John Chrysostom, On Holy Stephen the First Martyr

In sanctum Stephanum protomartyrem

On the holy Stephen the protomartyr.

59.501 1. Let us crown Stephen with the flowers of encomiums, and sprinkle him with the roses of praises; for he has already crowned himself with the struggles of faith. For it was written in the scriptures: Do not fear those who kill the body; but attachment to the body introduced the difficulty. But when this young man wished to undertake the victories of martyrdom, all difficulty was driven away; and cowardice and fear practiced being idle. For he neither feared the madness of the high priests, nor dreaded the insolence of the priests, nor did the words of the elders strike him with terror, nor did the threat of the scribes disturb him, nor did the words of slanderers check his zeal, but with a certain noble spirit he hastened into the contests for Christ. Who then of mortals can offer worthy praises to the combatant? what man will weave an encomium worthy of his conduct? what tongue will be able to speak the glories of the champion? what mouth will be opened for the praise of Stephen's contests? what lips will suffice to speak the valiant deeds of the protomartyr? For he wrestled on earth, and contemplated the things in heaven; he was present in this life, and journeyed among the things in the highest; he conversed with mortals, and was ranked with immortals; he fought against men, and danced with angels. Let every age therefore have assurance; for Stephen wrestled, and the author of evil fell. Let he who contends in grey hair therefore have assurance; both he who succeeds in old age receives the crowns, and the young man who has contended is crowned, and the youth who has wrestled receives a prize, and infants who contend receive crowns, and women who have fought are crowned with glory, and virgins who have wrestled receive victories. Since Stephen therefore opened the gates of martyrdom, let every age therefore run to martyrdom. For Stephen was the first to stand against the tyrant, the first to undertake victories against him, the first to begin those glorious contests, the first for Christ's sake to undertake the sufferings of Christ; he showed mortals how death is mocked; he showed men how dying will be a laugh; he made known to those in this life the ascents to heaven. For Stephen, full of grace and power, did signs and wonders among the people. The grace of the Spirit advanced Stephen to greater progress; for the immeasurable nature of his faith guaranteed his steadfastness. For having been appointed a deacon, he was revealed a martyr; having been established for the need of widows, he advanced to the grace of miracles; he was appointed a minister of tables, and was revealed a worker of wonders. And Stephen, full of faith and power. Let him have, it says, in his name the crown of victory, Stephen; Stephen, who made known to life an unpracticed war, who showed to the world an untaught battle. Nature did not have this as a custom, and Stephen arrayed himself for battle alone against an incorporeal army.

For faith accomplished the contests for him; hope after the end urged him to wrestle. Stephen, full of faith and power. Stephen, who showed the author of evil as a captive, 59.502 who with a noble will raised up trophies against him, who prepared the demons to mourn, and men to dance; Stephen the first trophy-bearer of the martyrs, the general of those who contend for Christ. For whoever begins to wrestle for Christ, finds Stephen as a teacher; whoever takes up the contests of martyrdom, imitates Stephen. Stephen the first-fruits of those who contend for Christ, the foundation of those who die for him. Stephen, full of faith

In sanctum Stephanum protomartyrem

Εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Στέφανον τὸν πρωτομάρτυρα.

59.501 αʹ. Στέψωμεν ἄνθεσιν ἐγκωμίων τὸν Στέφανον, καὶ τοῖς τῶν ἐπαίνων αὐτὸν περιῤῥάνωμεν ῥόδοις· ἤδη γὰρ αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν τοῖς τῆς πίστεως προεστεφάνωσεν ἄθλοις. Ἔκειτο μὲν γὰρ ἐν γράμμασι· Μὴ φοβεῖσθε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα· ἀλλ' ἡ περὶ τὸ σῶμα συνάφεια τὴν δυσχέρειαν εἰσῆγε. Τούτου δὲ τοῦ νεανίου βουληθέντος μαρτυρικὰς ἀναδέξασθαι νίκας, πᾶσα ἀπελήλαται δυσχέρεια· δειλία δὲ καὶ φόβος ἀργεῖν ἐμελέτησεν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἀρχιερέων ἐφοβήθη μανίαν, οὐχ ἱερέων ἐδειλίασε θρασύτητα, οὔτε πρεσβυτέρων αὐτὸν κατέπληξαν λόγοι, οὐ γραμματέων αὐτὸν ἀπειλὴ διετάραξεν, οὐ λόγοι συκοφαντῶν τὴν αὐτοῦ προθυμίαν ἐνέκοψαν, γενναίῳ δέ τινι φρονήματι εἰς τοὺς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ ἀγῶνας κατέσπευδε. Τίς τοίνυν θνητῶν ἀξίους ἐπαίνους τῷ ἀγωνιστῇ προσαγάγῃ; τίς ἀνθρώπων ἀνάλογον τῆς αὐτοῦ πολιτείας ἐγκώμιον διαπλέξει; ποία γλῶσσα τὰς τοῦ ἀριστέως ἐξειπεῖν δυνήσεται δόξας; ποῖον στόμα πρὸς ἔπαινον τῶν τοῦ Στεφάνου ἀγωνισμάτων ἀνοιγήσεται; ποῖα χείλη ἐπαρκέσει τὰς ἀνδραγαθίας εἰπεῖν τοῦ πρωτομάτυρος; Ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γὰρ ἐπάλαιε, καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς περιεσκέπτετο· ἐν τῷ βίῳ παρῆν, καὶ τὰ ἐν ὑψίστοις περιώδευε· μετὰ τῶν θνητῶν διελέγετο, καὶ ἀθανάτοις συνετάττετο· ἀνθρώποις ἀπεμάχετο, καὶ συνεχόρευσεν ἀγγέλοις. Πᾶσα λοιπὸν ἡλικία τὸ βέβαιον ἐχέτω· Στέφανος γὰρ ἐπάλαισε, καὶ ὁ ἁρχέκακος ἔπεσεν. Ἐχέτω λοιπὸν καὶ ὁ ἐν πολιᾷ ἀγωνιζόμενος τὸ βέβαιον· καὶ ὁ ἐν γήρᾳ κατορθῶν τοὺς στεφάνους λαμβάνει, καὶ ὁ νεανίας ἀθλήσας στεφανοῦται, καὶ μειράκιον παλαῖσαν κομίζεται γέρα, καὶ νήπια ἀγωνιζόμενα κομίζονται στεφάνους, καὶ γύναια παραταξάμενα στεφανοῦνται δόξῃ, καὶ παρθένοι παλαίσασαι κομίζονται νίκας. Στεφάνου τοίνυν ἀνοίξαντος τοῦ μαρτυρίου τὰς πύλας, πᾶσα λοιπὸν ἡλικία ἐπὶ τὸ μαρτύριον τρεχέτω. Πρῶτος γὰρ Στέφανος τῷ τυράννῳ ἀντέστη, πρῶτος τὰς κατ' αὐτοῦ ἀνεδέξατο νίκας, πρῶτος τῶν καλλινίκων ἐκείνων ἀπήρξατο ἀγώνων, πρῶτος διὰ Χριστὸν τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀνεδέξατο πάθη· ὑπέδειξε θνητοῖς, πῶς παίζεται θάνατος· ἔδειξεν ἀνθρώποις, πῶς νέκρωσις γέλως ἔσται· ἐγνώρισε τοῖς ἐν τῷ βίῳ τὰς οὐρανίους ἀνόδους. Στέφανος γὰρ πλήρης χάριτος καὶ δυνάμεως ἐποίει σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τῷ λαῷ. Εἰς μείζονα προκοπὴν τὸν Στέφανον ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος προεβίβαζε χάρις· τὸ γὰρ ἄμετρον τῆς αὐτοῦ πίστεως παρηγγυᾶτο τὸ βέβαιον. ∆ιάκονος γὰρ ταγεὶς, μάρτυς ἀνεδείχθη· εἰς χηρῶν κατασταθεὶς χρείαν, εἰς θαυμάτων προέκοψε χάριν· τραπεζῶν ἐτάγη διάκονος, καὶ τεραστίων ἀνεδείχθη ἐργάτης. Στέφανος δὲ πλήρης πίστεως καὶ δυνάμεως. Ἐχέτω, φησὶν, ἐν προσηγορίᾳ τὸν τῆς νίκης στέφανον ὁ Στέφανος· Στέφανος, ὁ ἀμελέτητον πόλεμον γνωρίσας τῷ βίῳ, ὁ ἀδίδακτον μάχην ἐμφανίσας τῷ κόσμῳ. Οὐκ εἶχεν ἐν ἔθει τοῦτο ἡ φύσις, καὶ Στέφανος κατὰ ἀσωμάτου στρατιᾶς παρετάξατο μόνος.

Πίστις γὰρ αὐτῷ τοὺς ἀγῶνας κατώρθου· ἐλπὶς μετὰ τέλος προετρέπετο παλαίειν. Στέφανος πλήρης πίστεως καὶ δυνάμεως. Στέφανος, ὁ αἰχμάλωτον τὸν ἀρχέκακον 59.502 δείξας, ὁ προαιρέσει γενναίᾳ κατ' αὐτοῦ τρόπαια ἐγείρας, ὁ δαίμονας παρασκευάσας θρηνεῖν, καὶ ἀνθρώπους χορεύειν· Στέφανος ὁ πρῶτος τῶν μαρτύρων τροπαιοῦχος, ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν διὰ Χριστὸν ἀγωνιζομένων. Ὃς γὰρ ἂν διὰ Χριστὸν ἄρξηται παλαίειν, Στέφανον εὑρίσκει διδάσκαλον· ὅστις μαρτυρικῶν ἐφάψεται ἀγώνων, Στέφανον μιμεῖται. Στέφανος τὸ ἀκροθίνιον τῶν διὰ Χριστὸν ἀγωνιζομένων, ἡ κρηπὶς τῶν δι' αὐτὸν ἀποθνησκόντων. Στέφανος πλήρης πίστεως