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Transfer of the Body of St . Stephen the Archdeacon

Transfer of the Body of St . Stephen the Archdeacon

Translocation of the Body of St . Stephen the ArchdeaconWe celebrate on this day the translocation of the body of St . Stephen the Archdeacon and firstChristian martyr . That was more than three hundred years after his martyrdom, the reign ofEmperor Constantine and the spread of the noble worship .St . Stephen, the striver and martyr, appeared several times to a man called Lucianus . He was froma village where the honored body was buried, known as the "Village of Gamaliel," near Jerusalem .He told him his name and where his body was buried .That man went to the bishop of Jerusalem and informed him of what he had seen in his sleep . Thebishop rose up, took with him two bishops and the people of the church and went to the placewhere the body was . They dug the ground, and a mighty earthquake took place . The coffinwherein the holy body was lying was revealed . Sweet and precious aromas came out from it . Theyheard voices of angels praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,good will toward men ." This praise was repeated and the bishops bowed down before the coffin .They carried it away with songs, hymns and candles until they came to Jerusalem .Later on, a man whose name was Alexander, and who was from Constantinople, built a church forSt . Stephen in Jerusalem and placed the holy body in it .Five years later, Alexander departed, and his wife buried him by the side of the coffin of the Saint .Eight years later, Alexander's wife decided to go to Constantinople and wished to take herhusband's body with her . She came to the church, and she took the coffin wherein the body of St .Stephen had been laid thinking that it was the coffin wherein was her husband's body . She carriedit away to Ascalon, and from there she embarked with it in a ship to Constantinople . In the middleof the sea she heard singing and many praises coming from the coffin, and she marvelled . She roseup and examined the coffin and she realised that it was the coffin wherein was the body of St .Stephen, and this was the Will of God . She gave thanks to the Lord and went on her way until shearrived in Constantinople .She went to the Emperor and informed him about what had happened . The Emperor, theArchbishop, priests and the people of the city went forth to the ship, and carried the coffin ontheir shoulders to the royal palace .God made manifest many signs both on the ship and in the royal palace . They laid the holy bodyon a litter carried by two mules, and when they came to a place called Constantinious, the twomules stopped . When they beat the mules, they did not move but they heard the voice of one ofthem saying, "It is meet to place the Saint here ." All those who saw and heard this, marvelled andthey knew that He who had made the donkey of Balaam speak was He who had made this animalcarrying the body of the Saint to speak . The Emperor ordered that a church be built for the Saintin that place . They laid in it the pure gem, the holy body of St . Stephen, the apostle and themartyr .His prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever . Amen .