Welcome to the opening matchup of Lent Madness 2022! If you’re joining us for the first time, we’re delighted you’re along for this wild, saintly ride. If you’re 
curious about what this all entails, check out the About Lent Madness tab on the website.
To experience the fullness of Lent Madness, the Supreme Executive Committee (the somewhat benevolent dictatorship that runs this whole enterprise) encourages you to do a couple things. First, like Lent Madness on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. Second, subscribe to the Lent Madness e-mails so you never miss a vote — you’ll get each matchup hand-delivered to your inbox on the weekdays of Lent. You can do this by going to the home page of our website and entering your e-mail address.
But mostly, we encourage you to read about the 32 saints participating in this year’s edition of Lent Madness, faithfully cast your (single!) vote on the weekdays of Lent, and add your comments to the great cloud of participating witnesses that gathers as the online Lent Madness community each year. It's true that this is the only place on the internet where reading the comments is actually edifying.
If you’re wondering when your favorite saint will be competing – in order to rally your friends and neighbors (creative campaigning is encouraged, voter fraud is not) – you can check out the 2022 Matchup Calendar. And if you'd like to see all 32 saints (plus Tim and Scott) represented in peg doll form, check out this AMAZING video from our friends at St. James Cathedral in South Bend, Indiana.
Things kick off with a matchup that may just leave you humming a certain Christmas carol, as Stephen faces off against Wenceslaus. Friends, it's time to cast your very first vote of Lent Madness 2022! We’re glad you’re all here. Now get to it!
Stephen
Along with six other Greek-speaking believers, Stephen was selected to be a deacon in the Greek-speaking Christian community in Jerusalem, tasked with serving and providing for those in need. In some traditions, Stephen is identified as the eldest of these first deacons and given the title of archdeacon.
Set to the task of providing for the poor, Deacon Stephen also kept busy performing “wonders and signs” among the people. As is often the case, compassion was met with anger—as was his teaching and preaching—and Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin as a criminal.
Arguing for his life, Stephen could have chosen the easy path. Instead, he spoke truth to those who held power. He preached a sermon that accused his listeners of murdering the prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus. This went over like a lead balloon.
The authorities immediately took Stephen out and stoned him. Stephen became the protomartyr; the first follower of Jesus to give up their life for the sake of the gospel. And in his death, there resounded echoes of the death of Jesus as Stephen used his last breath to pray for the forgiveness of his killers.
In life, Stephen’s story is tied to Jerusalem, but in death, Stephen has been a world traveler. At various points in time, Stephen’s remains have rested in both Jerusalem and Rome. In Jerusalem, one of the major gates to the city still bears his name. In Rome, it is said that the remains of another deacon, Lawrence, miraculously moved to make room for the first archdeacon of the church.
Stephen’s feast day is December 26, the first commemoration to follow the day of the Nativity of our Lord, just as his death was the first to follow the crucifixion of our Lord.
Collect for Stephen
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen
-- David Hansen
Wenceslaus
Most of us are familiar with Good King Wenceslaus who goes out on the snowy evening of December 26. But Saint Wenceslaus was not a king, nor did he likely venture out on the feast of Stephen in deep snow. He was, however, a deeply faithful Christian whose life set the standard for a godly ruler for centuries to come.
Wenceslaus was born in Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic) in the early 900s. His grandparents and his father, the Duke of Bohemia, were faithful Christians, but his mother, Dragomir, remained a staunch devotee of pagan faith. When Wenceslaus was 13, his father died. His Christian grandmother Ludmilla became regent and guardian of Wenceslas, but Wenceslaus’s mother murdered Ludmilla and took control of the government. She instituted harsh penalties against Christians in Bohemia and tried desperately to convert her son to the pagan ways. When Wenceslaus came of age, he banished his mother and took control of the government himself.
Wenceslaus took a vow of chastity and worked tirelessly to share the Christian faith with his subjects. As a leader, he preferred diplomacy to war. One legend holds that as his army faced a challenger, Wenceslaus sent an offer of peace. His opponent viewed the peace offering as a sign of weakness and prepared to attack. Wenceslaus offered to fight his opponent one-on-one to avoid massive casualties. As the two men walked toward each other, his opponent saw two angels guarding Wenceslaus. His opponent wisely chose Wenceslaus’s offer of peace.
Wenceslaus’s brother Boleslav was threatened by this modernization and Christianization of Bohemia. On September 28, 935, as Wenceslaus entered a church to attend mass, Boleslav murdered Wenceslaus by running him through with a lance. Almost immediately, Wenceslaus was venerated as a martyr. Reports of miracles occurring at his tomb led Boleslav to relocate the bones to St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Wenceslaus was promoted to kingship posthumously by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The Crown of Wenceslaus became the symbol for Czech independence. Within decades of his death, hagiographies, or biographies of saints, of Wenceslaus were popular and established the model for the righteous king, whose power is rooted in piety.
Collect for Wenceslaus
Almighty God, you gave to your servant Wenceslaus special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
-- Laurie Brock
UPDATE: At about 10:30 EST, we removed just over 600 votes from Wenceslaus due to some cheating. Remember that we encourage you to vote once and once only. Voting too many times gets you banned from the Saintly Smackown.
[poll id="332"]
277 comments on “Stephen vs. Wenceslaus”
As the daughter of a deacon who grew up in a parish named for St. Stephen, this one is a no-brainer for me!
I voted for Wenceslaus because in this time when we are under a serious threat of war and Ukraine, very close to where he lived and died, a man who exemplified peace is my choice.
My thoughts exactly. Plus, I would like to know more about Wenceslaus!
My thoughts exactly.
Agree.
the Ukrainian and Czech languages are so similar that their speakers can understand each other without needing a translator .... and the Czech people have had similar run-ins with the Russians , especially in 1968, and especially Saint on Wenceslas Square in Prague... Both my grandfather and my brother were named after Saint Wenceslas , also known as Vaclav , which in English translates to James . besides which, I read on another website that Wentzell's Pagan mother had the nickname, "The Disheveled One". In Czech that title is "kucerova", which is my family name....I vote for Wenzel.
I agree with Margaret. I too grew up in a church named for St. Stephen. Easy Peasy
Speaking truth to power, despite the consequences, or wielding power and so able to make changes from within? A hard choice but I had to go with Stephen. Mind you, we wouldn't have the beautiful carol without both of them so good on them both!
Stephen. All the way.
I can only get the first page of the bracket page to print.
The world today seems full of autocratic and cruel leaders that I find easy to hate but hard to pray for as Jesus bids us do. Stephen's example of forgiving his killers is a chastening example of what our Lord would have us do.
Both these men deserve my vote, but I cast mine in honor of my first nephew, Stephen David.
Both of these Saints are quite worthy, but I found the write up about Wenceslaus to be fascinating. So I voted for him in the spirit of learning more about the saints!
I was baptized at St. Stephen's
Stephen’s write up did not reference the Book of Acts nor the reason behind his being chosen with others to serve the needs of the marginalized (Greek speaking widows) in the post Pentecost church. These women were being neglected in the daily distribution. Since the apostles were too busy with their preaching and teaching to correct this inequality, helpers/deacons were chosen. Precedent was set early in the church to include and provide for the needy. To this day vital congregations are servant congregations. Go deacons!
I suppose no one else has had that scene from Muppet Christmas Carol going through their heads all day?! I mean, I know the tune to Good King Wenceslaus but I don't believe any of my Christmas albums have versions with the words... so the ONLY words I know are the first few lines that the poor little orphan bunny sings before Scrooge cuts him off! "Penny for the song, g'vner?"
I am much tempted to write out the words for you, but you can look them up. a stirring (see above) story of a generous king working a small miracle.
Thanks! I did end up looking them up later just to try and get the ear worm out of my head! Brain fog had me a little trouble following the story in poetry (weird since I used to be a poet and read/love poetry regularly) but I think I got the gist!
My Aunt Jan and I cast our single vote for Wenceslaus. His seeking peace was our motivation, as it was for several other commenters.
I have been to Prague and St. Vitus' Cathedral. I walked several blocks in the rain to Wenceslaus Square. I think I have been fascinated by him since I was a child. Learning about his murder by his brother and seeing the fallout from this just made him more special. I could vote no other way.
Not sure why I am drawn to Wenceslaus at this time that Ukraine is under attack, but something about his life I learned through this write up is compelling for me. And, who knew at the time it was likely written that we would be seeing this scenario play out? I couldn't vote any other way.
Going through some of the comments brought me even more respect for both of these men.
The dramatic history and pacifist beliefs that Wenceslaus show are so thrilling, and fitting in our current time with *everything* going on.
But there is something admirable about Stephen's quiet and constant love, taking care of everyone in a way that so many people find iconic.
My knee jerk reaction was to put Wenceslaus down, but I honestly want to read more about Stephen!
Wenceslaus believed in diplomacy as a way to resolve conflict. That’s a good example of what is needed in the world today!
I've always been a St Stephen fan, but I was really drawn to Wenceslaus today. His story is compelling and he gets my vote this afternoon as Lent and Lent Madness begins again.
As a deacon my vote is clear.
I voted for Stephen,first martyr and in honor of Deacons
I found it very difficult to decide who to vote for. I wish I could vote for both of them. I ended up voting for Stephen because he was the first martyr and like Jesus forgave those who killed him.
I am of Czech descedence but from Slovakia. My Aunt Alice said she was Bohemian. Now I know she was from the Czech Republic or the West part of what was Czechoslovakia. I will vote for Wenceslaus. Also because of his peace promoting actions. Maybe the peacemakers will inherit the Earth.
But the song stirs the heart. The Good King gets my vote.
Those are new (stirring) words set to an old May carol.
Thanks. This is my first time playing the Lent Madness and I am enjoying every minute of this excellent adventure in church’s history, particularly, The Saints.
I voted for Stephen because of his forgiving spirit.
Thanks. This is my first time playing the Lent Madness and I am enjoying every minute of this excellent adventure in church’s history, particularly, The Saints.
I voted for Stephen because of his forgiving spirit.
Checking in before bed, I voted this morning - wow! It's close! Way to go, SEC, for providing us with a nail biter right off the bat.
I love doing this every year, and as usual, this is a hard choice. I went with Wenceslaus because I'm thinking of Ukraine and how many truly innocent people are being hurt in some way. The idea of someone planning on giving himself so others wouldn't be hurt was wonderful. And I loved the angels protecting Wenceslaus!
Not sure why, but after years of reliably receiving all emails related to Lent Madness, mine suddenly stopped arriving after Monday's post. (So I missed several in a row!) (And I can't seem to find any way to send an email to the site from the new website to report the problem.) I've checked my wordpress mail settings and they're set to receive Lent Madness emails immediately. I've also checked spam and they aren't ending up there. I tried signing up again but didn't receive a confirmation.
Will have to try to just remember to come to the site every day and vote, but wanted to report the issue and wondering if anyone else is having the same problem with the emails.
This happened to me too...
I didn't get my email either, even though I've been getting all of the pre-Lent Madness emails.
My mother and father were both Greek. I feel a connection to Stephen. I love that he told the Sanhedrin just what he thought and didn’t back down from his beliefs. Stephen got my vote.
Good to be back for another round of Lent Madness! As usual, you never make this easy. I could make good arguments for voting for both, but in the end I voted for Stephen because he was the first martyr, and like Jesus, he too forgave those who took his life.