Hearing the words “Good King Wenceslas” makes us think of a Christmas carol about a king, but that’s not quite accurate. It turns out the famous song didn’t start out the way we think about it today. Not only was it not written about a king, but also it was not supposed to be a Christmas carol!
St. Wenceslas was not a king at all during his lifetime, but was actually a duke of Bohemia. And that beloved Christmas carol? It wasn’t intended to be sung at Christmastime originally, but year-round, especially in the springtime and on St. Wenceslas’ feast day on September 28.
So why do we call him “King Wenceslas”? Well, after Wenceslas’ martyrdom, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I posthumously declared him a king to honor his memory. And the song became associated with the Christmas season because its events take place on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26).
His story is not well known today, but Wenceslas is an amazing intercessor for all of us living today. As we prepare for autumn and winter, especially in this election year, his story is a ray of light and hope.
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A spirit of goodwill toward all
St. Wenceslas lived in a time of extreme and violent political unrest. Yet through it all, he stayed the course as a peacemaker and unfailing source of charity. A biographer writes of his generous deeds, which inspired the present-day carol:
… Rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.
It’s wonderful to think about his persistent kindness, whether the person in need was known to him or a complete stranger.
Today, by contrast, you have only to open any social media site to see people coming up with every excuse imaginable to mock and ridicule those who don’t agree with them.
What if we stepped away from all that condescension and anger? What if instead we looked to St. Wenceslas’s example of gentle goodwill, praying for those with whom we disagree instead of arguing with them?
What would our world look like if we put more of our energy into spreading Christ’s light to the people around us?
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Looking for ways to help
It’s so easy to turn away from other people’s struggles, telling ourselves, “Someone else will help,” or “That doesn’t concern me.”
Yet we see something different when we read the lives of the saints. Something we see with many saints, including St. Wenceslas, is a genuine effort to treat people with the love of Christ. They tried to help when they saw a person in need, even if the timing was bad (as on the “cruel” winter’s night of the song), and even if they didn’t always succeed.
Even though he was the political ruler of his area, St. Wenceslas seemed to ask himself, “How can I live as a Christian in these times, and love those around me?” instead of asking, “What do others owe me?” or worse, assuming that anyone who disagrees with him must be an idiot.
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The gratitude of the Christmas season
St. Wenceslas’s association with Christmas is fitting: His story reminds us to keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts all year. At Christmastime, we feel grateful for what we have, we seek out ways to be generous, and we delight in the simple pleasures of home and family.
If we need help imitating St. Wenceslas in these ways (don’t we all?), we can ask for his prayers. Surely this lionhearted saint would be glad to give us what he can from Heaven: his prayers and intercession on our behalf. St. Wenceslas, pray for us!
And today we celebrate...