Feast of St. Stephen, Deacon & Martyr

Today is the feast of St. Stephen, deacon and martyr. It is normally celebrated on the 26th of December, but was transferred to Monday since the 26th was a Sunday.

We read about Stephen in the Acts of the Apostles. James Kiefer writes:

The early Christian congregations, like the Jewish synagogues, had a program of assistance for needy widows, and some of the Greek-speaking Jews in the Jerusalem congregation complained that their widows were being neglected. The apostles replied: "We cannot both preach and administer financial matters. Choose seven men from among yourselves, respected, Spirit-filled, and of sound judgment, and let them be in charge of the accounts, and we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word." The people accordingly chose seven men, including Stephen, and the apostles laid their hands on them. They are traditionally considered to be the first deacons, although the Scriptures do not use the word to describe them. (The Scriptures do refer to officials called deacons in the local congregations, without being very specific about their duties; and a century or more later, we find the organized charities of each local congregation in the hands of its deacons.)

Stephen was an eloquent and fiery speaker, and a provocative one. (Some readers have speculated that some of his fellow Christians wanted to put him in charge of alms in the hope that he would administer more and talk less.) His blunt declarations that the Temple service was no longer the means by which penitent sinners should seek reconciliation with God enraged the Temple leaders, who caused him to be stoned to death. As he died, he said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." One of those who saw the stoning and approved of it was Saul (or Paul) of Tarsus, who took an active part in the general persecution of Christians that followed the death of Stephen, but who was later led to become a Christian himself.

Collect for the day: We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand: where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

6 January 2010 at 6 p.m.: We will feed about 30 volunteers who are working with The Episcopal Diocese of Texas Relief and Development. These workers will also help us with the community garden by filling the planters with soil. We have chicken for the meal so all we will need are the sides.

9 January 2010: The Baptism of the Lord. We will also celebrate the Epiphany with King Cake that Sunday provided by Rose Daniels. The Annual Parish meeting will also be held with an election for 2 Bishop’s Committee persons and a delegate to send to the 162nd Diocesan Council.

16 January 2010: the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church will visit St. Augustine. We will have two clean-up days prior to her arrival.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Cindi, Carol, Lee, John, Bob and the family of the Rev. Stacy Stringer as they grieve the loss of her father.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550