Today’s exhortation – Boxing Day
Boxing Day which is also known as St.Stephen’s day originated in England in the middle of the 19th century under Queen Victoria. For years in which the holiday falls on a weekend, the celebration is moved to make sure workers still get a day off (except in Canada). The traditional celebration of Boxing Day included giving money and other gifts to charitable institutions, needy individuals, and people in service jobs. The holiday may date from the 400’s–1500’s, but the exact origin is unknown. It may’ve begun with the lords and ladies of England, who presented Christmas gifts in boxes to their servants on December 26. Or it may’ve begun with priests, who opened the church’s Alms boxes on the day after Christmas and gave the contents to the poor.
Boxing Day is also St. Stephen’s Day. St Stephen achieved eternal fame by being the first Christian to be martyred for his faith by being stoned to death shortly after Christ’s crucifixion. Paul the apostle who will go on to write more than half of the New Testament had a part to play in Stephen’s death. (Acts 7). But God demonstrates His grace to Paul and used him who didn’t believe in Jesus to be his greatest apostle. We mustn’t judge people by their beginnings because we don’t know God’s plans for them.
Francis Hans-Jorie
Facebook page – Daily Exhortations & Good News(https://mobile.facebook.com/profile.php?id=237010736485550
