"Good King Wenceslaus looked
out, on the Feast of Stephen, When the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even..." This carol is probably all that most of us
know about St. Wenceslaus (also spelled Wenceslas) who lived from about 907 to
935. He is the patron saint of Bohemia, or the Czech Republic as it is called
today. He is an early example of rex justus, a just king. His feast day is
September 28 and remains a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
When I think of Wenceslaus now, I
don't think only of Christmas and carols, but of Cain and Abel, for "good
king" Wenceslaus was murdered out of jealously by his brother.
Wenceslaus became a Christian
duke (later posthumously given the title of king) when Bohemia was still in the
middle of converting to Christianity. Wenceslaus' father, Vratislaus, was a
Christian. His mother Dragomir, was a pagan who had accepted baptism as part of
the marriage agreement with Vratislaus. Based on Dragomir's persecution of the
Church to come, she put no credence in the sacrament.
Wenceslaus also had a paternal
grandmother, St. Ludmila, who was praying for him and who educated him in the
faith. After Vratislaus died, the young teenage Wenceslaus looked to his
grandmother for spiritual formation. Dragomir became regent in her son's name
until he would be old enough to rule in his own right. Newly empowered Dragomir
sought to convert Wenceslaus back to the old pagan religion. St. Ludmila fled
with the boy to a Christian castle named Tetin and refused to return Wenceslaus
to his mother under such circumstances. Dragomir sent her agents to strangle
St. Ludmila which they succeeded in doing. She also banished priests from the
realm.
Wenceslaus had fully internalized
his own beliefs as a Christian. The nobility saw Dragomir as a danger and so
promoted the idea that Wenceslaus should rule earlier than was customary. When
Wenceslaus ascended to the ducal throne, he protected the priests and the
churches.
As the stained glass depicts, Wenceslaus is
said to have lived a pious life, giving food and alms to the poor, visited
prisoners and educated the people in the faith. He also had a reputation of
ruling justly according to Church teachings. Wenceslaus also faced invasion by
his neighbors and saved many lives by paying a tribute instead of fighting
further. This was no easy feat and required a great deal of diplomacy including
gaining the neutrality of his own mother so that he could rule unfettered.
Dragomir's second son, Boleslaus
(or Boleslav) was more influenced by her. He wanted to be Duke. Wenceslaus was
on his way to celebrate Mass in the early autumn when Boleslaus hit him. A
struggle ensued, but Boleslaus' companions joined in and mortally wounded
Wenceslaus. It is said that Wenceslaus' dying words were that he forgave his
brother.
Wenceslaus is considered a martyr
immediately. He was remembered for being a good king. Although only a duke in
title, the legends and rumors of his piety quickly spread. Later, the German
Emperor promoted Wenceslaus to King because of these deeds, although Wenceslaus
had long since died. His piety and miracles attributed to his intervention as
well as the steady course towards Christianity that Wenceslaus put Bohemia on,
led to his canonization in the 1400s.
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us.
Sources:
Sources:
Glavich, Kathleen. "Saints
and Feast Days [Tapa Blanda]." Saints and Feast Days: Amazon.es: Sisters
of Notre Dame of Chardon Ohio, Kathleen Glavich: Libros En Idiomas Extranjeros.
Loyola Press, 1985. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Mausolfe, A. J. M., and J. K. Mausolfe. Saint
Companions for Each Day. Mumbai: St. Pauls, 2002. Print.