| Reflection on the Painting
Today we celebrate St Stephen, the first Christian martyr. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was a deacon in the early Church in Jerusalem. With his teachings he made quite a few enemies in the synagogues. Accused of blasphemy, at his trial, he made a long speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and he was then stoned to death. His martyrdom was witnessed by Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Saint Paul.
In our painting by Annibale Carracci, we see Saint Stephen saying his final words, outside the walls of the city. The martyr is already on his knees and bleeding. He pays no attention to the men who are about to stone him, but he already graciously looks up to the angel who is floating towards him bearing the crown and palm, symbols of the martyr. The angel is a celestial messenger sent from the from golden realms of heaven which we can see in the top right corner, which reveal a glimpse of God and Christ looking upon the whole scene… and to witness his martyrdom.
It may seem strange that we celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Stephen the day after Christmas, when we are still immersed in the joys of celebrating the birth of Christ, yesterday. But that is exactly what our faith is. It is not an emotion, but it is a deep peace and love for Christ which is still there in the midst of trials tribulations and in the face of death. It reminds us that this is exactly why Christ came on earth yesterday… to save us from our sins by dying for us on the cross…
by Patrick van der Vorst
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