The Nativity and the Cross
Gospel Reflection for Mt. 10:17-22
Today’s readings can be found on the USCCB website.
A very blessed second day of Christmas to everyone!
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I must say, it seems a bold move to follow the celebration and solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus the Christ with the feast of the first martyr, Stephen, for his belief in the salvation the Christ brought. There’s a powerful message in these back-to-back celebrations.
I honestly welcome the abrupt juxtaposition: the Nativity is only worth celebrating if it means that God has freely become incarnate in order to fully take on our human condition and - in love and obedience - offer his own suffering and death so we can be raised up into his divine Love. Anything less is scandalous, even if we eye the newborn child in the manger so romantically-visioned these days.
Stephen’s witness reminds us that the world doesn’t necessarily see this cosmic event as a joy to them, nor as a holy night. Indeed, Jesus wasn’t born into a time of peace, but into an occupied people amidst vying political and religious powers. Peace does not necessitate perfect conditions to be born but the path of peace, as Jesus’ life showed us, is riddled with sad division. If Jesus expected it in his life, it will be no less for us who follow in his footsteps and Spirit.
The martyrdom of Stephen shakes us from our idealized visions of the Christmas birth and brings us back to the reality of Christ’s birth: God’s kingdom has finally been made manifest and as Christians, we are choosing to respond by participating in the life Christ offers us. Our own transformation into a new creation in Christ is meant to be an effective shift from living for the politics and ideals of kingdoms of this world.
As we continue the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, whether at family gatherings or amidst crowded malls, our work as Christians is to renew ridding ourselves of all that prevents Christ’s love from being made incarnate within us. Love, as it happens, is not a lonely endeavour but must be in relationship with others. And contrary to many of my own imaginings, it is not something neat and tidy, but is often grueling and hard work.
“You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Mt. 10:22). Let this hate toward us due to Christ’s name not be earned by our own arrogant words nor be because our actions betray the same hatred toward others, for Christ who is Truth is also Love incarnate. Let the hatred be to Christ’s effective love in us, let it be something as to Stephen’s witness, where they “could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke” (Acts 6:10).
They are meant to know we are Christians by our love and truly, it is love that is the hardest peace to keep. St. Stephen, pray for us.