December 26 is the Feast of St. Stephen, Martyr, the “Feast of Stephen” of the carol “Good King Wenceslaus.” The song nowhere mentions Christmas or any of its accouterments
The first line marks the events of the music in time, but there are no other seasonal references (unless you count “Ye who now will bless the poor Shall yourselves find blessing…” and that may be a stretch).
It might seem a bit of a downer after al the hoopla of Christmas to come to the next day and be reminded of the first Christian martyr. Acts 7:54-60 tells of his death. It is a sobering story.
The
Christian calendar reminds us that Jesus does not come into the world in a
vacuum. He does not remain in the
cradle. Nor is his advent without
consequences. Christian history is
filled with the tales of martyrs, both famous and anonymous. Their story is part of the Christmas story,
too.
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