Filled with grace and power

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Psalm 31 Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; Matthew 10:17-22

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles begins today with these words, "Stephen, filled with grace and power..."

Stephen filled with grace and power...

What a description!

This reality of Stephen points to the meaning and beauty of Christmas.

Once we celebrate Christmas, we can never go back to the way things were. We can never go back to the routine of living or get back to the routine of life. Christmas changes everything and the normal life gives way to a life filled with grace and power, wonder and awe.

St. Stephen let his encounter with Christ change everything. He embraced the gift, received it fully and set aside the passive life of normal do nothingness and exchanged it for one of zeal, grace, and power.

As Jesus is born in a manger, heaven comes to earth, we all are invited to tap into the power and grace of heaven and thus live life anew.

It may not change our circumstances but it will change our outlook and empower us to go beyond the norm.

"Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time of our eternal king; today we celebrate the triumphant suffer of his soldier; yesterday our king is robed in swaddling clothes, in the flesh from the virgin's womb, makes his entrance in the world; today the soldier leaves the tabernacle of his body makes his entrance into heaven." St Fulgentius