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Saint Stephen the Proto-Deacon
Full of faith Soorp Stepanos Nakhasargavark |
Saint Stephen Donated by Dedicated to Parents
Stephen's life previous to his ordination as a deacon and appointment to his work remains for us almost entirely in the dark. His name is Greek and suggests he was a Hellenist, i.e., Jews who had been born in some foreign land and whose native tongue was Greek; however, according to a fifth century tradition, the name “Stephanos” was only a Greek equivalent for the Aramaic Kelil (Syrian: kelila, "crown"), which may be the protomartyr's original name and was believed to be inscribed on a slab found in his tomb. It seems that Stephen was not a proselyte, for the fact that Nicolas is the only one of the seven deacons designated as such makes it almost certain that the others were Jews by birth.
That Stephen was a pupil of Gamaliel is sometimes inferred from his able defense before the Sanhedrin; but this has not been proved. Neither do we know when and in what circumstances he became a Christian; it is doubtful whether the statement of St. Epiphanius numbering Stephen among the seventy disciples is deserving of any credence. His ministry as deacon appears to have been mostly among the Hellenist converts with whom the Apostles were at first less familiar; and the fact that the opposition he met with sprang up in the synagogues of the "Libertines" (probably the children of Jews taken captive to Rome by Pompey in 63 B.C. and freed, hence the name Libertini), and "of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia" shows that he usually preached among the Hellenist Jews. That he was pre-eminently fitted for that work, his abilities and character, which the author of the Acts dwells upon so fervently, are the best indication. The Church had, by selecting him for a deacon, publicly acknowledged him as a man "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" [Acts 6:3]. He was "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Spirit" [vi, 5], "full of grace and fortitude" [vi, 8]; his uncommon oratorical powers and unimpeachable logic no one was able to resist, so much so that to his arguments replete with the Divine energy of the Scriptural authorities God added the weight of "great wonders and signs" [vi, 8]. Great as was the efficacy of "the wisdom and the spirit that spoke" [vi, 10], still it could not bend the minds of the unwilling; to these the forceful preacher was fatally soon to become an enemy.
The Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox Churches, and the Church of the East venerate Stephen as a saint. He particularly popular among the Armenian Orthodox.
St. Stephen is often depicted as a beardless man in deacon's vestments and stole, along with stones, a Gospel Book, a miniature church and a martyr's palm frond, and also a thurible (censer). He is the patron saint of Deacons and Altar Servers, as well as bricklayers and casket makers in some traditions.
In the special prefestive worship services and eucharistic celebration on this feast day, it is traditional for all deacons serving at the altar to wear a liturgical crown.
In the Armenian Orthodox Church, December 25th is the designated feast day, but is displaced from Wednesdays and Fridays - which are fast days when feasts are not observed - and Sundays. St. Stephen is remembered at each Divine Liturgy as the first deacon and first martyr, as well as at other worship services.
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References:
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. July 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
APA citation. Souvay, C. (1912). St. Stephen. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton
Company. Retrieved December 3, 2018 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14286b.htm
MLA citation. Souvay, Charles. "St. Stephen." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton
Company, 1912. 3 Dec. 2018 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14286b.htm>.
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https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=137
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https://oca.org/saints/lives/2012/12/27/103659-protomartyr-and-archdeacon-stephen
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c. A.D. 5-34
Saint Stephen was one of the first ordained deacons of the Church. He was also the first Christian martyr. He is titled with "Proto-Deacon and First Martyr".
Of the seven ordained, Stephen was the oldest and given the title of "archdeacon," the chief among them. Little is known about him aside from the account in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Like most of the early Christian leaders, he was Jewish, but may have come from among the Greek speaking or Hellenistic believers, the ones feeling slighted in the distribution of alms.
The Greek word from which we derive the English word "martyr" literally means witness. In that sense, every Christian is called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in both their words and their actions. Not all are asked to shed their blood. Those who do shed their blood for the faith are the greatest of witnesses. They have been especially honored since the very beginning of Christianity. Stephen was so conformed to Jesus in his holy life that his martyrdom was both a natural and supernatural sign of his love for the Lord. It also inspired the early believers as they faced the first round of brutal persecution.
His behavior, even forgiving those who were taking his life while he was being stoned to death, was a beautiful reflection of how conformed he truly was to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is recorded in Chapter 7 of the Acts of the Apostles [Acts7:54-60], a book of the Bible which immediately follows the Gospels in the New Testament.
The 6th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles contains an account of the choice of the first seven deacons of the Church. As the Apostles worked to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ, some of the Greek-speaking widows were being neglected in their practical needs. The Twelve decided to ordain seven deacons to oversee their care. In doing so, the deacons extended the pastoral care of the Apostles, the first Bishops of the early Church, enabling them to attend more to teaching.
Great preaching and miracles were attributed to Stephen. The Bible records that Stephen "full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people." Stephen's popularity created enemies among some Jews, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen. They debated with him, to generate evidence against him to further persecute the early Church.
They accused him of blasphemy, of speaking against God and Moses. The charges inflamed the local populace which demanded he be tried and punished. When Stephen was put on trial, several false witnesses were brought forward by the Sanhedrin to testify that he was guilty of blasphemy. He was charged with predicting that Jesus would destroy the Temple and for preaching against Mosaic Law.
Stephen was filled with wisdom from heaven. He responded by detailing the history of Israel and outlining the blessings that God had bestowed upon his chosen people. He also explained how disobedient Israel had become, despite the goodness and mercy of the Lord. Stephen explained that Jesus had come to fulfil the Law of Moses, not destroy it. He quoted extensively from the Hebrew Scriptures to prove his case.
Finally, he admonished the Sanhedrin, saying, "You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. In spite of being given the Law through angels, you have not kept it." [Acts 7:51-53]
As Stephen concluded his defense, he looked up and saw a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, "Look, I can see heaven thrown open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." That vision was taken as the final proof of blasphemy to the Jews who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah or Son of God. For them, Jesus could not possibly be beside the Father in Heaven. The crowd rushed upon Stephen and carried him outside of the city to stone him to death. As Stephen was being brutally stoned, he spoke his last words, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Words which echoed the very words of Jesus on the Cross. Following those words, Stephen fell asleep in the Lord.
Watching the trial and execution was a Jew and Roman citizen named Saul of Tarsus, a virulent persecutor of the early Church. Saul, a witness to the stoning, "approved of their killing him" [Acts 8:1]. In the aftermath of Stephen's death, the remaining disciples fled to distant lands, many to Antioch. [Acts 11:19–20].
Shortly thereafter, Saul would himself encounter the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and be dramatically converted, taking the name Paul as a sign of his new life in Jesus Christ. He went on to become the great apostle to the Gentiles. His encounter is recorded in the 9th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
The exact site in Jerusalem of Stephen's stoning is not mentioned in Acts; instead there are two different traditions. One, claimed by noted French archaeologists Louis-Hugues Vincent (1872–1960) and Félix-Marie Abel (1878–1953) to be ancient, places the event at Jerusalem's northern gate, while another one, dated by Vincent and Abel to the Middle Ages, and no earlier than the 12th century, locates it at the eastern gate.
The only first-hand source of information on the life and death of St. Stephen is the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Other accounts include that Stephen was buried by Christians, but the location of his tomb is not specified in the New Testament and may have been forgotten for a time. In 415 a Christian priest claimed he had a vision of the tomb and located Stephen's remains. A name inside the tomb, Stephen, confirmed the find. Other accounts say that the body of the holy Protomartyr Stephen, left to be eaten by beasts, was secretly taken up by the Jewish teacher Gamaliel and his son Habib, who buried Stephen on his estate. They both believed in Christ, and later received holy Baptism.
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The Northwestern Wall The icons located on the northwestern wall of the sanctuary represent saints who are by all the ancient Churches as significant contributors to the faith. The iconography at Saints Vartanantz Armenian Church in Chelmsford, Mass., was the vision of the Very Rev. Fr. Ghevont Samoorian and executed in collaboration by artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian in 1985-86. Available: The hanging vigil lamp - gantegh - at each icon of the nothwest wall is available as a gift or memorial for a donation of $150. Symbolically a reminder of the Light of Christ, these brass, gold-plated lamps are lit on various feast days and add their warm glow to the prayerful atmosphere of the sanctuary. |
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