Saint Stephen - Fr. Gregory - December 27, 2020

True faith regards things not seen as so real that they are more real than the things of this world. On December 27th we commemorate Saint Stephen the First Martyr, a man who realized his Divine calling and continued Jesus’ ministry even to the point of martyrdom. Father Gregory shares with us in his message that the purpose of the Incarnation and the whole life of Jesus is that God became man so that man may become Godlike. During the Nativity season Orthodox Christians stand in awe of God’s humility in condescending to become man. From the Epistle taken from Acts 6 and 7 we see God standing in awe of man, as Jesus Christ stands from His Throne in heaven and prepares to receive Stephen who has finished the race, receiving a crown. Saint Stephen is brought before the Sanhedrin on the same charges as Jesus; that of denigrating both the law and the temple. In giving his testimony he reminds them that from Abraham, to Joseph and Moses, God has often worked outside the holy land and any temple because the Most High does not dwell in a temple made with hands but He came to dwell in each of us. God seeks to dwell in our bodies and transform our lives so that we too may have the shining face of an angel like Stephen. Saint Stephen is the great example for us of a man filled with the Holy Spirit, who lived a life of faith evidenced by continuing the ministry of Jesus Christ.