# Transforming death into new life
*2014-12-25*

> Bill Young reflects on the Feast of Saint Stephen and how the first martyr's death is harmoniously linked to the joy and life of the Christmas season.

## The First Martyr in the Octave of Christmas

Today is Friday of Christmas week, and we are continuing our journey through the Christmas season. In the words of Pope Francis, we are looking at transforming death into new life. The Church extends the serenity of Christmas for eight days—the Octave—which is a time of joy for the entire people of God. On this second day of the Octave, the feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr of the Church, is inserted into the joy of Christmas.

## The Witness of Saint Stephen

The Acts of the Apostles presents Saint Stephen as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. He was chosen with six others for the service of widows and the poor in the first community of Jerusalem. The scriptures tell us of his martyrdom: after a fiery dispute that angered the Sanhedrin, he was dragged outside the city walls and stoned. Stephen died like Jesus, asking pardon for those who were killing him.

## Harmony Between Martyrdom and Christmas

In the joyful atmosphere of Christmas, this commotion may seem out of place. Christmas is a celebration of life, filled with sentiments of serenity and peace, so one might wonder why the Church remembers such atrocious violence during this time. In reality, the perspective of faith shows that the feast of Saint Stephen is in full harmony with the deeper meaning of Christmas. In martyrdom, violence is conquered by love, and death is conquered by life.

## A New Birth in Christ

The Church sees in the sacrifice of the martyrs a birth into heaven. Therefore, today we celebrate the birth of Saint Stephen, a death that springs from the birth of Christ. Jesus transforms the death of those who love Him into the dawn of new life.

*Jesus transforms the death of those who love Him into the dawn of new life, calling us to witness to His presence and love even when it is difficult.*