Quote of the Day: “These are the days of miracle and wonder.” Paul Simon
This morning, Joe, Alex, Mary and I went to the Tabernacle Choir broadcast. It was amazing as always, never disappoints. The featured guests were Jane Seymour and Nathan Gunn, tenor. As soon as Alex saw Jane Seymour he said “Oh, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman”. She is incredibly beautiful and told the story of Good King Wenceslas, who wasn’t actually a king but was given the title many years after his death because of his kind acts towards the needy and the poor.
From Wikipedia:“Good King Wenceslas” is a popular Christmas carol about a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king’s footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907–935)…” The words of the song were written by John Mason Neale in 1853 and put to music that was intended to reflect “Spring”. I have always liked the music, it’s upbeat and goes well with dancing. Here’s what was said of King Wenceslas in a hagiography (the writing of the lives of Saints) in 1119: “But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, 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.”
The last two stanzas of the poem are the most telling:
“Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know now how,
I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, good my 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.
My favorite thing that Jane Seymour said was that the greatest gift we could give someone is to help them, help in any way we can. I think when things are really good for us, sometimes we forget to do that for others. We stop looking around or we get so worried about what we don’t have. I love that Christmas reminds us that what we should be doing is following Christ’s example, stop judging and opening our hearts to others.
No comments yet.