Stephen: Servant and Witness

Cardinal Martini approaches the figure of Stephen, the first martyr, by beginning with what is described in Chapters 6-8 of the Acts of the Apostles, ‘an impressive document of a man’s retrospective view in the face of death, of himself, the history of salvation, of what Christ has meant for him and the future to which he has been called.’ Reflection on the figure of Stephen is important for the entire community of believers; in fact with Stephen ‘the Church feels the seriousness of being both witness and servant: It understands that abandoning oneself to God does not save one from death, but it does allow one to pass through death, contemplating the glory of God; it recognises what it is that God saves us and does not save us from and what he prepares us for.’

The richness of these meditations lies in this summary of things. It lies in the experience of a man who is approaching the revelation of the proximity of a transcendent and immanent God and at the same time arrives ‘at the culmination of his mission as servant witness, ’ experiencing the mystery that he proclaims, contemplates and adores, in his very own body.