September 1. Giles, Abbot and Confessor. Diocese of Nismes, France. A.D. 725. 7. Eunurchus, Bishop of Orleans. Also named Evortius. A.D. 340. 8. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. See p. 127. 14. Holy Cross Day. Commemorates the public exhibition of the "true cross," which took place on September 14th, A.D. 335, in the church erected in Jerusalem by the Empress Helena in honor of its "invention," or finding. See May 3d. 17. Lambert, Bishop and Martyr. Of Maestricht in the Netherlands. A.D. 709. 21. S. Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist, and Martyr. 26. S. Cyprian, Archbishop of Carthage, and Martyr. A.D. 258. 29. S. Michael and All Angels. 30. S. Jerome, Priest, Confessor, and Doctor. A.D. 420. October 1. Remigius, Bishop of Rhemes. Also called Remi. A.D. 535. 6. Faith, Virgin, and Martyr. Of France; Latin name Fides. A.D. 290. 9. S. Denys Areopagite, Bishop and Martyr. Abbreviated from Dionysius. Not the Bishop of Paris, who was also a Martyr in A.D. 272, and the patron saint of France; but Dionysius the Areopagite, the first Bishop of Athens, who died A.D. 96. Acts xvii. 34. 13. Translation of King Edward Confessor. Died A.D. 1066; the body removed in 1163 to the new shrine in Westminster Abbey (which he had refounded). 17. Etheldreda, Virgin. Daughter of the King of the East Angles. Died June 23d, A.D. 679; body translated to new tomb, October 17, A.D. 695. 18. S. Luke, Evangelist. 25. Crispin, Martyr. In the Salisbury Calendar he was commemorated with his twin brother Crispinian. Shakespeare makes Henry V. exclaim at the battle of Agincourt, "Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, But we in it shall be remembered." (IV. sc. iii). The brothers were companions of S. Denys, the first Bishop of Paris, and worked as shoemakers in order to support themselves as missionaries. They were beheaded in A.D. 288, and became the Patron Saints of shoemakers. 28. S. Simon and S. Jude, Apostles and Martyrs. November 1. All Saints' Day. 6. Leonard, Confessor. Deacon and nobleman of France. A.D. 599. 11. S. Martin, Bishop and Confessor. Born in Hungary, military tribune in Constantine's army; became Bishop of Tours in France. Died A.D. 397. “Martinmas" is still one of the four Cross-quarter days in England. 13. Britius, Bishop. Also called Brice. Friend and successor of S. Martin as Bishop of Tours. Died A.D. 444. 15. Machutus, Bishop. Known also as S. Malo. Born in Wales; became Bishop of Aleth in Brittany. Died A.D. 564. 17. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln. Born in Burgundy. Died A.D. 1200. 20. Edmund, King and Martyr. East Anglia, killed by the Danes, A.D. 870. 22. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. Of Rome, Patron Saint of music. A.D. 230. 23. S. Clement I., Bishop of Rome and Martyr. A.D. 100. See Phil. iv. 3. 25. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr. A.D. 307, at Alexandria. 30. S. Andrew, Apostle and Martyr. December 6. Nicolas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia. A.D. 342. 8. Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. See pp. 127, 128. 13. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr. Of Syracuse in Sicily. A.D. 304. 16. O Sapientia. This is merely a liturgical note to show that here begin the eight Advent antiphons to the Magnificat, the last coming on December 23d. The first words of the first antiphon are "O Sapientia," or "O Wisdom." 21. S. Thomas, Apostle and Martyr. 25. Christmas Day. 26. S. Stephen, the first Martyr. 27. S. John, Apostle and Evangelist. 28. Innocents' Day. 31. Silvester, Bishop of Rome. A.D. 335. The three following red-letter days were omitted from the Calendar of the Church of England in 1859: January 30th, King Charles the Martyr; May 29th, Charles II., Nativity and Return; November 5th, Papists' Conspiracy. Much information concerning the black-letter Saints and Days is to be found in Blunt, Annotated Prayer Book, pp. [36] to [61]. Writing of the Calendar as a whole, Mr. Blunt says: "It will be seen that the whole number of individual Saints commemorated is seventy-three. Of these, twenty-one are especially connected with our Blessed Lord; twenty are Martyrs in the age of persecutions; twenty-one are specially connected with our own Church; and eleven are either great and learned defenders of the Faith, like S. Hilary and S. Augustine, or Saints of France, whose names were probably retained as a memorial of the ancient close connection between the Churches of France and England." Bishop Dowden writes: "It must be confessed that the black-letter saints of the modern English Calendar form by no means an ideal presentation of the worthies and heroes of the Church Catholic. The Bishop of Salisbury [J. Wordsworth] has some admirable remarks on the future reform of our English Calendar in his Ministry of Grace, pp. 421-425."1 "O God of Saints, to Thee we cry; 1 The Church Year, p. 152. -Bishop Maclagan. CHAPTER XVIII THE FASTS OF THE CHRISTIAN YEAR ""Lord, I have fasted, I have prayed, And sackcloth has my girdle been, "Sackcloth is a girdle good, O bind it round thee still; Fasting, it is Angels' food, And Jesus loved the night air chill; Yet think not prayer and fast were given To make one step 'twixt earth and heaven." FASTS equally with feasts are particularly open to abuse. Christians as well as ancient Jews can keep fast in such a way as to cause men merely to ridicule the custom. One reads to-day of "Lenten outings," "Lenten excursions," and "Lenten entertainments," where the thin disguise of religion is scarcely intended to hide the worldliness. And yet, no matter how much the practice may be perverted or ridiculed, the duty of keeping fast must remain as long as Christ's words remain. As George Herbert puts it: "Neither ought other men's abuse of Lent |