A New Orleans Saint?

Frances Joseph Gaudet, Educator and Social Reformer, 1934

The Collect:

Merciful God, who raised up thy servant Frances Joseph Gaudet to be a champion of the oppressed: Grant that we, encouraged by her example, may advocate for all who are denied the fullness of life to which you have called all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Frances Joseph-Gaudet (1861- December 1934), prison reform worker and educator, was born in a log cabin in Holmesville, Mississippi of African American and Native American descent. She was raised by her grandparents. Later she went to live with a brother in New Orleans where she attended school and Straight College. Widowed early, she dedicated her life to prison reform. Beginning in 1894 she held prayer meetings, wrote letters, delivered messages, and secured clothing for black prisoners, and later for white prisoners as well. Her dedication to prisoners and prison reform won her the respect of prison officials, city authorities, the governor, and the Prison Reform Association. A delegate to the Women’s Christian Temperance Union international convention in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1900, she worked for the reform of young blacks arrested for misdemeanor or vagrancy. Joseph-Gaudet was the first woman to support juvenile offenders in Louisiana, and her efforts helped found the juvenile court. She eventually purchased a farm and founded the Gaudet Normal and Industrial School. The school, which eventually expanded to 105 acres and numerous buildings, also served as a boarding school for children with working mothers. Joseph-Gaudet served as principal of the school until 1921 when she donated the school to the Episcopal Church of Louisiana. Though the school closed in 1950, the Gaudet Episcopal Home opened in the same location four years later to serve African American children ages four to sixteen. The endowment fund currently supports St. Luke’s Community Center on North Dorgenois Street, where a hall honors Frances Joseph-Gaudet.*

* From the Episcopal Women's History Project, via The Lectionary, http://satucket.com/lectionary/F_Joseph-Gaudet.htm

Sixth Day of Christmas

Sixth Day of Christmas

For the church, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. We celebrate this birth not because Jesus was simply a “good man” but because we believe Jesus was — and is — both the human son of Mary and the divine Son of God. That makes Christmas a time to reflect on a mystery that the church calls the doctrine of the Incarnation. This important theological term comes from the Latin word carne, which means “flesh,” and has to do with the divine taking on human flesh and coming among us in human form. 

In one of his Christmas sermons Augustine, the fifth-century bishop of Hippo, described the mystery of the Incarnation this way: “Beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal creator of all things, today became our Savior by being born of a mother. Of his own will he was born for us today, in time, so that he could lead us to his Father’s eternity. God became human like us so that we might become God. The Lord of the angels became one of us today so that we could eat the bread of angels.”*

* Daily Prayer for All Seasons, © 2014 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America

The Holy Innocents

The Holy Innocents

The Collect:

We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We read in Matthew 2 that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod, fearing for his throne, ordered that all the male infants of Bethlehem be killed. These children are regarded as martyrs for the Gospel -- "martyrs in fact though not in will." Augustine called them "buds, killed by the frost of persecution the moment they showed themselves." *

* The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Innocents.htm 

Note: Our remembrances of St. Stephen, St. John, and now The Holy Innocents were all transferred on day (later) because The First Sunday after Christmas Day was on December 26, this year.

No Evening Prayer or Class this Week

St. Alban's, St. Patrick's, and St. Thomas' will not have Zoom Evening Prayer or Bible Project Class this Wednesday, December 29. We will resume Evening Prayer and class in the new year. Enjoy a week of rest!

Saint John

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

The Collect:

Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illumined by the teaching of your apostle and evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

John, son of Zebedee, was one of the twelve apostles of Our Lord. Together with his brother James and with Simon Peter, he formed a kind of inner circle of Three among the Twelve, in that those three were privileged to behold the miracle of the Great Catch of Fish (L 5:10), the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (P 1:29), the raising of the daughter of Jairus (P 5:37 = L 8:51), the Transfiguration (M 17:1 = P 9:2 = L 9:28), and the Agony in Gethsemane (M 26:37 = P 14:33). He expressed a willingness to undergo martyrdom (M 20:22 = P 10:39) -- as did the other apostles (M 26:35 = P 14:31) -- and is accordingly called a martyr in intention. However, we have ancient testimony that, although imprisoned and exiled for his testimony to the Gospel, he was eventually released and died a natural death in Ephesus: "a martyr in will but not in deed."

John is credited with the authorship of three epistles and one Gospel, although many scholars believe that the final editing of the Gospel was done by others shortly after his death. He is also supposed by many to be the author of the book of Revelation, also called the Apocalypse, although this identification is less certain. *

* The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/John.htm
Note: In the scripture references, "M" = Matthew, "P" = Mark, and "L" = Luke.

Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr

The Collect:

We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

All that we know about Stephen the Protomartyr (that is, the first martyr of the Christian Church) is found in chapters 6 and 7 of the Book of Acts.

The early Christian congregations, like the Jewish synagogues, had a program of assistance for needy widows, and some of the Greek-speaking Jews in the Jerusalem congregation complained that their widows were being neglected. The apostles replied: "We cannot both preach and administer financial matters. Choose seven men from among yourselves, respected, Spirit-filled, and of sound judgement, and let them be in charge of the accounts, and we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word." The people accordingly chose seven men, including Stephen, and the apostles laid their hands on them. They are traditionally considered to be the first deacons, although the Scriptures do not use the word to describe them. (The Scriptures do refer to officials called deacons in the local congregations, without being very specific about their duties; and a century or more later, we find the organized charities of each local congregation in the hands of its deacons.)

Stephen was an eloquent and fiery speaker, and a provocative one. (Some readers have speculated that some of his fellow Christians wanted to put him in charge of alms in the hope that he would administer more and talk less.) His blunt declarations that the Temple service was no longer the means by which penitent sinners should seek reconciliation with God enraged the Temple leaders, who caused him to be stoned to death. As he died, he said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." One of those who saw the stoning and approved of it was Saul (or Paul) of Tarsus, who took an active part in the general persecution of Christians that followed the death of Stephen, but who was later led to become a Christian himself.
We remember Stephen on December 26, the day after Christmas. *

 
Note: This year, St. Stephen’s Feast is transferred to today, because December 26 was The First Sunday after Christmas Day.

* The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Stephen.htm

Today!

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Join us for “at church” or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, December 26, The First Sunday after Christmas, at St. Alban’s, St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas. Remember - Masks are optional for all, and communion will be offered in both kinds- wine by intinction. We strongly urge everyone to get vaccinated. Please maintain social distance in non-family groups.

Holy Eucharist, Rite Two
St. Alban’s - 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.*
St. Thomas' - 10:00 a.m.*
St. Patrick’s – 11:00 a.m.*

* These liturgies will be Live-Streamed on Facebook for those who choose to remain at home. Download a pdf of the leaflet to print or to use on your phone or tablet with this link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-GRBTpbtcwzxTFwRrVGPDt825mMHSBUM/view?usp=sharing

La Sagrada Eucaristía: Rito Dos en la iglesia (primer y tercer domingo del mes y transmitido en vivo en Facebook) o Oración de la tarde diaria a través de Zoom (los otros domingos del mes)

Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas – Domingo - 5:00 p.m.

Oración Vespertina Diaria a través de Zoom - Únete aqui
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89906444437?pwd=bmdXYW9kNjVicVJHU3Fkb3BrMitKZz09

ID de reunión: 899 0644 4437
Contraseña: 500
o llame al +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799

Zoom Compline - All Welcome
Sunday - 8:00 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83861688528?pwd=WFdBcndxV3hzbUpETDNTSFFzc3Z0QT09

Meeting ID: 838 6168 8528
Passcode: 800
or dial in at +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799

We hope to “see” you all on Sunday as you are most comfortable!

Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+

Art from Clip Art, Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications – ltp.org

Christmas Eve

 

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve

Why will we begin our Christmas celebrations tomorrow evening? A Liturgical Eve is the evening or day before a feast or other important celebration. Depending on local customs and practice, the celebration of a feast may begin on the eve of the feast. In many parishes, the principal Christmas services take place on Christmas Eve.

Christmas celebrations in the denominations of Western Christianity have long begun on Christmas Eve, due in part to the Christian liturgical day starting at sunset, a practice inherited from Jewish tradition and based on the story of Creation in the Book of Genesis: "And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day." So, in Jewish and Christian tradition, the day begins at sunset and continues until the following sunset, and not as we usually think of as midnight to midnight.

The Book of Common Prayer provides directions for a Vigil of Pentecost (pp. 175, 227). The Book of Occasional Services provides forms for a Vigil for Christmas Eve, a Service for New Year's Eve (Eve of the Feast of the Holy Name), a Vigil for the Eve of All Saints' Day or the Sunday after All Saints' Day, a Service for All Hallows' Eve (Oct. 31), and a Vigil on the Eve of Baptism.*

*Source - An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/eve-liturgical/ and Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Eve

Let us pray.

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servants as we celebrate another Christmas. Grant that we may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen our trust in your goodness all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.✢

✢BCP, page 830, adapted

Join Us for Christmas

Remember - Masks are optional for all, and you should come as you feel most comfortable. Communion will be offered in both kinds- wine by intinction. We strongly urge everyone to get vaccinated. Please maintain social distance in non-family groups. Liturgies will also be streamed on Facebook.

Zoom Evening Prayer & Last Advent Class

Tonight - Zoom Evening Prayer & Last Advent Class

Join us tonight, Wednesday night, December 22 for Zoom Evening Prayer and our last Bible Project Video Advent Series Class. Evening Prayer begins at 5:30 p.m. and our class follows. We will use the propers for St. Thomas, whose feast was yesterday, and our Advent Word Study is “joy.”

Zoom Evening Prayer & Bible Project Video Advent Series Class
Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86781577595?pwd=VjNnZTZnUFFadkJPc3VOVTh3K21Idz09

Meeting ID: 867 8157 7595
Passcode: 530
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 779

It Our Day!

Saint Thomas the Apostle

The Collect:

God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in your Son’s resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Apostle Thomas (Hebrew or Aramaic for "twin") was also called "Didymus" (Greek for "twin"). He was absent when the Risen Lord appeared to the other apostles on the evening of Easter Day, and refused to believe that Christ had indeed risen until he had seen him for himself, but when he had seen Him, he said to Him, "My Lord and My God." (John 20:19-29)

Because of this episode, he has been known ever since as "Doubting Thomas." But we ought also to remember his earlier words, when Jesus announced His intention of going to the Jerusalem area, brushing aside the protests of His disciples that His life was in danger there, at which Thomas said to the others: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:7,8,16) If Thomas was pessimistic, he was also sturdily loyal.

At the Last Supper, Jesus said: "I go to prepare a place for you.... And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Thomas replied: "Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?" To this Jesus answered: "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:1-6)

Thomas is mentioned again (John 21) as one of the seven disciples who were fishing on the Sea of Galilee (Sea of Tiberias) when the Risen Lord appeared to them. Aside from this he appears in the New Testament only as a name on lists of the Apostles. A couple of centuries later a story was circulating in the Mediterranean world that he had gone to preach in India; and there is a Christian community in India (the Kerala district) that claims descent from Christians converted by the the preaching of Thomas. The tradition among Christians in India is that Thomas was speared to death near Madras, and accordingly he is often pictured holding a spear. Paintings of martyrs often show them holding or accompanied by the instruments with which they were put to death.*

*The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Thomas.htm 

Omicron and Christmas and Beyond from Bishop Jake

Dear Friends,

Christmas is fast approaching. Some of you have reached out with questions about pandemic protocols. With the rise of cases due to the Omicron variant I understand your concern. Our protocol remains the same as it has been. Local leadership decides whether or not to require masks. The unvaccinated and those with elevated health risks are urged to participate via livestream. Communion will be either in one kind or by intinction. Observe hygiene guidelines, minimize contact, etc.

Use data to guide your decisions using this link: https://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

As you can see at the above site, infection and hospitalization rates vary by parish. Vaccination remains our best protection against severe illness. So please continue to encourage vaccinations both among your membership and the broader community.

Continued Advent blessings, dear ones. Stay safe and be well.

Peace,

+Jake

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD
4th  Bishop of The Episcopal Church in Western Louisiana

Who knew?

Love this story!

Katharina von Bora

Katharina von Bora, Church Reformer, 1552

The Collect:

Almighty God, who called servant Katharina von Bora from a cloister to work for the reform of your church, grant that all of us may go wherever you call, and serve however you will, for your honor and glory and for the welfare of your whole church. All this we ask through Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.

Katharina von Bora (January 29, 1499 – December 20, 1552), after her wedding Katharina Luther, was the wife of Martin Luther, German reformer and a seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation. Beyond what is found in the writings of Luther and some of his contemporaries, little is known about her. Despite this, Katharina is often considered one of the most important participants of the Reformation because of her role in helping to define Protestant family life and setting the tone for clergy marriages.

Katharina von Bora was the daughter to a family of Saxon petty nobility. Her father sent the five-year-old Katharina to the Benedictine cloister in Brehna in 1504 for education. After several years of religious life, Katharina became interested in the growing reform movement and grew dissatisfied with her life in the monastery. Conspiring with several other nuns to flee in secrecy, she contacted Luther and begged for his assistance. On Easter Eve, 4 April 1523, Luther sent Leonhard Köppe, a city councilman of Torgau and merchant who regularly delivered herring to the monastery. The nuns successfully escaped by hiding in Köppe's covered wagon among the fish barrels, and fled to Wittenberg.

Martin Luther, as well as many of his friends, were at first unsure of whether he should even be married. However, he eventually came to the conclusion that "his marriage would please his father, rile the pope, cause the angels to laugh, and the devils to weep." Martin Luther married Katharina on June 13, 1525.

Katharina immediately took on the task of administering and managing the Wittenburg monastery's vast holdings, breeding and selling cattle and running a brewery to provide for their family, the steady stream of students who boarded with them, and visitors seeking audiences with her husband.

The marriage of Katharina von Bora to Martin Luther was extremely important to the development of the Protestant Church, specifically in regards to its stance on marriage and the roles each spouse should concern themselves with. The way Luther described Katie’s actions and the names he gives her like “My Lord Katie” shows us that he really did feel strongly that she exhibited a great amount of control over her own life and decisions. It could even reasonably be argued that she maintained some influence in the actions of Martin Luther himself. In addition to her busy life tending to the lands and grounds of the monastery, Katharina bore six children.

When Martin Luther died in 1546, Katharina was left in difficult financial straits without Luther's salary. She remained in Wittenberg in poverty until 1552, when an outbreak of the Black Plague and a harvest failure forced her to leave the city once again. She fled to Torgau where she was thrown from her cart into a watery ditch near the city gates. For three months she went in and out of consciousness, before dying in Torgau on December 20, 1552, at the age of 53.*

*Wikipedia, via The Lectionary, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Katharina_von_Bora.html

Morning in Advent

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Join us for “at church” or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, December 19, The Fourth Sunday of Advent, at St. Alban’s, St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas. Remember - Masks are optional for all, and communion will be offered in both kinds- wine by intinction. We strongly urge everyone to get vaccinated. Please maintain social distance in non-family groups.

Holy Eucharist, Rite Two

St. Alban’s - 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.*

St. Thomas' - 10:00 a.m.*

St. Patrick’s – 11:00 a.m.*

* These liturgies will be Live-Streamed on Facebook for those who choose to remain at home. Download a pdf of the leaflet to print or to use on your phone or tablet with this link -  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xdFSiAGHHvD8h42WnReQbB3FERlguaLR/view?usp=sharing            

La Sagrada Eucaristía: Rito Dos en la iglesia (primer y tercer domingo del mes y transmitido en vivo en Facebook) o Oración de la tarde diaria a través de Zoom (los otros domingos del mes)

Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas – Domingo - 5:00 p.m.

Oración Vespertina Diaria a través de Zoom - Únete aqui

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89906444437?pwd=bmdXYW9kNjVicVJHU3Fkb3BrMitKZz09

ID de reunión: 899 0644 4437

Contraseña: 500

o llame al +1 312 626 6799 or  +1 346 248 7799

Zoom Compline - All Welcome 

Sunday -  8:00 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83861688528?pwd=WFdBcndxV3hzbUpETDNTSFFzc3Z0QT09 

Meeting ID: 838 6168 8528

Passcode: 800

or dial in at  +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799

We hope to “see” you all on Sunday as you are most comfortable!

Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+

Art from Clip Art, Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications – ltp.org

Dorothy L. Sayers

Dorothy L Sayers, Apologist and Spiritual Writer, 1957

The Collect:

Almighty God, who strengthened your servant Dorothy Sayers with eloquence to defend Christian teaching: Keep us, we pray, steadfast in your true religion, that in constancy and peace we may always teach right doctrine, and teach doctrine rightly; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Dorothy Leigh Sayers was an English writer and scholar, born at Oxford in 1893, the only child of an Anglican clergyman. She studied medieval literature at Oxford (Somerville College), being one of the first women to graduate (1915) from that university.

She is the author of numerous works of fiction, plays, non-fiction, and translation.

Perhaps, one of her most notable works is the 1938 essay, "The Dogma is the Drama," in which she states that Christian dogma is often thought dull because people have no idea what it affirms. If they understood the teachings found in the Creeds, they might eagerly embrace them, or indignantly reject them as too far-fetched to be considered, or wistfully reject them as too good to be true, but they would not be bored. She gives a satirical account of what the average moderately educated non-Christian thinks that the Church teaches.

Dorothy L. Sayers died 17 December 1957, leaving her translation of The (Divine) Comedy of Dante unfinished. The last thirteen cantos and the notes and commentary to the Paradiso were supplied by her friend and fellow Dante scholar, Dr. Barbara Reynolds.*

The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Dorothy_Sayers.html

Ember Day & Season

Seasons of Change by Monte Dolack
The University of Montana is Mother Dawnell's Alma Mater.

Ember days have their origin in the Latin Quatuor Tempora (four times).

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of this week are Ember Days. So, we are in an Ember season. The Book of Common Prayer describes these quarterly remembrances on the Church’s calendar. The Ember Days, traditionally observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays after the First Sunday in Lent, the Day of Pentecost, Holy Cross Day, and December 13 (St. Lucy's Day).

Further, the prayer book contains the following prayers for Ember Days, which are set aside especially to pray for people in any sort of ministry:

For the Ministry (Ember Days) - For use on the traditional days or at other times.
BCP, pages 256, 257

I. For those to be ordained

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, in your divine providence you have appointed various orders in your Church: Give your grace, we humbly pray, to all who are [now] called to any office and ministry for your people; and so fill them with the truth of your doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before you, to the glory of your great Name and for the benefit of your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry

O God, you led your holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that your Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of your kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

III. For all Christians in their vocation

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

As you can see, there is a prayer here for ALL of us. That is because we ALL have a vocation – a calling. Please take a moment to pray with one or all of these!

From the Presiding Bishop

2021 Christmas Message from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, via Episcopal News Service.

Christmas Worship

We have many times you can join us for Christmas! Hope to see you.

Tonight - Zoom Evening Prayer & Advent Class

Join us tonight,  Wednesday night, December 15 for Zoom Evening Prayer and our Bible Project Video Advent Series Class. Evening Prayer begins at 5:30 p.m. and our class follows. We will use the propers for Nino of Georgia, Missionary, and our Advent Word Study is “love.”

Zoom Evening Prayer & Bible Project Video Advent Series Class
Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86781577595?pwd=VjNnZTZnUFFadkJPc3VOVTh3K21Idz09

Meeting ID: 867 8157 7595
Passcode: 530
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 779

Nino of Georgia

Nino of Georgia, Missionary, c. 332

The Collect:

Almighty God, who called your servant Nino to be your apostle to the people of Georgia, to bring those wandering in darkness to the true light and knowledge of you; Grant us so to walk in that light, that we may come at last to the light of your everlasting day; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Saint Nino, Equal to the Apostles and the Enlightener of Georgia (c. 296 – c. 338 or 340), was a woman who preached Christianity in the territory of Caucasian Iberia, of what is now part of Georgia. It resulted in the Christianization of the royal house of Iberia, with the consequent Christianization of Iberia.

According to most widely traditional accounts, she belonged to a Greek-speaking Roman family from Kolastra, Cappadocia, was a relative of Saint George, and came to Georgia (ancient Iberia) from Constantinople. Other sources claim she was from Rome, Jerusalem or Gaul (modern France). According to legend, she performed miraculous healings and converted the Georgian queen, Nana, and eventually the pagan king Mirian III of Iberia, who, lost in darkness and blinded on a hunting trip, found his way only after he prayed to "Nino’s God". Mirian declared Christianity the official religion (c. 327) and Nino continued her missionary activities among Georgians until her death.

Her tomb is still shown at the Bodbe Monastery in Kakheti, eastern Georgia. St. Nino has become one of the most venerated saints of the Georgian Orthodox Church and her attribute, a grapevine cross, is a symbol of Georgian Christianity.*

* Wikipedia, via The Lectionary, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Nino.html

John of the Cross

John of the Cross, Mystic and Monastic Reformer, 1591

The Collect:

Judge eternal, throned in splendor, who gave John of the Cross strength of purpose and faith that sustained him even through the dark night of the soul: Shed your light on all who love you, in unity with Jesus Christ our Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Juan de Ypres y Alvarez was born in 1542. His father died soon after, and Juan was brought up in an orphanage. (His father was probably Jewish. It is remarkable how many of the most memorable Spanish Christians have been of Jewish background.) At seventeen, he enrolled as a student in a Jesuit college, and at twenty-one, he joined the Carmelite Friars. He was ordained in 1567, and almost immediately met Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite Nun who was undertaking to return the Order to its original strict rule, which had been gradually relaxed to the detriment, as she believed, of the spiritual lives of the members of the Order. Those who followed the strict rule as promulgated by Teresa went barefoot or wore sandals instead of shoes, and so became known as Discalced (unshod) Carmelites, or Carmelites of the Strict Observance. John undertook to adopt the stricter rule and encourage others to do so.

Not all members of the order welcomed the change. In 1577 a group of Calced Carmelites, or Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, kidnapped John and demanded that he renounce the reform. When he refused, he was imprisoned in complete darkness and solitude in a Calced monastery in Toledo for about nine months. He then escaped and fled to a Calced monastery. While imprisoned at Toledo, he had begun to compose some poems, and now he wrote them down, with commentaries on their spiritual significance.

He was given various positions of leadership among the reformed friars, but then dissension broke out among the reformers between "moderates" and "extremists." John supported the moderate party, and when the extremists gained control, they denounced him as a traitor to the reform. He was sent to a remote friary, and fell ill, and finally died at Ubeda during the night preceding 14 December 1591. *

* The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/john_cross.htm

Lucy of Syracuse, Martyr, 304

The Collect:

Loving God, for the salvation of all you gave Jesus Christ as light to a world in darkness: Illumine us, as you did your daughter Lucy, with the light of Christ, that by the merits of his passion, we may be led to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The early Roman lists of martyrs commemorate Lucy, virgin and martyr, on 13 December, and her name, with that of Agatha, appears in the Roman Liturgy as an example of those who have gone before us, in whose company we join in giving thanks and praise to God. Aside from this, little is known of her, except that she lived in Syracuse in Sicily, and probably died around 304. Her name, which means "light," probably accounts for the story that her eyes were put out and her eyesight miraculously restored, and may be connected with the fact that her feast occurs near the time when (in the Northern Hemisphere) the nights are longest. In Sweden and elsewhere, the day is observed by having one of the daughters of the house dress in a white robe with a crown of lighted candles and go singing from room to room (presumably followed by an adult with a fire extinguisher) early in the morning when it is still dark to awaken the other family members and to offer them St. Lucy's Cakes and hot coffee.

Ember Wednesday (of the winter season) is defined as the Wednesday after Lucy's Day. (An equivalent definition would be: the Wednesday preceding the last Sunday before Christmas.) *

* The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/lucy.htm

Note: Lucy is said to have had her eyes gouged out at her martyrdom, and so is often portrayed carrying them on a plate.