The first martyr of the Church: You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. Acts 7:51

The Book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us how was the persecution of the church after Pentecost, and in particular the end of the first martyr of the Church, Saint Stephen.
The Book of Acts tells us that Stephen was a person filled with the Holy Spirit. This is how the ancient texts describe Saint Stephen: "Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people" Acts 6:8.
But this Saint was accused by false witnesses, who accused him of Blasphemy and thus he was presented before the Sanhedrin. There Stephen with a long speech testified about his faith and at the end of his story, because Stephen already knew the intention of his enemies, he accused those who judged him of having closed their hearts to God.
With the life and the end of Saint Stephen we see the mystery of grace, God opens the heart of some to mercy (compassion, kindness, gentleness) but not to others.
And this is why Jesus taught us to see the world with equanimity, that is to say not to hate our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. That is why being a good Christian in a world given over to sin means something else, it means living not only with love but with perseverance to bear the fruits of life, as Stephen with his martyrdom taught. The perseveance is the daily determination of doing good and avoiding evil, the main characteristic of perseverance is the resistance.
In this way, Saint Stephen judged the infidelity of his enemies according to the Book of Acts:
"You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it" Acts 7:51-53.

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