Found 26 resource(s) in 'Holy Days', for October 2024.
2nd October – Guardian Angels, keeping an eye on us
The teaching of Jesus encourages us to believe in guardian angels. He once said, ‘See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’ (Matthew 18:10) The existence of angels was suggested in various... (246 words)High Days & Holy Days for October (all)
Sundays of the Month 6th October 19th Sunday after Trinity 13th October 20th Sunday after Trinity 20th October 21st Sunday after Trinity 27th October 22nd Sunday after Trinity / Bible Sunday 3rd November 4th Sunday before Advent High Days & Holy Days Editor: As saints don’t go away, we add to them each year... (9599 words)1st October – 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, the Poor Man’s Earl
Think of Piccadilly Circus, and that small statue of the angel poised with bow and arrow. Most people think it stands for Eros. It does not. It stands for Anteros, his brother, the god of selfless love. It is a memorial to the greatest Christian Victorian philanthropist, politician and social reformer of his generation –... (650 words)3rd October – Hewalds the Black and White, martyred because they were different
With Islamic State’s current savage persecution of Iraqi Christians in mind, here are two saints for this autumn: Hewald the Black and Hewald the White (d.c. 695). These 7th century Anglo-Saxon priests were living peacefully in Frisia among the Old Saxons, worshipping the Christian God by daily Mass on a portable altar, and reverently devoting... (167 words)4th October – St Francis of Assisi, love for the Creation
St Francis (1181 – 1226) is surely one of the most attractive and best-loved of all the saints. But he began by being anything but a saint. Born the son of a wealthy cloth-merchant of Assisi, Francis’ youth was spent in fast-living, parties and on fast horses as a leader of the young society of... (514 words)6th October – William Tyndale, Bible translator and Reformation martyr
This month is the 501th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, and so a good time to pay tribute to an outstanding English scholar, translator and martyr of the Reformation. William Tyndale (c. 1494 – 6th October 1536) was born near Gloucester, and studied at Oxford and Cambridge. He could speak seven languages, and... (415 words)9th October – Luis Bertran, patron saint of Columbia
Do you want your life to make a difference – for the good – in this world? Then Luis Bertran (1526-81) is the saint for you. This fearless Dominican priest so inspired tens of thousands of people in Latin America that he was chosen as patron of Columbia. Luis Bertran was born at Valencia in... (373 words)8th October – Demetrius of Sirmium, taking a stand, and suffering for it
Demetrius of Sirmium should be the patron saint of anyone who takes a stand for the right, despite knowing they will suffer for it. Demetrius was a soldier from Serbia in the fourth century. He fought for the Roman Emperor, and that took courage. Then Demetrius converted to Christianity – and took his stand with... (195 words)9th October – Denys of Paris, on why losing your head is not always a bad thing
Have you ever held your head in your hands and felt that events were against you? Then Denys is the saint for you. This Christian martyr knew all about holding his head in his hands when times got rough. According to Gregory of Tours, Denys was an Italian bishop who became the first bishop of... (273 words)10th October – Thomas Traherne, lover of nature
Thomas Traherne (1636 – 1674) is a good saint for anyone who loves our planet, and who wants to preserve Creation. This 17th century poet and clergyman wrote extensively about his love for nature, seeing in it a reflection of the glory of God. Traherne was not of a literary family, for his father was... (367 words)10th October – Francis Borgia, the Jesuits’ ‘second founder’
Here is a saint for you if you have lost the person you love. Here is a saint for you if you would not let your wealth and security stop you from doing something daringly good with your life. Francis Borgia (1510 – 72) certainly began with it ‘all’. He was the son of a... (394 words)11th October – James the Deacon
James the Deacon is the saint for any lay person who has stepped in to lead their church when the clergy are far away. In fact, an historian has called James the Deacon ‘the one heroic figure’ in the Roman mission to Northumbria. No wonder – in a time of political chaos, with the king... (325 words)12th October – Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer
Elizabeth Fry had endless compassion and endless energy – and together with a steadfast determination to do God’s work, this outstanding philanthropist became one of the foremost promoters of prison reform – not just in Britain, but in all of Europe. Elizabeth was born in 1780, far from any prison. The family lived in Norwich,... (534 words)13th October – Edward the Confessor, helping to found Westminster Abbey
If you approve of giving money to help cathedrals survive, then Edward the Confessor (1003 – 66) is the saint for you. This early King of England was the virtual founder of Westminster Abbey. And never mind entrance charges – at one point in his life, Edward was giving a full tenth of his income... (277 words)14th October – Donation, North Africa Christian martyr
Some Christians today have the curious idea that being a Christian guarantees a prosperous life in this world. St Paul was more realistic – throughout his epistles he urges Christians to pray for patience and endurance in this world. Donation (martyred c 484) is a timely reminder that we are called to be witnesses, and... (117 words)18th October – St Luke the Evangelist, linking the sacred and the profane
To St Luke, a Gentile, we owe the beautifully written Gospel of Luke, and the Book of Acts. He was a Greek physician, a disciple of St Paul, a companion on some of his missionary journeys, and an inspired writer. Luke’s gospel focuses on the compassion of Christ. His gospel contains some of the most... (210 words)18th October – Thank you, Dr Luke!
by David Winter ‘Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, bless the bed that I lie on’ – my grandma taught me that one. At least it meant I never forgot the names of the writers of the four Gospels. This month Luke, the writer of the third of them, has his feast day – 18th October.... (408 words)*NEW 17th October – Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch
Of the 54 Roman emperors who ruled AD 30 to 311, only about a dozen made the effort to persecute Christians. One of these was the Emperor Trajan, who ruled AD 98 to 117, though he was half-hearted about it. He decreed that Christians, although guilty of “anti-state behaviour”, were not to be hunted out... (331 words)19th October – Henry Martyn, translator & missionary in India and Persia
If you love languages, then Henry Martyn is the saint for you. Born in 1781, and schooled in Truro, he went on to St John’s College in Cambridge, where he proved a brilliant student. He planned on becoming a lawyer, but at Cambridge he met Charles Simeon, the Vicar of Holy Trinity Cambridge, and a... (396 words)22nd October – Donatus, and the danger of exploring an unfamiliar church
When you are out and about on the road far from home, ever feel tempted to pop in and explore an unfamiliar church? If so, think of Donatus as your patron saint – and beware. You don’t know what you may be letting yourself in for…. In 829 Donatus, an Irish monk, had completed a... (270 words)24th October – Felix of Thibiuca, the man who would not give up his Bible
Do you value your Bible? If so, Felix of Thibiuca (247 – 303) is a good patron saint for you. The year was 303, and Diocletian was emperor in Rome. In February of that year he decided that Christians were NOT a good thing. So he issued an edict: all copies of the Christian Scriptures... (308 words)26th October – Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons
Can you think of a politician who deserves to be called a saint? If no one currently living politician comes to mind, never mind – there is always King Alfred of Wessex (871-899). This remarkable and best known of all the Anglo-Saxon rulers may have dozed off and let some cakes burn while a peasant... (260 words)27th October – Odran of Iona, fought over by the spirits
Odran is a suitable saint to remember as Halloween approaches, for his story involves the spirit world. British by birth, Odran (died c. 563) was one of Columba’s first companions on Iona. Sadly, he died not long after his arrival on the island. But Columba found comfort, for in a vision he saw Odran’s soul... (134 words)28th October – Simon and Jude, warning against moral infections
Jude the apostle and martyr (1st century) warns us in his epistle that not all ‘evil’ comes in the form of obvious ghosties and ghoulies. He writes instead to warn the Christians of the greater danger of people who infect others with heresy and moral failure. He writes that they are nothing more than …. ... (178 words)30th October – Alphonsus Rodriguez, when life takes everything you value
If you have done your best to live ‘right’, and still had nothing but trouble and heartache in your life, Alphonsus is the saint for you. He was born in 1533, the son of a wool merchant in Segovia. He followed his father into the profession, married, and had two children. He was a responsible... (244 words)31st October – All Hallows Eve, or Holy Evening
Modern Halloween celebrations have their roots with the Celtic peoples of pre-Christian times. In those long-ago days, on the last night of October, the Celts celebrated the Festival of Samhain, or ‘Summer’s End’. The priests, or Druids, performed ceremonies to thank and honour the sun. For there was a very dark side to all this:... (328 words)
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