We celebrated Christmas on December 25th. It is a day of rejoicing as Jesus is born, and the promise of God is fulfilled. Jesus, God among and with us, lives. God so loved the world.
We will follow his life and teachings through the Liturgical Year in proclaiming the Word of God in Holy Scripture. He will be a sign of life for the poor and the ill and will raise people from the dead. He will be received with palm branches, praised, Hosanna! He will be tortured, crucified, and put to death. But he will rise, and death will no longer have its grasp. For Jesus is the beginning and the end. He has significantly changed the world and the lives of those to became believers in him and followed him to the cross. He announces peace and the love of God; everlasting life is for all people.
The scene shifts to December 26th. Stephen, one of the believers and a follower of Christ, is a member of the new Christian Community, which is beginning to grow and proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. He spoke openly of Jesus’ place within the Salvation History of the Hebrews, recalling the many stories of God’s fidelity to the covenant.
Now, Jesus has fulfilled the covenant promises and, most significantly, the law. Jesus reigns. He is the new creation. Before Stephen was stoned, he looked up and saw Jesus at the right hand of God, knowing that all that Jesus said, lived, proclaimed, and did was true and fulfilled the Will of God, in union with the Holy Spirit. Stephen, fearlessly, lays down his life and dies at the cruel hands and violent uprising against him.
There is no way around it. The Christmas moment and the Easter event come together in the death of this first martyr. Immediately, we learn that to follow Jesus is to walk with him unto death. We live with him from the crèche to the cross to final union with Christ. The message is the Gospel of today. There will be people who will be violently evil. There will be divisions, signs of death, killings, and those who try to destroy the truth of our God with us in Jesus the Christ. But we live on in God’s love.
Today, there are still martyrs of the faith. Individuals who give and gave witness to the Gospel through their lives. We live in a complex world of war, hunger, military presence in countries, cities, religious biases, racial prejudices, and people die. Love prevails! We can still celebrate Christmas in these times because we know Easter. God’s gift of everlasting LOVE and LIFE to us.
Christians are people of hope in their belief. We pray ancient psalms with words of confidence that give us comfort, for we know a history of a faithful God.
Be my rock of refuge,
A stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
For your name’s sake, you will lead and guide me…
Let your face shine upon your servant;
Save me in your kindness.
In continuing the works of Jesus and knowing that the face of Jesus shines upon us, no matter when or how the time comes, can we say with peace and great conviction, like Stephen, LIKE JESUS, “Into your hands, my God, I commend my spirit”.
Candice Tucci, OSF
Born in Buffalo, NY, I grew up in a cultural and ethnic diverse environment. My life as a Franciscan Sister has been a profound spiritual journey. Like Francis of Assisi who called himself, “pilgrim and stranger,” this too is a metaphor for my own life.
A trained spiritual director, with a BFA, and MA degree in Religious Studies/Spirituality focusing on the integration of the arts, spirituality and social justice, prepared me to live this Gospel life of prayer and service. First on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and eventually in Tanzania, East Africa. My journey led me to ministry in higher education at various universities. February 2025, I retired from Creighton University after 10 years as Chaplain for the College of Nursing.
Prior to retirement, I was elected to serve on the General Council of my Congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. March, 2025, I moved to Rome, IT where I currently reside. Serving in this leadership role provides incredible opportunities to serve as a woman religious in the Catholic Church at this time in history. Settled in Rome, I am happy and ready to contribute again to Daily Reflections. May we hold each other reverently in this Sacred Space.
