Saint Stephen is the first martyr of the Church. He is the patron for deacons, stonemasons, bricklayers, headaches, and horses. We read about his story in the Acts of the Apostles. In his book Love Does Such Things by Rev. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O. he writes about martyrdom as witness, “If you know what witness means, you understand why God brings St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents to the crib in the cave as soon as Christ is born liturgically. To be a witness is to be a martyr. Holy Mother Church wishes us to realize that we were born in baptism to become Christ–He who was the world’s outstanding martyr.”
St. Stephen - First Martyr
The recipe below comes to us from France. I’m not quite sure the origin of this recipe. Perhaps it is a joke or commentary on St. Stephen’s condition after being stoned to death. Whatever the origin, this recipe is delicious and good for either brunch or supper. It comes to us from Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette and his book From a Monastery Kitchen: The Classic Natural Foods Cookbook, Gramercy Books, 1997.
This is a wonderful way to help families put a little formation into their everyday lives. They can make this delicious meal, read the narrative and then pray the prayer.
amy thompson
December 27, 2011 at 9:44 am
This is wonderful!!! My daughter just called me yesterday to ask me for ideas of what she could do with her family to keep the octave alive. Blessings to All!