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54 When they
heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being
full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said,
Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand
of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and
stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out
of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at
a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they
stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud
voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he
fell asleep. (Acts 7:54-60)
Today’s
devotion is more a commentary on the Feast of St. Stephen than on the jolly old
carol that makes mention of his Feast Day. But there are lessons incorporated
in the hymn that give example of the selfless sacrifice of St. Stephen. King
Wenceslas (known as Vaclav) was born in 907 in Bohemia – now part of the Czech
Republic. His statue stands at the center of the City of Prague and has been
the central point around which many Czech national events have coalesced. The
historical annals suggest that he was, indeed, a good Christian, a good king,
and a patriot of his homeland. His carol below was written by the English
hymn-writer John Mason Neale and published in 1853. Wenceslas has become the
symbol of Christian charity throughout the realm of the Church. The carol is
not included as a hymn in the 1940 Hymnal owing to its lack of direct biblical
references which define a proper hymn. The tune is an old Norwegian one.
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel
"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
“Good
King Wenceslas looked out On the feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even Brightly shone the moon that night Though the frost was
cruel When a poor man came in sight Gath'ring winter fuel.” The
winters of Bohemia are particularly harsh with temperatures ranging below
freezing and nothing to mollify the biting edge of the open winds. The beauty
of the scene described betrays the misery it inflicts on any soul exposed to
its unceasing gales and ice-laden blasts. The poor have no choice concerning
choice of weather and elements to make provision for their families. Out of his
comfort, King Wenceslas spots a man in his misfortune and hardship gathering wood
in weather than can only grow more severe for its coldness.
King
Wenceslas, at the moment of sighting a man of such dire need and circumstance,
has the charity of heart to inquire of him: "Hither, page, and
stand by me If thou know'st it, telling Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and
what his dwelling?" "Sire, he lives a good league hence Underneath
the mountain Right against the forest fence By Saint Agnes' fountain." The
way is not convenient to travel even on a good day, much less a night of treacherous
cold. But no impediment of weather or terrain can hinder the intention of a
good heart.
“Bring
me flesh and bring me wine Bring me pine logs hither Thou and I will see him
dine When we bear him thither." Page and monarch forth they went Forth
they went together Through the rude wind's wild lament And the bitter weather.” The
peasant fellow is seeking wood for warmth, yet King Wenceslas prepares for ALL
of the man’s needs, and not just his immediate ones. One can observe, too, that
the charity of a good master leads to that of his subjects just as those who
follow Christ provisions them with courage and love.
“Sire,
the night is darker now And the wind blows stronger Fails my heart, I know not
how, I can go no longer." "Mark my footsteps, my good page Tread thou
in them boldly Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy blood less coldly." The
good king’s page lacks the kind of fortitude that is sustained by inordinate
love in the heart of his master; but he follows on borrowing the courage of the
king and walking in his footsteps. The Christian is also emboldened to go where
he might otherwise lack the courage to go without having that courage imparted
by his Lord.
“In
his master's steps he trod Where the snow lay dinted Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed Therefore, Christian men, be sure Wealth or rank
possessing Ye who now will bless the poor Shall yourselves find blessing.”
This is the mystery of St. Stephen – the first deacon and first Christian
martyr. He followed so perfectly in the footsteps of our Lord that he preached
to the unbelievers all that was written of Christ in the Law and Prophets
before being stoned by the Jewish rulers; and in his last breath, he cited the
very sentiments of Christ at His crucifixion: And he kneeled down, and cried
with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said
this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60)
31 When the Son of
man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set
the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the
King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred,
and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the
righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?
or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee
a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee
sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King
shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he
say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an
hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a
stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in
prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they
also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he
answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not
to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall
go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matt 25:31-46)
