December 26, 2005
Wenceslas
I was disappointed, but not surprised, to discover that the contents of J M Neale’s Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” are considered to be wholly imaginary, though the old 10th century king himself is not. The carol says he “looked down (some say “out”) on the Feast of Stephen” (which is today), but is not all that clear whether this means from some distant and higher perspective (like maybe heaven, eg) or merely with disdain.
The both of them are considered saints, Stephen, stoned in service to his Lord a few centuries earlier, and Wenceslas, knocked off by his own brother Boleslav probably in 929 AD. He was soon venerated as a martyr, however, that same brother, himself, transferring his relics to St Vitus Church, Prague, a couple of years later.
The tales of his dysfunctional family are too numerous for this space (cf Dictionary of the Christian Church, 2d ed, p 1466), but they do suggest that his spin on Stephen may be more out of admiration, rather than in mere resentment, for getting his canonical credentials in a more orderly manner. Whatever, these worthies in our spiritual genealogy and their attempts to serve their Lord, imaginary or no, only help to enrich the joy of this season, make us proud to be McGillicudies, and on the other hand should inspire us into a more exemplary stewardship of our Gospel tradition this coming year than of late.