Found 29 resource(s) in 'Holy Days', for September 2020.
High Days & Holy Days (all) for September 2020
Here you can download ALL of the High & Holy Days for this month (15 words)1st Sept Drithelm – vision of the after-life
St Drithelm is the saint for you if you have ever wondered what lies beyond death, or have had a near-death experience. He was married and living in Cunningham (now Ayrshire, then Northumbria) in the 7th century when he fell ill and apparently died. When he revived a few hours later he caused panic among... (277 words)1st Sept St Giles of Provence – helping those damaged by life
St Giles was an immensely popular saint in the Middle Ages, and no wonder: he was the patron saint of cripples. In those days, there were many people who, once injured, were never really whole again. Even today, a serious injury – either physical or mental or emotional, can leave us damaged for months, years... (450 words)2nd Sept The New Guinea Martyrs of 1942
The Anglican Church in Australia still honours the New Guinea Martyrs of 1942. These brave men and women, 10 Australians and two Papuans, refused to leave their missionary work on the island as the Japanese military forces advanced. As one tribute to them put it: ‘They knowing full well the risk, elected to stay with... (265 words)2nd Sept St William of Roskilde – standing up for social justic
Here is a saint for anyone who thinks Christian leaders should stand up for justice – even at the risk of angering secular powers. It all began when William was an English priest serving as chaplain to Canute, king of England, (1016-35), who decided to visit Scandinavia. William went along, and was so shocked by... (179 words)3rd Sept St Gregory the Great – the man who saved the ‘angels’
Pope Gregory never called himself ‘the Great’, but instead ‘the Servant of the Servants of God’. Nevertheless, Gregory was one of the most important popes and influential writers of the Middle Ages. The son of a very rich Roman senator, he left the service of the State upon his conversion as a young man. Gregory... (231 words)*NEW 4th Sept St Birinus – apostle of Wessex
Did you ever feel that God was calling you to do something big for Him, even though you were not quite sure of the details? If so, Birinus is the saint for you. He was a French Benedictine monk who in 634 was made a bishop at Genoa, and sent by Pope Honorius 1 to... (313 words)5th Sept Laurence Giustiniani – helping a beggar
You are walking down the road when a beggar approaches you for money. What do you do? If, instead of giving money, you buy him/her coffee or a meal, then you are in good company: you are following in the steps of the first ever Bishop of Venice. Laurence Giustiniani (1381 – 1455) was born... (212 words)6th Sept: Captain Allen Gardiner – founder of SAMS
Captain Allen Gardiner is a saint for anyone who refuses to give up on their calling. For this courageous and indomitable man founded what became the South American Mission Society, though he sacrificed his own life in the process. Gardiner had not started out to be a missionary. Born in 1794, he had left Berkshire to... (477 words)8th Sept The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In both eastern and western Churches, Mary has always been held as pre-eminent among all the saints. The unique, extraordinary privilege of being the mother of the One who was both God and Man, makes her worthy of special honour. Thomas Aquinas believed she was due hyperdulia, or a veneration that exceeds that of other... (341 words)9th Sept St Peter Claver – compassion for slaves
Here is a saint for anyone with a social conscience. Claver was born in 1581 near Barcelona at Verdu, and at 20 became a Jesuit. He went as a missionary to New Granada and worked to alleviate the terrible suffering of the slaves who arrived from West Africa, caged like animals. (It was said that... (115 words)11th Sept St Protus and St Hyacinth – victims of mindless violence
On this, the 17th anniversary of the Twin Towers, we remember two innocent people who also met their death in the flames of mindless violence. These were Roman martyrs mentioned in the 4th century list of martyrs. Hyacinth’s tomb was discovered in the cemetery of Basilla, with his name and the date of his burial... (86 words)11th Sept St Deiniol of Bangor – bringing disagreeing bishops together
St Deiniol was a 6th century monk of Wales who came to be the ‘first bishop of Bangor’. And a mighty bishop he was, too: Deiniol founded the two monasteries of Bangor Fawr (on the Menai Straits) and Bangor Iscoed (Clwyd), which, according to Bede, became the most famous monastery of British Christianity and came... (114 words)13th Sept St John Chrysostom – living a public faith
John Chrysostom (347 – 407) is the saint for anyone who applies their Christianity to public life, and also for anyone who hates travelling in bad weather. Chrysostom did both, and had trouble both times. Born into a wealthy home in Antioch, John Chrysostom studied both oratory and law. In 373 he became a monk,... (319 words)14th Sept Holy Cross Day
On Holy Cross Day the Church celebrates the Cross as a symbol of triumph, as the sign of Christ’s victory over death. Holy Cross Day goes right back to 14 September 335, and we have the mother of a Roman Emperor to thank for it. Helena was a devout Christian, and after her son, Constantine,... (355 words)15th Sept St Adam of Caithness – the way NOT to tithe
Teaching people to ‘tithe’ can be a delicate matter. Some clergy teach ‘tithing’ well, and inspire their people to great generosity of spirit. Other clergy teach ‘tithing’ at least well enough, and get their people’s sluggish cooperation. But – there are clergy who teach ‘tithing’ badly – and then, watch out! St Adam (bishop 1213... (315 words)16th Sept Ninian, Bishop of Galloway – Apostle of the Picts (Scotland)
Ninian was a Celt who was born about 360, in southern Scotland. He was remarkable for two things: he was almost certainly the first man in Scotland to live in a little white stone house, and also the first to preach the gospel to the Scots. Just as remarkable: becoming the apostle to the Picts... (220 words)16th Sept Cornelius – the saint who had mercy on sinning Christians
Have you ever sinned since you became a Christian? Really sinned – or in other words done something that was SO wrong and totally ‘out of line’ with being a Christian that you are still ashamed when you think of it now. If so, and if you went on to ask God’s forgiveness for it,... (238 words)18th Sept St Joseph of Copertino – the awkward saint
Joseph of Copertino (1603 – 63) should be the patron saint of all awkward people who mean well, but who drive those around them to distraction – especially their church leaders. Joseph began life in a garden shed, because his father had sold the house to pay debts. Then he grew up wandering about open-mouthed... (299 words)20th Sept The Martyrs of Korea
Korea is known for its thriving Christian church. But it was not always so – in fact no Korean was baptised until as late as 1784. Christianity arrived in Korea through Christian books sent from China, and the Koreans responded warmly as soon as they heard the Good News. A Chinese priest who visited in... (210 words)21st Sept St Matthew
St Matthew was one of 12 apostles. But he began as a publican i.e. a tax-collector of Jewish race who worked for the Romans, before he left all at the call of Christ. From earliest times, he was regarded as the author of the first of the four Gospels. The Gospel of Matthew is in... (140 words)23rd Sept When the sun goes edgewise – and daytime equals night
23rd September is the autumnal equinox (if you live in the northern hemisphere) or the vernal (Spring) equinox (if you live in the southern hemisphere) The equinoxes occur in March and September, when the Sun is ‘edgewise’ to the Earth’s axis of rotation, so that everywhere on earth has twelve hours of daylight and twelve... (59 words)24th Sept St Gerard Sagredo – church planting in the 11th century
It’s amazing how little some things change down the centuries. Take the life of Gerard Sagredo, for instance. He left his ‘comfort zone’ of home and church because he felt God’s calling on his life. He travelled abroad and taught in order to earn his living in a non-Christian country. In his spare time he... (353 words)25th Sept St Ceolfrith – baking and Bibles
St Ceolfrith is a good patron saint for anyone who has studied hard for their profession, is strong in the face of tragedy, and who can also offer some homely care to others in need. This well-loved abbot of Wearmouth and Jarrow came from a noble Northumbrian family, and was ordained at Ripon when he... (303 words)27th Sept Vincent de Paul – patron of all charitable societies
Very few people stand out as being incredibly good, but Vincent de Paul was one of them. His life touched thousands of people, who were helped and inspired by his love and kindness. Vincent de Paul was born in 1581 to a Gascon peasant family at Ranquine. Educated by the Franciscans and then at Toulouse... (301 words)28th Sept St Lioba – a memorable woman
What really gets a woman remembered? Loved? Respected? Lioba the abbess of Bischofsheim is the patron saint for any woman who wants to make the most of her life. Lioba was born in Wessex early in the 8th century. Her family was noble, her mother was a relative of the monk Boniface (the Billy Graham... (263 words)29th Sept Michael and All Angels
St Michael is an archangel, whose name means ‘who is like unto God?’ He makes various appearances throughout the Bible, from the book of Daniel to the Book of Revelation. In Daniel, he is ‘one of the princes’ of the heavenly host, and the special guardian of Israel. In Revelation, he is the principal fighter... (218 words)29th Sept Angels Unawares
By Canon David Winter One of those surveys which some newspapers love to publish claimed recently that a large number of British people believe in angels – almost as many, in fact, as claimed to believe in God. They didn’t tell us what people meant by ‘angels’. I suspect quite a few were thinking of... (289 words)29th Sept Enter all the angels, led by Michael
By Canon David Winter What is an angel? Easy, people think: a shining figure with glorious wings, who appears from time to time to do some mighty work for God or bring a very special message from him. Well, that’s right in one sense (apart from the wings, which owe more to stained glass windows... (466 words)
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