St Stephen

Today is the Feast of my namesake Saint, Saint Stephen.

Found in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters Six and Seven, these particular verses, at the end of his speech, really stand out:

… “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

- Acts 7:51-60

The Bible says that St Stephen was a man filled with power and grace. He is a great example for us on the need to be courageous in the witnesses of our Christian faith, even if it means that our witness may end in ridiculed, persecution or, yes, even death.

The Collect:

Grant, O Lord, that in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of thy truth, we may stedfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, being filled with the Holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to thee, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right hand of God to succour all those who suffer for thee, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

 

Blessed John Henry Newman

Today is the Feast Day of the Blessed John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890), a man who spent the first half of his life as an Anglican and the second half as a Roman Catholic. Wikipedia has more on him here.

And a quote (or two… or more…) from him may be appropriate:

• It is often said that second thoughts are best. So they are  in matters of judgment but not in matters of conscience.
• Calculation never made a hero.
• Let us act on what we have, since we have not what we wish.
• If we are intended for great ends, we are called to great  hazards.
• If we insist on being as sure as is conceivable… we must be  content to creep along the ground, and never soar.

 

‘Peter and Paul Not Only Shine in the Sky of Rome, But in the Heart of All Believers’

Pope Benedict XVI on a universal and ecumenical feast:

(Vatican Radio) In reflections before the midday Angelus prayer, marking the feast of Saints Peter and Paul this Friday, Pope Benedict XVI highlighted the universal and ecumenical value of the liturgical feast. From the window of his study high above a sun drenched St. Peter’s Square the Pope drew the attention of the thousands of pilgrims and visitors to the statues of the two great Saints, who are also Protectors of Rome. Emer McCarthy reports:

Rome, he said “bears inscriptions in its history of the life and glorious death of the humble fisherman of Galilee and the Apostle to the Gentiles, whom she has rightly chosen as her Protectors. Recalling their luminous witness, we remember the venerable beginnings of the Church that in Rome that believes, prays and proclaims, Christ the Redeemer”.

But he continued “the Saints Peter and Paul not only shine in the sky of Rome, but in the heart of all believers who, enlightened by their teaching and by their example, all over the world walk the path of faith, hope and charity. On this road to salvation the Christian community, supported by the presence of the Spirit of the living God, feels encouraged to continue strong and serene on the path of fidelity to Christ and proclamation of his Gospel to men of all time”.

Taking part in Friday’s celebrations, a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and an Anglican choir from Westminster Abbey, who joined the Sistine Chapel choir in Mass Friday morning during which the Pope bestowed the pallium on 40 new Metropolitan Archbishops from across the universal Church…

And the Westminster Abbey Choir with the Sistine Chapel Choir at St Peter’s:

 

 

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

You can pay Lourdes a visit by watching through the live camera that is pointed towards the grotto here.

 

Today is Punch a Heretic in the Face Day

Well, sort of… It is the feast day of St Nicholas. The historical St Nick: Santa Claus punched me in the face:

St. Nicholas spent more time at the local docks than in church. No doubt, this is where St. Nicholas learned to box.

Born to wealthy parents sometime between 260 and 280 A.D., St. Nicholas was orphaned as a teen by a plague. Raised to be a devote Christian, Nicholas sold most of his inheritance and used the proceeds to ease the plight of the sick and needy of Myra. Unusual though it was for a layman to become bishop, legend has it that Nicholas was extended the office after rescuing a sailor injured in a storm. After securing medical attention for the man at his own expense, Nicholas went to the chapel to give thanks. Upon his arrival, the church elders offered him the job. There is little doubt that Nicholas’ history of generosity in Myra and the exaltations of the rescued sailor had much to do with the unusual selection of layman Nicholas.

Myra (modern Demre, Turkey) was a Byzantine trade center on the south-west coast of Asia Minor. It was an important stop on the Constantinople-Alexandria route and had an impressive harbor. Many stories of St. Nicholas center on the port. This may have less to do with St. Nicholas’ famed mercy and more to do with his own self-interest. This patron saint of sailors and merchants very likely own a fleet of ships. After all, to be that generous, Nicholas needed a source of income.

Dealing with Byzantine sailors was a hands-on job. St. Nicholas, hardened by his imprisonment under Diocletian, knew how to handle himself in a fight. Modern forensic facial reconstruction of the relic-skull of St. Nicholas, now in Bari, Italy, reveal a stout man with a bent nose, the result of several breaks. Being the genuine man of his roots, St. Nicholas didn’t leave his common ways behind when attending to Church matters.

Constantine convened the Council at Nicaea in 325 to settle the Arian controversy. During a heated debate with Arius, Nicholas, indignant at Arius’ unyielding obstinacy, punched him in the face. Though secretly thankful, the emperor had no choice but to strip Nicholas of his bishopric…

The rest here.