Stoning of Saint Stephen from Sant Joan de Boí
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, ca. 1100
My dear friends,
Today, I would like to reflect upon the story of the martyrdom of Stephen as recorded in Acts 6:8-7:60, only the latter portion of which is included in this Sunday's Lectionary. This story has been a source of inspiration for many throughout the centuries, and it continues to inspire us today.
did great wonders and signs among the people.
Then some of those who belonged
to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called),
Cyrenians, Alexandrians,
and others of those from Cilicia and Asia,
stood up and argued with Stephen.
But they could not withstand the wisdom
and the Spirit with which he spoke.
- Acts 6:8-10
Stephen's example reminds us that true spiritual power is not our own, but a gift given to us for the benefit of others. When rooted in love, compassion and wisdom, we can stand firm even amidst opposition. Like Stephen, we are called to cultivate this spiritual strength through prayer, meditation, and acts of loving service.
‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’
They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes;
then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council.
They set up false witnesses who said,
‘This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law;
for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place
and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.’
- Acts 6:11-14
Here we see how truth often provokes hostility from those clinging to worldly structures and traditions. Spiritual growth demands courage to face misunderstanding, slander, and even betrayal without losing heart. Stephen shows us that our commitment must be to truth and love, not to public approval or personal safety.
and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
- Acts 6:15
Despite the hostility surrounding him, Stephen radiated peace and purity. His angelic countenance invites us to practice the higher training of meditative concentration, remaining inwardly calm even when outer circumstances are stormy. It is not by our striving but by surrender that our faces, too, may come to reflect this inner light.
Stephen, responding to the high priest, recounts the sacred history from Abraham to Moses, showing the continuity of God's call through the ages. He reminds us that our spiritual journey is part of a greater story: we walk paths laid by countless faithful ones before us.
He speaks of the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers: the righteous are often rejected by their own, but can transform that hardship into blessings.
Stephen reflects on Moses, whose leadership was resisted despite his divine mission. The pattern of rejecting God's messengers warns us not to harden our hearts when challenged to grow or when truth confronts our comforts.
He reminds the council that the true dwelling of God is not in temples made by human hands but in the vastness of heaven and earth. Our own spiritual practice must likewise transcend mere outer forms and rituals, cultivating a living, inward growth.
you are for ever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One,
and now you have become his betrayers and murderers.
You are the ones that received the law as ordained by messengers, and yet you have not kept it.’
When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.
- Acts 7:51-54
Stephen's fearless words reveal a crucial point: true magnanimity does not flatter or pacify falsehood. Like tFhe prophets and like Christ, we must sometimes speak hard truths. Yet these must always come from a heart purified by compassion, not from anger or pride.
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’
- Acts 7:55-56
Stephen's vision reminds us that when we stand firmly in truth and love, heaven itself stands open to us. Even in the midst of suffering, we can glimpse the glory that sustains and calls us forward. Let us cultivate the eye of awakening to see the greater reality beyond appearances.
Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him;
and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Acts 7:57-58
Violence often erupts when people refuse to hear the truth. Stephen's fate reminds us that walking the path of love and wisdom may cost us dearly. Yet we must entrust ourselves to God, knowing that our sacrifice, like Stephen's, can bear hidden fruits even among our persecutors, as Saul’s later conversion shows.
Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’
When he had said this, he died.
- Acts 7:59-60
In his final moments, Stephen mirrors Jesus' own forgiveness from the Cross. This is the ultimate test of our spiritual maturity: to bless and forgive even those who wrong us grievously. Here is the summit of love: to see all beings as worthy of mercy and to release all clinging to self.
My dear friends, Stephen's martyrdom calls each of us to a deeper commitment to the path of courageous love, wise speech, fearless truth-telling, and boundless forgiveness. May we, too, be filled with the Spirit, our hearts open to heaven, our hands extended in blessing even amidst suffering. May we walk the way of the awakened Christ, steadfast in Bodhicitta, until we, too, behold the glory that never fades.