26th December - Saint Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen by the apostles to assist them in their mission. In the sixth and seventh chapters of the book of Acts of the Apostles we find a detailed account of his life, his mission, from his election as deacon to his arrest.

In short, Stephen never hesitated to argue with the Jews and show them that Jesus, the crucified, is the true Messiah announced in the Scriptures. Stunned by Stephen's wisdom and audacity, those in the synagogue incited the people to oppose him and accuse him of blasphemy against God and Moses. They also stirred up the elders and the people, leading to the arrest of Stephen and his appearance before the Sanhedrin. It was at this point that Stephen delivered the sermon on the salvation that Jesus Christ brought. This made them even more angry as Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God: "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God". The Jewish leaders were so angry that they booed him, led him out of the village and finally stoned him to death with stones. Meanwhile, Stephen prayed and handed over his soul to God saying, "Lord, do not count this sin to them". And after this word he fell asleep in death. Saul witnessed all this, it is believed that it was the vision of Stephen's martyrdom that led him to repent and become Paul.