Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Two - St. Stephen's Day

Today is the Second Day of Christmastide - St. Stephen's Day. St. Stephen was the First Martyr of Christ's Church as depicted in the Acts of the Apostles. He was a deacon of the Church, and in depictions of his martyrdom, is always wearing a dalmatic (the outer garment of a deacon - Don't worry! We'll go over vestments one day). I would say more about St. Stephen, but other than what is in Acts of the Apostles, nothing else is really known about the First Martyr.  

(stain-glass window of St. Stephen being martyred at my old parish prior to converting to the Catholic Church, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (very Anglo-Catholic).)

St. Stephen, first martyr of Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, pray for us sinners here one earth! Amen.

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Along with this being St. Stephen's Day, in the traditional English carol of the "Twelve Days of Christmas", today is the day of "two turtle doves". The Twelves Days of Christmas was a carol that had hidden within it's texts Catholic catechism, for in England during the 19th century, Catholicism was still incredibly frowned upon in a hostile Anglican society. The "two turtle doves" represent the Old and the New Testament!

Merry Christmas!