On the Feast of Stephen

Happy St. Stephen's Day!

St. Stephen:
One of the first deacons and the first Christian martyr; feast on 26 December.
-Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Stephen

St Stephen's Day is... a popular day for visiting family members.
-Wikipedia

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Stephen's name means "crown," and he was the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown. Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian Church. The apostles had found that they needed helpers to look after the care of the widows and the poor. So they ordained seven deacons, and Stephen is the most famous of these.
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St. Stephen faced that great assembly of enemies without fear. In fact, the Holy Bible says that his face looked like the face of an angel.

The saint spoke about Jesus, showing that He is the Saviour, God had promised to send. He scolded his enemies for not having believed in Jesus. At that, they rose up in great anger and shouted at him. But Stephen looked up to Heaven and said that he saw the heavens opening and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

His hearers plugged their ears and refused to listen to another word. They dragged St. Stephen outside the city of Jerusalem and stoned him to death. The saint prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then he fell to his knees and begged God not to punish his enemies for killing him.

After such an expression of love, the holy martyr went to his heavenly reward.

-Catholic Online

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Claim: The name of Boxing Day comes from the need to rid the house of empty boxes the day after Christmas.

Status: False.

Origins: ...The holiday's roots can be traced to Britain, where Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day. Reduced to the simplest essence, its origins are found in a long-ago practice of giving cash or durable goods to those of the lower classes. Gifts among equals were exchanged on or before Christmas Day, but beneficences to those less fortunate were bestowed the day after.

Sightings: In the familiar Christmas carol, Good King Wenceslas' gifts of flesh (meat), wine, and firewood were made to a poor man whom he observed struggling through the snow "on the Feast of Stephen."

-Urban Legends Reference Pages: Holidays (Boxing Day)

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Good King Wenceslas
words: John M. Neale (1818-1866)

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.

-Cyber Hymnal

And for the readers who don't know... today Miss Fiona Koh was wedded to Mr. Ivan Ho in St. Ignatius' Church at 10 a.m.! =D

Jean