St Stephen Medal - Patron Saint of Altar Servers/ Deacons

St Stephen Medal - Patron Saint of Altar Servers / Deacos

2.5cm long x 1.5cm wide

Feastday:

December 26


Patron:

of Deacons, altar Servers, bricklayers, casket makers, & Stonemasons

Death: 34

Saint Stephen was one of the first ordained deacons of the Church. He
was also the first Christian martyr. The Greek word from which we
derive the English word martyr literally means witness. In that sense,
every Christian is called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in both their
words and their actions. Not all are asked to shed their blood.

Those who do shed their blood for the faith are the greatest of
witnesses. They have been especially honored since the very beginning of
Christianity. Stephen was so conformed to Jesus in his holy life that
his martyrdom was both a natural and supernatural sign of his love for
the Lord. It also inspired the early believers as they faced the first
round of brutal persecution.

His behavior, even forgiving those who were taking his life while he
was being stoned to death, was a beautiful reflection of how conformed
he truly was to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is recorded in Chapter 7 of
the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:54-60), which immediately follows the
Gospels in the New Testament.

The 6th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles contains an account of
the choice of the first seven deacons of the Church. As the Apostles
worked to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ as his elders, some of
the Greek-speaking widows were being neglected in their practical needs.
The Twelve decided to ordain seven deacons to oversee their care. In
doing so, the deacons extended the pastoral care of the Apostles, the
first Bishops of the early Church, enabling them to attend more to
teaching.

Of the seven ordained, Stephen was the oldest and given the title of
"archdeacon," the chief among them. Little is known about him before
this account. Like most of the early Christian leaders, he was Jewish,
but may have come came from among the Greek speaking or Hellenistic
believers, the ones feeling slighted in the distribution of alms.

Great preaching and miracles were attributed to Stephen. The Bible
records that Stephen "full of grace and power, did great wonders and
signs among the people." Stephen s popularity created enemies among some
Jews, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen. They debated with
him, to generate evidence against him in furtherance of their
persecution of the early Church.

They accused him of blasphemy, of speaking against God and Moses. The
charges inflamed the local populace which demanded he be tried and
punished. When Stephen was put on trial, several false witnesses were
brought forward by the Sanhedrin to testify that he was guilty of
blasphemy. He was charged with predicting that Jesus would destroy the
Temple and for preaching against Mosaic law.

Stephen was filled with wisdom from heaven. He responded by detailing
the history of Israel and outlining the blessings God had bestowed upon
his chosen people. He also explained how disobedient Israel had become,
despite the goodness and mercy of the Lord. Stephen explained that
Jesus had come to fulfil the law of Moses, not destroy it. He quoted
extensively from the Hebrew scriptures to prove his case.

Finally, he admonished the Sanhedrin, saying, "You stubborn people,
with uncircumcised hearts and ears. You are always resisting the Holy
Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet
your ancestors never persecuted? They killed those who foretold the
coming of the Upright One, and now you have become his betrayers, his
murderers. In spite of being given the Law through angels, you have not
kept it." (Acts 7:51-53)

As Stephen concluded his defense, he looked up and saw a vision of
Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, "Look, I can see
heaven thrown open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of
God." That vision was taken as the final proof of blasphemy to the Jews
who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah or Son of God. For them, Jesus
could not possibly be beside the Father in Heaven. The crowd rushed
upon Stephen and carried him outside of the city to stone him to death.

As Stephen was being brutally stoned, he spoke his last words, "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
Words which echoed the very words of Jesus on the Cross. Following those
words, Stephen died, in the Lord.

Watching the trial and execution was a Rabbi named Saul of Tarsus, a
virulent persecutor of the early Church. Shortly thereafter, that Rabbi
would himself encounter the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and be
dramatically converted. His encounter is recorded in the 9th chapter of
the Acts of the Apostles. He took the name Paul as a sign of his new
life in Jesus Christ and went on to become the great apostle to the
Gentiles.

Stephen was buried by Christians, but the location of his tomb is not
specified in the New Testament and may have been forgotten for a time.
In 415 a Christian priest claimed he had a vision of the tomb and
located Stephen s remains. A name inside the tomb confirmed the find.