Exhaling

Feast of St. Stephen

“Salvator noster natus est in mundo”
…bringing fire and sword,
to purify and pierce us through…

Stephen, protomartyr
Stephen knows the universe was free –
it cost God nothing. Effortless creative joy.
But each soul was bought at a great price
(which fact God knew from eternity,
but He created us anyway),
and Stephen understands and is
wholly dedicated to Love –
to knowing Love, serving Love,
bringing Love to all.
One of the first seven,
speaking a word worthy of the Word,
an irresistible word of Love.
Stephen, full of grace and power -
a Power that makes him strong,
a Love that has cast out all fear -
stands on the Rock, with the face of an angel,
enraging the powers that stand on sand,
grinding their teeth, hands twitching
to impose silence. Fervid destructive selfwardness.
Outside the Gate,
bracing himself for blows,
he is himself embraced
by the Love that gave him power,
and immolates himself wholly under a cold rain
of stony hate.
Like the pure Heart of his Love,
Stephen’s heart is capable of
transforming darkness to light,
and hate into the profoundest love,
arms outstretched,
forgiving all,
praying for Saul.
This blood mingling with His Blood
as precious seed for a universal Harvest.
Look deeply, you will see
the outrageous price of me.

And if you’d like to take a little contemplative trip back to the fields on the outskirts of Bethlehem on that holy night, click here:
http://wordincarnate.blogspot.com/2006/12/christ-is-bor n-glorify-him.html