Creative Croatian Diaspora Blog

St. Stephen: A Timeless Call to Courage Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is commemorated on December 26th, the second day of Christmas. It's a day for believers to visit loved ones and offer their congratulations. Recognizable by the olive branch signifying his martyrdom and the stone he carries, a symbol of his stoning, St. Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen in the early Church. But why does the world need St. Stephen, or figures like him, today? After Jesus' death, Stephen bravely preached His teachings, an act that led to his conviction for blasphemy and ultimately his death by stoning. Without individuals like Stephen, willing to spread knowledge and truth, even in the face of persecution and death, Jesus' message could never have flourished. History teaches us that all great achievements, all nations, are built upon sacrifice, exceptional courage, and selflessness. Think of the Croatian defenders and volunteers in the Homeland War, fighting alongs...

Ljudi poput sv. Stjepana mogu pokrenuti Zlatno doba i potaknuti mir u svijetu Čestitam imendan svim Stjepanima, Stipama, Štefima, Šteficama i ostalim izvedenicama toga imena! Sveti Stjepan Prvomučenik slavi se na drugi dan Božića, 26.12. kada vjernici idu čestitati rodbini i prijateljima. Sveti Stjepan prvomučenik jedan je od sedam đakona izabranih u početcima crkve, a prepoznat ćete ga po maslinovoj grani koja označava njegovo mučeništvo i kamenu kojeg nosi u ruci, budući da su ga kamenovali.  Zašto su svijetu baš danas potrebni sv. Stjepani, mučenici  našega doba?  Nakon Isusove smrti, Stjepan je propovijedao Isusov nauk. Zbog toga su ga osudili za bogohuljenje i kamenovali do smrti. Isusov se nauk ne bi bio mogao širiti uz ljude koji iz vlastitog uvjerenja nisu spremni širiti znanje i istinu po svijetu, pa čak podnositi progon, mučeništvo i ginuti za svoja uvjerenja.  Sva velika djela, države, nastajale su požrtvovnošću, iznimnom hrabrošću i sebedarjem. Dobar su...