The feast of a martyr on the day following Christmas day holds the tension between the joyful birth of a child and the price that is paid by the prophet.

Being conformed to the Christ is the pathway of the believer in footprints of courage and heartfelt relationship. As we dance with joy in the wonder of the Incarnation, St. Stephen reminds us that a love relationship asks everything from us:

Love changes everything

Pope Francis has reminded us of the reality of Christian martyrs today:

The age of martyrs is not yet over, even today we can say in truth that the Church has more martyrs now than during the first century.

The Pope continues (September 2019)

The Church has men and women who are maligned through calumny, who are persecuted, who are killed in hatred of Jesus, in hatred of the faith.

The Christian ethic of love and forgiveness, of inclusion and equality continues to challenge power and oppression and Christian people all over the world stand in faithful solidarity with those who are downtrodden and persecuted because of their belief in Jesus, the Christ.

On the Feast of Saint Stephen 2024 we remember and we observe that the gift of Christ to the world continues to inspire a faith that is heroic, a hope that is unshakable and a love that lays down one’s life. The martyr reveals the depth of divine life in the human person.