Viewing all items in Resource Category: Holy Days
Featuring the Saints whose feast-day is this month
- Are you wondering about which charities to support this year? Does it matter to you if your money is used wisely or not? If so, then Maedoc of Ferns is the patron saint for you this month. He certainly knew how to deal with people who would waste his money. Maedoc (d 626) was born...31 January – Maedoc of Ferns
- 1 Eloi – a patron saint for the euro? 3 Francis Xavier – the seasick missionary 3 Birinus – an apostle to the English 4 Osmund – the multi-talented saint 6 St Nicholas – patron saint of children 6 St Nicholas – another look at this much-loved saint 6 ...High Days and Holy Days (all) for December 2018
- It’s nearly 17 years since Europe switched over to the Euro (January 2002). So, this is a good time to remember Eloi, bishop of Noyon, who was born in Gaul, and started out as a goldsmith. He entered the service of Bobon, the royal treasurer. He went on to become master of the mint for...1 December Eloi – a patron saint for the euro?
- Ignatius Loyala sent his friend and follower Francis Xavier (born 1506) to the Orient as a missionary. What a missionary! Imagine David Livingstone, Billy Graham and the Alpha Courses rolled into one. His mass conversions became legendary – he baptised 10,000 people in one month and in just ten years of work was credited with...3 December Francis Xavier – the seasick missionary
- Thousands of our churches are currently involved in various mission initiatives across the UK. If it is tough going at times, we should spare a thought for poor Birinus, a priest from Lombard, who was sent here on his own 14 centuries ago. Pope Honorius 1 gave him the daunting task of being the apostle...3 December Birinus – an apostle to the English
- Osmond is the saint for you if you regret Brexit, and believe that immigrants can bring good to Britain. Osmond came to England from France back in the days before EU regulations. It was shortly after 1066, and he was a Norman, following William the Conqueror. Osmond himself was no soldier, but a gifted and...4 December Osmond – an immigrant before Brexit
- Father Christmas seems to be as old as Europe. Once he was Woden, lashing his reindeer through the darkness of northern midwinter. Then he encountered the Church, and She transformed him into a saint, the much-loved Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (in south-west Turkey) in the fourth century. St Nicholas became the patron saint of children,...6 December St Nicholas – patron saint of children
- One account of how Father Christmas began tells of a man named Nicholas who was born in the third centre in the Greek village of Patara, on what is today the southern coast of Turkey. His family were both devout and wealthy, and when his parents died in an epidemic, Nicholas decided to use his...6 December St Nicholas – another look at this much-loved saint
- One person you are bound to run into this Christmas season is Father Christmas. These days he seems to frequent shopping malls and garden centres. If he looks tired, just remember that he has been around a long time and gone through a lot of transformations. Father Christmas wasn’t always the red-suited, white-bearded star of...6 December How Father Christmas got where he is today
- What do your family call him, that cheerful old man in a red robe and floppy hat who pops up everywhere at Christmas? Sometimes he’s Father Christmas, sometimes Santa Claus, and in parts of Europe he’s Saint Nicholas. That’s his real name, abbreviated to ‘Santa Claus’ by Brits and Americans who don’t like to follow...6 December What’s in a (Christmas) Name?
- Some people have near-death experiences…. Lazarus should be their patron saint. Except that he went all the way, and died for four days. He was quiet in his tomb and the mourners of Bethany were in full swing – before Jesus called him back to life. (See John 11: 1 – 44.) What happened next...7 December Lazarus of Bethany – back from the tomb
- Do you know any odd Christians? People with hearts of gold, who would never harm anyone… but who are nonetheless just plain ODD…. Well, Daniel the Stylite should be their patron saint. Perhaps he is the proof that God can bless and use any one of us – no matter how batty some of our...11 December Daniel the Stylite