Today, December 26, is the feast of Saint Stephen.
Deacon and the First Martyr.
The account of Stephen is found in the Acts of the Apostles: while preaching the Gospel in the streets, angry Jews who believed his message to be blasphemy dragged him outside the city, and stoned him to death.
“However, Stephen looked up and cried, ‘Look! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God!’ He said that the recently executed Jesus was standing by the side of God.” (Acts 7:54) A man named Saul, who sided with the mob, was present. He would later be known as Saint Paul the Apostle.
The mystic Venerable Mary of Agreda wrote, in her monumental book of revelations “The Mystical City of God,” that Stephen was highly regarded by the Blessed Virgin Mary: “Among the saints who were especially fortunate in meriting the greater love of the Queen of heaven, there was one by the name of Stephen, who belonged to the 72 disciples; for from the very beginning of his following Christ our Savior, She looked upon him with an especial love, placing him first, or among the first, in her estimation. She immediately saw, that this saint was chosen by the Master of life for the defense of his honor and his holy name, and that he was to give up his life for him.”
From the same book, Venerable Mary of Agreda continued that “Saint Stephen died about nine months after the passion and death of Christ, our Redeemer, on the 26th of December, the same date on which the Church celebrates his feast. On that day he had completed his 34th year, which, with the addition of one day, was also the 34th year of the birth of the Savior. Hence Saint Stephen was born one day later than Jesus, being only 12 months older, and his birth and death happened on the same day of the year, as was clearly shown to me.”