Patrick Comerford
The Season of Lent began last week with Ash Wednesday (14 February 2024), and we began this week with the First Sunday in Lent (Lent I, 18 February 2024). Today, the Calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship remembers the life and work of Saint Polycarp (ca 155), Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr.
Throughout Lent this year, I am taking time each morning to reflect on the lives of early, pre-Reformation English saints commemorated by the Church of England in the Calendar of Common Worship.
Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning for reflection, prayer and reading in these ways:
1, A reflection on an early, pre-Reformation English saint;
2, today’s Gospel reading;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
Early English pre-Reformation saints: 10, Saint Cedd of Lastingham
Saint Cedd of Lastingham is commemorated in Common Worship on 26 October. Cedd was born in Northumbria in the late sixth century and with his brother, Saint Chad of Lichfield, he joined Saint Aidan’s monastery in Lindisfarne, where he served many years.
When King Peada of the Middle Angles became a Christian, Cedd was sent with three other priests to preach the gospel in this new territory. Some time later, King Sigebert of the East Saxons was converted and Cedd, now an experienced missionary, went with another priest to Essex. After travelling through the region they reported back to Lindisfarne where Saint Cedd was consecrated bishop for the East Saxons.
He returned to Essex to continue his work, building churches, two monasteries, and ordaining deacons and priests.
While on a visit to Northumbria he founded his third monastery, at Lastingham, where he died of fever in 664 after attending the Synod of Whitby.
Matthew 5: 20-26 (NRSVA):
[Jesus said:] 20 ‘For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.’
Today’s Prayers (Friday 23 February 2024):
The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘Stories of Hope, Ukraine – Two years on …’ This theme was introduced on Sunday by Rachel Weller, Digital Communications Officer, USPG.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (23 February 2024) invites us to pray in these words:
We pray God’s protection on the Ukrainian people who receive support from the LWF’s community centre. We pray particularly for the children as they settle into schools; may God be close in a place that can feel lonely.
The Collect:
Almighty God,
who gave to your servant Polycarp
boldness to confess the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ
before the rulers of this world
and courage to die for his faith:
grant that we also may be ready
to give an answer for the faith that is in us
and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
God our redeemer,
whose Church was strengthened by the blood of your martyr Polycarp:
so bind us, in life and death, to Christ’s sacrifice
that our lives, broken and offered with his,
may carry his death and proclaim his resurrection in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s Reflection: Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Tomorrow: James the Deacon, companion of Paulinus
The ruins in the Agora are all that remain of classical Smyrna … the Church Calendar remembers Saint Polycarp of Smyrna on 23 February (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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