This is the movement of the Holy Family, leading people to Jesus through friendship, good conversation, and the rosary.

Well, welcome to our rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We have Cormac with us. We might have a few baby noises, which is just perfect.

So let's call to mind all those that we've promised to pray for, especially for the

continued intercession of the healing of Olivia Caneli.

Now, I have always found it striking, like asonant note that we celebrate the martyrdom of St. Stephen

the day after Christmas.

This day seems out of place because we don't quite understand still the purpose of pain, suffering,

or the cross in our lives.

But the plan of God is to invite us to take up our own cross,

united to the cross of Jesus,

to help him rescue souls from the prospect of hell

and the world from self-destruction.

So on this day we celebrate the martyrdom of St. Stephen right after Christmas.

Acts chapter 6, Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.

But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen,

some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of the

Friedman. They found they could not get the better of Stephen because of his wisdom and because

it was the spirit that prompted what he said.

They were infuriated when they heard this and ground their teeth at him.

But Stephen filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus

standing at God's right hand. I can see heaven thrown open, he said,

...