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| February 1, Brigid of Kildare. And Irish nun, Brigid founded a number of convents and was known for works of great charity. She is known as a patron saint of Ireland along with Saints Patrick and Columba..
Read more about Brigid.
Lectionary readings to commemorate Brigid. |
| February 2, The Presentation of Our Lord. On this day we celebrate the presentation of Jesus to the Temple as told in the Gospel according to Luke. It was Jewish custom at the time to dedicate one's firstborn son to God forty days after his birth. It is on this day that Simeon's request to see the Messiah before he died was fulfilled. In response, Simeon sang this song: "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).
Read more about the Presentation of Our Lord.
Lectionary readings to commemorate the Presentation of Our Lord. |
| February 4: Cornelius the Centurion. Christians consider Cornelius to be the first gentile convert to Christianity as told in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 10-16. Including gentiles (non-Jews) in the community of followers of Jesus was controversial in the first century. All twelve of the named disciples (note that the names of the twelve differ among gospels) are Jews. Part of the controversy regarding the converstion of gentiles was whether they would be required to follow Jewish dietary laws.
Read more about Cornelius.
Lectionary readings to commemorate Cornelius.
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| February 5, The Martyrs of Japan (1597). Paul Miki, a Jesuit missionary and 25 companions (two fellow Japanese Jesuits, six Franciscans and seventeen Japanese lay men) were crucified under order of Emperor Hideyoshi for spreading the gospel in secret in Japan. Even to his death, he forgave those who sought his death and called them to seek baptism. .
Read more about the Martyrs of Japan.
Lectionary readings to commemorate the Martyrs of Japan. |
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February 13, Absalom Jones (1818). Absalom Jones, an American who worked for the freedom of all slaves, was the first African American ordained in the Episcopal Church. He was born into slavery in 1746 and purchased his freedom in 1774. He co-founded African Episcopal Church St. Thomas in Philadelphia .
Lectionary readings to commemorate Absalom Jones.
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February 14, Cyril and Methodius, (869, 885) Cyril and Methodius, brothers and 9th century missionaries, spread the gospel in Khazaria and Great Moravia. They are attributed to spreading Christianity most successfully among Slavic people.
Read more about Cyril and Methodius.
Lectionary readings to commemorate Cyril and Methodius. |
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February 15: Thomas Bray (1730). Thomas Bray was an English clergyman who visited the British colony of Maryland where he advocated for Christian education of all baptized. His efforts led to the establishment of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), an active society to this day (www.spckusa.org).
Read more about Thomas Bray.
Lectionary readings to commemorate Thomas Bray. |
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February 18: Martin Luther (1546) Martin Luther was a German monk and theologian who inspired the European Reformation that led to the development churches separate from the Roman Catholic Church. He argued that the Bible is the only religios authority and that salvation was accessible through faith directly through God. Mediation through the Church was not necessary.
Lectionary readings to commemorate Martin Luther.
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February 23: Polycarp (156). Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, was an early Church Father. He was thought to have been a disciple of the Apostle John. Polycarp was stabbed to death after a failed attempt to burn him at the stake for his belief in Jesus, the Messiah. .
Read more about Polycarp.
Lectionary readings to commemorate Polycarp. |
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February 24: Saint Matthias the Apostle. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Matthias was chosen by lot to replace Judas Escariot as the twelfth disciple. Little else is known about Saint Matthias
Read more about Saint Matthias.
Lectionary readings to commemorate Saint Matthias. |
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| February 27: George Herbert (1633). George Herbert was a poet, preacher and priest who was renowned for dedicated pastoral care to his parish and beautiful poems, some of which have been set to music and appear in the 1982 Hymnal. You might recognize this first line: "Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life.".
Read more about George Herbert.
Lectionary readings to commemorate George Herbert. |
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