St. Stephen's Day: Friends are visited, the blessing of homes begins

Catholics around the world, the day after Christmas, celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr - who is a symbol of the fight for justice and forgiveness.

The feast of St. Stephen the First Martyr is also a non-working holiday in Croatia. The day after Christmas, the church wears the red color of the liturgical vestments that symbolize martyrdom.

Traditionally, the feast of St. Stephen is also a day of togetherness and meeting, when family and friends are visited as is customary. In many regions, the blessing of families also begins today.

Šaško: Believers as the object of ridicule and exclusion

The mass in the Zagreb Cathedral sent messages of grace, strength and perseverance in faith, but also a call to oppose hatred, envy and exclusion in society. The mass celebration at 10 am was led by Msgr. Ivan Šaško, who in his sermon highlighted Saint Stephen as an example of a man who, despite persecution and misunderstanding, remained consistent in goodness, faith and love.

He emphasized that grace and strength are given to everyone, but that people often neglect them, forgetting that trust in God and in one's own conscience is found in prayer and a personal relationship with Christ. “It is precisely in this encounter between God and man,” he said, “that one finds the source of strength to deal with challenges, but also with one's own weaknesses.”

In his sermon, he also referred to contemporary examples in which the Christian way of life is questioned and even ridiculed. This can be seen, for example, he said - "in parents who raise their children in a Christian way. They go to church with them and are ridiculed for that. It is similar with girls and boys, teachers and professors who are excluded from schools and universities because they defend the dignity of life or the value of the family".

He called on the faithful to return to God instead of division, because it is in this return that love is born that overcomes hatred and gives strength for everyday life.

"Saint Stephen means a lot to me, my dad was Stephen, and that is why this holiday is especially emotional for me", "This is a great joy. After five years, we are coming to the cathedral again and it would be a shame to be at Kaptol and not go inside", are just some of the statements made by the faithful after the mass.

The Zagreb Cathedral remains open for prayer and personal visits daily from 8 am to 7 pm, while Holy Mass is celebrated there on Sundays and holidays.

Source: HRT