Jerome the Translator

Jerome was the foremost biblical scholar of the ancient Church. His translation of the Bible, along with his commentaries and homilies on the biblical books, have made him a major intellectual force in the Western Church.

Jerome was born in about 347, and was converted and baptized during his student days in Rome. On a visit to Trier, he found himself attracted to the monastic life, which he tested in a brief but unhappy experience as a hermit in the deserts of Syria. At Antioch, he continued his studies in Hebrew and Greek. In 379, he went to Constantinople where he studied under Gregory of Nazianzus. From 382 to 384 he was secretary to Pope Damasus I, and spiritual director of many noble Roman ladies who were becoming interested in the monastic life. It was Damasus who set him the task of making a new translation of the Bible into Latin -- into the popular form of the language, hence the name of the translation: the Vulgate. After the death of Damasus, Jerome returned to the East, and established a monastery at Bethlehem, where he lived and worked until his death on 30 September 420.

Jerome is best known as the translator of the Bible into Latin. A previous version (now called the Old Latin) existed, but Jerome's version far surpassed it in scholarship and in literary quality. Jerome was well versed in classical Latin (as well as Greek and Hebrew), but deliberately translated the Bible into the style of Latin that was actually spoken and written by the majority of persons in his own time. This kind of Latin is known as Vulgate Latin (meaning the Latin of the common people), and accordingly Jerome's translation is called the Vulgate.

Jerome was intemperate in controversy, and any correspondence with him tended to degenerate into a flame war. (His friendship with Augustine, conducted by letter, nearly ended before it began. Fortunately Augustine sized him up correctly, soothed his feelings, and was extremely tactful thereafter.) His hot temper, pride of learning, and extravagant promotion of asceticism involved him in many bitter controversies over questions of theology and of Bible interpretation. However, he was candid at times in admitting his failings, and was never ambitious for either worldly or churchly honors. He was a militant champion of orthodoxy, a tireless worker, and a scholar of rare gifts.


Propers for Jerome - Priest, Scholar, Translator, Church Father, Theologian and Doctor


The Collect.

O GOD, who hast given us the Holy Scriptures for a light to shine upon our path: Grant us, after the example of thy servant Jerome, so to learn of thee according to thy holy Word, that we may find in it the light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-9.


The Gospel - St. Luke 24:44-48.


References and Resources :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/30.html
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/jerome.cfm



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Michaelmas

On the Feast of Michael and all Angels, popularly called Michaelmas, we give thanks for the many ways in which God's loving care watches over us, both directly and indirectly, and we are reminded that the richness and variety of God's creation far exceeds our knowledge of it.

St. Michael is one of the principal angels; his name was the war-cry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against the enemy and his followers.

It would have been natural to St. Michael, the champion of the Jewish people, to be the champion also of Christians, giving victory in war to his clients. The early Christians, however, regarded some of the martyrs as their military patrons: St. George, St. Theodore, St. Demetrius, Ss. Sergius and Bacchus, St. Procopius, St. Mercurius, etc.; but to St. Michael they gave the care of their sick. At the place where he was first venerated, in Phrygia, his prestige as angelic healer obscured his interposition in military affairs. It was from early times the center of the true cult of the holy angels, particularly of St. Michael. Tradition relates that St. Michael in the earliest ages caused a medicinal spring to spout at Chairotopa near Colossae, where all the sick who bathed there, invoking the Blessed Trinity and St. Michael, were cured.

Michaelmas Day, in England and other countries, is one of the regular quarter-days for settling rents and accounts; but it is no longer remarkable for the hospitality with which it was formerly celebrated. Stubble-geese being esteemed in perfection about this time, most families had one dressed on Michaelmas Day. In some parishes (Isle of Skye) they had a procession on this day and baked a cake, called St. Michael's bannock.


Propers for Michaelmas


The Collect.

O EVERLASTING God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order; Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels always do thee service in heaven, so, by thy appointment, they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Revelation xii. 7.

THERE was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.


The Gospel - St. Matthew xviii. 1.

AT the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.


References and Resources :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Michael
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10275b.htm
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/29.html
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/s_micha.cfm



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Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent was born of poor parents in the village of Pouy in Gascony, France, about 1580. He enjoyed his first schooling under the Franciscan Fathers at Acqs. Such had been his progress in four years that a gentleman chose him as subpreceptor to his children, and he was thus enabled to continue his studies without being a burden to his parents. In 1596, he went to the University of Toulouse for theological studies, and there he was ordained priest in 1600.

In 1605 while traveling aboard ship in the Mediterranean Sea, Vincent was captured by North African Pirates and sold into slavery. Vincent remained in bondage for two years eventually gaining his freedom by converting his Mohammedan owner to Christianity. After leaving North Africa, Vincent traveled to Rome and then back to France serving in Various Chaplaincies and Parishes for a time.

This brought him into contact with the peasants, and he became concerned for their needs, physical and spiritual. A peasant who believed himself to be dying confessed to him that his previous confessions for many years had been dishonest. Vincent began to preach in the local church on confession, repentance, forgiveness, and the love of God. His sermons drew such crowds of penitents that he had to call in a group of other priests to assist him. He took on the pastorship of a neighboring church attended by a more fashionable and aristocratic crowd, and there he likewise drew many of his listeners to repentance and amendment of life. Returning to Paris, he worked among the prisoners destined for the galleys who were being held at the Conciergerie.

In 1625 he established the Congregation of the Mission (now known as the Vincentians, or the Lazarists), a community of priests who undertook to renounce all ecclesiastical advancement and devote themselves to work in the small towns and villages of France. In an age not noted for "interdenominational courtesy," he instructed his missioners that Protestants were to be treated as brothers, with respect and love, without patronage or condescension or contentiousness. Wealthy men and women came to him, expressing a wish to amend their lives, and he organized them into a Confraternity of Charity, and set them to work caring for the poor and sick in hospitals and in home visits. In 1633 the Archbishop or Paris gave him the Priory of St Lazare as a headquarters. There he offered retreats six times a year for those who were preparing for the ministry. These lasted two weeks each, and each involved about eighty students. He then began to offer similar retreats for laypersons of all classes and widely varying backgrounds.

Out of his Confraternity of Charity there arose an order of nuns called the Daughters (or Sisters) of Charity, devoted to nursing those who were sick and poor. He said of them, "Their convent is the sick-room, their chapel the parish church, their cloister the streets of the city." Many babies were abandoned in Paris every year, and when Vincent saw some of them, he established an orphanage for them, and thereafter often wandered through the slums, looking in corners for abandoned babies, which he carried back to the orphanage.

He complained to the King that ecclesiastical posts were distributed simply as political favors, and that the spiritual qualifications of the appointees were simply ignored. The King responded by creating a Council of Conscience to remedy the matter, with Vincent at the head. On one occasion, a noblewoman of the court, furious with Vincent because he refused to nominate her son for a position as bishop, threw a stool at him. He left the room with a stream of blood pouring from his forehead, and said to a companion who was waiting for him, "Is it not wonderful how strong a mother's love for her son can be?" He died 27 September 1660.


Propers for Vincent de Paul - Priest, Confessor and Helper of Men

The Collect.

Almighty God, who didst call thy servant Vincent de Paul to serve thee in the person of those in need: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, following his example, may fulfil thy commandments by loving our neighbour, and by loving thee with all our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


The Epistle - Philippians 4:4-9.


The Gospel - St. Luke 10:1-9.


Reference and Resources:

http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/27.html
http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-vincent-de-paul/
http://www.monasteryicons.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?action=DETAIL&item=397&EXPANDED=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_de_Paul
http://tridentine-mass.blogspot.com/search/label/Saint%20Vincent%20de%20Paul
http://www.ttstm.com/2009/09/september-27-vincent-de-paul-slave.html

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Cosmas and Damian

(Greek: Κοσμάς και Δαμιανός) (also written Kosmas and Damianos) (died ca. 287) were twins and early Christian martyrs born in Arabia who practised the art of healing in the seaport of Aegea (modern Ayas) in the Gulf of Issus, then in the Roman province of Syria. They accepted no payment for their services, which led them to be nicknamed anargyroi (The Silverless); it is said that by this, they led many to the Christian faith.

It was not only people they cared for, but God's dumb creatures too. If any animal was in pain, they would treat it as gently and carefully as if it had been a human being. Indeed, they were perhaps even more pitiful towards animals, for they said:

"People who can speak and complain of their ills are greatly to be pitied, but these dumb creatures, made by our King, can only suffer in silence, and surely their suffering will be required at our hands."

It ever seemed strange to these great men that boys who would scorn to ill-treat a younger child, or take mean advantage of a weak one, would still think nothing of staining their honour by ill-treating an animal, infinitely weaker and smaller, and less able to protect itself. It was one of the few things that raised the wrath of these gentle doctor saints.

During the persecution under Diocletian, Cosmas and Damian were arrested by order of the Prefect of Cilicia, one Lysias who is otherwise unknown, who ordered them under torture to recant. However, according to legend they stayed true to their faith, enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by beheading. Anthimus, Leontius and Euprepius, their younger brothers, who were inseparable from them throughout life, shared in their martyrdom.


Propers for Cosmas and Damian - Healers, Ministers and Martyrs

The Collect.

O GOD, who vouchsafest unto us to keep the heavenly birthday of Blessed Cosmas and Damian, thy holy Martyrs: grant, we beseech thee; that we may rejoice in the perpetual felicity of their fellowship in heaven. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour. Amen.


The Epistle - Wisdom 5:15-19


The Gospel - St. Luke 6:17-23a


Reference and Resources:

http://saints.sqpn.com/stc06001.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_Cosmas_and_Damian
http://www.episcopalnet.org/1928bcp/propers/Missal/Sep27.html
http://www.ttstm.com/2009/09/september-28-cosmas-and-damian-martyrs.html

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Lancelot Andrewes

(1555-1626), Bishop of Winchester, was on the committee of scholars that produced the King James Translation of the Bible, and probably contributed more to that work than any other single person. It is accordingly no surprise to find him not only a devout writer but a learned and eloquent one, a master of English prose, and learned in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and eighteen other languages. He prepared for his own use a manuscript notebook of Private Prayers, which was published after his death. The material was apparently intended, not to be read aloud, but to serve as a guide and stimulus to devout meditation.


Propers for Lancelot Andrewes - Bishop, Preacher, Scholar and Translator

The Collect.

O Lord and Father, our King and God, by whose grace the Church was enriched by the great learning and eloquent preaching of thy servant Lancelot Andrewes, but even more by his example of biblical and liturgical prayer: Conform our lives, like his, we beseech thee, to the image of Christ, that our hearts may love thee, our minds serve thee, and our lips proclaim the greatness of thy mercy; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


The Epistle - 1 Timothy 2:1-7a.


The Gospel - St. Luke 11:1-4.


Reference and Resources:

http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/26.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancelot_Andrewes
http://anglicanhistory.org/andrewes/index.html
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/andrewes/devotions1.html

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The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Galatians v. 16.

I SAY then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.


The Gospel - St. Luke xvii. 11.

AND it came to pass, as Jesus went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.


Sermon - Fr. Robert Hart

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Sergius of Radonezh

(From 09/25)

Venerable Sergius of Radonezh (Сергий Радонежский, Sergii Radonezhsky)—also translated as Sergey Radonezhsky or Serge of Radonezh was a spiritual leader and monastic reformer of medieval Russia

Sergius has held a special place in the history of Russian monasticism. His community at Holy Trinity served as the model of secluded ascetic life organized as communities outside the limits of towns and cities. He himself was a model of asceticism. While not a learned man nor a great preacher, he was a man committed to poverty and utter sincerity. He was deeply humble and had a staunch faith in God's help. He committed to giving help to all who sought his help with loving attention. He was a true leader who led his monks in work and service by setting an example. He established a number of monastery schools and taught farmers better methods of farming.

In view of the stature of his place among Russian saints, he has been honored by adding his name to the monastery he founded: Trinity-Sergius Lavra.


Propers for St. Sergius - Abbot and Monastic Reformer

The Collect.

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us, we pray thee, from an inordinate love of this world, that inspired by the devotion of thy servant Sergius, we may serve thee with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


The Epistle - Ecclesiasticus 39:1-9.


The Gospel - St. Matthew 13:47-52.


Reference and Resources:

http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/25.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergius_of_Radonezh
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Sergius_of_Radonezh

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Our Lady of Walsingham

In A.D. 1061 a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Richeldis de Faverches, a devout Saxon noblewoman. In the vision Lady Richeldis was shown the house in which Mary received the Annunciation from the Archangel Gabriel, Mary asked Lady Richeldis to build an exact replica of the house in Walsingham.

The de Faverches family had the Holy House built with provisions for it's upkeep and the building of a priory next to it. The Chapel and priory came under the care of the Augustinian Canons in the mid-12th century. The chapel became a destination for pilgrims from all over England, eventually winning Royal patronage and Royal pilgrims. The fame and wealth of the site grew to immense proportions, that it was a target of thieves from without and embezzlers from within.

In A.D. 1538, one of the chapel's greatest patrons became it's nemesis when King Henry VIII ordered the confiscation of the site's wealth along with the destruction of chapel and priory, even though two years before the Prior had accepted the King's supremacy as head of the Church of England, it would not save them. The sub-prior was executed and eleven other men from the area that complained as to the sites fate were also executed.

In the early 20th century Walsingham once again became a destination for pilgrims, Anglican, Roman and Orthodox. In 1897 Pope Leo XIII re-established a restored Slipper Chapel as a Roman Catholic Shrine and in 1921 Fr. A.H. Patten, the CofE Vicar for Walsingham sparked Anglican interest in the pre-Reformation pilgrimage. Since then Walsingham has become a centre for ecumenical co-operation, with pilgrims from different denominations making the pilgrimage to both the Roman and Anglican shrines.


Propers for the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham

The Collect.

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hast revealed the beauty of thy power by exalting the lowly virgin of Nazareth and making her the mother of our Saviour: May the prayers of Our Lady of Walsingham bring Jesus to the waiting world and fill the hearts of all thy people with the presence of her child, who liveth and reigneth with thee and Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lesson - Isaiah 7:10-16.


The Gospel - St. Luke 1:26-38


Reference and Resources:

http://www.comeandseeicons.com/bvm/hsw01.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Walsingham
http://www.walsinghamanglican.org.uk/welcome/index.htm
http://www.walsingham.org.uk/romancatholic/
http://www.jchristmas.fsnet.co.uk/orthodox.htm
http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/4752/Walsingham.html
The Orthodox Christian Society of Our Lady of Walsingham
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORwalsinghamS.htm
http://a-c-ruminations.blogspot.com/2005/11/our-lady-of-walsingham.html
http://anglicanwanderings.blogspot.com/2009/06/walsingham-wanderings.html
http://ohioanglican.blogspot.com/2007/03/our-lady-of-walsingham.html

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Ember Day

September 21, 23 and 24, 2011


The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY God, who hast committed to the hands of men the ministry of reconciliation; We humbly beseech thee, by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, to put it into the hearts of many to offer themselves for this ministry; that thereby mankind may be drawn to thy blessed kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Acts xiii. 44.

THE next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.


The Gospel - St. Luke iv. 16.

JESUS came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.


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Adomnán of Iona

was abbot of Iona (679–704), hagiographer, statesman and clerical lawyer; he was the author of the most important Vita of Saint Columba and promulgator of the "Law of Innocents", lex innocentium, also called Cáin Adomnáin, "Law of Adomnán". In Ireland, especially in Derry and County Donegal, a popular Anglicised form of his name is Saint Eunan, from the Gaelic Naomh Adhamhnán.

Adamnan gave sanctuary to Prince Aldfrid when the throne of Northumbria was in dispute following the death of King Oswy. When Aldfrid became king in 686, Aldamnan secured the release of all Irish prisoners taken in the conflict, and visited the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow.

Attended the Council of Birr and Synod of Tara in 697 at which he helped enact the Canons of Adamnan, laws that helped protect civilian and clerical populations in areas at war, prohibiting the murder or enslavement of non-combatant women and children.


Propers for Adomnán of Iona - Abbot, Writer and Lawyer


The Collect.

O GOD, by whose grace the blessed Adomnán, enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we may be inflamed with the same spirit of
discipline and love, and ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Philippians 3:7-15.


The Gospel - St. Luke 12:22-37.


Reference and Resources:

http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-adamnan-of-iona/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adomn%C3%A1n

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Ember Day

September 21, 23 and 24, 2011


The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY God, who hast committed to the hands of men the ministry of reconciliation; We humbly beseech thee, by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, to put it into the hearts of many to offer themselves for this ministry; that thereby mankind may be drawn to thy blessed kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Acts xiii. 44.

THE next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.


The Gospel - St. Luke iv. 16.

JESUS came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.


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Maurice and the Theban Legion

In A.D. 286 a legion of Roman soldiers (6,600 men in strength) known as the Theban Legion (as most of the men came from the Thebes region of Egypt) and under the command of a man name Mauritius (Maurice) was deployed to the Roman Province of Gaul to help put down a rebellion.

The Theban Legion's soldiers were mostly ethnic Copts and Christians and very devout in their faith, from the Commander Maurice down to the lowliest Legionnaire. After establishing their camp among the rest of the Roman Army in Gaul, the Emperor Maximian ordered the army to make sacrifice to the pagan gods and swear an oath of allegiance and swear to assist in the extirpation of Christianity in Gaul, The Theban Legion refused to do either. Again the Emperor demanded that the Thebans make sacrifice and swear the oaths, Mauritius explained to Maximian that the Thebans had no problem in fighting the enemies of the Empire and doing their duty but they would not participate in pagan idolatry or the persecution and murder of Christian non-combatants.

Maximian would not budge on his demands and ordered the Theban Legion decimated, in which the ranks are formed and every tenth man is killed where he stood. The Thebans did not resist and when the decimation was complete the Emperor again made his demands on Mauritius and his legion and again they refused, Maximian ordered another decimation to which the Thebans still did not offer any resistance and they died willingly for their God and their fellow Christians. Again and again the Emperor tried breaking the Thebans will and again they refused to submit and in the process they won over many converts in the ranks of the other legions which had been tasked with their killing as they refused to resist their lawful punishment for their principals and beliefs.

After realizing that he would be unable to make the Thebans conform to his will, the Emperor Maximian ordered the remainder of the Theban Legion destroyed and the Thebans of all ranks were cut-down where they stood thereby winning the Crown of Martyrdom in the service of their God and neighbour.


Propers for Maurice and the Theban Legion - Soldiers and Martyrs

The Collect.

Grant we beseech thee, Almighty God: to keep in our memory the devotion and service of thy blessed Martyrs, Maurice and his companions; and that we may show the same love and obedience unto thee through their example, for the sake of Our Lord and Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost. Amen.


The Lesson - Wisdom 3:1-8


The Gospel - St. Luke 6:17-23


Reference and Resources:

http://www.bibleprobe.com/theban.html
http://www.ttstm.com/2009/09/september-22-maurice-and-theban-legion.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Maurice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theban_Legion


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St. Matthew the Apostle

One day Jesus was walking and saw a tax collector named Matthew sitting at a tax collection post, and said to him, "Follow me." And Matthew stood up and followed Him, and became one of His twelve apostles.

Tax collectors in those days were social outcasts. Devout Jews avoided them because they were usually dishonest (the job carried no salary, and they were expected to make their profits by cheating the people from whom they collected taxes). Patriotic and nationalistic Jews hated them because they were agents of the Roman government, the conquerors, and hated them with a double hatred if (like Matthew) they were Jews, because they had gone over to the enemy, had betrayed their own people for money. Thus, throughout the Gospels, we find tax collectors (publicans) mentioned as a standard type of sinful and despised outcast. Matthew brought many of his former associates to meet Jesus, and social outcasts in general were shown that the love of Jesus extended even to them.

There is not much historical information about Matthew's ministry and martyrdom, but the general conclusion is that he was martyred while evangelizing in an area south of the Caspian Sea possibly Persia or Syria.

According to the consensus, Matthew wrote his Gospel around 80 AD, or about 50 years after Christ's death and resurrection. For comparison's sake, Alexander the Great's two biographies were written about 400 years after his death and are considered generally reliable. However, some scholars, including one famous liberal scholar, date Matthew to no later than 65 AD, a mere 30 years after Christ.

Some of Matthew's unique accounts include the Star of Bethlehem, the visit of the Magi, Herod's execution of the innocent babies, the earthquake at the crucifixion, and the trinitarian formula for baptism.

It is interesting to note that some claim the "Star of Bethlehem" has received surprising confirmation in a recent, comprehensive astronomical study, while second century Greek historian, Phlegon, confirms Matthew's account of the earthquake that followed Christ's death on the cross.


Propers for Matthew - Apostle and Evangelist

The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist; Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.


The Epistle - 2 Corinthians iv:1.

THEREFORE seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.


The Gospel - St. Matthew ix:9.

AND as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.


References and Resources :

http://comfortablewords.blogspot.com/2009/09/st-matthews-day.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_the_Evangelist
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/s_matthw.cfm
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/21.html


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Ember Day

September 21, 23 and 24, 2011


The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY God, who hast committed to the hands of men the ministry of reconciliation; We humbly beseech thee, by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, to put it into the hearts of many to offer themselves for this ministry; that thereby mankind may be drawn to thy blessed kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Acts xiii. 44.

THE next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.


The Gospel - St. Luke iv. 16.

JESUS came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.


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Latest contributor- “the Ohio Anglican” | Top Ten Most Influential Christians

Latest contributor- “the Ohio Anglican” | Top Ten Most Influential Christians

The book project is well on its way, and we are glad to announce an additional contributing writer to the pending efforts.

Kevin Curtis, of http://ohioanglican.blogspot.com/ , will be assisting us. His blog, named “the Ohio Anglican” is an excellent site with a lot of great info within- whether you are Anglican or not.

We look forward to working together.

Blessings,

Ken L.

John Coleridge Patteson

(1 April 1827 – 20 September 1871) was an Anglican bishop and martyr.

Patteson was educated at The King's School, Ottery St Mary, Eton and then Balliol College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1853 in the Church of England. His old tutor at Eton, George Augustus Selwyn, was the first Bishop of New Zealand, and he persuaded Patteson to become a missionary to the South Seas.

In 1855 Patteson set out to found the Melanesian Mission. He founded a college on Norfolk Island for native boys, toured the islands on the ship Southern Cross, and learned many of the local languages. In 1861 he was made Bishop of Melanesia.

Patteson's aim was to take boys from local communities, educate them in western Christian culture and return them to their communities. Persuading local people to allow their young men to depart – sometimes for years – was his principal problem.

On 20 September 1871 he was murdered on the island of Nukapu in the Solomon Islands, where he had landed alone. The explanation of his death at the time was that natives killed him as revenge for the abduction of some natives by illegal labour recruiters months earlier. These recruiters, known as "blackbirders", were considered to be virtually slave traders by members of the mission, as they enticed or abducted youths to work on plantations.

His death became a cause celebre in England and increased interest both in missionary work and in improvement of the working conditions in Melanesia. His life is celebrated in the Church of England as a saintly one, and he is commemorated with a Lesser Festival on 20 September. There is a memorial to him in the chapel of Merton College, Oxford by Thomas Woolner, which depicts his portrait surrounded by fronds, beneath which he is shown lying in the canoe, as described above


Propers for John Coleridge Patteson - Bishop and Martyr

The Collect.

Almighty God, who didst call thy faithful servants John Coleridge Patteson and his companions to be witnesses and martyrs in the islands of Melanesia, and by their labours and sufferings didst raise up a people for thine own possession: Pour forth thy Holy Spirit upon thy Church in every land, that by the service and sacrifice of many, thy holy Name may be glorified and thy kingdom enlarged; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


The Epistle - 1 Peter 4:12-19.


The Gospel - St. Mark 8:34-38.


Reference and Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Patteson_(bishop)
http://www.janeresture.com/patteson/index.htm

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Theodore of Tarsus

When the pagan Anglo-Saxons invaded England, they drove the native Celtic inhabitants north into Scotland and west into Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall. The Anglo-Saxons were subsequently converted to Christianity by Celtic missionaries from the north and west, and Roman and Gallic missionaries from the south and east. As a result, they ended up with two different "flavors" of Christianity. The difference was expressed mainly in the form of a disagreement about the proper method for calculating the date of Easter, a disagreement which we may suspect was a stand-in for other disagreements a little more difficult to articulate. In 663, a council was called to settle the dispute, the Synod of Whitby. It decided in favor of the Roman or continental way of doing things.

Soon after, the Archbishop of Canterbury died, and the English elected a successor, Wighard, and sent him to Rome to be consecrated by the Pope. Wighard died in Rome before he could be consecrated, and the Pope (Vitalian) took it upon himself to choose a man to fill the vacancy. He consecrated Theodore of Tarsus (the native city of the Apostle Paul), a learned monk (not a priest) from the East then living in Rome, 65 years old. This surprising choice turned out to be a very good one. Theodore was (as Bede put it in his Ecclesiastical History) "the first archbishop whom all the English obeyed." Having made a tour of his charge, Theodore filled the vacant bishoprics and in 672 presided over the first council of the entire English Church, at Hertford. He established definite territorial boundaries for the various dioceses, and founded new dioceses where needed. He found the Church of England an unorganized missionary body, and left it a fully ordered province of the universal Church. The body of canon law drawn up under his supervision, and his structure of dioceses and parishes, survived the turmoil of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and are substantially intact today.

He founded a school at Canterbury that trained Christians from both the Celtic and the Roman traditions, and did much to unite the two groups. The school was headed by Adrian, an abbot born in Africa but later resident in Italy, who had been the Pope's first choice for Archbishop, but who had refused and recommended Theodore instead. Adrian was learned in the Scriptures, a good administrator, and fluent in Latin and Greek. The school taught Bible, theology and sacred studies, Latin and Greek (Bede alleges that some of the students knew these languages as well as they knew English), poetry, astronomy, and calendar calculation (of some importance for political reasons, as stated above). Adrian died 9 January 710.

Theodore died 19 September 690, being 88 years old.


Propers for Theodore of Tarsus - Archbishop of Canterbury

The Collect.

O GOD, who dost ever hallow and protect thy Church: Raise up therein through thy Spirit good and faithful stewards of the mysteries of Christ, as thou didst in thy servant Theodore; that by their ministry and example thy people may abide in thy favour and walk in the way of truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.


The Epistle - 2 Timothy 2:1-5, 10.


The Gospel - St. Matthew 24:42-47.


References and Resources :

http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/19.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_of_Tarsus http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/theodore.cfm


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The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Galatians iii. 16.

TO Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.


The Gospel - St. Luke x. 23.

BLESSED are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.


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George MacDonald

(from 09/18)

is not very well known in today the Rev. MacDonald had an impact on one of the greatest generations of Christian writers and apologists including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton.

Born on December 10, 1824 at Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the son of a farmer, and one of the MacDonalds of Glen Coe, the Doric dialect of the area appears in the dialog of some of his non-fantasy novels. He was raised in the Congregationalist denomination but had problems with aspects of Calvinist doctrine, such as predestination.

MacDonald took a degree from the University of Aberdeen and then to Highbury College (London) to prepare for the ministry in the Congregational Church.

In 1850 he was appointed Pastor of Trinity Church (Arundel), but due to the lack of strict adherence to Calvinist principles in his preaching, he soon fell out of favor with that congregation. Later he moved to Manchester to do ministerial work, but had to leave for health reasons.

With leaving his full-time work in ministry, MacDonald began to spend more time writing, editing and lecturing, including a trip to the United States in 1872-1873, where he befriended Mark Twain, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Walt Whitman. Most of the great British and American writers of the 19th century where either acquaintances or friends of MacDonald, including Dickens and Tennyson.

MacDonald though best known for his fantasy writing, had a great impact on Christian theology and apologetics with his work Unspoken Sermons.

MacDonald died 18 September 1905 in Ashtead, Surrey, England and is Bordighera, Italy next to his wife. MacDonald's legacy was carried on by his son Greville MacDonald (a medical specialist and novelist) and his grandson Philip MacDonald (a screenwriter).


Prayer.

Heavenly Father who bestowest gifts and talents upon men, we thank thee for blessing us with those who use thier gifts for thy service and glory; remember Lord thy servant George MacDonald and by his example, we may also be useful to thee with the talents that thou hast given unto us. This we ask in the name of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.


Reference and Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MacDonald
http://www.ccel.org/m/macdonald


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Lambert of Maastricht

b. at Maestricht between 633 and 638; d. at Liège, between 698 and 701. His parents, who belonged to the nobility, gave him a very religious education, and chose as his preceptor St. Landoaldus, priest of the cathedral church at Maestricht. Later, Lambert received instruction from St. Theodardus (668 or 669), whom he succeeded in 670 as Bishop of Maestricht.

During the calamitous days of Ebroin, Mayor of the Palace, Lambert, having defended the interests of King Childeric, was forced to flee from Maestricht. While Pharamundus administered his see, Lambert spent seven years (674-681) in the well-known Abby of Stavelot, where he edified the monks by his saintly life. In 681 Ebroin received his well-earned retribution, and Pepin of Heristal became mayor of the palace, at first of Austrasia, but in 687 of the whole domain of the Franks. Pepin, who liked Lambert, permitted him to return to Maestricht and resume the administration of his see. Some time later we find Lambert as a missionary in Toxandria, the Kempenland and Brabant of today. In order to spread the Gospel, he descended the River Meuse as far as Tiel and laboured along its banks in company with St. Willibrord, who had come from England in 691. It is very probable that Lambert came in contact with Sts. Wiro, Plechelmus, and Otger, who had built a church and monastery on the Pietersburg, later called the Odilienberg, near Roermond. St. Landrada aided Lambert in founding the Abbey of Munsterbilsen.

For several centuries a controversy has been carried on concerning the manner of the saint's death. According to tradition, Lambert became a martyr to his defence of marital fidelity. The Bollandists, Mabillon, Valois, Lecointe, Pagi and others held, however, that the saint was killed by Frankish nobles in revenge for the failure of a plundering expedition. Kurth in 1876 critically examined the centuries-old tradition and, documents in hand, proved beyond further doubt that Lambert was martyred because of his defence of the marriage tie. Pepin of Heristal lived for many years in irreproachable wedlock with the pious Plectrude, who bore him two sons. Later he entered into unlawful relations with Alpais, who became the mother of Charles Martel. When no one had the courage to remonstrate with Pepin, Lambert went to his court like another John the Baptist. Alpais, fearing that Pepin might heed the admonitions of the saint, appealed to her brother Dodo. The latter sought revenge and caused Lambert to be assassinated in the chapel of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, built by St. Monulphus at Liège. His heart was pierced by a javelin while he was at the altar. The servants of the martyr placed his remains in a vessel, descended the Meuse to Maestricht, and buried them in the cemetery of St. Peter, in the vault of his parents, Aper and Herisplindis, beneath the walls of Maestricht. Between 714 and 723, St. Hubert exhumed the remains and had them translated to Liège, whither he had transferred, presumably as early as 723, his episcopal see. The saint's feast is celebrated on 17 Sept. A large number of churches have St. Lambert as their patron.


Propers for Lambert of Maastricht - Bishop and Martyr

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who didst strengthen thy blessed martyr Lambert with the virtue of constancy in faith and truth: Grant us in like manner for love of thee to despise the prosperity of this world, and to fear none of its adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - 2 Esdras 2:42-48.


The Gospel - St. Matthew 10:16-22.


Reference and Resources:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08757a.htm
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/com_mart.cfm
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/cal9_07.cfm?PropersYear=1662

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Ninian of Galloway

(traditionally 4th-5th century) is a Christian saint first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedications to him in those parts of Scotland with a Pictish heritage, throughout the Scottish Lowlands, and in parts of Northern England with a Northumbrian heritage. In Scotland, Ninian is also known as Ringan, and as Trynnian in Northern England.


Propers for Ninian of Galloway - Missionary and Bishop

The Collect.

O GOD, who by the preaching of thy blessed servant Ninian didst cause the light of The Gospel to shine in the land of Britain: Grant, we beseech thee, that having his life and labours in
remembrance, we may show forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same by following the example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Isaiah 49:1-6.


The Gospel - St. Matthew 28:16-20.


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St. Cyprian's Prayer

A Prayer for Prisoners and Corrections Officers (St. Cyprian)

Most gracious Father, bless with Thy special care all penitentiaries and homes of refuge. Look with pity upon those who are housed there. Guide and protect those who have returned to the world. Grant all of them true contrition for past sins, and strengthen them in their good resolutions. Lead them along from grace to grace so that by the help of the Holy Ghost they may persevere in the ways of obedience and humility, and in the struggle against evil thoughts and desires. Grant the Holy Spirit to those engaged in teaching and training them, that they might have a right judgment with respect to those entrusted to them. May they labor for love of Thee with deep humility and singleness of purpose, purity of heart and life, and true zeal for Thy glory and the salvation of souls. Give them faith and love to sustain them in disappointment, love and patience toward those under them, and in Thine own good time crown their work with an eternal recompense. This we ask in the name of Thine only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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Our Lady of Sorrows

1. The Prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34-35) or the Circumcision of Christ

2. The Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)

3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:43-45)

4. Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary. (Luke 23:26)

5. Jesus Dies on the Cross. (John 19:25)

6. Mary Receives the Body of Jesus in Her Arms. (Matthew 27:57-59)

7. The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Tomb. (John 19:40-42)

The Collect

O Lord, in whose passion the sword of grief did pierce the gentle soul of the glorious Virgin Mary, that so might be fulfilled the word of thy Prophet Simeon : mercifully grant that we who do call to mind her sorrows ; may be fulfilled with the blessed fruits of thy passion. Who livest and reignest with the Father. Amen.

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The Exaltation of The Holy Cross

During the reign of Constantine, first Roman Emperor to profess the Christian faith, his mother Helena went to The Holy Land and there undertook to find the places especially significant to Christians. (She was helped in this by the fact that in their destructions around 135, the Romans had built pagan shrines over many of these sites.) Having located, close together, what she believed to be the sites of the Crucifixion and of the Burial (at locations that modern archaeologists think may be correct), she then had built over them the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was dedicated on 14 September 335.

It has become a day for recognizing the Cross (in a festal atmosphere that would be inappropriate on Good Friday) as a symbol of triumph, as a sign of Christ's victory over death, and a reminder of His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32 - KJV).


Propers for The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The Collect.

O GOD, who by the passion of thy blessed Son hast made the instrument of shameful death to be unto us the sign of life and peace: Grant us so to glory in the Cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss; for the sake of the same thy Son our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Philippians 2:5-11.

LET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


The Gospel - St. John 12:31-36.

NOW is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.


References and Resources:

http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/14.html
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/holy_crs.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Cross
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2012:32&version=9

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Cyprian of Carthage

Cyprian was born around 200 AD in North Africa, of pagan parents. He was a prominent trial lawyer and teacher of rhetoric. Around 246 he became a Christian, and in 248 was chosen Bishop of Carthage. A year later the persecution under the Emperor Decius began, and Cyprian went into hiding. He was severely censured for this. After the persecution had died down, it remained to consider how to deal with the lapsed, meaning with those Christians who had denied the faith under duress. Cyprian held that they ought to be received back into full communion after suitable intervals of probation and penance, adjusted to the gravity of the denial. In this he took a middle course between Novatus, who received apostates with no probation at all, and Novatian, who would not receive them back at all, and who broke communion with the rest of the Church over this issue, forming a dissident group particularly strong in Rome and Antioch. (Novatus, somewhat surprisingly, ended up joining the party of Novatian.) Cyprian, who held the same position as the Bishop of Rome on the treatment of the lapsed, wrote urging the Christians of Rome to stand with their bishop.

Later, the question arose whether baptisms performed by heretical groups ought to be recognized as valid by the Church, or whether converts from such groups ought to be rebaptized. Cyprian favored re-baptism, and Bishop Stephen of Rome did not. The resulting controversy was not resolved during Cyprian's lifetime.

During the reign of the Emperor Valerian, Carthage suffered a severe plague epidemic. Cyprian organized a program of medical relief and nursing of the sick, available to all residents, but this did not prevent the masses from being convinced that the epidemic resulted from the wrath of the gods at the spread of Christianity. Another persecution arose, and this time Cyprian did not flee. He was arrested, tried, and finally beheaded on 14 September 258. (Because 14 is Holy Cross Day, he is usually commemorated on a nearby open day.) We have an account of his trial and martyrdom.

Many of his writings have been preserved. His essay On The Unity of The Catholic Church stresses the importance of visible, concrete unity among Christians, and the role of the bishops in guaranteeing that unity. It has greatly influenced Christian thought, as have his essays and letters on Baptism and the Lord's Supper. He has been quoted both for and against the Roman Catholic claims for Papal authority.




Propers for Cyprian - Bishop, Churchman, Theologian and Martyr

The Collect:

ALMIGHTY God, who didst give thy servant Cyprian boldness to confess the Name of our Saviour Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we likewise may ever be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for his sake; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - 1 Peter 5:1-4, 10-11.

THE elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.



The Gospel - St. John 10:11-16.

I AM the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.


Resources and References:

http://weedon.blogspot.com/2008/09/commemoration-of-st-cyprian.html
http://saints.sqpn.com/saintc07.htm
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/09/13.html
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/cyprian.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprian


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John Henry Hobart

(September 14, 1775 – September 12, 1830) was the third Episcopal bishop of New York (1816–1830).

He vigorously promoted the extension of the Episcopal Church in Central and Western New York. He founded the General Theological Seminary in New York City and Geneva College, later renamed after him, in Geneva, in the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York.


Propers for John Henry Hobart - Bishop and Theologian


The Collect.

O GOD, who dost ever hallow and protect thy Church: Raise up therein through thy Spirit good and faithful stewards of the mysteries of Christ, as thou didst in thy servant John Henry Hobart; that by their ministry and example thy people may abide in thy favour and walk in the way of truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.


The Epistle - Hebrews 12: 1-2.


The Gospel - St. Matthew 25:31-40.


Reference and Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Hobart
http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/jhhobart/index.html

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Enswith of Folkestone

was the daughter of Edbald, King of Kent, and Emma, a princess of Austrasia in modern France. She was sister of the religious King Erconbert, and niece of Ethelburga of Lyming, Queen of Northumbria. From her infancy, she despised all that usually amuses and interests children and grew up devoting herself to a religious life. She prevailed on her father to allow her to decline all marital alliances proposed for her and retired, with his consent, to a lonely place between Folkestone and the sea, accompanied by other young women of kindred inclination. There, King Edbald built a church and a monastery for her.

Enswith made her monastery a great agricultural establishment, as well as an ascetic sanctuary and literary school. She died young and was buried in her own church. There are many legends about her miraculous powers. Her monastery was built on a cliff and water, being wanted there, she dug a canal with the tip of her crosier and made the water run uphill. She also miraculously lengthened a beam which some carpenters had made too short.

After her death, the encroaching sea ruined the buildings and the body of the saint was moved to the parish church at Folkestone, which Edbald had built in honour of St. Peter. In the process of time, by the devotion of the people to her memory, the church became known as Enswith's. She is usually represented in art carrying two fishes.


Propers for Enswith of Folkestone - Princess and Abbess

The Collect.

O GOD, by whose grace the blessed Enswith, enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we may be inflamed with the same spirit of discipline and love, and ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - Philippians 3:7-15.


The Gospel - St. Luke 12:22-37.


Reference and Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eanswith
http://www.britannia.com/bios/saints/enswith.html
http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-eanswith/

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The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle - 2 Corinthians iii. 4.

SUCH trust have we through Christ to God-ward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.


The Gospel - St. Mark vii. 31.

JESUS, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

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