His Ministry After Pentecost at

Continued 👇🏾 His Ministry after Pentecost At that time, Saint Stephen was ordained as a priest like his brothers, the apostles through the grace of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit descended on the Feast of Pentecost, no one among the seven deacons spoke as many languages as Saint Stephen, nor did anyone receive as many divine revelations. Filled with wisdom and courage, he preached the Gospel with great boldness. When the early Church faced challenges regarding the distribution of food and care among believers, Saint Stephen was among the seven deacons chosen by the Holy Spirit to serve. Among them, he was the chief of the six deacons and the administrator of more than eight thousand believers. To guide and protect so many souls from the temptations of the evil one is no small task. Yet, as the Scripture testifies, “He was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Truly, it is a great challenge even to guide one soul toward salvation, but he who is filled with the Spirit of God is made strong to do it. Some may think that Saint Stephen’s title “Chief Deacon” was only a matter of rank in his time. Yet, in truth, he was more than a deacon: he was also a priest, a preacher, and an apostle, serving both at the altar and among the people. His service at the table was not mere physical labor it was a spiritual ministry, performed in humility, faith, and love. The Discovery of His Holy Relics About three hundred years after his martyrdom, a righteous man named Lucian lived in Jerusalem. Saint Stephen appeared to him several times in a vision, saying, “Take up my body.” Lucian informed the Pope, who gathered priests and faithful, and they went to the place known as Atsede Gamaliel (the estate of his ). When they began to dig, a sweet fragrance filled the air, angels were heard singing, and a radiant light appeared. The people and clergy bowed down and took up the holy relics with great joy and hymns of praise. The relics were placed in the city of Zion, where a righteous man named Alexander built a church in his honor. After five years, Alexander passed away, and his body was placed beside Saint Stephen out of love and devotion. Later, when Alexander’s wife returned to her homeland, Constantinople, she mistakenly took the relics of Saint Stephen, thinking they were her husband’s. On the journey, she heard angelic singing from the casket and realized it was the saint’s body. Rejoicing, she brought it to Emperor Constantine, and the entire city celebrated the miracle. When they carried the body on a mule to its resting place, the mule spoke in human language and declared where the saint was to rest. A great church was then built at that spot. Feast Days Tikimt 17 – Feast of annual commemoration of Saint Stephen( Beale simet) Tir 1 – departure of Saint Stephen, Meskerem 15 – Pilgrimage Day of Saint Stephen May the prayer and intercession of Saint Stephen, the first Archdeacon and first Martyr of Christ, strengthen us to live in holiness, faith, and love for God. May we receive the crown of life as he did, through patience, humility, and steadfast faith. May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Reach out to us on our social media platforms and share it with your friends:https://linktr.ee/johnsrepentance