Vatican City - Pope Francis urged to remember the martyrs, past and present, and especially Saint Stephen, in order to learn from his capacity to forgive while addressing the faithful gathered for the Angelus on the Feast of Saint Stephen.

He also reminded that the liturgy that helped us welcome the Nativity of the Lord on Sunday extends until 1 January, the eight days of the octave of Christmas.

Days of martyrdom
Yet, he noted that these same eight days commemorate some “dramatic figures” of martyred saints.

Today, Monday, is Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr and on Wednesday, the Holy Innocents, the infants killed by King Herod for fear that Jesus would take away his throne.

“In short”, the Holy Father said, “the liturgy really seems to want to steer us away from the world of lights, lunches and gifts in which we might indulge somewhat in these days.”

Pope Francis went on to explain that “Christmas is not the fairytale of the birth of a king, but the coming of the Saviour, who frees us from evil by taking upon himself our evil: selfishness, sin, death.”

To bear witness
Pope Francis pointed out that the martyrs are those who are most similar to Jesus.

“The word martyr means witness: the martyrs are witnesses, that is, brothers and sisters who, through their lives, show us Jesus, who conquered evil with mercy.”

There are many martyrs even today, he added, inviting everyone always to pray for them, as we work to improve the way in which we bear witness ourselves. “We can indeed be helped by the figure of Saint Stephen,” he said.

Charity
The Acts of the Apostles tells us that Stephen was one of the seven deacons that the community of Jerusalem had consecrated for table service, for charity.

“This means that his first witness was not given in words, but through the love with which he served those most in need,” explained Pope Francis.

However, he said, Stephen “did not limit himself to this work of assistance” but rather “spoke of Jesus to those he met."

Forgiveness
The second dimension of St. Stephen's witness, consisted in welcoming the Word and communicating His beauty, telling how the encounter with Jesus changes our lives.

Also, Stephen was never intimidated. His greatest testimony was charity and proclamation. “He left it to us at the point of his death when, following the example of Jesus, he forgave his killers,” stressed Pope Francis

Bringing his catechesis to an end, Pope Francis noted that this is where the answer to our question lies.

“We can improve our witness through charity towards our brothers and sisters, fidelity to the Word of God, and forgiveness.”

"It is forgiveness that tells whether we truly practice charity towards others, and if we live the Word of God," he said.

Finally, Pope Francis asked that we "think of our capacity to forgive, in these days in which perhaps we encounter, among the many, some people with whom we have not got along, who have hurt us, with whom we have never patched up our relationship.”
-VN