Translation from the Greek 1 by Petru Molodeț, text revised by Maria Luiza Oancea and Octavian Gordon
1. As the sun, now visible to the eye, rises above the earth, the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades and even the Morning Star appear alongside it, whilst the Sun of Righteousness, shining from the virginal bosom, does not accept beside Itself the dancing of the stars in a cluster of light, but has caused Stephen, the First Martyr, to rise alongside Itself as a second sun with rays that know no death. That ‘Sun’, travelling along the path leading from the north to the south, sometimes shortens, at other times lengthens the span of the day, but He, by His descent from heaven to us, causing righteousness to flourish, has kept its light untainted and undimmed; that one is the successor of the night, He is the enemy of death; that one drives away the night, He destroys sin; that one shines for twelve hours, He shines throughout the ages. He journeys amongst the stars; He shines through the Apostles; he completes his course through the seasons and the years; he is proclaimed through the Prophets and Evangelists; he weaves the years swiftly in his course; he, through the word, increases the churches. Painters depict that One riding in a chariot of war; theologians proclaim This One as sleeping in a manger – a manger that is like heaven itself; a manger that becomes like that of the cherubim; a manger that rivals the ineffable throne; a manger that holds the life-giving food; a manger that receives within itself the Life of all creation; a manger that bears Him Who bears all things; a manger more spacious than the whole of creation put together (He Whom creation cannot contain—by grace, the manger has contained Him); a manger revealed by the star that journeyed by day, a manger that foreshadows the altar of sacrifice, a manger that turned the cave into a Church.
2. Come, then, let us too seek to be like the reverent Magi and marvel at the sight of the Church in the place of Bethlehem; in the place of the cave, let us joyfully receive the priestly altar; in place of the manger, let us bow down before the altar; in place of the Child, let us hold in our arms the bread blessed through the Child; and above all, let us glorify the King proclaimed today by Stephen. O, marvellous 2 works of the Stranger 3 King! Yesterday He was brought into the world, and today Stephen has been brought before Him; Stephen, the martyr with a well-chosen name 4; Stephen, a living crown; Stephen, a diadem woven of itself; Stephen, a fence fashioned of itself; Stephen, the enclosure of his own crown, born of himself; Stephen, the flower-filled shoot of faith; Stephen, the most fragrant rose of love; Stephen, the flower of hope that never withers; Stephen, the most bountiful ear of grace; Stephen, the fruitful vine of the eternal vineyard; Stephen, the grape of immortality, sweet as honey; Stephen, the shoot that grows up to heaven from the Crucified One; Stephen, the perfect fulfilment of all good works and every word; Stephen, the unshakeable tower of the confession of faith; Stephen, the unshakeable rock of patient suffering; Stephen, the cross-bearing warrior of self-control; Stephen, the unconquered soldier of the true faith; Stephen, the zealous leader of the host; Stephen, the bold orator against the murderers of Christ. We have toiled, we have toiled long and hard to weave a wreath for Stephen, yet we have had no part in its weaving. Therefore, let us leave the crowning of Stephen to Scripture.
3. For ‘this’ says: ‘Full of grace and power, Stephen performed great signs and wonders among the people’ (Acts of the Apostles 6:8). How shall I praise the Crown which grace has woven with its own fingers? What thanks shall I offer to Stephen, who crowns the very summit of the martyrs? What can I add to the crown woven by grace? With what sort of words shall I adorn him who is more resplendent than the whole of creation? With what marvellous words shall I honour him who boasts of countless miracles? For, as ‹Scripture› says, ‘full of grace and power, Stephen performed great signs and wonders among the people’. Grace and power wove Stephen’s crown. With both hands he gathered what was good for the struggle. One prepared him for faith, the other for witness. One guided him towards ministry, the other towards the word. One directed him towards boldness in speech, the other towards patient suffering. One prepared him for miracles, the other for marvellous deeds. Grace and power, a sapling of the same honour; grace and power, a shoot grown in the same season; grace and power, a branch grown from the same root; grace and power, a union of the same life; grace and power, the twin shoots of faith; grace and power, a harmony of sounds in one voice; grace and power, the most beautiful eyes of the true faith; grace and power, the twin breasts of the Church; grace and power, soldiers dwelling together with Christ; grace and power, the sleepless guardians of Stephen. For, as the ‘Scripture’ says: ‘Stephen, full of grace and power’.
4. Stephen was a censer of grace, incense of holiness with a spreading fragrance. He was a fountain of grace, overflowing in streams of virtue. He was a Nile of grace, springing forth everywhere in streams of piety. He was an athlete of grace, standing in the way of every power of his adversaries. He was a soldier of grace, rushing upon every ruse of the enemies, their clamour of many kinds and their rebellion; remaining steadfast beneath the arrows of all persecutions; triumphing through miracles; putting passions to flight; driving out diseases; banishing demons; serving the beggars; comforting the afflicted; supporting the widows; coming to the aid of orphans; becoming a shield for the wronged; spreading the Gospel; proclaiming the faith; expounding on the Cross; taking pride in the nails; honouring the reed; extolling the bonds; proclaiming the spear; honouring the pierced Side, the One above all creation; bowing down before the Passion that brings death; throwing oneself before the manger; boasting of the swaddling clothes; boasting of the scourging; unashamed before Pilate’s prison; not hiding from the tomb; boasting of the Resurrection; rebuking the Jews; putting the Pharisees to shame; rebuking the Sadducees; silencing the mouths of the learned; interpreting the Law; examining the Prophets; expounding the Scriptures; revealing in them Christ the Light; rising up against those who crucified Him; accusing the wicked; pouncing upon the irreverent; overcoming the unbelievers through faith; engaging in discussion with Jews who had come from all parts of the country to consult on the teaching of the Gospel. For ‘some of those from the synagogue known as the Libertines, and the Cyrenians, and the Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and stood together with Stephen in the council, and they were unable to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit of the One who spoke’ (Acts of the Apostles VI, 9–10). Many were the waves of opposition, but the Helmsman was heavenly. Fierce were the storms, but the ship bore the Cross. The gales would tug now from one side, now from the other, but the centre of the ship was firmly bound from above. The waves cannot rise in defiance to the heavens; the evil spirit cannot contend with the Spirit Who comes from on high; the ship cannot perish when it is steered by Life Itself.
5. ‘Some of those from the synagogue known as the Libertines, the Cyrenians, the Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia stood up, taking their place in the council alongside Stephen, and they had no power to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit of the One who spoke.’ But of whom are they speaking? Of Him conceived in the womb in an ineffable manner; of Him Born beyond nature; of Him nourished beyond words. How did the Virgin become a mother without having had sexual relations? How could she be found a virgin again after giving birth? How did nature submit to the miracle? How is it that in Mary, nature did not submit to its own limits? How is it that the Incomprehensible One was contained within an Infant? How is it that He was in the womb and yet gave form to all those who, from the womb, awaited coming into the light? How is it that He was born and yet gave everyone the power to be born? How is it that He was suckled, yet bestowed abundant springs of milk upon all who nurse? How great is the difference between law and grace! How is it that one condemns, whilst the other forgives; how is it that one punishes, whilst the other delivers; how is it that one serves, whilst the other rules; how is it that one fosters sin, whilst the other extinguishes it entirely; how is it that one brandishes the sword, whilst the other exercises mercy; one maintains order amongst the people, whilst the other reigns as a king; one hangs the condemned man on the gallows, whilst the other removes the sign of death with a right hand that loves mankind.
6. Since Stephen was expounding such things concerning grace before the Jews, ‘Scripture’ says that those who fight against God, ‘coming upon him and seizing him, took him to the Sanhedrin’ (Acts VI, 12). Where there is an abduction, there is also a gathering of the Jewish crowd; where there is turmoil, there is also the Christ-hating people; where an unjust killing is carried out, there is a Sanhedrin of the scribes. Why do you defile the seat of Moses, you lawless one? Why do you defile the throne which the Law has adorned? The Law of Moses said: ‘You shall not murder! ‘You shall not bear false witness!’ (Exodus 20:13, 16) Therefore, either keep the Law, or leave this place. ‘And they produced false witnesses who said: “This man never ceases to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the Law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us’ (Acts 6:13–14). And again: ‘They set up false witnesses to say, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and against God”’ (Acts 6:11). Now, O accuser, do you honour Moses? Do you now honour as the lawgiver the one whom, whilst he was alive, you spat upon? Do you now flare up as a defender of the Law? Now do you stir yourself up for God’s sake? Now do you seek vengeance because you are reviled? Did you not previously cast stones at Moses before everyone? Did you not always honour stones, wood and idols before God? And now, in order to commit murder, do you proclaim piety? To shed innocent blood, do you pretend to worship God? You, who both in the past and now distort the truth; you, who both in the past mocked brazenly and now honour whilst blaspheming; you, who plot to buy blood with malice; you, who constantly gather a band of false witnesses. For, as ‹Scripture› says: ‘They set up false witnesses who said: “This man ceases not to speak words against Moses and against God, and against this holy place and the Law. What sort of words? For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth is destroying this place’. And so what? Will this place not be destroyed if you kill Stephen? On the contrary, it will be destroyed all the more, for you have killed both the Lord and the servant; for you have killed the flock together with the Shepherd; for you have killed the soldier together with the King. A city in which the king has been killed cannot stand firm. No temple in which the murder of the Lord has been committed can be honoured. For did not Stephen declare: ‘Behold, your house is left desolate’ (Matthew 23:38)? Did not Stephen say: ‘Not one stone shall be left upon another in the temple’ (Matthew 24:2)? O, a new wonder! O, a thing beyond comprehension! God has revealed Himself, yet a man is being judged. Christ was condemned, yet Stephen receives the punishment. The King has testified to the truth, yet the soldier is called to account. You, Jew, are the cause of such a judgement. You have driven a cross into the ground and uprooted Jerusalem. You said: ‘His blood be on us and on our children’ (Matthew XXVII, 25). Receive, therefore, the punishment which you yourself have brought upon yourself.
7. ‘And—as ‹Scripture› says—Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God’ (Acts 7:55). But how does Paul say that He sits? For he says: ‘He has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty of God in the highest’ (Hebrews 12:2). Therefore, what is the reason that He now sits 5? What sort of concern caused Him to rise from the thrones of the Father? He saw the athlete striving and, like a judge, arose to grant him victory. He saw the archer hastily cleaving the air towards the heights and opened the heavens before him, leading him to his destination. ‘Do not be afraid, Stephen!’ He says. No one shall deprive you of the crown for your struggle! Wishing to offer you My right hand, I rose from My throne. Looking upon Me, the Crucified One, face the struggle with boldness! I am the One whom you saw hung on the wood: through crucifixion in the flesh, I shall crown you. I am the Judge of the battle, for I was also the Athlete of martyrdom. I fought on the Cross as in the arena. By allowing Myself to be taken captive, I crushed the enemy, the devil. Do not fear those who cast stones: unwittingly, they are building a stairway to heaven for you. Do not fear those who throw stones: the stones will be your steps to heaven. Do not fear the stones, for within you you proclaim Him everywhere as God, Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone, to Whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen!
Look to Me, the Crucified One, and face the struggle with boldness! I am the One whom you saw hung on the wood: through crucifixion in the flesh, I shall crown you. I am the Judge of the battle, for I was also the Athlete of martyrdom. I fought on the Cross as in the arena. By allowing Myself to be taken captive, I crushed the enemy, the devil. Do not fear those who cast stones: unwittingly, they are building you a stairway to heaven.
- 1
The translation is based on the Greek original from the edition by J.-P. MIGNE, Patrologia Graeca, vol. 65, col. 809–818: Logos IZ’. Eulogy to the Holy First Martyr Stephen.
- 2
In the original, ‘παράδοξα’, which literally means ‘that which runs counter to common opinion’, ‘unusual’, hence ‘paradoxical’ (Octavian Gordon).
- 3
The reference to Christ as a ‘Stranger’ is a recurring theme in patristic literature (Octavian Gordon).
- 4
The lengthy series of praises that follows explains the Ancient Greek meanings of the name of Saint Stephen the Martyr, which, as a common noun, means ‘crown’ or ‘wreath’ (Petru Molodeț).
- 5
The contrast is evident in Greek, between the verb ἵστημι (‘to stand [on one’s feet]’) and the verb καθίζω (‘to sit’). In Romanian, the verb ‘a sta’ once meant only ‘to stand’ (derived from the Latin sto, ‘to stand’), but, over time, ‘a sta’ has come to overlap semantically with ‘a ședea’, so that we now find phrases in Romanian such as ‘a sta jos’. In Saint Proclus’s text, this is precisely where the contrast lies: Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father and Christ standing at the right hand of the Father, at the sight of the struggle waged by the Martyr Stephen (Octavian Gordon).