✝️ Today in The Daily Office we remember Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
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She was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity, dedicated her life to serving "the poorest of the poor" in Calcutta and around the world, and became renowned for her charitable work and devotion to Christ.
"We can only do small things with great love." - Mother Teresa
2/ Born in 1910 in Skopje, Mother Teresa joined the Sisters of Loreto at 18 and moved to India, where she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950.
She dedicated her life to serving "the poorest of the poor" in Calcutta's slums, establishing hospices, homes for orphaned children, and clinics for people with leprosy and HIV/AIDS.
3/ She lived out her faith through radical acts of charity, seeing Christ in the poor and marginalized, inspired by Jesus' words "I thirst" and "As you did to the least of these, you did it to me".
And she received numerous honors including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, using the monetary award to serve the poor in India.
4/ She experienced a profound "dark night of the soul," feeling spiritual emptiness while continuing her tireless work, demonstrating deep faith beyond emotions.
She was canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church in 2016, with her feast day celebrated on September 5, the anniversary of her death in 1997.
"And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"
- Matthew 25:40
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Almighty and everlasting God,
who didst enkindle the flame of thy love in the heart of thy servant Mother Teresa to manifest divine compassion and mercy to the poor and the persecuted:
Vouchsafe unto us, thy humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who give thanks for her righteous zeal may profit by her example; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God,
world without end,
Amen.
🧑🧑🧒🧒We’re a church without a building right now.
🙋🏻♂️Can you help us?
⛪️We can do so much more to bring people to Jesus and to serve the community if we had a building of our own.
✝️ Today we remember The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea, 1901 and 1942-43.
A group of Christian missionaries and local believers who were killed for their faith in Papua New Guinea, including James Chalmers and Oliver Tomkins in 1901, and over 330 Christians of various denominations during the Japanese invasion in 1942-1943, all of whom are commemorated for their sacrificial witness and steadfast commitment to serving Christ and His Church in the face of persecution.
“We could never hold up our faces again, if for our own safety we all forsook him and fled when the shadows of the passion began to gather around him in his spiritual body, the Church in Papua. Our life in the future would have been burdened with shame and we could not come back here and face our people again; and we would be conscious always of rejected opportunities."
-Bishop Philip Strong
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2/ The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea include 333 Christians from various denominations who were killed during the Japanese invasion in 1942-1943.
Reported numbers of those killed varies; the University of Papua New Guinea research that there were
Roman Catholic - 197
United Church - 77
Salvation Army - 22
Lutheran - 16
Anglican - 12
Methodist - 10
Evangelical Church of Manus - 5
Seventh Day Adventist - 4
3/ Notable Anglican martyrs include Vivian Redlich, May Hayman, Lucian Tapiedi, and others who chose to remain and serve their communities despite the imminent danger.
✝️ Today has been the Feast of Aidan of Lindisfarne.*
He was an Irish monk and missionary who served as the first bishop of Lindisfarne, founded Lindisfarne Priory, and is known as the "Apostle of Northumbria" for his pivotal role in restoring and spreading Christianity throughout northern England in the 7th century through his patient, gentle evangelism and establishment of churches, monasteries, and schools.
(*Yes, Admin should’ve done this first thing but she got a bit behind on things, sorry! - SR)
Anyway, here’s a 🧵:
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“Among other evidences of holy life, he gave his clergy an inspiring example of self-discipline and continence, and the highest recommendation of his teaching to all was that he and his followers lived as they taught. He never sought or cared for any worldly possessions, and loved to give away to the poor who chanced to meet him whatever he received from kings or wealthy folk."
-- Bede
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He was an Irish monk who became the first bishop of Lindisfarne in 635, establishing a monastery and see on the island.
And he’s a Missionary credited with restoring Christianity to Northumbria through patient, gentle evangelism, often walking from village to village.
✝️ Today we remember Charles Chapman Grafton (1830-1912).
He was an Episcopal bishop, Anglo-Catholic leader, and ecumenist known for his efforts to promote Catholic traditions within Anglicanism, his founding of religious orders, and his work towards Christian unity, particularly between Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox churches.
“Press on the Kingdom!"
-- Charles Chapman Grafton
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Born in Boston in 1830, Charles Chapman Grafton became an ardent supporter of the Oxford Movement and Anglo-Catholicism within the Episcopal Church
He co-founded the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE) in England and later helped establish the American Congregation of St. Benedict and the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity.
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He served as the second Bishop of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin from 1889 to 1912, expanding the diocese and contributing much of his personal wealth.
He was known for his ecumenical efforts, particularly his involvement in the controversial "Fond du Lac Circus" consecration of 1900, which included Orthodox and Polish National Catholic bishops.
✝️ Today in the Daily Office, we remember John the Baptist, who was a prophet and forerunner of Jesus Christ, known for baptising people in the Jordan River and preparing the way for the Messiah, who was ultimately beheaded by King Herod Antipas for criticising the king's unlawful marriage.
"He chose to despise the commands of a tyrant, rather than those of God. His example teaches us, that nothing should be dearer to us, than the will of God."
-Lanspergius the Carthusian
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He lived an austere life in the wilderness, wearing camel's hair and subsisting on locusts and wild honey.
And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. KJV Matthew 3:4
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John baptised Jesus and proclaimed him as the Messiah, saying "Behold, the Lamb of God"
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. KJV John 1:29
✝️In today's Daily Office, we remember Augustine, Bishop of Hippo and Teacher of the Faith.
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Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was a renowned theologian, philosopher, and bishop in North Africa who profoundly shaped Western Christian thought through his influential writings on topics like original sin, divine grace, and the Church, becoming one of the most important Church Fathers and a Doctor of the Church.
"Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee."
- Augustine of Hippo
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Augustine converted to Christianity at age 32 after a spiritual journey, becoming Bishop of Hippo in 395 and serving until his death in 430.
His conversion was brought about by Saint Monica, his mother.
Today in our Daily Office (dailyoffice2019.com), we remember Saint Monica (c. 332-387), Patron Saint of wives and abuse victims, a devout North African Christian woman revered for her persistent prayers and unwavering faith that led to the conversion of her son, Saint Augustine of Hippo, who became one of the most influential theologians and philosophers in Christian history.
"She brought me to birth both in her body so that I was born into the light of time, and in her heart so that I was born into the light of eternity" .
-- Augustine, Confessions 9,17
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Born c. 332 in Thagaste (modern Algeria), Monica was a devout Christian who married Patricius, a pagan with a difficult temperament.
Through her patience, prayers, and virtuous example, Monica influenced the conversion of both her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity.
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She persistently prayed for her son Augustine's conversion for 17 years, following him to Rome and Milan, where he eventually embraced Christianity.
Monica's spiritual wisdom and intellectual gifts were recognized by Augustine and others, as evidenced by her participation in philosophical discussions at Cassiciacum.