In the Angelus prayer of the feast of St. Stephen, Pope Francis urges Christians to bear witness to faith in Christ, returning evil with good and breaking the cycle of hatred with love.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Francis said the Angelus at noon on Saturday, when the Church marks the feast of St. Stephen.
The Pope said that the saint was the first person to witness Jesus with his life, becoming the first Christian martyr, which means “witness”.
St. Stephen was “the first in a series of brothers and sisters who continue to bring light into the darkness to this day”. These men and women, added the Pope, do not succumb to violence, but break the chains of hatred with meekness and love.
“In the nights of the world, these witnesses bring the dawn of God,” he said.
Forgiveness sows the seeds of conversion
Pope Francis said that Saint Stephen shows the way for all other Christians, which is “to imitate Jesus”.
However, the Pope added, one can ask: “are these witnesses of goodness really necessary when the world is galloping with evil?” The first reading of the day (Acts 6: 8-10; 7: 54-59) offers the answer in small details, he said.
While Stephen died of wounds, he prayed that God would forgive his murderers. “The text says that among those for whom Stephen prayed and to whom he forgave there was ‘a young man named Saul’, who ‘consented to his death'”.
Saul, noted the Pope, would become Paul, the greatest missionary in history. “Paul was born by the grace of God, but through Stephen’s forgiveness, his testimony. This was the seed of his conversion. This is proof that the actions of love change history. “
Common acts of love change history
Even small acts of love can change the course of history, said the Pope, because God “guides history by the humble courage of those who pray, love and forgive”.
Pope Francis said that we too can make a difference through the common events of daily life.
“We are called to bear witness to Jesus right where we live, in our families, at work, everywhere,” he said, “even if only giving the light of a smile and escaping the shadow of gossip and rumors.”
He also gave advice. Instead of complaining when we see something wrong, we should pray for the person who made the mistake.
“Saint Stephen, while receiving the stones of hatred, returned with words of forgiveness. He therefore changed the story. “
Turn evil into good
Each of us, Pope Francis said, can turn evil into good when we return love with hate.
And he urged everyone to pray for the many Christians who are facing persecution for their faith in Jesus.
“We entrust these brothers and sisters to the Virgin Mary, so that they respond with meekness to oppression and that, as true witnesses of Jesus, they can overcome evil with good”.