August is a joyous month, because it brings us
such special feast like the Assumption and the Queenship of Mary. For our
parish, August is especially dear because we celebrate the feast of the patron
saint of our parish and the patron saint of Hungary, St. Stephen. And it
is fitting that his feast day be in August along with two special feasts
of Mary, since he was so devoted to the Mother of God.
After his baptism, St. Stephen was crowned king of Hungary in the year 1000 A.D. Afterwards he founded many dioceses and fostered the work of the Church. Most important of all, he was a pious, just, and holy ruler. His claim to sanctity rested in his royal crown, not a material one adorned with jewels, but rather as he himself saw, his royal crown rested in virtue. He says as much in a letter to his son: “ My beloved son, delight of my heart…I pray, I command, that at every time and in everything, strengthened by your devotion to me, you may show favor not only to relatives and Kin, or to the most eminent …but also to foreigners and all who come to you…Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful, but also with the weak… Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be honorable so you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you may never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death. All these virtues I have noted above make up the royal crown and without them no one is fit to rule here on earth or attain to the heavenly kingdom.”( From a letter to his son, taken from the Office of Reading on the Feast of St. Stephen).
We can note what St. Stephen considers his real crown: the practice of virtue! St. Stephen, king of Hungary, pray for us, especially here in this parish, that we too may take as the real crown, the awe-inspiring practice of virtue, which alone causes real glory to shine as we give glory to God!
