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1 February
Brigid
White
Abbess of Kildare
England, Scotland: Commemoration – Ireland: Festival – Wales: V
Brigid (also known as Bride) was a contemporary of Patrick who founded a religious community at Kildare. Little else is known about her for sure. Her spirituality strongly influenced the formation of the Church throughout Ireland, immediately after Patrick’s time. The Church developed through communities of monks and nuns, and her pre-eminence led to her being regarded as a second patron saint. There are no contemporary writings about Brigid, and the stories about her include pagan elements, for there was a Celtic pagan mother-goddess who had a similar name. But we can be sure that Brigid was a remarkable person and through the grace of God gave unique leadership in her own troubled times. The list of the saints of the Celtic church in Ireland is so male-dominated that the revered place given to Brigid of Kildare is itself a testimony to her leadership and holiness.
Collect (Ireland)
Father,
by the leadership of your blessed servant Brigid
you strengthened the Church in Ireland:
as we give you thanks for her life of devoted service,
inspire us with new life and light,
and give us perseverance to serve you all our days;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Or (Wales)
Almighty God,
who enkindled in the heart of Bridget
the living flame of your love:
stir the cold embers of our hearts
and lead us to the well-springs of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be all honour and glory
now and for ever.
A reading from the prophecy of Hosea.
‘Come, let us return to the Lord;
for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
like the spring rains that water the earth.’
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes away early.
This is the word of the Lord.
Hosea 6.1–4
Responsorial Psalm
R: Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
[you that by night stand in the house of the Lord].
Lift up your hands towards the sanctuary
and bless the Lord.
The Lord who made heaven and earth
give you blessing out of Zion. R
Psalm 134
A reading from the First Letter of John.
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us – we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the word of the Lord.
1 John 1.1–4
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
John 10.7–16
Post Communion
God of truth,
whose Wisdom set her table
and invited us to eat the bread
and drink the wine of the kingdom:
help us to lay aside all foolishness
and to live and walk in the way of insight,
that we may come with Brigid
to the eternal feast of heaven;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 February
The Presentation of Christ
Gold or White
in the Temple
(Candlemas)
England: Principal Feast – Ireland: Principal Holy Day – Scotland: II – Wales: I
This day marks the completion of forty days since the birth of Jesus, when Mary and Joseph took the child to the Temple in Jerusalem. The requirement in Levitical law was for Mary to be ‘cleansed’, the completion of her purification following the birth of a male child. Until that day, she could touch no holy thing nor enter the sanctuary. Yet on seeing the holy family, Simeon praised God and acclaimed the infant as ‘the light to enlighten the nations’ and the prophet Anna gave thanks and proclaimed him her Redeemer. The image of Christ as the Light has led to the celebration of light countering darkness, with candles often taking a central place in the observance of this festival.
Collect
Almighty and ever-living God,
clothed in majesty,
whose beloved Son
was this day presented in the Temple,
in substance of our flesh:
grant that we may be presented to you
with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
A reading from the prophecy of Malachi.
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight – indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
This is the word of the Lord.
Malachi 3.1–5
Responsorial Psalm
R: The Lord whom you seek
will suddenly come to his temple.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in. R
‘Who is the King of glory?’
‘The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord who is mighty in battle.’ R
Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in. R
‘Who is this King of glory?’
‘The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.’ R
From Psalm 24
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews.
Since the children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
This is the word of the Lord.
Hebrews 2.14–18
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Luke 2.22–40
Post Communion
Lord, you fulfilled the hope of Simeon and Anna,
who lived to welcome the Messiah:
may we, who have received these gifts beyond words,
prepare to meet Christ Jesus when he comes
to bring us to eternal life;
for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
3 February
Seiriol
Abbot
Wales: V
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Religious
Seiriol (often known as Seiriol Wyn – ‘Seiriol the Fair’) was the son of Owain Danwyn ab Einion Yrth ap Cunedda Wledig. During the first half of the sixth century he became the founder and first abbot of Penmon in Anglesey. He also gave his name to Ynys Seiriol, to which he used to retire for periods of prayer and meditation. Another of Seiriol’s retreats was at Penmaenmawr. Sir John Wynn of Gwydir wrote that ‘this Seiriol had an hermitage at Penmaenmawr, and there had a chapel where he did bestow much of his time in prayers, the place being then an uncouth desert and unfrequented rock.’ An Anglesey tradition says that Seiriol’s soul friend was Cybi, and that the two holy men would meet at midday at the wells of Clorach, halfway between Penmon and Holyhead (Llangybi), to talk and pray together.
Collect
Almighty God, by whose grace Seiriol,
kindled with the holy fire of your love,
became a burning and a shining light in the Church;
inflame in us the same spirit of discipline and love,
that we may walk before you as children of the light;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 February
Anskar
White
Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary in Denmark and Sweden
England: Lesser Festival
A native of Picardy, Anskar was a monk of Corbie near Amiens who, after the conversion of the King of Denmark to Christianity, went to Schleswig and attempted to start a Christian school there. He was expelled by the locals but went on to Sweden, where he is reputed to have built the first Christian church. In 832 he was consecrated Archbishop of Hamburg and sixteen years later became Archbishop of Bremen. He returned to Denmark to convert the King of Jutland. He preached widely throughout Scandinavia and was much-loved for his work with the poor and in mitigating the slave trade. He is the patron saint of Denmark and was popularly known as ‘The Apostle of the North’. He died in the year 865.
Collect
God of grace and might,
who sent your servant Anskar
to spread the gospel to the Nordic peoples:
raise up, we pray, in our generation
messengers of your good news
and heralds of your kingdom
that the world may come to know
the immeasurable riches of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah.
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
This is the word of the Lord.
Isaiah 52.7–10
Responsorial Psalm
R: Break forth together into singing God’s praises,
[for the Lord has comforted his people].
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;
to you that answer prayer shall vows be paid.
To you shall all flesh come to confess their sins;
when our misdeeds prevail against us,
you will purge them away. R
Happy are they whom you choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there.
We shall be satisfied with the blessings of your house,
even of your holy temple. R
With wonders you will answer us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
O hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas. R
From Psalm 65
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans.
The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’
This is the word of the Lord.
Romans 10.11–15
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Mark 6.7–13
Post Communion
Holy Father,
who gathered us here around the table of your Son
to share this meal with the whole household of God:
in that new world where you reveal
the fullness of your peace,
gather people of every race and language
to share with Anskar and all your saints
in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 February
Saints and Martyrs of Europe
Saints, Martyrs and Missionaries of Europe
Scotland: Commemoration – Wales: V
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Missionaries, or of Any Saint
In the Acts of the Apostles it is related how Paul, accompanied by Barnabas and Luke, crossed the Dardanelles from Asia, and first brought the good news of Jesus Christ into Europe. Paul’s extensive journeys, to which his Letters bear witness, laid the foundation of the Church in Greece. He and others, including Peter, preached the gospel in Rome before the first persecutions began under Nero. In the following centuries many martyrs and missionaries spread the gospel message over the Roman Empire, and after the fall of Rome to the barbarians who occupied its lands. In turn they took their new-found faith to their pagan kin in northern and eastern Europe. Since then, the Church in Europe has not lacked faithful people in every age who have continued to proclaim the kingdom of God to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Collect (Scotland)
Draw your Church together, O God,
into one great company of disciples,
together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life,
together serving him in his mission to the world,
and together witnessing to his love on every continent and island;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Or (Scotland)
God, whom the glorious company of the redeemed adore,
assembled from all times and places of your dominion:
we praise you for the saints of our own continent
and for the many lamps their faithfulness has lit;
and we pray that we also may be numbered at last
with those who have done your will
and declared your righteousness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Or (Wales)
Almighty God,
you call your witnesses from every nation
and reveal your glory in their lives:
make us thankful for the example
of the martyrs, missionaries and saints of this continent,
and strengthen us by their fellowship
that we, like them, may be faithful
in the service of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be all honour and glory,
now and for ever.
4 February
Gilbert of Sempringham
Founder of the Gilbertine Order
England: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Religious
Born in 1083 in Sempringham, the son of the squire, Gilbert became the parish priest in 1131. He encouraged the vocation of seven women of the town and formed them into a company of lay sisters. A group of lay brothers also came into being and they all kept the Benedictine Rule. Gilbert was unsuccessful in his bid to obtain pastoral guidance from Cîteaux for the incipient communities and they came under the ambit of Augustinian canons, Gilbert himself becoming the Master. At Gilbert’s death in 1189, aged 106, there were nine double monasteries in England and four of male canons only. It was the only purely English monastic foundation before the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century.
4 February
Manche Masemola
Martyr
Wales: V
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Martyrs
Manche Masemola lived her short life in Marishane, a small town near Pietersburg, South Africa, and was declared a martyr by the South African Church less than a decade after her death in 1928. Manche’s journey to martyrdom began when she and her cousin joined baptism preparation classes in 1927. Every time she returned, Manche was beaten by her parents. Once her mother tried to stab her with a spear. Eventually her mother stole Manche’s clothes, but she ran away naked and hid. When her mother found her, she beat Manche until she died. Manche was killed before she was baptized; however, she had predicted to her priest that she would be ‘baptized in her own blood’.
Collect
Heavenly Father,
whose child Manche [Masemola]
was baptized in her own blood
as a disciple of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ:
grant us such trust in him
that our lives may reflect his unfailing love;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
6 February
The Martyrs of Japan
or Paul Miki, Priest, and the Martyrs of Japan
England, Scotland: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Martyrs
Almost fifty years after Francis Xavier had arrived in Japan as its first Christian apostle, the presence of several thousand baptized Christians in the land became a subject of suspicion to the ruler Hideyoshi, who soon began a period of persecution. Twenty-six men and women, Religious and lay, were first mutilated then crucified near Nagasaki in 1597, the most famous of whom was Paul Miki. After their martyrdom, their blooded clothes were kept and held in reverence by their fellow Christians. The period of persecution continued for another thirty-five years, many new witness-martyrs being added to their number.
9 February
Teilo
Bishop
Wales: V
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Bishops
Teilo was born at Penally, near Tenby, and studied, along with David, at Paulinus’ school at Llanddeusant, near Llandovery. Legend has it that Teilo, along with David and Padarn, went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where, it is said, all three were consecrated bishops. What is more certain is that Teilo had episcopal oversight of a number of monasteries in West Wales, the chief being at Llandeilo Fawr. With the coming of the Yellow Plague in 547, Teilo fled to Brittany, staying with Samson at Dol for seven years, and founding a number of churches. Soon after his return to Llandeilo Fawr, Teilo died, three churches – Penally, Llandeilo Fawr and Llandaff – claiming his body. The twelfth century Book of Llandaff says that ‘miracles proved that Teilo’s body was undoubtedly brought to Llandaff’, and his shrine on the south side of the high altar in the Cathedral became a place of pilgrimage. Teilo is one of the patron saints of Llandaff.
Collect
Father of all,
you raise up in every generation men and women
to act as beacons of your love in the storms and perils of life:
grant that we who revere the memory of your servant Teilo
may, like him, bear witness to your fatherly care;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be all honour and glory
now and for ever.
10 February
Scholastica
sister of Benedict, Abbess of Plombariola
England, Scotland: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Religious
Scholastica is a more shadowy figure than her famous brother, Benedict. She too was born at Nursia, central Italy, around the year 480. At an early age she chose to consecrate herself to God, but probably continued to live at home. Only after Benedict moved to Monte Cassino did she settle at Plombariola nearby, joining or maybe founding a nunnery under his direction. As abbess she sought to follow his Rule, and met him each year at a house near his monastery where they would praise God together and discuss spiritual matters. She died in about the year 543. Benedict had a vision of her soul rising up to heaven and, collecting her body, he had her buried in the tomb prepared for himself. Scholastica soon became a figure for veneration by all nuns who followed Benedict’s Rule.
14 February
Cyril and Methodius
White
Missionaries to the Slavs
England: Lesser Festival – Scotland: Commemoration – Wales: V
Cyril and his older brother Methodius were born in Thessalonica, both developing in their youth the ability to speak several languages, including Slavonic, a language not yet written down, at least in an alphabet understood by others. Cyril created the Slavonic alphabet and set about translating the Scriptures and other liturgical texts into the language. They established the church in Moravia, but in so doing entered into the controversy between indigenous and centralized religious practices and worship. Cyril died on this day in the year 869, whilst the brothers were in Rome, there to obtain papal approval for their evangelistic work. Methodius returned to Moravia as archbishop, where he completed the translation of the Bible and continued the missionary work. He died in the year 885. Today they are revered in both Christian East and West and, as such, are seen as patron saints of ecumenism between these two great branches of Christendom.
Collect
Lord of all,
who gave to your servants Cyril and Methodius
the gift of tongues to proclaim the gospel to the Slavs:
make your whole Church one as you are one
that all Christians may honour one another,
and east and west acknowledge
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
and you, the God and Father of all;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Or (Wales)
God and Father of all,
who gave to your servants Cyril and Methodius
such skill with languages
that they might proclaim the gospel to the Slavs:
grant that all who profess the name of Christ
may honour one another
and east and west unite in proclaiming
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
through the same Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah.
Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God.’
And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength –
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’
This is the word of the Lord.
Isaiah 49.1–6
Responsorial Psalm
R: Lift up your heads, O gates,
and the King of glory shall come in.
The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it,
the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
For he has founded it upon the seas
and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep. R
‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord,
or who can rise up in his holy place?’
‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,
nor sworn an oath to a lie. R
‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
a just reward from the God of their salvation.’
Such is the company of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob. R
Psalm 24
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans.
The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in the Lord will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’
This is the word of the Lord.
Romans 10.11–15
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money – not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’ They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Luke 9.1–6
Post Communion
Holy Father,
who gathered us here around the table of your Son
to share this meal with the whole household of God:
in that new world where you reveal
the fullness of your peace,
gather people of every race and language
to share with Cyril, Methodius and all your saints
in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.
14 February
Valentine
Martyr at Rome
England: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Martyrs
Valentine was a priest or a bishop of Terni who was martyred at Rome under the Emperor Claudius in about 269. The connection of this celebration with lovers seems to be either as the traditional day in mediæval belief when birds mated, or more likely as being linked with the pagan Lupercalia festival in Rome, which occurred on the Ides of February. For Christians, this day marks an acknowledgement of an all-loving God who blesses those who love one another, as Jesus implored his own disciples to do.
15 February
Sigfrid
Bishop, Apostle of Sweden
England: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Missionaries
Sigfrid was most probably an Englishman sent by King Ethelred to assist in the evangelization of Norway and Sweden in the eleventh century. He took with him two fellow missionaries, all three of whom were eventually consecrated bishops. Sigfrid was made Bishop of Vaxjo (pronounced Veksha) in Sweden, though his missionary journeys also took him into Denmark. He died in Vaxjo in 1045, much revered throughout Scandinavia.
15 February
Thomas Bray
Priest, Founder of the SPCK and the SPG
England, Scotland: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Pastors
Born at Marton in Shropshire in 1656, Thomas Bray was educated at Oxford and subsequently ordained. He was chosen by the Bishop of London to assist with the work of organizing the church in Maryland, but legal complications led to an extended delay to his departure. He used this delay to organize a system of free parish libraries, initially for use in North America but later also instituted in England. This led him to found the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) in 1698. He finally set sail for Maryland in 1699. Though well received by the Governor, Bray realized that he could better promote his work from England. On his return to Europe, he also founded the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG). He died on this day in the year 1730.
17 February
Finan of Lindisfarne
Bishop
Scotland: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Bishops
Finan, an Irish monk of Iona, succeeded Aidan as bishop of Lindisfarne, and carried his missionary work south of the Humber. Peada, King of the Middle Angles, and Sigebert, King of the East Saxons, were among his converts. He built the monastery at Whitby and vigorously upheld the Celtic ecclesiastical traditions against those coming from the south who followed Roman usage. He died in the year 661.
17 February
Janani Luwum
Red
Archbishop of Uganda, Martyr
England: Lesser Festival
3 June – Scotland: Commemoration
Janani Luwum was born in 1922 at Acholi in Uganda. His childhood and youth were spent as a goatherd but he quickly showed an ability to learn and absorb knowledge when given the opportunity. Soon after he became a teacher, he was converted to Christianity and was eventually ordained in 1956, becoming Bishop of Northern Uganda in 1969 and Archbishop of Uganda in 1974. Idi Amin had come to power in Uganda in 1971 as the result of a military coup and his undemocratic and harsh rule was the subject of much criticism by the Church and others. After receiving a letter from the bishops protesting at the virtual institution of state murder, Janani and two of Amin’s own government ministers were stated as having been found dead following a car accident. It emerged quickly that they had in fact died on the implicit instructions of the president. Janani’s enthusiasm for the good news of Jesus, combined with his willingness to sacrifice even his own life for what he believed in, led him to his martyrdom on this day in 1977.
Collect
God of truth,
whose servant Janani Luwum walked in the light,
and in his death defied the powers of darkness:
free us from fear of those who kill the body,
that we too may walk as children of light,
through him who overcame darkness
by the power of the cross,
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
A reading from the book Ecclesiasticus.
Watch for the opportune time, and beware of evil,
and do not be ashamed to be yourself.
For there is a shame that leads to sin,
and there is a shame that is glory and favour.
Do not show partiality, to your own harm,
or deference, to your downfall.
Do not refrain from speaking at the proper moment,
and do not hide your wisdom.
For wisdom becomes known through speech,
and education through the words of the tongue.
Never speak against the truth,
but be ashamed of your ignorance.
Do not be ashamed to confess your sins,
and do not try to stop the current of a river.
Do not subject yourself to a fool,
or show partiality to a ruler.
Fight to the death for truth,
and the Lord God will fight for you.
This is the word of the Lord.
Ecclesiasticus 4.20–28
Responsorial Psalm
R: Let your faithful love come unto me, O Lord,
[even your salvation, according to your promise.]
O take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
for my hope is in your judgements.
So shall I always keep your law;
I shall keep it for ever and ever. R
I will walk at liberty,
because I study your commandments.
I will tell of your testimonies, even before kings,
and will not be ashamed. R
My delight shall be in your commandments,
which I have greatly loved.
My hands will I lift up to your commandments, which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes. R
From Psalm 119
A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
This is the word of the Lord.
2 Timothy 4.1–8
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.
‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say – “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
John 12.24–32
Post Communion
God our Redeemer,
whose Church was strengthened
by the blood of your martyr Janani Luwum:
so bind us, in life and death, to Christ’s sacrifice
that our lives, broken and offered with his,
may carry his death and proclaim his resurrection in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
18 February
Colman of Lindisfarne
Bishop
Scotland: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Bishops
Colman was a monk of Iona, like Aidan and Finan, whom he succeeded as bishop of Lindisfarne. At a critical time in the disagreement between the Celtic and Roman traditions about the date of Easter and other usages, which led to the Synod of Whitby, Colman led the Celtic party. However, at the Synod the Northumbrian king was persuaded by Wilfrid’s arguments in favour of the Roman usage. Colman resigned his See and retired first to Iona and then to Ireland, where he died on this day in the year 676. Bede gives a glowing account of his person and ministry.
18 February
John of Fiesole and Andrei Rublev
John of Fiesole (Fra Angelico), Priest, and Andrei Rublev, Religious, Painters
Wales: V
If celebrated otherwise, Common of any Saint
John of Fiesole was born near the end of the fourteenth century in Tuscany. In 1407 he became a Dominican friar, taking the name John, and was ordained. After decorating the walls of the friary at Fiesole, his ministry became one of visual preaching through his great skills as a painter of human figures. He was nicknamed Fra Angelico (Brother Angel) because of the beauty of the faces, human and angelic, that he painted. He died at Rome in 1455.
Andrei Rublev was born in Russia, probably in the 1360s, and was a monk at the monastery of St Sergius. He became a painter of frescoes and icons, and his name is associated with the painting of several great churches in the region around Moscow. He developed a new style, infusing his work with a gentleness and harmony at one with his spirituality, a style hugely influential in the Russian Church. He died around 1430, and was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988.
Today we remember Fra Angelico, Andrei Rublev, and all those whose ministry is exercised through their creativity and artistic skills.
Collect
Gracious Father,
who in the mystery of your Word made flesh
have given us a new and radiant vision of your splendour:
grant that after the example of John and Andrei
we may so contemplate your beauty in him
that we may point others here on earth
to those things which pass imagination;
we ask this through the same Jesus Christ our Lord
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
19 February
Thomas Burgess
Bishop, Teacher of the Faith
Wales: V
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Teachers
Thomas Burgess was born at Odiham in Hampshire in 1756. Ordained in 1784, he became a prebendary of Durham Cathedral ten years later. After his appointment as Bishop of St Davids in 1803 he began to reform his diocese, concentrating on improving the education and preparation for ministry of the clergy. His efforts culminated in the foundation of St David’s College, Lampeter in 1822. Although he never fully mastered the Welsh language, he encouraged the work of the literary and cultural movement led by ‘yr hen bersoniaid llengar’ (‘the old literary parsons’), who were busy rescuing and reviving the eisteddfod. Burgess was translated to Salisbury in 1825 and died there in 1837. Rowland Williams described him as ‘the best English Prelate the Principality ever saw.’
Collect
Almighty Father,
whose Son commanded us to pray
that labourers might be sent into the harvest:
grant that, following the example of your servant Thomas,
we may provide of our substance
for training those who will minister
in the name of him
who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns for ever and ever.
20 February
Martin Luther
Reformer
Scotland: Commemoration
See 31 October
20 February
Saints, Martyrs and Missionaries of Africa
Wales: V
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Missionaries
Today we remember all those who have witnessed to the good news of Jesus Christ throughout Africa. History records many martyrs and other saints from Africa. Amongst them we number: the early saints and martyrs of North Africa such as Perpetua and her companions, Augustine of Hippo, and Monica his mother; the great missionaries of the nineteenth century in central and southern Africa, including James Hannington and Mary Slessor, and martyrs like Charles Mackenzie, Bernard Mizeki, and Charles Lwanga and his companions in Uganda; and twentieth-century heroes such as Charles de Foucauld and Janani Luwum and other great figures in our own time. We think of these people, together with all those who have proclaimed the gospel in Africa, and who continue to proclaim it by word and deed.
Collect
God of all nations,
you have called from among the people of Africa
saints, martyrs and missionaries
who have been faithful in witness to the truth:
grant that by service and sacrifice
we may be ready to live and die
constant in love for all your children:
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be all honour and glory,
now and for ever.
23 February
Polycarp
Red
Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr
England: Lesser Festival – Scotland: Commemoration – Wales: V
Honoured as one of the first Christian martyrs, Polycarp had been Bishop of Smyrna on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor for over forty years when the persecution of Christians began. He was arrested and given the option to renounce his faith and so save his life. His response was: ‘I have been Christ’s servant for eighty-six years and he has done me no harm. Can I now blaspheme my King and my Saviour?’ He was immediately burnt at the stake. His remains were gathered together and buried outside the city; thus began the practice of celebrating the eucharist over his burial place on the anniversary of his death, a practice which also grew over the martyrs’ tombs in the Roman catacombs. Polycarp died in the year 155.
Collect
Almighty God,
who gave to your servant Polycarp
boldness to confess the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ
before the rulers of this world
and courage to die for his faith:
grant that we also may be ready
to give an answer for the faith that is in us
and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
A reading from the Wisdom of Solomon.
The righteous live for ever,
and their reward is with the Lord;
the Most High takes care of them.
Therefore they will receive a glorious crown
and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord,
because with his right hand he will cover them,
and with his arm he will shield them.
The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armour,
and will arm all creation to repel his enemies;
he will put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and wear impartial justice as a helmet;
he will take holiness as an invincible shield,
and sharpen stern wrath for a sword,
and creation will join with him to fight against his frenzied foes.
This is the word of the Lord.
Wisdom 5.15–20
Responsorial Psalm
R: I will bless the Lord at all times;
[his praise shall ever be in my mouth.]
My soul shall glory in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together. R
I sought the Lord and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look upon him and be radiant
and your faces shall not be ashamed. R
This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me
and saved me from all my troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him
and delivers them. R
O taste and see that the Lord is gracious;
blessed is the one who trusts in him.
Fear the Lord, all you his holy ones,
for those who fear him lack nothing. R
From Psalm 34
A reading from the Revelation to John.
One like the Son of Man said to me: To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life: ‘I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.’
This is the word of the Lord.
Revelation 2.8–11
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
John 15.1–8
Post Communion
God our Redeemer,
whose Church was strengthened by the blood of your martyr Polycarp:
so bind us, in life and death, to Christ’s sacrifice
that our lives, broken and offered with his,
may carry his death and proclaim his resurrection in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
27 February
George Herbert
White
Priest, Poet
England: Lesser Festival – Wales: V
Born in 1593 into the aristocratic Pembroke family, George Herbert went up to Cambridge in 1614, eventually becoming a fellow of Trinity College. At the age of twenty-five, he became Public Orator in the University and then a Member of Parliament, apparently destined for a life at court. To everyone’s surprise, he decided to be ordained and, after spending a time with his friend Nicholas Ferrar at Little Gidding, he was made deacon in 1626. He married in 1629, was priested in 1630 and given the care of souls of the parish of Bemerton, near Salisbury, where he spent the rest of his short life. He wrote prolifically, his hymns still being popular throughout the English-speaking world. His treatise, The Country Parson, on the priestly life, and his poetry, especially The Temple, earned Herbert a leading place in English literature. He never neglected the care of the souls of Bemerton, however, and encouraged attendance at the weekday recitation of the daily office, calling to mind the words of his hymn, ‘Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise thee’. He died on 1 March 1633 and was buried in his church at Bemerton two days later.
Collect
King of glory, king of peace,
who called your servant George Herbert
from the pursuit of worldly honours
to be a priest in the temple of his God and king:
grant us also the grace to offer ourselves
with singleness of heart in humble obedience to your service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
A reading from the prophecy of Malachi.
The Lord said, ‘My covenant with Levi was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.’
This is the word of the Lord.
Malachi 2.5–7
Responsorial Psalm
R: The Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
[Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory].
Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord
and they meditate on his law day and night. R
Like a tree planted by streams of water
bearing fruit in due season,
with leaves that do not wither,
whatever they do, it shall prosper. R
From Psalm 1
A reading from the Revelation to John.
From the throne came a voice saying,
‘Praise our God,
all you his servants,
and all who fear him,
small and great.’
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure’ –
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’
This is the word of the Lord.
Revelation 19.5–9
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Matthew 11.25–end
Post Communion
God, shepherd of your people,
whose servant George Herbert revealed the loving service of Christ
in his ministry as a pastor of your people:
by this eucharist in which we share
awaken within us the love of Christ
and keep us faithful to our Christian calling;
through him who laid down his life for us,
but is alive and reigns with you,
now and for ever.
