Orthodox believers mark today the third day of Christmas – Stefandan, dedicated to the Holy First Martyr and Archdeacon Stefan, who was the first to suffer for the faith of Christ in the middle of the first century AD.
For better organization of work among Christian communities, the apostles named seven deacons/assistants / and designated the oldest among them / archdeacons /.
Stefan was very zealous in fulfilling his duties, as well as in preaching the doctrine of Christ, which is why he was accused of heresy by the opponents of the new Christian faith and brought to the high priests of the Jewish high court.
During the trial, young archdeacon Stefan defended the dogma that Jesus Christ was the son of God and the Messiah, for which he was charged with stoning.
At the very hour of death, Stefan knelt, asking God not to take those who stoned him for sin.
The Holy Archdeacon and the First Martyr, Stefan, is celebrated by the Republika Srpska and numerous Serb families as “slava” (Serbian Orthodox tradition of the veneration and observance of the family’s patron saint.).
TST
