At St. Martha’s House this morning Francis called on faithful to “think of our brothers whose throats were slit on the beach in Libya”; “the young boy who was burnt alive by his companions” and “those Ethiopians”.
“In these days how many Stephens there are in the world! Let us think of our brothers whose throats were slit on the beach in Libya; let’s think of the young boy who was burnt alive by his companions because he was a Christian; let us think of those migrants thrown from their boat into the open sea by other migrants because they were Christians; let us think – just the day before yesterday – of those Ethiopians assassinated because they were Christians… and of many others. Many others of whom we do not even know and who are suffering in jails because they are Christians… The Church today is a Church of martyrs: they suffer, they give their lives and we receive the blessing of God for their witness.” At this morning’s mass in St. Martha’s House, Francis spoke about the stoning of St. Stephen and pronounced some touching and powerful words about all people who are currently suffering persecution and who are killed because they are Christian. He also highlighted the existence of many “hidden martyrs” “who are searching for new ways and paths to help their brothers better love God” and in the process are “vilified and persecuted by so many modern ‘Sanhedrins’,” Vatican Radio reports the Pope as saying.
Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles spoke of the judgment of the Sanhedrin against Stephen and his subsequent stoning: Francis based his homily on this scene. “Martyrs do not need “other bread”, their only bread is Jesus, and Stephen – Francis explained – did not have the need to negotiate or find a compromise with those who put him to death.” Stephen’s witness was so persuasive that his enemies "could not resist the wisdom" and the spirit “with which he spoke”. Just like Jesus, Stephen had to deal with false witnesses and the anger of the people. He reminded the elders and the scribes that their ancestors had persecuted other prophets for having been true to God’s Word, and when he described his vision of the heavens opening “and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” they did not want to listen but threw him out of the city and began to stone him.
“God’s Word is always rejected by some. God’s Word is inconvenient when you have a stone heart,” Francis said, “when you have a pagan heart, because God’s Word asks you to go ahead trying to satisfy your hunger with the bread which Jesus spoke of. In the history of the Revelation many martyrs have been killed for their faith and loyalty towards God’s Word, God’s Truth.”
Stephen’s martyrdom is similar to Jesus’, the Pope went on to say: he too “died with that Christian magnanimity of forgiveness, praying for his enemies.” Those who persecuted the prophets “believed they were giving glory to God; they thought they were being true to God’s doctrine”.
Francis recalled that “the true history of the Church is that of the Saints and the martyrs,” of so many who were persecuted and killed by those who thought they possessed the ‘truth’- whose heart was corrupted by ‘truth’.”
The Pope also spoke of the many “hidden martyrs, those men and women who are faithful to the voice of the Spirit and who are searching for new ways and paths to help their brothers better love God”. He said they are often viewed with suspicion, vilified and persecuted by so many modern ‘Sanhedrins’ who think they are the possessors of truth: so many hidden martyrs!” He also mentioned the " many hidden martyrs who in their efforts to remain in the faith in their families, suffer so much for their faithfulness. Our Church is a Church of martyrs. And now, in our celebration the first martyr comes to us, the first who gave witness and more: He gave salvation to all of us. Let us unite ourselves with Jesus in the Eucharist, and unite ourselves with so many brothers and sisters who suffer martyrdom persecution, slander and death for their faith in the only bread that satisfies, that is, in Jesus.”
