December 26. St Stephen's Day 2019

December 27, Christmas Day 3

December 26, St. Stephen’s Day

This is the one day of the year when we should all hear the carol about the Bohemian king Wenceslas (who was a 10^th-century duke of Bohemia) who braved the bitter winter weather and snow to distribute alms to the poor. The carol was written by the hymn writer that should be familiar to all Episcopalians since there are so many of his hymns and translations of hymns which appear in the 1982 Hymnal.  John Mason Neale wrote the lyrics before 1853 and they were set to “Tempus adest floridum” that was first published in the 1582 collections of songs, Piae Cantiones.

            

Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,

When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;

Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,

When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.         

The last two lines:

            Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,

Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.

I had many errands to do yesterday, and never once did I hear the carol, though it was played often before Christmas Day.

St. Stephen

The story of Saint Stephen is written in the Acts of the Apostles 6.1-8.2.  He probably lived from 5-34 BCE. Though Stephen is a Greek name, he was Jewish given his lengthy speech to the Sanhedrin defending himself and outlining how Jesus fulfilled the Law, not subvert it. The Apostles gained so many converts, Jews and Greek-speaking Jews, that they were failing in their duty to care for the poor, especially widows of the Greek-speaking converts. The Acts of the Apostles states that the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) complained that their widows were being slighted in favor of the Hebrew/Aramaic speaking widows. The Apostles decided to delegate what they saw as a burdensome, less worthy duty to deacons so that the Apostles could continue their preaching. 

The Apostles laid hands upon, ordained, seven deacons, of which Stephen was the first. Stephen was a very zealous and effective preacher and teacher among the Greek-speaking Jews especially in the three synagogues of the Freemen, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians.  It is not known which group of freed Jewish slaves and their descendants that comprised the Freemen. The most likely group were the Jews who were taken as slaves by General Pompey when he conquered Judea in 63 BCE who had returned to Judea.  Cyrene was a Greek-speaking town in what is now Libya. Alexandria is in Egypt. The Jews in these synagogues were exceedingly angry with Stephen. They hauled him before the Sanhedrin. They claimed that Stephen’s teachings were blasphemous against Moses and God. The trial was not completed before the inflamed mob grabbed Stephen and stoned him to death. Stephen was the first martyr to the faith that did not even have the name Christian yet.

I think there are two points in Stephen’s summary of the history of the Jews from Abraham that cause the rage of the mob to become murderous. First, he quoted Isaiah 66.1 against the Temple in Jerusalem. Acts 7.48. “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says,”

Isaiah 66.1. Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool;

what is the house that you would build for me, and what is my resting place?

Then Stephen immediately called his listeners. Acts 7.51-52a “‘You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are for ever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.  Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?’”

Saul of Tarsus witnessed Stephen’s stoning death. After Stephen’s death, his body was buried by “Godly men” who deeply mourned his death. No place of death or burial is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.

The Feast of St. Stephen on December 26^th is from a wholly different story, and that is the finding of the bones of St. Stephen.  In 415 CE, a priest named Lucian supposedly dreamt of the locations of Stephen’s bones at Beit Jimal, an ancient small town west of Jerusalem. The relics were taken in procession to the Church of Hagia Sion on 26 December 415. Thus, the Feast of St. Stephen is the day his relics were carried (translated) to the Church of Hagia Sion, a Byzantine church built on Mount Zion. This church built by Emperor Constantine was destroyed during the Persian or Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem in 614. Stephen’s bones did not find rest but were moved several more times and distributed to many places before being taken to Rome by Pope Pelagius II (pope from 579-590). They were entombed with those of St. Lawrence in the Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura. The Golden Legend tells that the body of St. Law(u)rence rolled over so that there was enough room in the sepulcher to place the bones of St. Stephen.

There are a sizeable number of stained-glass windows retelling the story of the life of Stephen as told in the Acts of the Apostles as well as later events including the finding of his bones in the 5th century.

Photos credits. All photos are from Painton Cowen. 

Stephen entrusted with his mission. Laon Cathedral east window c.1210-1215. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Laon/images/w1-01-576A2181.JPG

Stephen preaching. Sens Cathedral. window 102 1230-1240. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Sens/Images/w102-A1-DSCN4184.JPG

The listeners to the preaching. Sens Cathedral. window 102 [Note the Jews’ hats] http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Sens/Images/w102-B1-DSCN4186.JPG

Stephen is denounced. Sens Cathedral. window 102. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Sens/Images/w102-A2-DSCN4183.JPG

Stephen is imprisoned. Sens Cathedral window 102.  http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Sens/Images/w102-B2-DSCN4187.JPG

Stephen before the High Priest. Normandy 1230-1240 now in Victoria & Albert. 

Museum no. C.20-1980 [(PW) 2003]

Stephen before the Sanhedrin. Laon Cathedral. East window 1210-1215.  http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Laon/images/w1-03-576A2184.JPG

Stephen before the Sanhedrin. Chartres Cathedral. window 13. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-6-CAN_1879.JPG

Stephen led out to be stoned. Chartres window 13. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-8-CAN_1887.JPG

Stephen led out to be stoned. Laon Cathedral. East window. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Laon/images/w1-04-576A2183.JPG

The stoning of St. Stephen appears in so many windows that I chose only two.

The stoning of Stephen. Bourges Cathedral. window 10. c.1210-1215. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Bourges/images/w10-9-576A2439.JPG

The stoning of Stephen. Chartres Cathedral window 13. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-10-IMG_10670.JPG

Saul, seated, is given a garment from Stephen after the stoning. Sens Cathedral

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Sens/Images/w102-A3-DSCN4182.JPG

Stephen is buried. Chartres Cathedral. 13th century. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-11-CAN_1881.JPG

 

The priest Lucian leads Bishop John to the relics of Stephen. Auxerre Cathedral. 13the century.

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Auxerre/images/w16-1-IMG_9583.JPG

The relics are reburied with dignity and a healing rain falls on December 26, 415 CE.  Bourges Cathedral. Window 15. 1210-1215. 

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Bourges/images/w15_8-30949.jpg

I have made no attempt to include all the different windows about the miracles associated with the relics of St. Stephen, many of which are included in the Legenda Aurea. Bishop Augustine of Hippo included miracles associated with St. Stephen in the City of God, Book XXII, Chapter VIII. Of Miracles Which Were Wrought that the World Might Believe in Christ, and Which Have Not Ceased Since the World Believed. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/augustine-cityofgod-22-9-10.asp

As I wrote above the relics of Stephen were moved several times including within the area of Jerusalem, Jerusalem to Constantinople and then to Rome.  There is a set of six windows telling the story of the removal of the shrine of Stephen's relics from Jerusalem to Constantinople in the Cathedral of Our Lady, Chartres.

The shrine of St. Stephen is put aboard a boat.  Chartres window 13.  http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-15_10086.jpg

The devil lets loose a storm. http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-18-CAN_1902.JPG

The boat arrives safely thought the devil is still lurking above. 

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-19-CAN_1905.JPG

A crowd of the sick and infirm welcome the arrival of the boat with the relics of St, Stephen with their apparent miraculous ability to cure.

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-20-CAN_1897.JPG

The relics are removed from the boat. 

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-21-CAN_1904.JPG

The reception of the relics at Constantinople.

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-22-CAN_1899.JPG

   

Orders were given to transfer the relics of St. Stephen from Constantinople to Rome in order to save the Emperor Valentinian II's daughter Eudoxia. Bourges Cathedral. Window 15, panels 17 and 18.

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Bourges/images/w15_17-30962b.jpg
http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Bourges/images/w15_18-30955b.jpg


The remains of St. Stephen moved to Rome.
Bourges Cathedral. window 15, panel 19.
http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Bourges/images/w15_19-30954.jpg

The top panel of the St. Stephen window at Chartres Cathedral, window 13 shows two angels carrying the soul of Stephen to heaven.  This ends this blog for today.

Stephen's soul carried to heaven by angels. Chartres Cathedral. window 13, top panel.

http://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Chartres/images/w13-23_10076.jpg

The sermon of Quodvultdeus entitled Contra Judæos, Paganos, et Arianos: Sermo de Symbolo and the development of French liturgical drama, Ordo Prophetarum- Part 1

       There are numerous roots in the development of the extraordinary visual textbook of the Jesse Tree.  One such root is the early medieval liturgical plays using the text and stories from the Old Testament.  Almost all discussions about the literary roots of the Jesse Tree begin with a sermon by Pseudo-Augustine or Bishop Quodvultdeus (d. 450) entitled Contra Judæos, Paganos, et Arianos:  Sermo de Symbolo (Against Jews, Pagans, and Arians: Sermon on the Creed) written  in the 5^th century.^[1]   During the Middle Ages, the sermon was attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo and is known to have circulated in England.  For example, The British Library has one copy of a manuscript with sermons from Augustine and the Quodvultdeus’ sermon Contra Judœus from the collection of King George II called Royal 5 B vi.  It is dated to the 11^th or 12^th century.  Quodvultdeus was a 5^th century bishop of Carthage who was exiled to Naples when Carthage was conquered by the Vandals.  The Vandals were Arians believing that Jesus was the son of God and not co-equal with God.  Arianism was considered a non-Trinitarisn heresy condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325.  Arian himself was anathemized at the Council of Constantinople in 381.

       Although the sermon was written to help suppress the Arian heresy (a denial of the Trinity), the sermon attacked Jews for their stubborn and willing disbelief that Jesus was the Messiah born of a Virgin.  The author called forth the Old Testament prophets as witnesses to the coming of the anointed one or Messiah, Jesus, born of a Virgin.  Prophets included Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Moses, David, Habakkuk, also Simeon, Zechariah, Elisabeth, and John the Baptist.  The gentiles added included Virgil, Nebuchadnezzar, and the Erythraean Sybil.  In the sermon, the Preacher questions various prophets about the coming of the Messiah and they answer on their own behalf.  This led to recitation of the speeches by more than one person.  By the 11^th century there were dramatized versions of the sermon.

       In addition to the prophet plays reminding an already Christian audience about the Old Testament sources for predictions about a coming Messiah, Jesus, it served as a message to Jews that there denial of Jesus was no longer defensible.  Defending Christianity from Judaism and Christians who still kept many Jewish laws and traditions was a part of the writings of the early Church including Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho and Tertullian’s Adversus Judœus.  

      Over time, the writing against Jews and Judaism became more strident, especially in the writings of John Chrysostom.  John Chrysostom wrote Eight Homilies Against Jews in about 387.  In sermons I and VI, John Chrysostom charges the Jews with the murder of Jesus.  A Christian who continued to hold to Jewish festivals such as Passover was insulting Christ.

      There was another sermon entitled De altercatione ecclesiae et synagoga dialogus  that circulated in medieval Europe, but perhaps not in England,that was influential in art and drama.  The Dispuations between Church and Synagogue was attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo but scholars know that the style and grammar of the sermon is very different from the genuine writings of Augustine.  It has been variously attributed including a shadowy figure called Pseudo-Isadore from the 8^th or 9^th century.  In The Disputations between Church and Synagogue, both Church and Synagogue are female figures.  Synagogue is a rich widow who claims domination of the world for herself.  She is confronted by Church, wearing a crown.  Church claims that since she is the bride of Christ, she is the ruler.  In the end Church wins the debate when Synagogue runs out of verbal challenges.  This sermon influenced the production of ivory crucifixion scenes made in Metz and the Lambeth  and Capuchin Bibles’Jesse Trees mentioned previously in August's blog, Seven Doves Part III a.  (A completely irreplaceable source for research in England is Helmut Gneuss and Michael Lapidge. Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100. (2014) Toronto:University of Toronto Press.)

       At first, the early written disputations were between two persons such as the works by Justin Martyr and Tertullian.  Each persona represents one side, Christianity or Judaism (and by extension Judaizing Christians).  At first, the author cited the various passages from the Old Testament as proofs.  Quodvultdeus started to give each persona his/her voice.  It was only a small step to assigning different monks to read and then act each part.

 

     Three different versions of Ordo Prophetarum are known from France including ones from the Limoges (or perhaps Aquitaine), Loan, and Rouen.[2]  All seem to have been presented on Christmas day or during the Octave of Christmas including the Rouen Ordo that was to be presented on the Feast of the Circumcision, January 1.  The Laon manuscript from the first quarter of the 12^th century is especially interesting in that the manuscript before the play gives instructions, in red letters (rubrics), on how each character is to act and/or dress.[3]  Isaias (or Isaiah) is to be “barbatus” or bearded and wearing a dalmatic with “stola rubea per medium verticis ante et retro dependens” (a red stole hanging down the middle in front and back).  Moses is bearded and carrying “tabulas legis ferens” or the tablets of the law.  Daniel is adolescent or youthful.  Elizabeth is pregnant.  John the Baptist has a hair shirt and a palm branch.  Virgil wears an ivy crown and carries wiring materials (a horn and reed).  The Sibyl is told to “insanienti simillima” or act crazy.  The Rouen manuscript also gives stage directions within the script.  The Rouen Ordo Prophetarum hasdirections about what props are to be used such as a furnace for the three boys.  All the major and minor prophets though not necessarily in Biblical or historical order are in the Rouen manuscript.  Both Laon and Rouen make use of the story of Balaam and his ass.  In the Laon play, the ass talks back to Balaam after Balaam causes the animal pain.  In the Rouen play, the part of the story of Balaam and the angel with the sword is retold as Balaam sits upon an ass.

The opening page of the Laon version of the Ordo Prophetarum or Jeu des Prophètes with a listing of the dramatis personae and a description of appearance and/or behavior in red letters.  Ville de Laon Bibliotheque Municipale Tropaire-prosaire-hymnaire MS 263. Provenance Notre-Dame-de-Laon. Bibliothèque médiévale virtuelle

<http://tools.yoolib.com/i/s4/?FIF=/bmlaon/files/1-1000/17/media/17/b024086201_ms263_0147v.tif&CNT=1&HEI=481&SDS=0,90&CVT=jpeg>

      The three French texts are not the only texts for Procession of the Prophets plays but are the most complete and longest studied.  The table below summarizes the similarities and difference between the dramatis personæ of the three French plays and the sermon of Quodvultdeus.

“Sermon Against Jews, Pagans and Heretics concerning the Creed”[4]	Ordo Prophetarum Limoges or Aquitaine	Ordo Prophetarum[5] Laon	Ordo Prophetarum Rouen (performed at the Feast of the Circumcision Jan. 1 at the Festum Asinorum)
			6 Jews & 6 Gentiles
Moses	Moses	Moses	Moses and Aaron
	David	David	David
			Amos
		Balaam & a boy under the ass	Balaam
			Angel with sword
			Samuel
			Hosea (Osee)
			Joel (Iohel)
			Obadiah (Abdias)
			Jonah (Iosee)
			Micah (Michæ)
			Nahum (Naum)
			Sophonia (Zephaniah)
			Haggai (Aggeus)
			Ezekiel
Israel[6]	Israel
Isaiah	Isaiah	Isaiah	Isaiah
Jeremiah	Jeremiah	Jeremiah	Jeremiah
Daniel	Daniel	Daniel	Daniel
Habakkuk (Abacuc)	Habakkuk (Abacuc)	Habakkuk (Abacuc)	Habakkuk (Abacuc)
Zechariah			Zechariah
Nebuchadnezzar	Nebuchadnezzar	Nebuchadnezzar	Nebuchadnezar
Elizabeth and Zacharias	Elizabeth and Zacharias	Elizabeth	Elizabeth and Zacharias
	John the Baptist	John the Baptist	John the Baptist
Simeon	Simeon	Simeon	Simeon
	Virgil	Virgil	Virgil
Sibyl	Sibyl	Sibyl	Sibyl
			Boys in the furnace (Azariah)

End Part 1

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[1] Adeline M. Jenney, “A Further Word as to the Origin of the Old Testament Plays,” Modern Philosophy, 13.1 (1915), 59-64.  Also Lynette R. Muir,  The Biblical Drama of Medieval Europe. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press (1995), 83-6.  .

[2] James Grier. “The Divine Office at Saint‐Martial in the Early Eleventh Century: Paris, BNF lat. 1085” in Rebecca A. Baltzer and Margot E. Fassler, ed. The Divine Office in the Latin Middle Ages: Methodology and Source Studies, Regional Developments, Hagiography.(2000) New York:  Oxford University Press.

[3] Robert C. Lagueux. S ermons, Exegesis, and Performance: The Laon Ordo Prophetarum and the Meaning of Advent. Comparative Drama (2009) 43 (2) 197-220.

[4] Edward N. Stone. A Translation of Chapters XI-XVI of the pseudo-Augustine Sermons against Jews, Pagans, and Arians. Concerning the Creed, also the Ordo Prophetarum of St. Martial of Limoges

[5] Karl Young. Ordo Prophetarum. Wisconsin academy of sciences, arts and letters. Transactions; 20 (1922), 1-82

[6] In Stone’s translation, the lines assigned to Israel are given to the precentor or cantor. In Young’s translation, Israel is another character.