St Stephen — The Cost of Christmas

Yesterday we celebrated the birth of Christ.
Today the Church gives us the first martyr.

That is not an accident.

The Church is making a point:
the Child in the manger grows into a Man who divides the world,
and those who follow Him must be ready to share His fate.

Christmas is joyful.
But it is not safe.

The Acts of the Apostles tells us something striking about Stephen:

“Stephen, filled with grace and power, worked great wonders and signs.”

That should make him popular.

It doesn’t.

Because grace does not always calm people.
Sometimes it exposes them.

Stephen speaks with wisdom.
He speaks with truth.
And those who oppose him cannot answer him.

So they do the only thing left to them:
they silence him.

Truth, when it cannot be refuted, is often attacked.

When Stephen is dragged before the council,
he does not panic.
He does not bargain.

Instead, he looks up.

“He saw the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

That matters.

Everywhere else in Scripture, Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Here He is standing.

It is as if heaven rises to receive its witness.

Stephen sees the truth clearly —
and that clarity costs him his life.

Listen carefully to Stephen’s final words.

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

They echo the Cross.

Stephen dies as Christ died:
entrusting himself to the Father,
forgiving his enemies.

This is not courage alone.
It is grace at work.

Stephen does not just believe in Christ.
He becomes like Him.

The Gospel today makes no attempt to soften things.

“You will be hated by all because of My name.”

Jesus never promised His followers an easy path.
He promised them His presence.

He tells us plainly:
faith will cost something.

Sometimes reputation.
Sometimes comfort.
Sometimes, as with Stephen, everything.

And yet Jesus adds:

“The one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”

That is not a threat.
It is a promise.

The Church places St Stephen immediately after Christmas
to remind us of a hard truth:

You cannot keep Christ in the crib.

If Jesus is Lord,
then His truth will challenge lies.
His mercy will disturb pride.
His light will provoke resistance.

Christmas joy is real —
but it leads to witness.

And witness always has a cost.

Stephen shows us what it means to take Christmas seriously.

To believe not just that Christ was born,
but that He is Lord.

Stephen loses his life —
but he gains heaven.

He is killed —
but Christ stands to receive him.

So today, as the Church still sings Christmas carols,
she asks us quietly:

Are we willing to follow the Child of Bethlehem
all the way to the Cross —
and beyond it to glory?

St Stephen did.
And because of that,
his Christmas never ends.