The Apostles and early Christians showed courage, great  faith and love when faced with great adversity and the threat of death. St. Stephen was one of the first Apostles to be killed for his love of Christ for preaching in the Synagogue, but he was not the last, to pay with his life for his love of Christ. Even when he was being stoned to death he asked God: " Lord, do not make this sin stand agaisnt them. And having said this, he fell asleep." Acts 7/60. Would we also show  similar courage?  Would we be worthy to serve Christ and God and remain true to our faith with courage and love to the end?

Saint Stephen preaching

Saint Stephen (Greek: Στέφανος Stephanos), known as the Protomartyr (Greek: Πρωτομάρτυρας Protomartyras) (or first martyr) of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Orthodox Church. His name means 'laurel wreath' or 'crown' in Greek.

 Christian deacon

According to the Acts of the Apostles, during the early time frame of the Christian church in Jerusalem, Stephen was one of seven men, probably Hellenistic Jews, chosen to attend to the distribution of aid to elderly widows within the church community. (This role came to be known as deacon.) Stephen was also recognized for his gifts as an evangelist, preaching the teachings of Jesus to the people of Jerusalem, including members of the place of the Hellenistic synagogues.

 Martyrdom

Acts tells the story of how Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:11) and speaking against the Temple and the Law (Acts 6:13-14) (see also Antinomianism) and was then stoned to death (c. A.D. 34–35) by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, the future Saint Paul: "And Saul entirely approved of putting him to death" (8:1). [2]. Stephen's final speech is presented as making an accusation against the Jews of continuing to persecute prophets who spoke out against their sins:

'"Which one of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute, and they killed the ones who prophesied the coming of the Just One, of whom now, too, you have become betrayers and murderers." (7:52)

Saint Stephen's name is simply derived from the Greek Stephanos, meaning "crown", which translated into Aramaic as Kelil. Saint Stephen is traditionally invested with a crown of martyrdom for Christianity and is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs' palm. In Eastern Christian iconography he is shown as a young beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's vestments, and often holding a miniature church building and a censer.

 Theophany

As he was on trial and being prosecuted, Saint Stephen experienced a theophany. His theophany was unique in that he saw both the Father and the Son.

"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56)

" And they cast him outside of the City and began stoning him. (on the orders of the high priests for preaching on behalf of Christ in the synagogue). 

 St. Stephen's Day

Main article: St. Stephen's Day

December 26, the "feast of Stephen" referred to in the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas, is called "St. Stephen's Day"; it is a public holiday in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Republika Srpska, England and Wales, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Finland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The holiday is celebrated on December 27 in Romania and other Eastern Orthodox lands. In Catalonia (though not elsewhere in Spain) it is called "Sant Esteve" and is a bank holiday. It is called "Saint Étienne" in France, where it is a bank holiday in the Alsace-Moselle region (but not elsewhere).

December 26 is also a holiday in Ligao City, Philippines, which celebrates fiesta in honor of St. Stephen Protomartyr, its patron saint.

Many churches are named in honor of Saint Stephen, but there was no official "Tomb of St. Stephen" until 415. When Christian pilgrims were traveling in large numbers to Jerusalem, a priest named Lucian said he had learned by a vision that the tomb was in Caphar Gamala, some distance to the north of Jerusalem. Gregory of Tours reports that the intercession of Stephen preserved an oratory dedicated to him at Metz, in which his relics were preserved when the Huns burned the entire city, leaving only the oratory standing, Easter eve, 451 (Historia Francorum ii.6).

In Popular Culture

The Grateful Dead released the song St. Stephen on the album Aoxomoxoa in 1969. Performed in many concerts over the years, it is not clear how much the lyrics relate to the actual life of the saint.