In the liturgical tradition, the day after Christmas, December 26, is dedicated to the first person in the Bible narrative to die for his faith in Christ, St. Stephen. His martyrdom is recorded in Acts, chapters 6-7.
Stephen was one of seven men the early church chose to assist the apostles. The seven were “of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” Their work was to be practical ministries to their fellow church members, including providing food for the needy. This would free the apostles to preach.
As the Christian church began to gain momentum, Stephen was accused of blasphemy against Moses and against God. He was taken into custody for this and was put to death by stoning. His last words were a prayer: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
A 10th Century martyr is memorialized in a Christmas song because he helped a needy person on the day which honors Stephen. The song begins:
Good King Wenceslas looked out,
On the Feast of Stephen.
The song details how the king, with his page, went out on a cold winter night to provide food and wine for a peasant they had seen gathering wood. The song ends with a moral lesson:
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing.
In real life, Wenceslas, king of Bohemia, (now the Czech Republic), was known for his kindness to the poor. He was a Christian who sought to spread his faith. This brought resistance from Bohemian nobles. His brother, Boleslav, took part in a plot against him and set up the attack in which Boleslav’s supporters murdered Wenceslas. The "Good King" Wenceslas died September 20, 929, in his early 20s after ruling for five years. He is the patron saint of the Czech Republic.
St. Stephen’s Day has also taken a secular turn that still emphasizes helping the less fortunate in England, Canada, and Australia. Boxing Day is a time for boxing up goods to give to people in need, people who would not be expected to give anything in return.
Although Boxing Day began with wealthy people who had servants, a practical extension for all of us would be to donate money or merchandise to Boys and Girls Clubs or the local rescue mission.
Helping the needy would be a way to continue a spirit akin to Stephen and Wenceslas. This would also continue the spirit of Christmas giving a day after our own presents are opened and the wrapping paper has gone to the trash container.
Verses for Today
“If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead”(James 2:15-17).
Each day through New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, inspirational thoughts will appear, in keeping with Christmas and New Year’s Day. These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons. © 2002. All rights reserved.
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