The Second Day of Christmas

St. Stephen's Day

Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill . . . 

 - From Matthew 23

The King has been born. We celebrate a great day of peace, humility, beauty and grace. But in the Christian calendar, no time at all is wasted, before setting our sights on the next most important thing. Yes, the King has been born. But He has been born to die.

December 26 is the Feast of Saint Stephen. It is the day upon which Good King Wenceslas went out. There is a focus on the poor, on beggars, the homeless, the hungry, the penniless. 

It is "Boxing Day," which pop cuilture says is the day in which everybody puts all their Christmas stuff back into it's boxes (hopefully the reader avoids this, and keeps it all for the full Twelve Days). But Boxing Day actually refers to the British custom of remembering people employed in a service type of job. Give an extra tip to waitstaff. Share a gift with custodians, mail carriers, trash maintenance people and road crew workers. 

If only 10% of us did these things, faithfully, I would bet most of our political strife would go away.

But what is the connection back to St Stephen, the Church's first martyr? Christ came to serve . . . and for whatever reason, people hate that. Especially in our times, people hate the feeling that they are being "judged." And acts of kindness towards the less fortunate, particularly when we do so eagerly and fully, without fanfare; well, this drives people crazy - - - people that would rather just vote politicians in that will raise taxes so that government can do all of our charity for us.

Love and Truth are the same. And when I say "love," I mean Real Love - the kind that is not expressed only so that my own physical needs will be met in return. No . . . . selfless love; love that does not tie, at all, to political arguments. Love that really, truly, is about others, and filling their basic needs. 

Stephen preached the gospel, and it was about love, and it was the Truth. Jesus promised there would be prophets. There would be wise people, and there would be people writing things down so that our acts of kindness and truth could be remembered in future ages. It seems as though there is nothing like connecting people to the past, to really inspire and motivate them.

We do not take care of prophets, sages, and scribes. We need them desperately, but we don't pay them well - - - we ignore them ("Why do they have to be paid? Let them share their gifts as simple acts of kindness"). 

But there comes a time when truth tellers say something that people don't like. We wish they would shut up. We advise them to "let it go." We ask them why they always have to "stir things up!" And if it gets bad enough, we start contemplating rather harsh, inhumane and undignified ways to silence them.

We just can't stand it. 

The Baby in the Manger was a glorious, and tender, and wonderful sight. But following, in instant succession, is the reminder that He will be killed, for the simple act of living and expressing His beauty for the next three to four decades. He came to be hated, tortured, and killed.

That's what St. Stephen's Day is all about.