Patrick Comerford
The Season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday (14 February 2024), and this week began with the First Sunday in Lent (Lent I, 18 February 2024).
This year, I am taking time each morning in Lent 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: 7, Felix (647), Bishop, Apostle to the East Angles
Saint Felix (647), Bishop, Apostle to the East Angles, is commemorated in Common Worship on 8 March.
Saint Felix was born in Burgundy at the beginning of the seventh century. He reputedly converted the exiled King Sigebert of the East Angles. After the king’s return to Britain, he was consecrated bishop and then persuaded by the king to follow him to effect the conversion of his subjects.
Saint Felix was commissioned by Honorius, Archbishop of Canterbury, to this work and he made Dunwich the centre of his new see. He established schools and monasteries and ministered in his diocese for 17 years.
Saint Felix died on 8 March 647, and was buried at Dunwich. His relics were moved to Ramsey Abbey in Huntingdonshire in 971. He has given his name to Felixstowe in Suffolk and to Felixkirk in Yorkshire. He is mentioned by Saint Bede in his History of the English Church and People.
Matthew 6: 7-15 (NRSVA):
[Jesus said:] 7 ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 ‘Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’
Today’s Prayers (Tuesday 20 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 (20 February 2024, World Day of Social Justice) invites us to pray in these words:
Let us give thanks that we serve a gracious God who provides hope and a future.
The Collect:
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
Lord God,
you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven;
by it you nourish our faith,
increase our hope,
and strengthen our love:
teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread,
and enable us to live by every word
that proceeds from out of your mouth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Additional Collect:
Heavenly Father,
your Son battled with the powers of darkness,
and grew closer to you in the desert:
help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer
that we may witness to your saving love
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s Reflection: Saint Paulinus (644), Bishop of York, Missionary
Tomorrow: Birinus (650), Bishop of Dorchester, Apostle of Wessex
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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