Husband. Father. Anglican Priest.
Stephen’s last prayer: Lord, do not hold this sin against them. His Lord’s: Father, forgive them. The first martyr dies the way his Lord died: forgiving. Saul is standing nearby, holding the cloaks. The seed planted that day will grow into the Damascus road.
December 26: the feast of Stephen, the first martyr. The day after Christmas, the Church moves from the cradle to the stones. The child laid in the manger is the Lord for whom Stephen dies. The Incarnation was never going to be safe.
Christmas Day: The baby in the manger is no ordinary child — he is the eternal Word, the radiant glory of God, who upholds the universe yet became flesh to dwell among us. Through John 1, Hebrews 1, and Psalm 98, we behold a God full of grace, truth, and unending love.
The Season of Christmas begins on December 25 and runs for twelve days. The Church’s Christmas does not peak on the 25th and recede. It begins there and holds — through Stephen’s red, John’s white, the Innocents’ red, and twelve days of the preface: he was born for us.
The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas Day). Not a heartwarming story about a baby in a manger — the announcement that the eternal Word through whom all things were made became one of the things he made. The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us. That is Christmas.
Christmas Eve: Isaiah promised a great light for those walking in darkness, and Luke shows its humble fulfillment in a Bethlehem stable. The eternal Son, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, enters human history as a helpless baby to bring salvation, reconciliation, and peace.