26th December: The Feast of Stephen

The carol Good King Wenceslas tells the story of the good king's activities "on the feast of Stephen" which, for the western church, is today. So here are 10 facts about Saint Stephen.

1. Stephen is honoured as the first martyr of the Catholic church, ie the first person to die for their Christian faith.
2. His story is told in Acts of the Apostles, where he is appointed as one of seven deacons responsible for the distribution of charitable aid to poor Christians.
3. Nothing is known about his life before this. The name Stephen comes from the Greek name Stephanos, so it is generally assumed that he was a Hellenistic Jew.
4. The synagogues of the time challenged Stephen's teachings, but he debated with them and came out on top. The Jewish authorities didn't like being beaten and so they claimed, with the help of false witnesses, that Stephen had blasphemed against God and Moses, and dragged him before the Sanhedrin, or Jewish court.
5. At his trial, Stephen gave an impassioned speech which is recorded in Acts chapter 7. "Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him," Stephen said. At the end of his speech, Stephen reported that he was having a vision of Jesus standing on the right hand of God, which to his accusers, was ample proof of blasphemy, so Stephen was sentenced to death by stoning.
6. It may not have been a legal execution, as such matters were supposed to have been referred to the Roman authorities, but the Sanhedrin were so angry that they had him chased out of the city and stoned to death immediately.
7. St Paul, then known as Saul, was present that day. He looked after the coats of those carrying out the execution.
8. In art, Saint Stephen is portrayed as a clean shaven young monk with a tonsure. Sometimes he has a stone on his head to indicate how he died. Stones are sometimes referred to as "Saint Stephen's loaves".
9. Saint Stephen is patron of bricklayers, builders, stonecutters, Horses and deacons.
10. Stephen's supporters buried him, although the Book of Acts did not specify where. However, In 415 AD a priest named Lucian had a dream in which it was revealed to him the location of Stephen's grave. Relics were found at the site and those relics are preserved in the Church of St Stephen, Jerusalem. The discovery of the relics of Saint Stephen is celebrated on 3rd August.

My Christmas Novella!

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

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