Found 26 resource(s) in 'Holy Days', for April 2019.
High Days and Holy Days (all) for April 2019
Editor: As the church year does not change, much of this material has appeared before. The articles on ‘Fooling Around’ and ‘Mary Magdalene’ are new this year. NEW*1 Fooling around 1 April Fool’s Day 2 Hugh of Grenoble – the saint who fought corruption 3 Richard of Chichester – wanting God more clearly, dearly and... (7815 words)1 April – Fooling Around
by Canon David Winter I was about six when I began to enjoy April Fool’s Day. My older brother was very clever at appropriate hoaxes, not only deceiving me but also mum and dad. On the whole my childish efforts were encouraged. The day was full of laughs, even at school, where the teachers would... (311 words)1 April – All Fools’ Day
In years gone by, the rules surrounding April Fool were this: between midnight and noon on 1st April, everyone is ‘fair game’ to be made a fool of. It is the morning of the practical joke. But the aim is not just to discomfort the victim: he must be tricked into taking action himself, sent... (178 words)2 April – Hugh of Grenoble – he fought corruption and built hospitals
Murky crimes committed by various church leaders, local shops in trouble, roads needing repair, and hospitals in a sorry state…. wanting to retire, but the law said no… it seems that Hugh of Grenoble was dealing with 21st century problems in the 11th century. Born at Chateauneuf in 1052 as the son of a knight,... (294 words)3 April – Richard of Chichester – more clearly, dearly and nearly
Ever wonder where the prayer … ‘May I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day’ comes from? Richard of Chichester, a bishop in the 13th century, wrote it. He began life as Richard de Wych of Droitwich, the son of a yeoman farmer. But Richard was... (360 words)5 April – Vincent Ferrer: Dominican who opposed a Pope
Leaving England to live in Spain was popular long before the TV show ‘Location Location Location’ became popular. Back in 1350 Vincent Ferrer’s parents had left England to settle in Valencia, where their son Vincent was born and grew up. In 1367, when he was 17, Vincent felt called by God to become a monk,... (334 words)12 April – Zeno of Verona: the more things change….
Zeno of Verona (d. 371) should be the patron saint of all ministers who suspect that the more things change, the more they remain the same. For instance: ethnic diversity…church-planting… teaching…. concern for the poor… women’s ministry in the church… sound like modern-day Christian concerns? Not a bit of it – this was the life... (186 words)13 April – Carpus, Papylus and Agathonice: martyrs of the Early Church
In the month of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of Himself for us, the martyrdoms of Carpus, Papylus and Agathonice are well worth remembering. What they said as they died could be said by the many thousands of Christians who are facing persecution all over the world today. Carpus, Papylus and Agathonice lived in Pergamum (Asia Minor)... (320 words)14 April – Palm Sunday: Jesus at the gates of Jerusalem
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when the Church remembers how Jesus arrived at the gates of Jerusalem just a few days before the Passover was due to be held. He was the Messiah come to his own people in their capital city, and yet he came in humility, riding on a young donkey, not... (129 words)18 April – Maundy Thursday – time to wash feet
Maundy Thursday is famous for two things. The first is one of the final acts that Jesus did before his death: the washing of his own disciples’ feet. (see John 13) Jesus washed his disciples’ feet for a purpose: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you... (257 words)19 April – Good Friday: Jesus and the thieves on the Cross
Luke’s account of the crucifixion (Luke 23:32-43) emphasises the mocking of the crowd, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself’ (35,37,39). In their view a Messiah does not hang on a cross and suffer. In considering the two men who was crucified with Jesus, we are also confronted with the issue of... (307 words)19 April – GOOD FRIDAY: the day the Son of God died for you
Good Friday is the day on which Jesus died on the cross. He was crucified at 9am in the morning, and died six hours later, at 3pm. It is the most solemn day in the Christian year, and is widely marked by the removal of all decorations from churches. In Lutheran churches, the day was... (149 words)21 April – Easter morning: the ‘Other’ Mary
by Canon David Winter As the traditional Easter story is rehearsed again this month, you may notice that there is one name that frequently occurs. It is that of the ‘other’ Mary – not the mother of Jesus, but Mary of Magdalene, who stood by her at the cross and became the first human being... (390 words)21 April – EASTER: the most joyful day of the year
Easter is the most joyful day of the year for Christians. Christ has died for our sins. We are forgiven. Christ has risen! We are redeemed! We can look forward to an eternity in His joy! Hallelujah! The Good News of Jesus Christ is a message so simple that you can explain it to someone... (399 words)21 April – Easter faith
Three years after the Russian Revolution of 1917, a great anti-God rally was arranged in Kiev. The powerful orator Bukharin was sent from Moscow, and for an hour he demolished the Christian faith with argument, abuse and ridicule. At the end there was silence. Then a man rose and asked to speak. He was a... (145 words)21 April – Jesus’ appearances after His Resurrection
The following list of witnesses may help you put all those references in order…. Mary Magdalene Mark 16:9-11; John 20:10-18 Other women at the tomb Matthew 28:8-10 Peter in Jerusalem Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5 The two travellers on the road Mark 16:12,13 10 disciples behind closed doors Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25 11... (82 words)21 April – Why Easter will never go away
How do you make sense of the Resurrection? Dead men don’t rise, so why believe that this particular dead man did rise? At the end of St Luke’s Gospel we read that: “they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement” (Luke 24.4). This is highly significant. The Gospels do not show us... (588 words)21 April – Anselm: the man who proved there is a God
Anselm is a good saint to remember next time someone asks you to prove that there is a God. His brilliant and original Proslogion, written 1077-8, sets out the ‘ontological’ proof for God’s existence. Nearly ten centuries later, it is still studied by theological students as one of the great philosophical ‘proofs’ of God’s existence.... (238 words)23 April – St George: our patron saint who isn’t English
It’s perhaps typical of the English that they should have a patron saint who isn’t English, about whom next to nothing is known for sure, and who may not have existed at all. That didn’t stop him being patriotically invoked in many battles, notably at Agincourt and in the Crusades, and of course it is... (449 words)23 April – St George of the Golden Legend
The Saint of an English Army before he was Patron Saint of England, St George may have been a soldier, but he was no Englishman. He was an officer in the Roman army under Diocletian, who refused to abandon his faith during the Terror, and was martyred at Lydda in Palestine about the year 300... (416 words)23 April – St George and Hiccup and the dragon
Have you seen the film How to Train your Dragon? It’s set in a Viking village under attack from dragons, who steal livestock and burn down houses. Hiccup, the village Chief’s son, invents a machine to capture dragons. However, when he catches one of the most dangerous dragons, he cannot kill it, when he sees... (297 words)25 April – Mark: disciple, apostle, writer of the second gospel
Mark, whose home in Jerusalem became a place of rest for Jesus and His 12 apostles, is considered the traditional author of the second gospel. He is also usually identified as the young man, described in Mark 14:51, who followed Christ after his arrest and then escaped capture by leaving his clothes behind. Papias, in... (177 words)27 April – Tertullian: fierce firebrand of the Early Church
Tertullian was born in Carthage, North Africa, about 155 AD. He had pagan parents and his father may have been a centurion. Carthage was a prestigious Roman colony and Tertullian was given a good education in Greek, Latin, literature, history and philosophy. On arrival in Rome, Tertullian probably worked as a lawyer. In Rome, he... (370 words)27 April – Zita: the long-suffering servant girl of Lucca
If you have ever been in trouble for simply doing good, then Zita is the saint for you. Born in 1218 to poor but devout parents in Monsagrati, Zita was sent at the age of 12 to work as a servant for the rich Fatinelli family in nearby Lucca. Zita was pious, generous and hard-working.... (312 words)28 April – Peter Chanel: missionary and martyr in the South Pacific 1841
Many of us can show great dedication in pursuit of a career that will bring us a good salary or position. Peter Chanel should be the patron saint of anyone who shows quiet determination in doing what they believe to be God’s call upon their life; regardless of the harsh personal consequences. Chanel was born... (387 words)29 April – Catherine of Siena: or, how to survive in a large family
Catherine of Siena, who was born 1347, should be the patron saint of anyone who has grown up in a large family, and mastered the two vital skills for survival: how to stand up for yourself, and how to make peace with others. Catherine had siblings! At least 19 of them. Her father was a... (360 words)
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