28 April 2020
Memorials of Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr; Louis Grignion de Montfort, Priest
After being ordained to the diaconate, St. Stephen got into a debate with “certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen.” This was a life-or-death debate, in which Stephen was accused before the Sanhedrin of the capital offense of blasphemy. After defending himself from the allegation of blasphemy by reaffirming the unique relationship between God and the Jewish people, Stephen went on the offensive and attacked his opponents. He called them “uncircumcised in heart and ears” (Acts 7:51), because they still refused to acknowledge the Messiah. This rather choice epithet comes from Jeremiah 6:10 and Jeremiah 9:25. St. Stephen took upon himself the mantle of the great prophet Jeremiah, and like Jeremiah, his enemies then tried to kill him. Unlike Jeremiah, however, Stephen did not escape.
Male genital circumcision is a permanent sign of dedication, at an intimate level, to the God of Abraham. The validity of this sign was sublimated and fulfilled by the new covenant of Jesus Christ. With the help of God’s grace, Christians strive to be dedicated to God at an even more intimate level. That is circumcision of the heart (whom do we love and how?) and the ears (whom do we listen to and how?). When what is most intimate about us is made known, there should be a permanent mark there, a permanent sign, a sign of the cross. We must find a way to let that sign mark the most intimate parts of our lives: our heart and our ears.