Tag Archives: St. Stephen

It is as He Said

Posted on by
Reply

Today’s readings have always struck me as oddly placed only one day after Christmas. It is the story of the protomartyr of the Christian faith – St. Stephen. While I know that the feast day is mentioned in the Christmas carol classic “Good King Wenceslas,” it does seem to put a bit of a damper on the Christmas spirit. Of course two days from now the Feast of the Holy Innocents remembers the infant boys slaughtered by King Herod. Continue reading →

Leading a horse to water

Posted on by
Reply

You know the old expression: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” The proverb is thought to go back to the 12th century. It’s said to have made an appearance in a book called Old English Homilies (c.1175).  Interestingly the Old English can be translated two ways:

  1. “Who can give water to the horse that will not drink of its own accord?”
  2. “Who is he that may water the horse and not drink himself?”

Continue reading →