ACC ~ Acts 7 v60

FREEDOM FROM WRATH. CHRYSOSTOM: This is the boldness of speech that belongs to a man who is carrying the cross. Let us then also imitate this. For although it is not a time for war, it is always the time for boldness. “For I spoke,” he says, “in your testimonies before kings, and I was not ashamed.” If we happen to be among Gentiles, let us silence them likewise, without anger and without harshness. For if we do this with anger, it is no longer boldness but appears rather as raw passion. If, however, it is done with gentleness, that is true boldness. For in one and the same thing success and failure cannot possibly go together. Boldness of speech is success; anger is failure. Therefore, if we should aspire to boldness, we must be free from anger, in case anyone should attribute our words to the latter. For no matter how just your words may be, when you speak with anger, you ruin everything. This is true no matter how boldly you speak or how fairly you admonish—in short, no matter what you do. See how free from anger this man was when he spoke to them. He did not treat them with any harshness but reminded them of the words of the prophets. Notice that there was no anger, for in his terrible suffering he prayed for them, saying, “Do not hold this sin against them.” Thus it was not in anger that he spoke these words but in grief and sorrow for their sakes. As indeed it says of his appearance, “they saw his face that it was the face of an angel,” so that they might believe. Let us then be free from anger. The Holy Spirit does not dwell where anger is and cursed is the wrathful. Nothing wholesome can proceed from where anger issued forth. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 17.

HE PRAYED FOR HIS PERSECUTORS. AUGUSTINE: And in the Acts of the Apostles, blessed Stephen prays for those by whom he is being stoned, because they had not as yet believed in Christ and were not contending against that universal grace. SERMON ON THE MOUNT 1.22.73.

HE KNELT FOR HIS ENEMIES. BEDE: For himself he prayed standing up; for his enemies he knelt down. Because their iniquity was so great it called out for the greater remedy of falling upon his knees.And marvelous was the virtue of the blessed martyr who was so inflamed with zeal that he openly reproached his captors for their fault in lacking faith and burned so with love that even at his death he prayed for his murderers. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 7.60.

THE PERFECTION OF CHARITY. AUGUSTINE: He showed his love for his murderers, in that he died for them. … That is the perfection of love. Love is perfect in him whom it makes ready to die for his brothers; but it is never perfect as soon as it is born. It is born that it may be perfected. Born, it is nourished: nourished, it is strengthened: strengthened, it is made perfect. And when it has reached perfection, how does it speak? “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. My desire was to be set free and to be with Christ; for that is by far the best. But to abide in the flesh is needful for your sake.” He was willing to live for their sakes, for whom he was ready to die. HOMILIES ON 1 JOHN 5.4.