St. Stephen
Gospel: Matthew 10:17-22
Following the example of St. Stephen, bravely bear witness to Christ

We often face challenges and temptations to our faith from this world. The challenges posed by the master of this world often leave us in a dilemma: if we choose to accept everything in this world, we will fall into the numerous traps set by the master of this world and be unable to extricate ourselves; if we choose to abandon this world, entrust ourselves completely to God, and reject everything brought by the master of this world, we will worry about how to survive in this world. Therefore, like the Israelites in the Old Testament, we often place our sense of security on those creatures created by God like ourselves, rather than on God Himself.

In fact, we often choose to propagate the Gospel to those who are suitable for it according to our own wishes but are unwilling to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In our view, if we propagate the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven to those brothers and sisters who are willing to accept it according to our own wishes, we will achieve good results. However, the opposite is true. When we first propagate the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven to our relatives and friends, we originally thought that they would accept everything we preach. In fact, very few of our relatives and friends accept everything we preach. When we reflect on the reasons for this, we often think that our relatives and friends are stubborn and unyielding. If we forcefully preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven to them, they will sever ties with us. Therefore, we are ashamed to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven to them, and may even assimilate with them, continuing to live under the enslavement of sin and death.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast day of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, which serves as a constant reminder that God calls us to become His children. In life, we are to live out the spirit of the Gospel, imitate Christ, entrust ourselves, and in all things, conform to God’s holy will. With the spirit of martyrdom, we bear witness to the Gospel we proclaim, so that the world, through all we do, may know Christ, believe in the Gospel, and join us in sharing His eternal life within the holy love of Christ.

©Totus Tuus 2025
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025