Happy 2nd Day of Christmas and Feast of St. Stephen the Protomartyr

Plus Day 1 of the Novena to St John the Apostle

Today we begin our Novena to the Patron Saint of our humble apostolate, St John the Apostle. The Novena will conclude on the final day of the Octave of St John on January 3rd.

We are praying O Intemerata, the Medieval prayer recited in the Book of Hours of the Virgin Mary, seeking the intercession and prayer of the Blessed Mother and St John the Apostle.

O Untouchable, and forever blessed, singular and incomparable virgin Mary Mother of God, most grateful temple of God, the sacristy of the Holy Ghost, the gate of the kingdom of heaven, by whom next unto God the whole world liveth, incline O Mother of Mercy the ears of thy pity unto my unworthy supplications, and be pitiful to me a most wretched sinner, and be unto me a merciful helper in all things.

O most blessed John, the familiar and friend of Christ, which of the same Lord Jesus Christ was chosen a virgin, and among the rest more beloved, above all instructed in the heavenly mysteries, for thou wast made a most worthy Apostle and Evangelist: thee also I call upon with Mary mother of the same Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to afford me thy aid with hers. O ye two celestial jewels, Mary, and John.

O ye two lights divinely shining before God. Chase away by your bright beams the clouds of my offences. For you are those two in whom the only begotten Son of God, for the merit of most sincere virginity, hanging upon the cross confirmed the privilege of his love, saying thus to the one of you: woman, behold thy son: and then unto the other: behold thy mother.

In the sweetness therefore of his most sacred love, through which by our Lord's own mouth, as mother and son you were joined in one, I a most wretched sinner recommend this day to you both my body and soul that at all hours and moments, inwardly and outwardly, you would vouchsafe to be unto me firm guardians, and before God devout intercessors: ask earnestly for me I beseech you, health of body and soul.

Procure I beseech you, procure by your glorious prayers, that the pure spirit, the best giver of graces, may vouchsafe to visit my heart and dwell therein, which may thoroughly purge me from all filth of vice, lighten and adorn me with sacred virtues: cause me perfectly to stand, and persevere in the love of God and my neighbour, and after the course of this life the most benign comforter may bring me to the joys of his elect, who with God the Father, and the Son liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.¹

The second day of Christmas is the Feast of St. Stephen, the First Deacon, "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost," whose story is recounted in Acts 6-7. The Apostles laid hands on him and ordained him with six others, and Stephen, "full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people," and went to preach among the Jews, some of whom "were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke" Other Jews, though, "suborned men to say, they had heard him speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the ancients, and the scribes; and running together, they took him, and brought him to the council. And they set up false witnesses, who said: This man ceaseth not to speak words against the holy place and the law."

In his disputation with the Jews, he spoke of Moses and the Prophets, challenging them.

Acts 7:54-59
...hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him. But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. And they, crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears and with one accord ran violently upon him. And casting him forth without the city. they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not his sin to their charge: And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death.

He was the very first martyr of the Church Age, stoned to death by the Jews, including Saul -- the future St. Paul. St Fulgentius of Ruspe gives us a beautiful reflection on St. Stephen and on St. Paul, who murdered him when he was still known as Saul:

...Strengthened by the power of his love, [Stephen] overcame the raging cruelty of Saul and won his persecutor on earth as his companion in Heaven. In his holy and tireless love he longed to gain by prayer those whom he could not convert by admonition. Now at last, Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he delights in the glory of Christ, with Stephen he exults, with Stephen he reigns. Stephen went first, slain by the stones thrown by Paul, but Paul followed after, helped by the prayer of Stephen. This, surely, is the true life, my brothers, a life in which Paul feels no shame because of Stephen's death, and Stephen delights in Paul's companionship, for love fills them both with joy. It was Stephen's love that prevailed over the cruelty of the mob, and it was Paul's love that covered the multitude of his sins; it was love that won for both of them the kingdom of Heaven.

By St. Fulgentius of Ruspe (b. 468)

Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time of our eternal King. Today we celebrate the triumphant suffering of His soldier. Yesterday our King, clothed in His robe of flesh, left His place in the Virgin's womb and graciously visited the world. Today His soldier leaves the tabernacle of his body and goes triumphantly to heaven.

Our King, despite His exalted majesty, came in humility for our sake; yet He did not come empty-handed. He gave of His bounty, yet without any loss to Himself. In a marvelous way He changed into wealth the poverty of His faithful followers while remaining in full possession of His own inexhaustible riches. And so the love that brought Christ from heaven to earth raised Stephen from earth ot heaven; shown first in the King, it later shone forth in His soldier. His love of God kept him from yielding to the ferocious mob; his love for his neighbor made him pray for those who were stoning him. Love inspired him to reprove those who erred, to make them amend; love led him to pray for those who stoned him, to save them from punishment.

Love, indeed, is the source of all good things; it is an impregnable defense, and the way that leads to heaven. He who walks in love can neither go astray nor be afraid: love guides him, protects him, and brings him to his journey's end.

My brothers, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all Christians to climb to heaven. Hold fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it, and by your progress in it, make your ascent together.

The Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslaus," which uses an old medieval melody -- that of a 13th century song about springtime, "Tempus adest floridum" -- mentions this Feast as it tells a tale of charity. St. Wenceslaus was a Bohemian prince born ca. A.D. 903 during a pagan backlash. He was persecuted by his mother, Drahomira, and his brother because of their hatred for his Christianity, and was eventually killed by his brother in front of the doors of the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damian in A.D. 938. Many miracles have been attributed to his intercession, and he is now the patron of the Czech Republic (his Feast is on 28 September)²

St. Stephen's Day Pie

1 TBSP butter
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups leftover turkey or ham (or a combination of the both), chopped
1 cup mixed vegetable or peas or corn or combination therefor (frozen is fine)
1 cup turkey gravy, approximately*
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp marjoram
4 cups mashed potatoes

Heat oven to 350F. In a medium-sized cast-iron skillet, melt butter, add onions and garlic, and cook until soft. Add meat and mixed vegetables. Add enough gravy for all the ingredients to come together, the marjoram, and salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, and evenly spread the mixture in the skillet (or transfer to a 9X13 pan). Warm up the mashed potatoes, and mix in enough milk to soften them and make them spreadable. When soft, spread over the filling in the skillet (or the 9X13 pan). Smooth the top of the meat mixture,making a pretty pattern in the top as you do. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, or until the top turns golden.

* You can use one cup of chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock thickened by a roux (a TBSP of flour and a TBSP of butter cooked together for 1 minute)

St. Stephen is the patron of stone masons, those with headaches, and, curiously, horses. The reason for this last is unknown, but this patronage is very ancient, and in rural cultures and olden times, horses are/were blessed, adorned, and taken out sleighing, and foods for horses were blessed to be fed to them in times of sickness. St. Stephen is most often represented in art at in deacon's vestments at his martyrdom, with a pile of rocks, with a wounded head, etc.

A note about this day and the next and the next: each of the first three days following the Feast of the Nativity commemorates a different type of martyrdom, and by remembering each type of martyrdom that was endured, you can remember the order of these Feasts:

• The Feast of Stephen on the 26th recalls the highest class of martyrdom -- that offered by both deed and the will -- or "martyr by will, love, and blood."
  

• The Feast of St. John the Evangelist on the 27th recalls the second highest class of martyrdom, a sort of dry martyrdom -- the martyrdom offered by those we call "confessors," i.e., people who suffered for the Faith, would die for the Faith, but, in fact, didn't have to. St. John was a martyr by "will and love."
  

• The Feast of the Holy Innocents on the 28th recalls the sort of martyrdom in deed, but not of the will as they were too young to form such a desire. They were martyrs by blood alone, but it is said that "that God supplied the defects of their will by His own acceptance of the sacrifice."

Note, though, that the term "martyr" is almost always used exclusively for those who've actually died for the Faith, not for confessors .

On an historical note, the Feast of Stephen was once offered in honor of all deacons, and the Feast of St. John was offered for all priests, while the Feast of the Holy Innocents was offered for all choirboys and students.

The Station Church for St Stephen during Christmastide is that of Basilica S. Stephani in Caelio Monte commonly known as Santo Stefano Rotondo. The church is Hungary's National Church in Rome, dedicated to both Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and Stephen I, the canonized first king of Hungary. You may learn more about the Basilica’s history here.

The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Stephani in Coelio Monte has been Cardinal Friedrich Wetter since 1985. His predecessor, Cardinal József Mindszenty, was famous as the persecuted Catholic leader of Hungary under the Communist dictatorship.

1. https://medievalist.net/hourstxt/prayers.htm

2. https://fisheaters.com/customschristmas3.html