Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral has said that Saint Stephen the Protomartyr “suffered in the same way as his Lord Jesus Christ,” offering believers a timeless example of faith, love and forgiveness even in the face of death.

Speaking on January 9 at the Duľevo Monastery in Montenegro, Metropolitan Joanikije led celebrations marking the feast day of Saint Stephen, the archdeacon and first Christian martyr. Saint Stephen is one of the most revered saints in the Orthodox tradition and is remembered as the first follower of Christ to be put to death for preaching the Gospel.

According to the New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles (chapters 6–7), Saint Stephen lived in first-century Jerusalem and was among the seven deacons chosen by the apostles to serve the early Christian community. Accused before the Sanhedrin, he was sentenced to death and stoned for his faith.

In his sermon, Metropolitan Joanikije said the life and death of Saint Stephen vividly reveal the essence of Orthodox Christianity. He noted that even before his ordination, Stephen was “filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit,” and that his preaching provoked envy and hostility, leading to false accusations and his execution. Despite this, the saint followed Christ’s example by praying for his persecutors.

The metropolitan recalled the Gospel account describing how Stephen’s face “shone like the face of an angel” during his trial, a sign of divine truth that nonetheless did not prevent violence. “His death was Christ-like,” Joanikije said. “He was strengthened by Christ to such an extent that he suffered in the same way as the Lord Himself.”

Metropolitan Joanikije also reflected on the broader meaning of martyrdom, stressing that Christianity inevitably brings change to the world and therefore often encounters resistance. Danger arises, he said, when people refuse to free themselves from their own misconceptions, giving rise to envy, hatred and violence.

Placing the sermon in a historical context, the metropolitan noted that Saint Stephen is regarded as a heavenly patron of Christian rulers and dynasties, including the Serbian Nemanjić dynasty, which has historical ties to the Duľevo Monastery. He described the monastery as an ancient spiritual site that has endured periods of decline and revival and today once again serves as a spiritual center for the region.

Concluding his address, Metropolitan Joanikije called on the faithful to follow the example of Saint Stephen by choosing “the path of light, love and God’s truth,” emphasizing that in Christian life “there is no neutral, middle way.”