January
14 - Saint Hilary of Poitiers (C. 315-67) Saint Hilary is known as the
"Athanasius of the West" and is also a Doctor of the
Church. In the early Church, persecution was at the hands of
pagan emperors, but in the time of Hilary the Church was also
attacked by the heretical Christian emperors who supported Arianism
- a heresy which denied the divinity of Christ. The season of
Epiphany is a time in which Jesus teaches us of His Divinity,
and it is entirely appropriate that Hilary, a staunch supporter
and apologist for the divinity of Christ, has his feast day during
this season. Hilary was one who, as the epistle for the day declares,
fought against those false teachers who drew people who could
not endure sound doctrine away from the Truth of the gospel
message. May we, along with Saint Hilary, be able to say at the
end of our life, I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith. (propers on page F26, People's
Anglican Missal)The
Day's Propers + Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
January
15 - Saint Paul, the First Hermit. (D. c. 340) To spend one's life in solitude,
meditating on the Truth of the gospel and the Divinity of Christ,
is both a high calling and the life of Saint Paul the First Hermit.
He is traditionally known as the first Christian hermit, and
according to Saint
Jerome's Vita Pauli, fled into the
desert and lived in a cave during the Decian persecution of 249-51.
Saint Paul is an example of one, as the day's epistle puts it,
who counted all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Would that we all embrace
this calling in life - to put Jesus Christ above all things.
(propers on page E15, People's Anglican Missal) + The Day's Propers
+ Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
January
17 - Saint Anthony (a.k.a. "Antony") of Egypt. (D.
356) Saint Anthony is known as the
father of "cenobites", or those monks who live in common
with others. At first Anthony lived alone in the desert, but
his holiness drew many to him. He, like Saint Paul the First
Hermit (whom he is said to have visited), taught the divine kingship
of Christ, during a time in which Arianism was drawing many away
from the Faith and God's grace. God's grace gave Anthony the
ability to, as the collect at his mass prays, neither to look
back nor go astray from the way, but hastening to thee without
stumbling, may attain the crown of eternal life -an
efficacious prayer for us all. (propers on F33, People's Anglican
Missal) The
Day's Propers + Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
January
20 - Saints Fabian and Sebastian, Martyrs. Fabian was the bishop of Rome
from 236 until his death, and was martyred under the Diocletian
persecution in 250. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he
divided Rome into seven different districts, putting deacons
in charge of each area.
Sebastian was a Roman officer who is
said to have converted many of his soldier companions. Tradition
tells us he too was martyred for his faith during the Diocletian
persecution. According to tradition, he was sentenced to be shot
by archers, and is therefore many times represented in medieval
and renaissance art as a young man impaled with many arrows.
He is said to have recovered from that assault, but was later
clubbed to death by the emperor's henchmen.
Both saints remind us to stand up for
the Faith of Christ crucified, no matter the cost, knowing that
the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there
shall no torment touch them.(From the day's propers,
Mass 6, Common of Several Martyrs, page F9, People's Anglican
Missal)The
Day's Propers+Fabian's
Catholic Encyclopedia Article and
Sebastian's
Catholic Encyclopedia Article
January
21 - Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr Agnes is a 4th century Virgin
and Martyr who is said to have lost her life for the Faith, also
during the Diocletian persecution. Legend says she refused to
offer incense at the pagan altar of Minerva, and for that was
martyred. Her refusal to bend to the pagans of her time remind
us to do the same, in a world much like hers - filled with false
gods and self-indulgences. We do well to remember, with Agnes,
that the ungodly laid wait for me to destroy me: but I will
consider thy testimonies, O Lord, above all else.(Introit
for her mass, page E16, People's Anglican Missal) The Day's Propers
+ Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
January
22 - Saints Vincent and Anastasius, Martyrs Persecution of the faithful
was not limited merely to Rome. Vincent was a deacon in Spain,
and suffered martyrdom under the hand of Dacian, the Roman governor,
during the 4th century. Some 300 years later Anastasius, a persian
convert to Christianity, became a monk and suffered martyrdom
in Assyria. Both saints remind us that Christian persecution
occurs throughout the world and that as our Lord said to his
disciples, He says to us in our day, also, Ye shall be hated
of all men for my Name's sake. But there shall not an hair of
your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.
(The day's gospel, page F10, People's Anglican Missal)Click
for Catholic Encyclopedia Article on Saint
Vincent and Saint
Anastasius
January
24 - Saint Timothy, Bishop and Martyr Timothy was Saint Paul's companion,
and the recipient of Paul's letters which bear his name. After
Paul was martyred in Rome, some thirty years later Timothy suffered
the same fate, being stoned to death at Ephesus for having denounced
the worship of the goddess Diana. As goddess worship has enjoyed
a resurgence and has many devotees in our day, Timothy is a saint
for our time, giving us an example of a person that "endureth
temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown
of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
" (The day's epistle, page F2, People Anglican Missal)The
Day's Propers
January
25 - Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Before his conversion, Paul had been a
leading persecutor of Christians. As the epistle for the day
tells us (Page E19, People's Anglican Missal), on his way to
Damascus to persecute more Christians, Paul saw a great light,
and heard a voice say, `Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?'
Paul responded, `Who art thou, Lord', and Jesus responded,
`I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. ' Paul's conversion resulted
in witnessing the resurrected Christ to others, and was thus
one of belief rather than of conscience. May we, too, know the
truth of the risen Christ, and spend ourselves following the
holy doctrine which Paul taught, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(The Day's collect, E18, People's Anglican Missal) Prayer Book Propers
+Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
January
26 - Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr Polycarp was a disciple of Saint
John the Evangelist, and later bishop of Smyrna in the mid-2nd
century. Having lived into his eighties, Polycarp is an important
link between the Apostles and those of the early Church, as he
knew John the Evangelist, who knew John the Apostle, who knew
the resurrected Christ. Learning about early Christians shows
to us that our Faith is grounded on historical fact. Polycarp
prayed for his persecutors at his martyrdom, making him a good
example for us. We, too, need to pray for those who mock the
Christian faith, that by prayer and good deeds the enemies of
the Cross of Christ may be converted to the Truth of the Gospel
- no matter the cost to us personally, remembering the words
of the epistle, that hereby perceive we the love of God, because
He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. (The day's epistle, page E21, People's
Anglican Missal) The
Day's Propers + Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
January
27 - Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop John was the Archbishop of Constantinople
in the 4th century. He was given the last name of "Chrysostom"
("golden mouth" in Greek) by his followers, because
of his great preaching abilities. As a monk, and later as special
assistant to the bishop of Antioch, he cared for the physical
and spiritual needs of the poor. Putting his faith into practice
enabled his sermons to be practical applications of Scripture
for all Christians who are "in" and not "of"
the world. As Saint John did, so may we also respond in the affirmative
to the words,"Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
which is in heaven. (The day's Gospel, page, E21, People's
Anglican Missal) The
Day's Propers + Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
January
28 - Preservation of the American Episcopate, 1978 Thousands of faithful Episcopalians
gathered in St. Louis, Missouri in 1977 and agreed upon the Affirmation
of St. Louis, a document which expressed our commitment to the
historic and biblical faith of the Church. On January 28th 1978,
the Rt. Rev. Albert Chambers (retired), along with two other
bishops, consecrated four ECUSA priests Bishops - Frs. Waterson,
Mote, Doren and Morse.
Bishop Chambers was the Episcopal Bishop of Springfield, Illinois.
This consecration made it possible for Episcopalians to continue
practicing the Catholic and Apostolic faith of the Church, as
it has been handed down through the centuries. Pray that all
Bishops and other ministers diligently preach God's holy Word,
and that all people obediently follow the same, that mankind
may receive the crown of everlasting glory. (The day's collect,
page E79, People's Anglican Missal) The
Day's Propers
January
29 - Saint Francis de Sales Francis forsook a prestigious
career as a senator of Savoy, Italy, so that he could become
a priest. He soon discovered his gifts for helping the poor and
preaching. As an evangelist, he was able to convert many to the
universal faith from Calvinism through his love, compassion,
patience and persistence in teaching the whole body of the Christian
faith. May God give us His grace, as He did Francis, ".
. . to become all things to all men . . . and to pour into our
hearts the sweetness of His charity . . . " (the day's
collect, page E22, People's Anglican Missal) The
Day's Propers + Catholic
Encyclopedia Article
