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In sanctum Stephanum

On the holy first-martyr Stephen.

59.699 All the contests of the martyrs are indeed glorious, and everywhere the struggle of the just is admired; but where the renowned contest of Stephen the first-martyr is held, there even the speechless tongue is roused 59.700 to praise. For whom does the blessed Stephen not call to praise, who even by his name alone signifies his own worth, and by his very name has already acquired the honor of victory? For in this 59.701 the name of the martyr proclaims the struggle, the victory, and the honor. Stephen, who is both first in contests, and first in praises, and excellent in praises, who follows in the footsteps of the Master, and became the beginning of those who contend.

For the Savior first cultivated this man as a martyr for salvation; the death of Christ immediately persuaded this man to despise even death itself; the side of the Master brought it about for this man to shed his own blood also. For what he knew the Master suffered for his servants, these things he endured to suffer for the Master himself, not waiting for a season, not seeing any who went before, not having witnessed a contest. For since he showed his own life to be a following, in all things striving together with the Master, and working out a similar end, keeping, as a disciple, the order of a teacher. And see for me the blessed one imitating the Master himself in deeds and words. The power of the signs glorified the Savior; in this also the grace of the martyr is blessed. For Stephen, it says, full of grace and power, did wonders and signs among the people. The Lord is admired teaching, the martyr is praised speaking publicly. For beginning from the vision concerning Abraham, and going through in order, he mentions the more important persons and events, and introduces the prophecy concerning Christ, and shows the Jews always provoking God. But just as Christ had Pharisees contradicting, so also the martyr had those from the synagogue opposing him. For some rose up, it says, from the synagogue of the so-called Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and from those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen; and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. The Master is accused concerning the temple; the martyr also is slandered in this. For this man, it says, does not cease speaking words against this holy place, and the law. Outside the city the Master is crucified; outside the city the martyr is also stoned. For casting him out of the city, they stoned him. Jews crucify the Christ, Jews also stone Stephen. The Master grants pardon while being crucified; for "Father," he says, "forgive them this sin; for they know not what they do."

The martyr also entreats similarly concerning them. For kneeling down, it says, he prayed, saying: "Lord Jesus Christ, do not hold this sin against them." In neither words nor deeds did the martyr fail in following the Master, but he showed both the long-suffering of his soul, and the courage of his endurance; whence he is also deemed worthy of this 59.702 divine vision. For gazing, it says, into heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Great is this stadium of contests. For the athlete struggles below, and the judge of the contest watches from the heavens; this one strives, boxing here, and that one from above strives with him, standing. Not

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In sanctum Stephanum

Εἰς τὸν ἅγιον πρωτομάρτυρα Στέφανον.

59.699 Πάντες μὲν οἱ τῶν μαρτύρων ἀγῶνες ἐπίδοξοι, καὶ θαυμάζεται πανταχοῦ τῶν

δικαίων ἡ ἄθλησις· ἀλλ' ὅπου τὸ περίβλεπτον ἄγεται Στεφάνου τοῦ πρωτομάρτυρος στάδιον, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ ἄφωνος γλῶττα πρὸς εὐφημίαν 59.700 διεγείρεται. Τίνα γὰρ οὐ καλεῖ πρὸς ἔπαινον ὁ μακάριος Στέφανος, ὁ καὶ μόνῃ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τὴν οἰκείαν σημαίνων ἀξίωσιν, καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ ὀνόματι τὴν τιμὴν ἤδη προκεκτημένος τῆς νίκης; Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ τὴν 59.701 πάλην, καὶ τὴν νίκην, καὶ τὴν τιμὴν κηρύττει τὸ τοῦ μάρτυρος ὄνομα. Στέφανος, ὁ καὶ τῶν ἀγώνων πρῶτος, καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων πρῶτος, καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων ἐξαίρετος, ὁ τοῖς ἴχνεσι τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἑπόμενος, καὶ ἀρχὴ τῶν ἀθλούντων γενόμενος.

Τοῦτον γὰρ πρῶτον ὁ Σωτὴρ εἰς σωτηρίαν ἐγεώργησε μάρτυρα· τοῦτον ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θάνατος εὐθέως καταφρονῆσαι καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου ἔπεισε· τοῦτον ἐκχέαι καὶ τὸ ἴδιον αἷμα ἡ τοῦ ∆εσπότου πλευρὰ προεξένησεν. Ἃ γὰρ ἔγνω τὸν ∆εσπότην ὑπὲρ δούλων παθόντα, ταῦτα παθεῖν ἠνέσχετο ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, οὐκ ἀναμείνας καιρὸν, οὐ προλαβόντας ἰδὼν, οὐ θεασάμενος ἄθλησιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πολιτείαν ἑπομένην ἔδειξε, πανταχοῦ τὸ ∆εσπότῃ συναγωνίζεσθαι, καὶ τὴν τελευτὴν ὁμοίαν ἐργάσασθαι, φυλάττων, ὡς μαθητὴς, διδασκάλου τάξιν. Καὶ βλέπε μοι τὸν μακάριον ἐν ἔργοις τε καὶ λόγοις αὐτὸν τὸν ∆εσπότην μιμούμενον. Ἐδόξασε τὸν Σωτῆρα τῶν σημείων ἡ δύναμις· μακαρίζεται καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ χάρις τοῦ μάρτυρος. Στέφανος γὰρ, φησὶ, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ δυνάμεως, ἐποίει τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα ἐν τῷ λαῷ. Θαυμάζεται διδάσκων ὁ Κύριος, ἐπαινεῖται δημηγορῶν ὁ μάρτυς. Ἀρξάμενος γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ὀπτασίας, καὶ διελθὼν καθεξῆς ἀκολούθως, ἐπιμέμνηται μὲν τῶν καιριωτέρων προσώπων τε καὶ πραγμάτων, εἰσάγει δὲ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν προφητείαν, καὶ δείκνυσιν ἀεὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τὸν Θεὸν παροργίζοντας. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἔσχεν ὁ Χριστὸς Φαρισαίους ἀντιλέγοντας, οὕτω καὶ ὁ μάρτυς τοὺς ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς αὐτῷ ἀντιπίπτοντας. Ἀνέστησαν γάρ τινες, φησὶ, τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῆς λεγομένης Λιβερτίνων καὶ Κυρηναίων καὶ Ἀλεξανδρέων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Ἀσίας, συζητοῦντες τῷ Στεφάνῳ· καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυον ἀντιστῆναι τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ᾧ ἐλάλει. Κατηγορεῖται περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ ὁ ∆εσπότης· συκοφαντεῖται καὶ ὁ μάρτυς ἐν τούτῳ. Ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, φησὶν, οὐ παύεται λαλῶν ῥήματα κατὰ τοῦ τόπου τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου, καὶ τοῦ νόμου. Ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ὁ ∆εσπότης σταυροῦται· ἔξω τῆς πόλεως καὶ ὁ μάρτυς λιθάζεται. Ἐκβάλλοντες γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ἐλιθοβόλουν. Ἰουδαῖοι σταυροῦσι τὸν Χριστὸν, Ἰουδαῖοι λιθάζουσι καὶ τὸν Στέφανον. Ἀπονέμει συγγνώμην ὁ ∆εσπότης σταυρούμενος· Πάτερ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἄφες αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι.

Παρακαλεῖ ὅμοια περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ μάρτυς. Θεὶς γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ γόνατα προσηύξατο λέγων· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην. Οὐδὲ ἐν λόγοις, οὐδὲ ἐν ἔργοις ἀκολουθῶν ὁ μάρτυς τῷ ∆εσπότῃ παρέλειψεν, ἀλλ' ἔδειξε καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀνεξίκακον, καὶ τὸ τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἀνδρεῖον· ὅθεν καὶ ταύτης τῆς 59.702 θείας ὀπτασίας ἀξιοῦται. Ἀτενίσας γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, εἶδε δόξαν Θεοῦ, καὶ Ἰησοῦν ἑστῶτα ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός. Μέγα τῶν ἀγώνων τοῦτο τὸ στάδιον. Ὁ γὰρ ἀθλητὴς κάτω παλαίει, καὶ ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατοπτεύει· οὗτος ἀγωνίζεται πυκτεύων ἐνταῦθα, κἀκεῖνος ἄνωθεν συναγωνίζεται στήκων. Οὐ