Tag: st stephen the first martyr

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St PAUL!

Thought for the Day – 26 December – St Stephen, the First Martyr

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Stephen, the First Martyr

“Among the original seven Deacons nominated by the Apostles, there was one name Stephen, who was outstanding for his sanctity and extraordinary spiritual gifts.
Being enlightened by God, this young man dared to rebuke the Jews in public for their hardness of heart and openly defended the doctrine of Christ, Whom he proclaimed to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world.
One day, when he was threatened by his foes, Stephen raised his eyes trustfully towards Heaven and said: “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
The Jews could no longer restrain their fury and proceeded to drag the young man outside the City.
There, they left their garments in the care of a youth named Saul, while they savagely stoned Stephen to death.
Stricken to his knees by the force of the missiles, the saintly young disciple continued to look towards Heaven.
“Lord Jesus,” he cried, “receive my spirit.”
Before he breathed his last, he forgave his enemies in the manner of his Divine Master.
“Lord,” he prayed, “do not lay this sin against them.”
And with these words he fell asleep (Cf Acts 7:51-60; 8:1-2).

Let us admire and imitate the courage of this Martyr.
We may never be called on, to endure a martyrdom of blood on behalf of our Faith but, we shall almost certainly be obliged to undergo the martyrdom of the assault of the passions on our purity of soul, or of severe physical or mental suffering…
If we accept these trials from God with perfect resignation and love, they will certainly prove as valuable to us, as real martyrdom.
If we endure them with the courage and fortitude of St Stephen, we shall be rewarded as he was, by seeing Jesus standing at the right hand of God and offering us the palm of victory!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, St PAUL!, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 January – Saul, Paul

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle – Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Acts 9:4.

“So Saul was led to Ananias –
the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep.
But the Shepherd,
Who guides everything from Heaven above,
reassures him…
“Do not fear, I will show him
what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake”
(Acts 9:16).
What wonder is this!
The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep…
The Lamb who died for the sheep,
teaches it not to be afraid any more!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Now Paul rejoices with Stephen,
with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ;
he exults with Stephen,
he reigns with Stephen.
There, where Stephen arose,
the first, stoned under Paul’s very eyes,
there too, Paul has risen
with the help of Stephen’s prayers!”

St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533)
Bishop in North Africa

“Yet I live, no longer I
but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who has loved me
and given himself up for me.”

Galatians 2:20

“It is possible that, as he lay dying,
Stephen looked up at Saul
and uttered his last prayer for this sincere
and honest young Jew, who had been led astray
by the prejudice and passion of the mob.
… Let us endeavour too, to suffer, pray
and work for the conversion of our fellowmen,
so many of whom, are wandering
in the darkness of error
or struggling in the clutches of vice.
Let us try, by our sufferings,
prayers and good example,
to draw down God’s grace
on our unhappy brothers.
If we succeed, we shall share
in the merits of their good actions
and we shall have ensured
our own everlasting salvation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 26 December – St Stephen, the First Martyr

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Stephen, the First Martyr

“Let us endeavour too, like St Stephen, to suffer, pray and work for the conversion of our fellowmen, so many of whom are wandering in the darkness of error or struggling in the clutches of vice.
Let us try, by our sufferings, prayers and good example, to draw down God;s grace on our unhappy brothers.
If we succeed, we shall share in the merits of their good actions and we shall have ensured our own everlasting salvation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/26/thought-for-the-day-26-december-st-stephen-the-first-martyr/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/26/thought-for-the-day-26-december-st-stephen-the-first-martyr-2/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St PAUL!

Thought for the Day – 26 December – St Stephen, the First Martyr

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Stephen, the First Martyr

“Saul was a member of the band which led Stephen to his death.
He did not actually take part in the stoning of the saintly Deacod but, he co-operated with the executioners.
It is possible that, as he lay dying, Stephen looked up at Saul and uttered his last prayer for this sincere and honest young Jew, who had been led astray by the prejudice and passion of the mob.
In God’s plan, the Martyrdom of Stephen was, in some way connected with the conversion of St Paul, who was soon afterward dramatically won over by the grace of God on the road to Damascus.

Let us endeavour too, to suffer, pray and work for the conversion of our fellowmen, so many of whom, are wandering in the darkness of error or struggling in the clutches of vice.
Let us try, by our sufferings, prayers and good example, to draw down God’s grace on our unhappy brothers.
If we succeed, we shall share in the merits of their good actions and we shall have ensured our own everlasting salvation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/26/thought-for-the-day-26-december-st-stephen-the-first-martyr/