Missional Christmas Carols - part 2

Good King Wenceslas makes no mention of Bethlehem, the Christ Child, nor even God or Christmas, although the feast of Stephen referenced falls on December 26th. It recounts the story of Bohemian Saint Vaclav who around 930AD went barefoot into the snow to give alms. He died at 28.   The last line of the fifth verse gives the missional punch:   "Therefore Christian men be sure, wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing."   Originally published in a collection of Easter music, this beloved English carol was written in 1853 by John Mason Neale. The tune is much older, being collected as a springtime carol from the late middle ages. Aside from the cheerful tune, the carol also marked the church tradition of giving alms on St. Stephen's Day. Stephen was one of the seven appointed by the Apostles to care for the poor and widows as told in Acts.