As Duke of Bohemia he spread the faith among his people and cared generously for the poor. He was murdered on his way to church in a plot led by his own brother and became the patron saint of the Czech lands.
Life
Saint Wenceslaus was Duke of Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, in the early tenth century. He learned the Christian faith from his devout grandmother, Saint Ludmila. Coming to power young, he built churches, cared for the poor and for prisoners, and tried to govern according to the Gospel.
Around 935, on his way to church, he was killed by his brother Boleslav and the faction that opposed him. He was soon venerated as a martyr and is today the beloved patron of the Czech people. The Church remembers him on September 28.
Spirituality
The spirituality of Wenceslaus is a faith that treats power as a means of service. Though he held high office, he saw himself as God's servant and looked to the Gospel as the measure of his rule. Even in the pain of betrayal by his own family, his life shows that faith and public responsibility can go together.
Reflection
The higher Wenceslaus stood, the more he cared for the lowly. For whom am I using the small responsibilities and influence entrusted to me?