Feast of Stephen
One joy particular to being a recent convert to Christianity, is that I am always discovering new holidays. (New to me; to Christians they date back centuries or millenia).
For example, I did not know what the Feast of Stephen was or when it was celebrated. It is the day after Christmas, when all good Christian men take a tithe of their feasting from the day before and distribute it to the poor and needy. if you have a leftover goose, or logs from your fire, you are supposed to give them to neighbors in want. The day after getting gifts is certainly an apt time of year to remember the poor.
I never knew what this song was actually about. The good King is keeping the tradition of charity on St. Stephen’s Day, Dec 26:.
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, gathering winter fuel.
“Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know 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 food and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither,
You and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
Through the cold 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 now in them boldly,
You shall find the winter’s rage freeze your 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,
You who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
