St. Archdeacon Stefan was an apostle from the seventy. He lived outside the Holy Land, although he came from Jews. In ancient times, such people were called Hellenists, as they were brought up in the Greek culture, which then dominated the Roman Empire.
Here, this term does not mean those Hellenes-idolaters, which are indicated in the Holy Scriptures. The pagans at that time did not even have access to faith in Christ, they did not know the word about salvation.
First Christian
Even after the painful death of Archdeacon Stefan, the pagans will not soon be allowed to attend the assembly of the righteous.
The first Christian among the pagans will be Cornelius the Centurion. As soon as Saint Peter baptized him, Christians from the Jews who had been circumcised became angry with the apostle, because he went to those who did not go through this rite. They began to grumble at him until he told them about his vision and about the shroud lowered from heaven. Only then did they calm down and give praise to the Lord, deciding that God gave the pagans repentance in life.
First Gentile Christian
After the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ, Christianity began to spread rapidly throughout the region.
At this moment, it becomes necessary to patronize and take care of the poor people - orphans, widows and those who received Holy Baptism. For this work, the holy apostles decided to choose worthy men from Christians - seven people.
Such people were found. They were immediately ordained as assistants and ministers (deacons). They immediately became good helpers for the apostles.
Seven Deacons
Even during the life of the holy archdeacon Stephen, the Greeks grumbled against the Jews, who were not pagans, but were people who lived according to the laws of Moses, but divided by twelve tribes. Knowing the Hellenic language, but not having mastered the faith and customs, the Jews lived in Jerusalem and its environs. Even as Jews, they spoke Greek.
Discontent arose between the Hellenes-Christians and the Jews of Jerusalem, as the widows of the first were assigned lower work, worse food and clothing. However, they soon calmed down, stopped grumbling and complaining.
That's when seven deacons were chosen - Phillip, Nicanor, Prokhor, Timon, Parmena, Stefan and Nicholas of Antioch. Their names indicate that they were from the Hellenic countries, for their names are not Hebrew. Stephen was a relative of Saul, who was originally from the city of Tarsus (Cilicia).
He could, like the apostles, lay hands on the sick and heal them. His face was beautiful, but whiter handsomesoul.
The Life of Archdeacon Stefan
The young deacon stood out from the elect seven for his strong faith. He had good oratorical skills and was an excellent preacher. Therefore, he was called the first deacon - the archdeacon. After some time, all the elect began to participate in worship and prayers.
Archideacon Stephen had the gift to carry the word to the masses, he preached the word of God in Jerusalem. At the same time, he could work miracles and backed up his words with signs. He was loved by the people, he enjoyed success and respect. However, this aroused envy and hatred against him among the Pharisees - the zealots of the law of Moses. Then they decided to try him in the highest court of the Jews - the Sanhedrin, having persuaded false witnesses who unanimously claimed that he insulted God and the prophet Moses in his sermons. Then the lawyers seized Stefan.
Rage of the Pharisees
He tried to justify himself before the Sanhedrin and told them the history of the Jewish people, giving vivid examples confirming how the Jews constantly opposed God, killing the prophets. They crucified even the long-awaited Messiah - Jesus Christ himself. In his very lengthy speech, Stefan said that "The Almighty does not live in man-made temples." In those days, the word "man-made" meant "pagan". This epithet offended the Jewish judges.
They also quite disliked Stephen's prophecies that there would come a time whenwhen God will be praised throughout the earth, and not just in Jerusalem.
The members of the Sanhedrin were incredibly angry, their faces distorted with anger and the desire to end this stupid preacher. It was at this time that Archdeacon Stefan suddenly saw the sky open before him. Then he shouted in rapture: "I see the Heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
The Pharisees were furious. Stopping their ears, they rushed at Stefan with their fists and dragged him into the city.
Those who bore false witness against him were the first to throw stones at him. This event was also attended by a young man named Saul, who was assigned to guard the clothes of those false witnesses who stoned Stephen, since he was in their team.
A hail of stones covered the poor archdeacon, who, before his death, turned to God with a prayer: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." On his knees, Stefan asked that He not impute sin to those who killed him.
The murder of the holy ascetic
The Mother of God stood next to the Apostle John (the Theologian). With their eyes fixed on heaven, they fervently prayed to their Lord for Archdeacon Stephen, that he would strengthen his servant in the patience and take his soul into his hands. Under the rain of stones, stained with blood, gradually weakening, Stefan mourned with his heart, but not for himself, but for those who killed him.
With a prayer on his lips, he gave his pure soul to the Lord. Thus the great ascetic died. As if crowned with crimson flowers, he entered the open sky to the Almighty.
The first martyrfor Christ
All these events are described in the book of the Evangelist Luke "Acts of the Apostles". In 34 A. D. Stephen became the very first Christian martyr. At that time he was only 30 years old. It was with Archdeacon Stephen the First Martyr that the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem began. They were forced to disperse to different parts of the Holy Land and go to other countries.
Thus, Christianity began to spread in different territories of the Roman Empire. But the blood of the First Martyr Stephen was not shed in vain. Soon the same Saul, who guarded the clothes of false witnesses, believed in Christ and was baptized. He became the famous apostle Paul, who began to preach Christianity among the pagans.
A few years later he visited Jerusalem. The angry mob nearly killed him with stones as well. However, he reminded people of the martyr Stephen and how he himself was a participant in these sad events.
Burial
The bloodied body of the Holy Protomartyr Archdeacon Stephen was left to be eaten by animals and lay unburied for a day. Only the next night, the Jewish cleric Gamaliel, together with his son Aviv, sent faithful people who secretly took away the body and buried it with honor and great lamentation in their estate in Kafargamal. They themselves then accepted Holy Baptism.
Holy relics of the Apostle Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen
Many years have passed since then. Once the pious Eudoxia, the wife of Theodosius the Younger (Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire), arrived at the place where Stefan was stoned, and erectedthere is a magnificent church in his name and in honor of Jesus Christ. This event happened in 415.
The whole story was described by a priest from Palestine, Lucian, in his ancient manuscript "Message to all the Churches about the discovery of the relics of the martyr Stephen." In his work, he mentions that Gamaliel showed him the place of burial of the martyr in night visions. According to Lucinian, when the coffin was opened, the air was filled with heavenly fragrance, and 73 people in the district were healed from the disease of possession.
The found relics were immediately sent to Jerusalem to the Zion Church. Some of the relics later ended up in Menorca in Uzalis, a North African city, and later in other settlements.
Memorial Days
It is now known that the index finger of the saint is stored in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in the Assumption Cathedral. It was brought from the Romanian Neamt Monastery in 1717.
In the 19th century, the relics were placed in a specially made silver shrine that weighed 150 kg. Stefan was depicted in full growth on its cover. The holy relic was placed in the place of the hand. Today, this large shrine stands in the cathedral on the right side of the altar, where His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and All Ukraine officiates on Sundays and holidays.
In the Moscow region in the Holy Trinity Monastery, founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh, is the right hand of St. Stephen. Parishioners claim that near the shrine of the saint, a benevolent energy response and revelation are shocking, feelings are overwhelmed, emotions go off scale. There is an imperceptibly subtle fragrance.
Services in memory of Stephen are performed on the following days and dates:
- August 15 - the day of the transfer of relics to Constantinople from Jerusalem.
- September 28 - Uncovering the relics.
- January 9 and 17 – Council of the Seventy Apostles.
In these festive services, akathist, prayers, troparia and canons are read to Archdeacon Stefan.
