December 26, 2020
O glorious St. Stephen, first Martyr for the Faith,
filled with compassion for those who invoke you,
with love for those who suffer,
heavily laden with the weight of my troubles.
I kneel at your feet and humbly beg you
to take my present needs under your special protection.
Recommend it to our Lord Jesus.
Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.
Above all, obtain for me the grace
to one day meet God face to face,
and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints
praise Him through all eternity.
O most powerful Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr,
do not let me lose my soul,
but obtain for me the grace of winning my way to heaven,
forever and ever.
Amen.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.