“Faithful to the End: Entrusting Our Spirit to God”

The Feast of Saint Stephen confronts us with a striking paradox. Just one day after celebrating the birth of Christ, the Church places before us the death of a disciple. The joy of Christmas has barely settled when we are reminded that the Word made flesh calls for a life poured out in witness. Stephen’s martyrdom reveals the true cost—and the true glory—of following Christ. The Acts of the Apostles introduces Stephen as a man “filled with grace and power” who worked “great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). His strength did not come from eloquence alone, but from the Spirit alive within him. When opposition arose, “they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke” (Acts 6:10). Truth spoken in the Spirit always unsettles those who resist it. Stephen’s life reminds us that fidelity to the Gospel will sometimes provoke resistance, misunderstanding, and even hostility. As the anger of the crowd intensifies, Stephen does not respond with fear or violence. Instead, “filled with the Holy Spirit, he looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). This vision is crucial. Stephen does not fix his gaze on the stones in the hands of his persecutors, but on the Savior who stands to welcome him. Faith gives him eyes to see beyond suffering to glory, beyond death to life. In his final moments, Stephen echoes the very words of Jesus on the cross: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). The Responsorial Psalm gives voice to this same trust: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit” (Ps 31:6). Stephen’s death is not an act of despair but an act of surrender. His life and death proclaim that God is faithful even when the world is cruel, and that our ultimate safety rests not in human protection but in divine mercy. The Gospel deepens this message. Jesus warns his disciples: “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 10:22). Following Christ is not a promise of comfort, but a call to courage. Yet Jesus also assures us that we are never alone: “It will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matt 10:20). Stephen’s witness proves this promise true. His courage, wisdom, forgiveness, and peace are the Spirit at work within him. Saint Stephen challenges us to ask ourselves: Where do we place our trust when faith becomes costly? Are we willing to witness to Christ in moments of opposition—at home, in our communities, in a world that often misunderstands the Gospel? We may not face stones, but we are called daily to choose fidelity over convenience, truth over silence, love over fear. As we honor the first martyr, we pray for the grace to live—and if necessary suffer—with the same unwavering trust. Like Stephen, may we fix our eyes on Christ, entrust our spirits into God’s hands, and remain faithful to the end, confident that the glory awaiting us far outweighs the trials we endure.