Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for you will be given at that moment what to say. It might appear rather odd that a day after the celebration of the great Solemnity of the birth of Jesus Christ, the bringer and restorer of life, the Church celebrates the feast of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, the first follower of Jesus to give his life for his Master. And whereas the sequence of the two celebrations might be purely coincidental, it somehow sheds some light into the mysteries that are celebrated during these days of Christmas: the mysteries that Christmas celebrates are only brought to full fruition in the death and resurrection of Jesus. 
Stephen was one of the seven deacons elected in the early Church to help the apostles in ministry, specifically the ministry of reaching out to the needy members of the community (cf. Acts 6:1-6). Because of Stephen’s courage and steadfastness in witnessing to the Christ (cf. Acts 6:5, 8), he willingly gave his life for the faith. That Stephen was a man filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 6:5) can be seen in the courage with which he stood up to those who were out to discredit the Christian faith. It was a demonstration of courage that, as we have heard in the Gospel reading, was gifted Stephen from on high.
One would be forgiven to think that it was the trial and eventual martyrdom of Stephen that the evangelist Matthew was describing in the passage that constitutes today’s Gospel reading. In an effort to encourage the members of his community who were facing hostilities and persecution on account of the faith, Matthew reminds his fellow believers of the words of the Lord. Based on how he himself had been treated, Jesus knew that it would take some time before the nascent Christian faith becomes fully accepted and firmly planted. Moreover, and most importantly, Jesus wanted his followers to know that it was going to take the sacrifice of his followers for the fruitful implantation of the faith to take place. And although it would seem an uphill task, they needed not to worry for he was going to be with them at all times. When Stephen embarked upon this journey of following Jesus, he was aware of these words of his master. He was not afraid of professing his faith even in the face of threats and persecution. Even as he was being stoned to death, he took comfort in the knowledge that Jesus was there with him, not only to give him the right words to speak, but also to receive his soul. 
The martyrdom of St. Stephen reminds us of the reality of the world in which Jesus was born and which he came to save. Although Jesus had ‘brought’ with him the answers to the issues affecting the world, he was not received by all. There were those who were threatened by his message of peaceful and harmonious co-existence. It is the cause of this message which led to the martyrdom of Stephen. His blood watered the earth and readied it for the implantation of Jesus’ message. May we who have become beneficiaries of Stephen’s martyrdom become vehicles of transmitting the message of Jesus.