In addition to the consular mass, which is unique to Jerusalem, the Solemnity of Saint Stephen is first and foremost a spiritual event.
At the École biblique and archéologique française de Jérusalem, far from commemorating a past event, we celebrate the living testimony of the first martyr of the whole Church. It was on the site of the martyrdom of the deacon Stephen that the ÉBAF was founded in 1890.
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Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum.
Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum.
While it is very traditional to build a sanctuary on the site of a martyrdom, it is more original to build a school there. When talking about the Ecole Biblique, we sometimes forget that it was deliberately built on the foundations of the basilica built by the Empress Eudoxia in the 5th century. This choice illustrates the ontological link between study, a form of contemplation, and its roots in faithful witness, which can go as far as the gift of one’s life.
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Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum.
Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum.
Stephen, the first deacon chosen by the apostles, contemplates his creator without denying creation. In the midst of violence, he chooses to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to save us.
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In the wake of the joy of the Nativity, Stephen’s blood sprinkled on the stones of Jerusalem reminds us that today more than ever we need to be saved. In the face of the hatred and violence of those who are driven to kill by fear, Stephen freely chose to love.
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Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum.
Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum.
It is this clear-sighted love of God for humanity that the protomartyr invites us to share.
