Viewing all items in Resource Category: Holy Days

Why should St Joseph’s day be in March?  Surely, he belongs to Advent and Christmas, at Mary’s side in millions of nativity scenes around the world. In any case, as foster-father of Christ and husband of Mary, Joseph played a major part in the story of the coming of Jesus Christ.  All that we know...

Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (c 634-87) has long been northern England’s favourite saint.  It is easy to see why:  Cuthbert was holy, humble, peaceable, prayerful, faithful in friendship, winsome, and really kind. Cuthbert was born into a fairly well-off Anglo-Saxon family, and became a monk at Melrose in 651.  He and another monk, Eata, were sent...

If you have ever been caught up in a great event at work, which has gone on to change your own life, then Thomas Cranmer is the saint for you.  He was the first ever Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, following King Henry VIII’s decision to pull away from Rome, and set up the Church of...

There is an old Jewish saying:  God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers. Mother Church, Mother Earth, Mother of the Gods – our human mothers – all of them have been part of the celebration of ‘Mothering Sunday’ – as the fourth Sunday in Lent is affectionately known.  It has been celebrated...

The Fourth Sunday in Lent was called ‘Mid-Lent’ or ‘Refreshment Sunday’, when the rigors of Lent were relaxed more than was normal for a feast day. It is called Mothering Sunday as a reference to the Epistle reading for the Day (Galatians 4:21-31).  The Lenten Epistles follow from each other with teaching about our life...

Families are divided in two kinds of people: givers and takers.  Blessed is the family with at least one ‘giver’, that someone of a cheerful, generous nature who does not panic when you ask them for help.  These kindly saints are on hand when you need them, not fleeing with the cry “But I have...

This beautiful event (Luke 1:26-38) took place in Nazareth, when Mary is already betrothed to Joseph. The Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary, greets her as highly favoured, tells her not to be afraid, that she will bear a son Jesus, and that her elderly cousin Elizabeth is already pregnant (with John the Baptist). The church...

Rupert is the saint for you if you like The Sound of Music – or salt with your food! Rupert (d c 710) was bishop of Worms and Salzburg, and it was he who founded the great monastery of St Peter in Salzburg in the eighth century, thus firmly establishing Christianity in that city.  True,...

Is there something down at, say, B&Q, which reminds your friends of you?   John Climacus (d 649) had a thing about ladders.  He was a monk in Palestine who was only seen out at the weekends (at church, not B&Q); during the week he prayed and wrote in solitude.  He wrote The Ladder to Paradise,...

Editor:  As saints’ days do not change, this material has appeared before on this site.  The days with the asterisk, Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, are new this year. 1          Brigid of Ireland – Abbess of Kildare, c 525 2          The Presentation of Christ in the Temple/ Candlemas 3          Anskar – Archbishop of Hamburg,...

Brigid, you could say, was the female Patrick of Ireland. Historical facts about this first abbess of Kildare (d.c. 525) may be scarce, but her ‘Lives’, written from the 7th century, tell many anecdotes and miracles which over the centuries have become deeply rooted in Irish folklore.  Brigid came from a village near Kildare, of...

In bygone centuries, Christians said their last farewells to the Christmas season on Candlemas, 2 February.  This is exactly 40 days after Christmas Day itself. In New Testament times 40 days old was an important age for a baby boy: it was when they made their first ‘public appearance’.  Mary, like all good Jewish mothers,...