✝️ Today we remember Francis of Assisi.

He was a 13th-century Italian Catholic friar, deacon, and founder of the Franciscan orders who is known for his radical commitment to poverty, his love for nature and animals, and his role in reforming the Church through his example of simple living and literal interpretation of the Gospel, inspiring countless Christians to follow Christ more closely through asceticism, charity, and care for God's creation.

"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle."
-- St. Francis of Assisi 🕯️ •Born in 1181/82 in Assisi, Italy, Francis renounced his wealthy lifestyle to embrace poverty and preach the Gospel.

•Founded the Franciscan Order in 1209, emphasizing simplicity, poverty, and service to the poor.

•Received the stigmata in 1224, becoming the first recorded person to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion.

•Composed the "Canticle of the Sun," celebrating God's creation, and initiated the tradition of the Christmas nativity scene.

•Pioneered a new form of religious life focused on evangelical poverty and active ministry in the world, rather than monastic seclusion.

•Died in 1226 and was quickly canonized in 1228, becoming one of the most venerated saints in Christian history.

Today is St Michael & All Angels’ Day – also called Michaelmas. 🌿

It’s one of the traditional quarter days in the Christian year, marking the turning of the seasons.

Holy Michael and All Angels refers to the Archangel Michael and the heavenly host of angels who, in Christian tradition, are celebrated for their role as spiritual warriors against evil, protectors of God's people, and servants who carry out God's will, reminding believers of God's constant care and the cosmic battle between good and evil.

"God loves in the Seraphim, as charity, knows in the Cherubim, as truth, is seated in the Thrones, as equity, reigns in the Dominions, as majesty, rules in the Principalities, as principle, guards in the Powers, as salvation, acts in the Virtues, as strength, reveals in the Archangels, as light, assists in the Angels, as piety."
-St. Bernard St Michael the Archangel is often depicted as a warrior, defending God’s people and casting out Satan (Revelation 12:7-9). ⚔️

He’s a reminder of God’s protection in times of struggle.

✝️ All about Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist.

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Matthew, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, was a former tax collector who became an evangelist and author of the first Gospel, known for his detailed account of Jesus' life and teachings, particularly emphasising Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the promised Messiah.

"O Almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist: Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
-The Book of Common Prayer Matthew, originally a tax collector, was called by Jesus to become one of the twelve apostles.

He authored the Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, which emphasises Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

✝️John Coleridge Patteson.

He was an English Anglican bishop, missionary, and linguist who became the first Bishop of Melanesia in 1861, dedicating his life to evangelizing and educating the people of the South Pacific islands and fighting against slavery, until his martyrdom in 1871. Born in London in 1827, John Coleridge Patteson became a missionary to the South Pacific islands in 1855, responding to Bishop Selwyn's call.

Consecrated as the first Bishop of Melanesia in 1861, Patteson was a gifted linguist who learned 23 Melanesian languages to better communicate with and minister to the indigenous peoples.

Today we remember Saint Ninian.

He was a 4th-5th century Briton, is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts and the first bishop of Galloway, who established the influential monastery of Candida Casa (Whithorn) and played a crucial role in spreading Christianity throughout Scotland and northern England through his missionary work and teachings.

"O God, who hast converted the people of the Picts and Britons, by the teaching (doctrinam) of St Ninian thy bishop and confessor, to the knowledge of thy Faith, graciously grant that as by his instruction we are imbued by the light of truth, so by his intercessions we may attain to the joys of the heavenly life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
- Collect from the Missal of Arbuthnott Born around 360 AD in southern Scotland, Ninian was educated in Rome and became the first major preacher of the Gospel in Britain north of Hadrian's Wall.

He established his episcopal see at Whithorn, Galloway, where he built a stone church called Candida Casa (White House) around 397 AD, which became an important monastic centre.

✝️ Today we remember Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage and Martyr (c. 200-258 AD).

He was an influential early Christian theologian and bishop known for his writings on church unity, his leadership during persecution, and his martyrdom for the faith.

"No one can have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother." - Cyprian of Carthage Born in 200 CE in Carthage, Cyprian converted to Christianity in 246 and became Bishop of Carthage two years later.

During the Decian persecution (250-251), Cyprian went into hiding but continued to lead his flock through letters, addressing the issue of lapsed Christians.

Today the Church keeps the Feast of the Holy Cross (14 Sept).

We honour the Cross of Christ, not as an object of sorrow alone, but as the sign of victory: life out of death, love stronger than hate. ✝️

#HolyCrossDay The Feast recalls St Helena’s 4th-century discovery of the True Cross in Jerusalem, and the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335 AD. The Cross became not just an instrument of execution but a symbol of salvation.

Today we remember St. John Chrysostom (347-407).

He was a renowned Archbishop of Constantinople, celebrated for his powerful preaching which earned him the nickname "Golden-mouthed," his extensive biblical commentaries, and his significant contributions to Christian liturgy, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

"If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice." - Saint John Chrysostom 2/ Born in Antioch around 347 AD, John Chrysostom became renowned for his powerful preaching, earning the epithet "golden-mouthed".

As Archbishop of Constantinople from 397 AD, he boldly spoke against corruption in both church and state, leading to conflicts with the imperial court and his eventual exile.

Today we remember John Henry Hobart (1775-1830).

He was the third Episcopal Bishop of New York who revitalised the Episcopal Church in America after the Revolutionary War through his vigorous defense of apostolic succession, establishment of educational institutions, and promotion of "Evangelical Truth and Apostolic Order," becoming a key figure in the early 19th-century High Church movement. 2/ "Blessed light of the Gospel, sent in mercy from the eternal Father of lights; we behold in thy revelations, (divine truth shining forth resplendent and glorious,)–the infinite and eternal Jehovah, arrayed in attributes the most illustrious and attractive, commanding, from the throne of righteous dominion, our enlightened homage and obedience" .
- John Henry Hobart

✝️ Today we remember Alexander Crummell.

He was an African American Episcopal priest, missionary to Liberia, scholar, and influential advocate for Pan-Africanism who worked tirelessly to promote education, racial solidarity, and the spread of Christianity among African Americans and Africans in the 19th century.

"The true and legitimate function of speech … is to sow the seeds of truth in the souls of men"
- Alexander Crummell 2/

Born in 1819 to free Black parents in New York, Alexander Crummell became an Episcopal priest and the first officially recorded Black graduate of Cambridge University

Crummell spent 20 years as a missionary in Liberia, working to convert Africans to Christianity, educate them, and establish a Black Christian republic

✝️ Today we remember Constance and Her Companions, also known as the Martyrs of Memphis.

They were Episcopal nuns and priests who sacrificed their lives caring for yellow fever victims in Memphis in 1878, exemplifying Christ-like love and service to others in the face of great danger. 2/

"Few know what a wonderful life it was that ended, for this world, when Sister Constance died. It was one long and entire consecration to Christ and the Church; and the strength with which she met the fearful trials of those last days, directing, sustaining, and cheering her devoted companions, and working day and night to spare others, was a supernatural strength."

📖The Sisters of St. Mary at Memphis:
with the Acts and Sufferings of the Priests and Others Who Were There with Them during the Yellow Fever Season of 1878.
New York: Printed, but not Published, 1879; 62pp.
transcribed by Elizabeth Boggs

👉🏻 anglicanhistory.org/usa/csm/memphi…

✝️ 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.

✝️ 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

A 🧵 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

✝️ 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 🧵: 2/

“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

✝️ 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.

✝️ 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

A 🧵 2/

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

✝️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 2/

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.

https://x.com/sjsjchurch/status/1960667810759074036?s=46&t=QfENL1TYOnuNzuabuU5xdA

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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 2/

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.

✝️🧵
Did you know England has a little-known Anglo-Saxon saint called Pandionia? 🕊️

She lived in the 9th century, and her feast day is celebrated today—26 August.
#ChurchHistory

Church of St Pandionia and St John the Baptist, Eltisley:

📷 ©2024 Ben Colburn & Mark Ynys-Mon 2/
Pandionia (sometimes called Pandwyna) was said to be the daughter of a Scottish or Irish king. 👑

She fled south to escape persecution for her Christian faith. ✝️

✝️ Today we remember King Louis IX, King of France (1214-1270).

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He was a devout Catholic monarch known for his piety, justice, and leadership of two Crusades, who was canonized as a saint for his exemplary Christian life and service to the Church.

"I think more of the church where I was baptized than of Rheims Cathedral where I was crowned (as King of France). It is a greater thing to be a child of God than to be the ruler of a Kingdom."
-- Louis IX 2/

Louis IX reigned as King of France from 1226 to 1270, known for his piety, justice, and charitable works.

He implemented significant legal reforms, establishing royal courts and promoting fair trials based on evidence rather than trial by combat.

✝️Today, we remember Bartholomew the Apostle.

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Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ who is known for his initial skepticism about Jesus' origins, his subsequent recognition of Jesus as the Son of God, and his missionary work spreading the Gospel, particularly in Armenia where he was martyred for his faith.

“Here is a true child of Israel. There is no guile in him."
-- Jesus Christ, referring to Bartholomew 2/

Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus Christ.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”

51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[d] the Son of Man.”

He witnessed Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection, and received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.