Daily Bible Readings in Friday December 26 2008 Feast of St Stephen the First Martyr and the Second Day of the Christmas Octave

December 26 2008 Friday Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
2^nd Day in the Christmas Octave
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About the sources used. The readings on this site are from the Haydock Bible according to the daily Lectionary readings for the American Roman Catholic Church. The Haydock Bible contains traditional Catholic commentary and is free from copyright. Due to verse numbering differences and pastoral deletions in the actual Lectionary, these readings may at times vary from the actual readings.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/122608.shtml

Acts of the Apostles 6:8-10, 7:54-59
Haydock New Testament

Now Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and miracles among the people. But some of the synagogue, that is called of the Libertines, and of the Cyreneans, and of the Alexandrians, and of those that were of Cilicia, and Asia, rose up disputing with Stephen: And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit which spoke.

Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him. But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said:

Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.

And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord rushed violently upon him. And casting him out of 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 out with a loud voice, saying;

Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.

And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death.

Responsorial Psalm 30:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17 (Ps 31 in Hebrew)
Douay-Rheims Challoner. Text Only.

Be thou unto me a God, a protector,
and a house of refuge, to save me.
For thou art my strength and my refuge;
and for thy name’s sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit:
thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy.
Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies;
and from them that persecute me.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;
save me in thy mercy.

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew 10:17-22
Haydock NT

And Jesus told the twelve disciples:

But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings, for my sake, for a testimony to them, and to the Gentiles. But when they shall deliver you up, be not thoughtful how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. For it is not you that speak, but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death. And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.

Haydock Commentary Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59

• Ver. 9. Called of the Libertines. That is, of the synagogue of those, whose fathers had been made slaves under Pompey, and the Romans, but who had again been restored to their liberty, and had been made free. There were other synagogues for the Jews of Cyrene of Alexandria, &c. No doubt but S. Stephen had converted many of them; and the chiefs of these synagogues, not being able to dispute with him, or to answer the spirit of wisdom, which directed him, they suborned witnesses. Wi.
• Ver. 54. They were cut to the heart: exasperated even to rage and madness. See c. v. v. 33. gnashing their teeth with indignation. Wi.
• Ver. 55. This is the comfort of all martyrs. B.—This the support of every Christian under the severest trials of either mind or body: this the sweetener of every burthen and cross.
• Ver. 56. Stopped their ears, crying out, blasphemy: and they stoned him to death. He praying for them, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, in imitation of his Lord and Master, our Saviour Christ. And reposed in the Lord. Lit. slept. In most Greek copies, are now wanting, in the Lord; but it is no doubt the sense. Wi.—Rushed in violently upon him. This proceeding, without any sentence, or form of law, was altogether irregular; and never used in the better times of Jewish government. This was called, judgment of zeal, and only allowed in one instance, viz. when any one came to draw the people to idolatry. Afterwards, this kind of proceeding was extended to other crimes. See Deut. xiii. 6. Num. xxiv. 1 Mac. xi. 24. &c.
• Ver. 58. Invoking. See with what arms S. Stephen defended himself against the fury of his enemies. He put on charity for a breast-plate, and by that came off victorious. By his love of God, he resisted the enraged Jews; by the love he bore his neighbour, he prayed for those that stoned him. Through charity, he admonished them of their errors, in order to their amendment; through charity, he besought the divine goodness not to punish their crimes against him. Leaning on charity, he overcame the cruelty of Saul, and merited to have him a companion in heaven, who had been his chief persecutor on earth. S. Fulgentius, Serm. de S. Steph.—We here again see the powerful intercession of the saints;
  “for,” says S. Augustine, “if Stephen had not thus prayed, the Church would not have to glory in a S. Paul. Si Stephanus non sic orasset, Ecclesia Paulum non haberet.” Serm. i. de. S. Steph.

Haydock Commentary Matthew 10:17-22

• Ver. 17. They will deliver you up in councils. Christ, in this and the following verse, warns his apostles of the many troubles and persecutions to which the preaching of the faith would expose them. S. Chrysostom assigns several reasons for him choosing to foretell them such sufferings: 1^st that he might shew that he had the gift of prophecy; 2^nd that they might not think such evils came upon them on account of his weakness; 3^rd that knowing beforehand the great trials to which they would be exposed, they might not be discouraged when they happened. S. Chrysostom, in S. Thos. Aquin.
• Ver. 18. For a testimony to them, &c. That is, that by suffering with fortitude and constancy, you may bear testimony of me, as men must know, that it is not any vain thing for which they see you are prepared to die. Or the sense may be, that this may be fore you a testimony against them in the day of judgment, and may render them inexcusable, since they will be unable to say that they have not heard the gospel. M.
• Ver. 19. Be not thoughtful, with too great a concern of mind. Wi.—That the apostles might not be discouraged at the description, which our Saviour gave them in the two preceding verses, of the troubles which they would have to sustain in their ministry, he now endeavours to console them. When you are called before councils, says he, do not think how or what to speak, for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. A truly comfortable thought for all who should afterwards engage in the ministry of Christ. Whatever troubles, whatever persecutions may fall to your lot, if even you should be cited before kings and councils to answer for your faith, do not be troubled. You engage in the conflict, I will fight: you speak, but I will tell you what you ought to say. A.
• Ver. 22. He that shall persevere, &c. We are here told, that to be saved it is not sufficient that we were once virtuous, we must persevere to the end. We are also assured of the same truth in Ezekiel. If the just man shall turn away from his justice, and shall commit iniquity, he shall die in his sins, and his justices which he hath done shall not be remembered. C. iii, v. 20. A.—Some, says S. Chrysostom, are accustomed to be fervent at the beginning of their conversion, but afterwards grow remiss; of what advantage are seed that flourish in the beginning, but afterwards wither and die? S. Chrysostom. S. Thos Aquinas.