Within one day we can see loyalty to Christ, whose birthday we celebrated yesterday, leading to a martyr's death. Stephen was a member of a Jewish family whose ancestors had settled abroad but had later returned to Palestine. These returned exiles gathered weekly in a synagogue for overseas Jews. Their experience of life in another culture may have made at least some of them more open to wider religious influences. Stephen, along with other members of the synagogue, became a Christian and was particularly active in spreading the Word of God.

He was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. He spoke eloquently and persuasively of the Christian Church, showing how it was the authentic God-willed development of the Jewish religion. He presented Christ as the crowning fulfillment of God's promises, not only to the Jewish people but to men and women of all races and cultures. In this he echoed Jesus himself as he spoke to the Samaritan woman by the well of Sychar (Jn 4:21-24). Stephen died for his witness to the truth. On his lips was another echo of Jesus' words, "Father into your hands I commend my spirit" (Lk 23:6).

Where did Stephen get his wisdom, his eloquence and his courage? The answer can be found in today's Gospel. There Jesus told his disciples not to worry about what to say and how to say it if they were hauled before the courts for his sake. He promised that the Holy Spirit would be with them.