Happy Boxing Day everyone!! At least to those living in Canada, the UK, Australia and other Commonwealth countries. Though not celebrated in the US, Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas day and originated in the United Kingdom.
Some people think it’s called Boxing Day because you take unwanted presents back to the store and exchange them for things you want.
I prefer the story that dates back to the Middle Ages when the day after Christmas was typically when the alms/collection boxes in churches were opened up and the contents distributed to the poor.
Another story dates back to the days when rich land owners would give gifts to their servants; later on it became traditional that servants got the day off after Christmas to celebrate with their families on Boxing Day using the boxes of food given to them by their masters.
Today is also the feast of Saint Stephen, who had the distinction of being one of the first ordained deacons of the church, and also the very first martyr for Jesus Christ.
He proclaimed the teachings of Christ with such zeal that he was ultimately stoned to death by some of his countrymen who did not believe in Jesus as the Resurrected Lord.
St Stephen’s Day is also when the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” is set. The carol is about a rich king helping the poor. It was written in 1853 and reflects the Victorian view of being charitable at Christmas.
After having celebrated Christmas with our families (hopefully, during this pandemic) and partaking in sumptuous food, I think today is a good day to take stock of the many blessings and “gifts” we have received and see how we can share some of these gifts with the less fortunate.
Were you blessed with an abundance of Christmas gifts? Maybe we can share some of our largesse with the less fortunate and donate to the needy. After all, to quote the Lord Jesus, whose birth we celebrate, “it is more blessed to give than to receive” and from the Prayer of Saint Francis, “it is in giving of ourselves that we receive”.
Wrap yourself in a warm smile and be a gift to others!
Merry Christmas to all and may God richly reward you for your generosity and kindness!
[Readings: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Mt 10:17-22]
