A Homily for the Feast of Saint Stephen
Friday, December 26, 2025
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 8:00 Mass
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17; Matthew 10:17-22
Audio Recording
Each year, the day after Christmas, the Church gives us a gentle but bracing reminder. Yesterday we celebrated the birth of Christ — light, joy, angels, and a manger. Today we honor St. Stephen, the first martyr, whose faith led not to comfort but to sacrifice. The Church places these days side by side to remind us that the Child born for us is also the Lord who calls us to follow Him, even when it is costly.
Stephen is remembered as the first martyr, but before he was a martyr, he was a deacon, and that identity is essential. In the early Church, the community was growing quickly. Needs were increasing, and tensions were emerging, especially around the care of widows and the vulnerable. The apostles understood that prayer, preaching, and charity could never be separated. So they ordained deacons — men “full of the Spirit and wisdom” — to serve at the very heart of the Church’s life.
From the beginning, the diaconate was not simply about doing tasks. It was about making Christ the Servant visible. The deacon stood at the intersection of the altar and the street, carrying the Church’s prayer into the world and bringing the world’s needs back to the Church. Stephen lived that calling fully. His service to the poor gave credibility to his preaching, and his preaching flowed naturally from his service.
This is why St. Stephen has always been one of my models for how to be a worthy deacon. He reminds me — and all who serve — that the diaconate is not about recognition or position, but about faithful service rooted in Christ. Stephen did not separate charity from truth or humility from courage. He simply lived the Gospel where he was placed.
Because he lived this ministry faithfully, opposition arose. Those who challenged him could not withstand the wisdom with which he spoke, because it was not merely his own. As Jesus promises in today’s Gospel, it was the Spirit of the Father speaking through him. Stephen’s life shows us that faithful service will always draw a response — sometimes gratitude, sometimes resistance.
When Stephen is condemned and stoned, his final moments reveal the depth of his discipleship. He looks up and sees the glory of God. His last words echo the words of Jesus on the Cross: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” and “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” This is not weakness. It is strength shaped by love.
What does this mean for us today, especially for many of us in this later season of life? Our witness may now be quieter, but it is no less important. Like Stephen, we are asked to trust the Spirit still at work within us — even when our strength is limited or our roles have changed. Every act of forgiveness, every prayer offered for others, every small act of service becomes a powerful testimony.
Finally, let us say a special prayer today for all deacons, that they may follow the example of St. Stephen in their diaconal ministry, serving the people of God faithfully and without counting the cost of their sacrifices.
St. Stephen reminds us that the Child born at Christmas is also the Crucified and Risen Lord — and that at every stage of life, we are called to place ourselves completely into God’s hands.
“Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
Amen.