TRISTAN SHERWIN

Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.

In his masters step 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.

Day 2: It’s the Feast of St. Stephen, so Good King Wenceslas is an obvious choice.

Christmas is a feast. The Bread of Life was born in the House of Bread (Bethlehem) and laid in a feeding trough. A reminder that this is not something we hear, but ingest. Christ is the nourishing and sustaining life-giving bread our weary souls need. This meal meets our deepest hunger. 

The Feast of Stephen (Boxing Day) marks the martyrdom of Stephen, whose life was filled with this feast and committed to inviting people to share in it. Not one to box and seal this up, Stephen, captivated by Christ, carried His aroma and taste through storm and gale, even unto death. 

‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.’

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬