Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Martyr.
Etymologists will tell you the original Greek, martus, means testifying to a fact about which the testifier has personal knowledge, in short, a witness.
And indeed, a martyr Stephen was, traditionally recognized as the first Christian martyr. But if you think about the word’s origin, his martyrdom began well before the first stone was thrown.
The seed was planted perhaps in his conversion. It flowered 
as he became a deacon, with other passages in Acts commenting on his faith, fortitude, logic, wisdom, and oratorical power. It came to full bloom in the lengthy discourse he gave in response to the high priest’s three-word question, “Is this so?” regarding the charges of blasphemy against him. Stephen spoke the truth in a style the leaders would understand, detailing the history of the Israelites. But he also pointed to occasions in which prophets had been rejected, and said the same thing was happening again. “You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” (Acts 7:53, NABRE)
The Church’s history is full of people who died agonizing, perverted, incomprehensible deaths rather than renounce their faith, and we rightly honor them. But think back to the origins of the word. Few of us will be called to be stoned, shot, kept standing in a suspended cage for days, guillotined, or crucified. However, we all are called to put to death our personal fears of embarrassment, rejection, and ridicule and testify to the fact that we know better than any other: that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was resurrected and ascended into heaven, and offers us the same hope of eternal life.
Be a witness. Be a martyr. Do it today.
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