Thomas Grey
On this date in 1771, the poet, Thomas Gray, was born. His “Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard” became one of the best known English lyric poems.
Gray was the sole survivor of 12 children. His was an unhappy home dominated by a harsh and violent father and a long-suffering mother.
Gray was a man of quiet study, rich imagination, and a few close and understanding friends. At age 26, he settled at Cambridge and devoted himself to writing poetry.
He spent a long time writing his “Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard,” which was published in 1751. The poem reflected on the graves of humble and unknown villagers. It brought him instant fame.
Gray’s poetry began to fade after that, and he turned to study rather than writing. He died at age 55, and was buried in the country churchyard in which he wrote his poem.
After reflecting that many people buried in the church yard had gifts the world never knew, Gray wrote:
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathom’d caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flow’r is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
(From “Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard”)
What in the world is going on? Yesterday was Christmas. Now all of a sudden we get a gloomy Gospel passage like this.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first recorded martyr in Christianity. Since the fifth century, his martyrdom has been celebrated on the first day after Christmas. It is a reminder that belief in the child born on Christmas can be costly.
This Gospel passage is from a section in Matthew in which Jesus is preparing to send the Twelve out on mission. He tells them that just as they share in his mission, so they will share in his persecution and martyrdom.
It’s not likely that I will be killed because I am a Christian
On the other hand, the Christian way of life is at times out of step with what would be called normal standards. I could sometimes get “killed: by others, figuratively speaking.
Not only I could. I have. And I probably can anticipate it happening again.
I need to talk to the Lord about this.