CrucisSt. Wenceslaus
St. Wenceslaus (Václav) was born around 907 in Bohemia (in the modern Czech Republic), and died a martyr on 28 September 935. Raised in the Christian faith by his devout grandmother St. Ludmila, he became duke of Bohemia while still young, at a time when the land was divided between Christianity and paganism. As ruler he was known for his personal piety, his justice, and his charity to the poor, orphans, and prisoners, and for strengthening the Church and ties with the Christian empire to the west.
His piety and policies angered a faction of pagan nobles, who rallied around his younger brother Boleslaus. Invited to his brother's residence, Wenceslaus was set upon and murdered at the door of a church. Venerated at once as a martyr, he became the patron saint and heavenly protector of the Czech people and the symbol of Bohemian statehood — remembered in the English-speaking world through the beloved Christmas carol 'Good King Wenceslas.'
Selected quotes
“Forgive your enemies, even at the cost of your life, and you will conquer them in Christ.”
“Go out into the cold to the poor man's door, for Christ is warmed in the warming of the least.”
“Feed the hungry from your own table, and you will feast forever at the table of the Lord.”