Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr Matthew 10, 17-22

Many church celebrations are decorated with some lovely ideas. For example, in the First Holy Communion, the following is written on the cloth in churches: “Let the little ones come to me.” When there are primogeniture, for example, it is written: “You are a priest forever.” For confirmation, for example, “Send your Spirit, Lord.” During the Christmas holidays, the words of angels are most often written: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.” What would you say if today, on the feast of St. Stephen, we at least mentally wrote a banner with the words: “Beware Christmas! Dangerous to life!?” What kind of meaningless slogan is this? How can Christmas be dangerous to life? After all, they are the most beautiful days of the year. We are comfortable at home. We have received gifts. We have something to eat and drink. We have had or will go to visit. Christmas trees are lit everywhere, and Christmas songs are sung.

The Church is very nice, and the nativity scene was delicious. On TV, all the politicians who bombard us with hate throughout the year wish us good health and peace, while we light a Christmas tree and a candle and make resolutions that they will stop hating. So, what kind of stupidity is it that Christmas is life-threatening? You are right. If we look at Christmas from the perspective of our five senses, we could instead write on the screen: “Stop for a moment, how beautiful you are.” But if we look at Christmas from the perspective of faith or the perspective of the life of our saint today, then Christmas is genuinely life-threatening. After all, if Jesus had not been born, St. Stephen would not be standing before us today as a hero and martyr, as a model of a new life.

So what is it really about? We often say in life: this is my life, these are my affairs, these are my rights, this is my thing, this is my opinion, this is my speech. Behind these general concepts, there is often sad content. Hatred. Meanness. Pride. Falsehood. Envy. Infidelity. Comfort. Careerism. And this is our life, which we protect, love, and are even proud of. And such a life is exposed to the danger of death at Christmas because Jesus was born to give us a different, new, and more beautiful life. A life that St. Stephen also accepted. This happened when, as an adult young man, he received the sacrament of baptism. He accepted not only the sacrament but also the entire teaching of Jesus. He was determined to serve Jesus with his whole life. Therefore, his life shone with the ideal of Christian perfection. He bore witness with his thoughts, words, deeds, and entire personality. Anyone who could see him had to say he was a faithful disciple of Jesus of Nazareth.

His love for others was also manifested in an extraordinary way. Therefore, we cannot be surprised that the apostles also noticed this. Stephen was the first to be chosen when the need arose to serve at tables. He thus became the first deacon of the Church. He could thus bear even greater witness to the new life. He did this by setting an example of service in everyday life and by proclaiming the Gospel. He explained to his fellow countrymen the prophecies of the Old Testament, which were fulfilled in the person of Jesus. He convinced them that the crucified Jesus was the true Messiah, whom every pious Israelite had been waiting for. However, his Master expected another testimony from him.

The most beautiful and difficult testimony – martyrdom. Stephen decided to accept this testimony as well. And at the very moment when they were throwing stones at him to kill him, all his virtues shone in a whole light. He has Jesus on the cross before his eyes and longs to imitate his manner of dying. He sees the open heaven and looks forward to meeting him. That is why he prays for his tormentors, that is why he forgives them and asks Jesus to do the same. And we all know that the first visible fruit of his testimony was the conversion of one of his tormentors, Saul. He also buried the old life within himself and accepted a new life, the life of Jesus, and a new name – Paul.

Do we now understand what kind of life Christmas is dangerous for? It is hazardous for a life in which there is nothing of the life of Jesus and his witnesses. If our senses are happy during these days, then our hearts, reason, and faith should also be happy after Christmas. The heart is because we have decided to give it a new quality of life. After all, we have uprooted all evil from it and planted the seeds of new virtues, and we want them to germinate and bear fruit in us gradually. And reason rejoices because its ability will finally be used.

It will no longer have to work only at a tenth of its capacity as before, when it was only at the service of our senses. It will be filled with the service of love and faith, and help us constantly discover the beauties of new life. And faith will rejoice because it will be anchored entirely in God, as in the source of new life that Jesus gives us and sustains, the Holy Spirit. The heart, reason, and faith will constantly help us bear witness to what we live and believe, even in the most significant difficulty. If we have correctly understood the thought: “Beware of Christmas! Dangerous to life!” We can replace it with a new one: “Beware of Christmas! A chance for a new life!”