Viewing all items in Resource Category: Holy Days

22nd July          What do we really know about Mary Magdalene? Fake news is not new. Perhaps one old example is the assertion that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Back in the 6th Century, Pope Gregory is said to have confused her with two other women in the Bible. Medieval Bible scholars also attempted to name...

 22nd July          St Mary Magdalene – the woman with a past Later this month Christians all over the world will commemorate probably the most unlikely saint in the Bible, Mary Magdalene. There was something in her background that has always fascinated people. All we are told about her ‘past’ is that Jesus had cast ‘seven...

25th July          St James the Apostle – apostle to Spain James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee and fishermen from Galilee – the ‘sons of thunder’, as the gospel writers describe their impetuous characters and fiery tempers. James stands out on three accounts: he was one of the three disciples who witnessed the...

25th July          St James the Great    Jesus, fresh from His baptism and fired with His new calling, bursts into Galilee. Coming upon four fishermen working on the shore of the lake, He says to them, ‘Follow me’. Without further ado or even a second thought, they abandon what they’re doing (and in the case...

25th July          St Christopher – patron saint of motorists The legend goes that St. Christopher was a Canaanite who lived in the 3rd century.  He was a giant of a man, of fearsome appearance.  At first he decided to serve the devil, but when he discovered that the devil was afraid of Christ and his...

27th July      The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus – proving a nap is good for you! Do you tend to avoid conflict?  When you feel stressed, do you crave sleep?  Then the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus would be good patron saints for you.  But – you may find it hard to copy their successful method of...

30th July          William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano & Thomas Clarkson During the 18th century many people in England were involved in the campaign to abolish the slave trade.  The CofE remembers especially William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson – three very different but all tireless campaigners against the evil practice. Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846) was...

31st July           St Joseph of Arimathea – the man who buried Jesus Have you ever suffered from gossip?  Ever discovered that people are saying some really wild things about you?   If so, Joseph of Arimathea would understand – and sympathise with you.   This decent, godly man of the gospels seems to have fired the...

High Days & Holy Days for June 1          Justin Martyr – first ever Christian philosopher 2          Erasmus – a good saint for when you’re all at sea 3          The Martyrs of Uganda 4          Petroc – the abbot of Padstow 6          Gudwal – the first Christian in Brittany? 8          William of York – victim of...

Justin Martyr is regarded as the first ever Christian philosopher.  He was born at Nablus, Samaria, to parents of Greek origin, and was well educated in rhetoric, poetry and history before he turned to philosophy.  He studied at Ephesus and Alexandria and tried the schools of the Stoics, the Pythagoreans, and the Platonists.  Then in...

Do you like messing about in boats?  If so, then you’ll have heard of St Elmo’s Fire. It is the light that is sometimes seen on mastheads of boats after storms at sea. St Elmo is another name for St Erasmus, a fourth century Syrian bishop who was not afraid of violent storms.  Legend has...

The Ugandan Church had dozens of martyrs within just ten years of Christianity arriving there.   At first, it had gone so well:  the first Anglican missionaries arriving in Uganda in 1877 were welcomed by the Kabaka (king) of Buganda, Mutesa.  Mutesa also welcomed the Roman Catholics and Muslim Arabs, and, being a natural diplomat, retained...