Adapted from Stephen Reynolds book For All The Saints
For centuries, The Book of Common Prayer listed in the front a Table of Special Memorial and Saints Days for each month of the year. With the introduction of the Book of Alternative Services in 1985, a revised Calendar of the Church Year was included. This calendar also gives a history and background to the Calendar [BAS pp. 14 – 21] as well as including 1. Principal Feasts, 2. Sundays, 3. Holy Days, as well as Days of Special Devotions, Optional Observances, Memorials and Commemorations.
In 2007, the Anglican Book Centre published a revised FOR ALL THE SAINTS by Stephen Reynolds with background information for each day being celebrated as well as the liturgical information for a worship service as well as original readings. An online edition is available from the Anglican Church of Canada website [go to Resources, Top Resources, Online Liturgical Texts, For All the Saints].
January 1st – The Naming of Jesus
St. Luke’s Gospel mentions that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, as the Law of Moses required. This is an event of tremendous religious importance for Jews. Circumcision entitles the newborn male to share in “the promise of mercy” which God “made to Abraham and his children for ever.” For this reason, Jewish custom sees it as the most suitable occasion for giving the child his name and thus a distinct presence in the community of God’s people.
The Week for Christian Unity has been celebrated around the world for over 100 years. In the Northern Hemisphere the celebration begins of January 18th and ends on the 25th.
January 18 – The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle
The feast was instituted by the Episcopal Church of the United States to complement the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul on January twenty-fifth. The confession of Simon Peter is told in Matthew’s Gospel. When Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon spoke up and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus then responded: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! It was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.” In telling this story, the evangelist showed that every confession of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” is always a gift from God. It is not something that human beings can discover by their own powers, nor is it a truth obvious to anyone who looks at the historical Jesus without the help of the Holy Spirit.
January 25 – The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle
When modern people speak of “conversion,” they usually mean some tremendous event which moves them from one way of life into its complete opposite. But Paul himself did not see the event in quite the same way. We have his own words in the Letter to the Galatians: “He who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles.” In using such language, Paul placed himself in the company of the prophets of ancient Israel; and when he tried to say what had happened to him, he spoke in terms of a prophetical calling. He experienced something which revealed the meaning and purpose of his whole life.
Together these two feasts provide a suitable beginning and end for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which all Churches now observe at this time of year. As Paul’s conversion reminds Christians that they are united in a call to proclaim Jesus among the nations, so Peter’s confession reminds Christians that they are united in the basis of this mission, which is the inspired knowledge of Jesus Christ, “the Son of the living God.”
January 27 – John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, Teacher of the Faith, c. 407
For people raised with the Book of Common Prayer twill be very familiar with “ A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom” which occurs at the end of the Service of Morning Prayer. On this day we remember John, an ancient bishop of Constantinople whose eloquence earned him the nickname Chrys-os’-tom, “John the golden mouth.” But he was more than a brilliant preacher. He also led a life of true holiness, giving himself continually both to prayer and to the cause of justice. John gave his whole heart to the Christian way. Ordained in Antioch, during the next twelve years John earned his reputation as a preacher who made the text of the New Testament come alive for his hearers. His fame quickly spread far beyond his home city, and in the year 398 the emperor decided that he should become Bishop of the imperial capital, Constantinople.
John attempted to reform the moral character of his clergy and called upon the imperial court to heed the cries of the poor and the hungry. His rivals engineered a synod which tried John on trumped-up charges and deposed him. The emperor confirmed the synod’s judgement and sent John into exile. Soon afterwards Constantinople was hit by an earthquake. This put the imperial court in fear of God’s wrath, and John was recalled, only to be exiled again a few months later. He died in the year 407, a victim of brutal treatment and exposure.
