TESTIMONY FOR CHRIST
(Matthew 10:17-22)
We are celebrating a man who
lived a life of testimony for Christ. He is St Stephen, a deacon and the first
martyr of the Church. He is known to be a man filled with the Holy Spirit.
Because he possessed the Spirit
of God in him, he was able to live based on the gospel message of today which
foretold: They will deliver you up to councils and flog you in their
synagogues...to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.
What type of testimony is
expected of you at such critical moments? St Stephen teaches us how to bear
witness and testify to God.
Stand your ground
Do not allow yourself to be
intimidated when you're doing what is right. When you're on the side of God,
there may be disputes but they will not overcome you.
Be Wise
Wisdom is needed to bear witness
to God. Witnessing to God is not a careless thing. It demands wisdom from
above. Stephen operated with wisdom which is one of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. Little wonder his enemies were unable to withstand his wisdom.
Look up not down
Do not allow the enemies of God
to put you to shame or force you to be ashamed of the message you carry. Be
proud and look up. Forget about what they do from below. From below, the dragon
wants to drag you unto sin, to drag you down and water down your zeal. Let your
passion be a firebrand type. Let your motivation be so high that you will be
able to see beyond the present sufferings and tactics the devil wants to use
against you. See the blessings that lie ahead. See the heavens opened for your
sake. See the myriads and hosts of angels on your side encouraging you to do
good, shun vices and condemn evil.
Forgive
Forgiveness is an important way
of bearing testimony to God. Jesus did it on the cross. Testimony for Christ
calls for imitation of Christ. Stephen was able to do this perfectly well just
at Christ did it on the cross, forgiving his enemies and making excuses for
them. Forgiveness is something very hard to do especially to those who wish you
death. Go ahead and do it, attract the blessings of God by bearing such a
testimony.
Commit your soul to God
When worse comes to worse, put
your whole trust in God. Only what God wills will take place in your life.
Committing one's spirit into God's hands means telling God to have his own way.
When you do this, God will sustain you to the end and indeed save you at last
as He saved Stephen eternally.
LET US PRAY
We thank you Lord for St Stephen
the first martyr of the Church. We face martyrdom in our daily life here on
earth. Give us the fortitude to bear testimony to you through the opportunities
these problems offer us to glorify God by our words and actions through Christ
our Lord.
St Stephen, Pray for us.
God bless your Saturday.
Happy Christmas to you.
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
#SaintStephen #26December #StStephen
Image from: https://catholicismpure.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/stephen-litany.jpg
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