The First Martyr

As Saint Stephen is martyred, he sees the heavens open and Jesus at the right hand of the Father.  We too know that the heavens have indeed been torn apart - the newborn Christ lying in the manger has come down to us like the spring rain upon the tender grass.

With Stephen let us hand over our entire selves to God Most High, who has become for us God most low.

The Stoning of St. Stephen, Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) (Dutch, Leiden 1606–1669 Amsterdam), 1635, etching. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Used with permission.