed the call of the Lord. In contrast to them, there is the night of
incomprehensible callousness and blindness: the scribes who have
information as to the time and place where the Savior of the world was to
be born (Mt 2,5), but who nonetheless did not go to Bethlehem, and King
Herod who wants to kill the Lord of life. In the presence of the Child in
the manger, minds are divided. He is the King of kings and Lord of life and
death. He utters his “Follow me” and whoever is not for him is against him
(Mt 12,30). He also speaks for us and invites us to choose between light
and darkness.
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein], Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe, The Mystery of Christmas
