St. Vncent, Deacon, Martyr: 23 January 2012 (trnasferred from 22 January)

http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/icons/Icons-Vincent.htm

St. Vincent of Zaragoza (died 304)

St. Vincent was born in Huesca, Spain. He lived in Zaragoza and served as Deacon to the Bishop Valerius. According to legend, when he and Valerius were brought to trial, that Valerius could not respond due to a speech impediment. Receiving the Bishops permission to speak, Vincent launched into a fervent defence of the faith. Even his gaoler was converted. Vincent suffered many severe torments, before dying without renouncing his Lord.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_of_Saragossa

Collect: Heavenly Father, as you raised Vincent to be deacon in Saragossa, and gave him eloquence to proclaim and strength to die for his faith, so fill us with your spirit that we would always be ready to proclaim the Gospel and to live and die for Yeshua. In the name of Yeshua we pray, Amen. (red)


Psalm 116:10-17
Jeremiah 26:12-15
Revelation 7:13-17
Luke 12:4-12

St. Agnes, Virgin, Martyr

http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/icons/Icons-Agnes.htm

St. Agnes (c. 291-21 January 304)

Agnes was born to a noble family in Rome in about the year 291. She was raised as a Christian and was martyred at the tender age of 12. A Roman Prefect had decided that she was to marry his son. When Agnes refused, the prefect ordered that she be put to death. As it was forbidden to kill virgins, she was dragged to the brothel, but the men who attempted to rape her were struck blind. When they took her to the stake to burn her, the wood would not burn. She was finally beheaded by the sword, cheerfully dying for her Lord.

It is said that her martyrdom helped end martyrdoms in Rome, as people were disgusted that paganism had to be preserved by the death of one so young.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Agnes
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01214a.htm


Psalm 45:11-16
Song of Solomon 2:10-13
2 Corinthians 6:16-18
Matthew 18:1-6
(readings may be omitted if no celebration of the Eucharist. )

Collect: Lord Yeshua, who gave even children the strength to stand up for the true faith in face of persecution. Give us Agnes’s child like faith that we may always witness as to what you have done for us. This we ask through Yeshua haMoshiach, who lives and reins with you and the Ruach haKodesh, one God in glory everlasting. Amen. (red)

Fabian, Bishop, Martyr: 20 January 2012

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pope_Fabian

Fabian, attending the election of the new Bishop of Rome became a surprise candidate when a dove landed on his head. The people took this as an omen, and he was elected Bishop of Rome in January of 236, a position which he held until his martyrdom on 20 January 250.

Fabian turned out to be an excellent administrator, and set up the parish structure still in use in Rome today. As well he appointed 14 men to write the lives of the martyrs. He also divided the city into diaconates, and basically set up a structure that was sound and enduring and would help the church survive the coming persecution. Fabian was one of the first martyrs to die under the persecution by Decius, the first persecution of the church which was empire wide. His courage during his beating and death inspired many, and his tomb is still with us today.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pope_Fabian
http://satucket.com/lectionary/Fabian.htm

Collect: O Lord of the Universe, who used a dove to single out Fabien as Bishop of Rome. Grant us power to remember those before us and imitate them in giving all for Christ. This we ask through Yeshua haMoshiach, who lives and reins with you, one God in glory everlasting. Amen (red)

Psalm 126
2 Esdras 2:42-48
1 Corinthians 15:31-36, 44b-49
Luke 21:20-24

Miles Coverdale: 19 Januaary 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Myles_Coverdale.jpg

Miles Coverdale (c1488-20 Jan. 1569) was a Bible translator during the time of the reformation. He was born in Yorkshire, studied at Cambridge and was a priest at Norwich. Later he joined the Austin Fryers and left after defending Robert Barnes in a heresy trial. From 1525 through 1538 he stayed on the continent working on his translation. Part of this time was spent working with William Tyndale, whose translation of the New Testament was used in Coverdale’s translation. This Bible was smuggled into England and was very popular. After Cramer convince Henry VIII that an English Bible would be a good thing, he put Coverdale to work on editing. Coverdale’s first work was weak, in part because it was translated from Latin, not from the original languages. Coverdale’s work on the Psalms in the Great Bible was very good, and these became the Psalms used in the Anglican Book of Common prayer, making these versions very well known even to today. After Cromwell was executed, Coverdale went back into exile, and did not return until 1548. He was made Chaplain to King Edward, and made Bishop of Exeter, which role he fulfilled well. After the succession of Queen Mary, he was deposed and again went into exile. After Queen Mary’s death, he returned to England in 1559, and server as rector of St. Magnus’s, but was not returned to his Bishopric, probably because of conflicts with Puritans regarding vestments. He was a popular preacher and introduced German theological ideas to England. He died in London and is buried there.

His chief contribution was the translation of the Psalter used in the Book of Common Prayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Coverdale
http://www.answers.com/topic/myles-coverdale
http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/ewb_04/ewb_04_01547.html
http://www.tlogical.net/biocoverdale.htm


Dear Lord, you raised up Miles Coverdale to work on presenting the Bible to the people of England in a language which they could understand. As he suffered much in this work, yet was faithful to you and your word, raise up in this and every generation men who are good and holy with a mission to help Christians understand your word. This we ask in the name of Yeshuah who revealed the Tanakh to the Jews. Amen.

The Confession of St. Peter: 18 January 2012

http://www.bridgebuilding.com/narr/pwpet.html

Confession of St. Peter

On this day, we remember not so much St. Peter, but his confession recognizing Jesus as Messiah. All the disciples and many others recongnised that Jesus was a holy man or a prophet, but it was Peter who specifically made the jump to recognise Jesus as the Messiah who was sent by God. Jesus’ answer tells us something about our relationship to God. It is not through brains or intelligence that we recognise, but by the Holy Spirit that we come to know him as Messiah.

Heavenly Father, as we remember Peter’s recognition of Yeshua as the Messiah, help us to truly recognize him as well in heart and mind that we may follow Peter, walking on water, healing, raising the dead, and proclaiming the Gospel. This we ask in the name of Yeshua haMoshiach who lives and governs with you and the Ruach haKodesh, one God in glory everlasting. Amen. (white)

Psalm 23;
Acts 4:8-13;
1 Peter 5:1-4;
Matthew 16:13-19

St. Anthony the Great: 17 January 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_of_Egypt

St. Anthony the Great (251-356)

Anthony was born to wealthy Christian parents in Coma and lower Egypt. One day on his way to church, he was meditating on Jesus saying, “sell of you have, follow me and you will have riches in heaven (Mathew 19:21), At church, the same scripture was used, and as a result, Anthony at the age of 34 looked to the needs of his sister and sold the rest. The land he owned was given to the tenants who worked it. The money he made was given to the poor and he left to live in the desert.

He stayed in the desert for thirteen years, during which time he was faced with temptations by boredom, laziness and images of women. He then moved into a tomb and sealed it. Beaten in the body by the devil, he was found unconscious and taken to a church. After recovering there, he went out to the desert again but to an even more isolated place. Visions of various animals appeared to him to scare him, but he just laughed at them and told them they had no power over Christ. During this time he was locked in an abandoned fort and his only communication was through a crack in the wall. Eventually he emerged, peaceful and enlightened. He went to Alexandria to seek martyrdom and witnessed to many, but was not martyred. He returned to his fort for a while, but so many people came to see him that it interfered with his prayer life, so he moved yet again, deeper into the desert. He found a pool and palm trees and settled there. There he grew a garden and wove mats made of reeds. Many would come to visit him, but actually conversed with members of the community which gathered around him. A vision of an angel ispired his form of dress from here on, and he was never bored again. He prophesied the persecution of the church at this time. In 338 he was called by Athanasius to help him refute Aryanism.

Knowing his time was near, he divided his few possessions and charged the monks to bury him secretly so that his body would not be divided up. They obeyed and to this day the site of his burial is unknown. While not the founder of monastism, or anchorites, his life was an inspiration to both. He was well known for establishing monasteries in Egypt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_of_Egypt
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Anthony_the_Great
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01553d.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j07pdXbRf8

Collect: Dear Lord, you raised up Anthony to be a shining light in the desert, encouraging those suffering persecution, and strengthening those tempted by Aryanism, so raise up in this and every generation encouragers to strengthen us in true doctrine. This we ask in the name of Yeshua haMoshiach, who lives and reigns with you and Ruach haKodesh, one God in glory everlasting. Amen. (white)

Lessons: (omitted if no celebration of the Eucharist)
Psalm 91:9-16 or 1
1 Peter 5:6-10
Mark 10:17-21

Hillary of Poitiers, Bishop: 13 January 2012

http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/icons/Icons-Hilary.htm
Hillary of Poitiers (c.315-368)

Hillary was born to well off pagan parents in the city of Poitiers. Unusual for his time, in addition to having a good education in Latin, he also studied Greek. Because of knowing Greek he was exposed to the scriptures, and came to know Jesus, and to know who he was, a son of the living God.

Married and the father of one daughter, Hillary was elected by the Christians of Poitiers as Bishop in 353 (Celibacy was not a requirement for many more years). Embroiled in arguments about Arians and removing Arian Bishops, Hillary was exiled to Phrygia. Not one to waste his time, he visited the churches in the area and studied scriptures and put his time to good use. After four years he was sent back to Poitiers because the emperor (an Arian) because “he was a troublemaker and sower of discord, and disturber of the orient.” (In other words, Hillary was gaining ground against the Arians through his preaching.) Hillary took a leisurely trip through Greece and Italy preaching against the Arians as he went.

Hillary wrote several works against the Arians, and several works on the Trinity and on the two natures of Christ. He also brought back hymns from the east, translating them and wrote some of his own compositions. He is regarded as the father of Western hymnody, and also known as the Athanasius of the west. One of his disciples was St. Martin of Tours. Hillary died peacefully in 368, possibly on the 13th of January.

(In passing: Arians did not believe that Jesus was God. They believed he was a higher creation than man, but beneath God. Today the Jehovah’s Witnesses are an example of Arianism)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_of_Poitiers
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07349b.htm
http://www.sthilary.com/St.%20Hilary.htm
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=55


Collect: Dear Lord, as Hillary of Poitiers stood against heresy, and defended the true faith, help us also to stand against heresy that we may always stand for truth. This we ask through Yeshua haMoshiach who lives and reins with you and Ruach haKodesh, one God in glory everlasting. Amen. (white)

Readings for the Eucharist If no celebration of the Eucharist, follow the normal readings for Matins and Vespers.

Psalm 37:3-6, 32-33
Zechariah 6:9-15
1 John 2:18-25
Luke 12:8-12