Loving God, we offer thanks for the work and witness of Isabel Florence Hapgood, who introduced the Divine Liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church to English-speaking Christians, and encouraged dialogue between Anglicans and Orthodox. Guide us as we build on the foundation that she gave us, that all may be one in Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Isabel Florence Hapgood, Ecumenist & Journalist, 1929

Born 1850 in Boston, she had a talent for languages, mastering most of the Romance & Germanic languages plus Russian & Church Slavonic

Photo by Ritz Portraits, Boston (1890), via NYPL pic.twitter.com/7LsMX7tMEA

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) June 26, 2023

Almighty God, by whose providence thy servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

24 June is the feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. It's Midsummer Day, once the date of the solstice, which was carefully chosen symbolism: Christ's birth is celebrated at midwinter, as light begins to grow, and John at midsummer, as it begins to wane https://t.co/mAkGOhSnFd pic.twitter.com/pM4P0U7Q4W

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) June 24, 2023

Almighty God, by whose grace and power thy holy martyr Alban triumphed over suffering and was faithful even unto death: Grant to us, who now remember him with thanksgiving, to be so faithful in our witness to thee in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Statue from the reredos of St Alban's Cathedral of Saint Alban, protomartyr of England whose feast is today, 20 June. May he pray for the Christians in this country, that we may follow his example of sacrificial love and so witness to the Gospelhttps://t.co/qy4tNiCrfc pic.twitter.com/RDJvumnR30

— Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. (@LawrenceOP) June 20, 2023

O God, who dost raise up scholars for thy church in every generation; we praise thee for the wisdom and insight granted to thy bishop and theologian Joseph Butler, and pray that thy church may never be destitute of such gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

"Every man is to be considered in two capacities, the private and public; as designed to pursue his own interest, and likewise to contribute to the good of others."

✒️ #JosephButler, English philosopher, #DOTD 16 June 1752. #Philosophy pic.twitter.com/QUGOBtH5AD

— Nathan Francis (@NathanFrancis__) June 15, 2023

O God, Origin, Sustainer, and End of all creatures: Grant that thy Church, taught by thy servant Evelyn Underhill, guarded evermore by thy power, and guided by thy Spirit into the light of truth, may continually offer to thee all glory and thanksgiving, and attain with thy saints to the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast promised us by our Savior Jesus Christ; who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.

Today the Church of England commemorates Evelyn Underhill, Spiritual Writer, 1941

If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshipped.
― Evelyn Underhill pic.twitter.com/BmqB8YwMfp

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) June 15, 2023

O God of earth and altar, who didst give G. K. Chesterton a ready tongue and pen, and inspired him to use them in thy service: Mercifully grant that we may be inspired to witness cheerfully to the hope that is in us; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

#OTD June 14, 1936

Death in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, of G. K. Chesterton, an influential Roman Catholic apologist and prolific writer, noted for his use of paradox. pic.twitter.com/P0ZJ1qZ34V

— ☧ Today in Christian History (@HistoricalRook) June 14, 2023

Almighty God, who hast revealed to thy Church thine eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace that, like thy bishop Basil of Caesarea, we may continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of thee, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; who livest and reignest for ever and ever.

St. Basil the Great, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (379)

He is the author of a monastic rule from which St. Benedict derived many points. His solid and eloquent words silenced the Arian heretics. Two of his brothers became bishops, his mother and sister are honored as Saints. pic.twitter.com/dkVQRbHNUP

— Memento Mori (@TempusFugit4016) June 14, 2023

Bountiful God, giver of all gifts,
who poured your Spirit upon your servant Barnabas
and gave him grace to encourage others:
help us, by his example,
to be generous in our judgements
and unselfish in our service;
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.
Amen.

Saint Barnabas the Apostle pic.twitter.com/tdop9gnh8L

— Duncan Irvine (@DuncanIrvine1) June 11, 2023

Pour out upon us, O Lord, that same Spirit by which thy deacon Ephrem rejoiced to proclaim in sacred song the mysteries of faith; and so gladden our hearts that we, like him, may be devoted to thee alone; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

June 9th is the feast of Saint Ephrem of Nisibis, “the Harp of the Spirit”: Assyrian deacon, Son-of-the-Covenant, theologian, exegete, mystic, poet, hymnographer, heresiographer, opponent of Arianism and Gnosticism, and Doctor of the Church—who died at Edessa on this day in 373. pic.twitter.com/QtQnnRTepV

— Tradical (@NoTrueScotist) June 8, 2020

O God, who by the preaching of thy blessed servant Columba didst cause the light of the Gospel to shine in Scotland: Grant, we beseech thee, that, having his life and labors in remembrance, we may show forth our thankfulness to thee by following the example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

In little more than ten years St. Paul established the Church in four provinces of the Empire, Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia. Before AD 47 there were no churches in these provinces; in AD 57 St. Paul could speak as if his work there was done, and could plan extensive tours into the far west without anxiety lest the churches which he had founded might perish in his absence for want of his guidance and support.

The work of the Apostle during these ten years can therefore be treated as a unity. Whatever assistance he may have received from the preaching of others, it is unquestioned that the establishment of the churches in these provinces was really his work. In the pages of the New Testament he, and he alone, stands forth as their founder. And the work which he did was really a completed work. So far as the foundation of the churches is concerned, it is perfectly clear that the writer of the Acts intends to represent St. Paul’s work as complete. The churches were really established. Whatever disasters fell upon them in later years, whatever failure there was, whatever ruin, that failure was not due to any insufficiency or lack of care and completeness in the Apostle’s teaching or organization. When he left them he left them because his work was fully accomplished.

This is truly an astonishing fact. That churches should be founded so rapidly, so securely, seems to us today, accustomed to the difficulties, the uncertainties, the failures, the disastrous relapses of our own missionary work, almost incredible. Many missionaries in later days have received a larger number of converts than St. Paul; many have preached over a wider area than he; but none have so established churches. We have long forgotten that such things could be. We have long accustomed ourselves to accept it as an axiom of missionary work that converts in a new country must be submitted to a very long probation and training, extending over generations before they can be expected to be able to stand alone. Today if a man ventures to suggest that there may be something in the methods by which St. Paul attained such wonderful results worthy of our careful attention, and perhaps of our imitation, he is in danger of being accused of revolutionary tendencies.

–Roland Allen, Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours; A Study of The Church In The Four Provinces, Chapter One

"Today if a man ventures to suggest
that there may be something in the methods
by which St Paul attained such wonderful results
worthy of our careful attention,
and perhaps of our imitation,
he is in danger of being accused
of revolutionary tendencies."
Roland Allen#ImitatePaul pic.twitter.com/1p9myEejZA

— God on the Move (@GodontheMove) February 9, 2023

Almighty God, by whose Spirit the Scriptures were opened to thy servant Roland Allen, so that he might lead many to know, live and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Give us grace to follow his example, that the variety of those to whom we reach out in love may receive thy saving Word and witness in their own languages and cultures to thy glorious Name; through Jesus Christ, thy Word made flesh, who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prepare for our 2019 theme of Missional Ecclesiology by reading the works of renowned missiologist Roland Allen. https://t.co/ooybDZd4VF pic.twitter.com/YNHu2CgwBm

— The Telos Collective (@TelosCollective) July 31, 2018

Loving God, may thy Name be blest for the witness of Ini Kopuria, police officer and founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, whose members saved many American pilots in a time of war, and who continue to minister courageously to the islanders of Melanesia. Open our eyes that we, with these Anglican brothers, may establish peace and hope in service to others, for the sake of Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God, who didst call thy faithful servant Boniface to be a witness and martyr in the lands of Germany and Friesland, and by his labor and suffering didst raise up a people for thine own possession: Pour forth thy Holy Spirit upon thy Church in every land, that by the service and sacrifice of many thy holy Name may be glorified and thy kingdom enlarged; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Monday’s #ImageOfTheDay.

St Boniface (Wynfrith) of Crediton, born c675, “Apostle to the Germans”, played a leading part in the mission of the Anglo-Saxon church to northern continental Europe. This is his statue at Mainz where he was bishop. He was martyred on this day in 754. pic.twitter.com/f3jD0MHURk

— Michael Sadgrove 🇪🇺 (@MichaelSadgrove) June 5, 2023

O God, by whose providence the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church: Grant that we who remember before thee the blessed martyrs of Uganda, may, like them, be steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ, to whom they gave obedience even unto death, and by their sacrifice brought forth a plentiful harvest; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

MARTYRS OF UGANDA, 3 June

Almighty God, you gave your servants The martyrs of Uganda boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that… pic.twitter.com/2K4sP4oWkq

— James Gibson⚓✝️⛪️ (@JaggedAnglican) June 3, 2023

Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we who keep the feast of the holy martyrs Blandina and her companions may be rooted and grounded in love of thee, and may endure the sufferings of this life for the glory that shall be revealed in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Blandina and Her Companions, the Martyrs of Lyons 177 https://t.co/rWG3wNy7Cp

Image: Window in the Basilica of St. Martin d’Ainay, France (via https://t.co/KyCm5QykMF) pic.twitter.com/cuTXroTnsw

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) June 2, 2023

“This food we call Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake, except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Saviour being incarnate by God’s word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus. For the apostles in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, thus handed down what was commanded them: that Jesus, taking bread and having given thanks, said, ‘Do this for my memorial, this is my body’; and likewise taking the cup and giving thanks he said, ‘This is my blood’; and gave it to them alone.'”

–Justin Martyr, First apology 66, trans. Edward Rochie Hardy

"No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship . . . We are Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols." -St. Justin Martyr pic.twitter.com/uGPs2ENire

— Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP (@FrAquinasOP) June 1, 2023

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst find thy martyr Justin wandering from teacher to teacher, seeking the true God, and didst reveal to him the sublime wisdom of thine eternal Word: Grant that all who seek thee, or a deeper knowledge of thee, may find and be found by thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today the Church of England celebrates Justin, Martyr at Rome, c.165 https://t.co/LUgDYB6gSL

Image: Clerestory window in Great St Mary's Church, Cambridge. Photo: Lawrence OP, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via flickr pic.twitter.com/yMCSPa4r0w

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) June 1, 2023

Holy God, whose power is made perfect in weakness: we honor thy calling of Jeanne d’Arc, who, though young, rose up in valor to bear thy standard for her country, and endured with grace and fortitude both victory and defeat; and we pray that we, like Jeanne, may bear witness to the truth that is in us to friends and enemies alike, and, encouraged by the companionship of thy saints, give ourselves bravely to the struggle for justice in our time; through Christ our Savior, who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

30 mai, fête de Sainte Jeanne d'Arc !
Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Beauvais (60)
Belle journée à tous ! pic.twitter.com/ZuoRFUEaG1

— Alexandre Benoît Louis ⚜️✝️🕎 (@AlexEglises) May 30, 2023

Almighty and everliving God, whose servant Thomas Cranmer, with others, did restore the language of the people in the prayers of thy Church: Make us always thankful for this heritage; and help us so to pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, that we may worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The Episcopal Church today also commemorates The First Book of Common Prayer, which was used for the first time on Pentecost Sunday in 1549 https://t.co/U3d9Q76iSR pic.twitter.com/kgKzjVirKW

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 29, 2023

God our ruler and guide, we honor thee for Queen Bertha and King Ethelbert of Kent who, gently persuaded by the truth of thy Gospel, encouraged others by their godly example to follow freely the path of discipleship; and we pray that we, like them, may show the goodness of thy Word not only by our words but in our lives; through Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Both Queen Bertha and King Ethelbert are represented at Canterbury Cathedral. pic.twitter.com/8s1QY7UQBB

— History, Royals and Other Things (@RoyalsOther) February 19, 2021

O Lord our God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thine apostles and send them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless thy holy name for thy servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating thy Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom thou dost call and send may do thy will, and bide thy time, and see thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Augustine of Canterbury, sent by Pope Gregory to evangelise the English at the turn of the C6 and C7. Evangelist and church planter, it is an amazing story. Not naturally confident, it is encouraging that such a timid man was used by God in so bold a way. #LMP @CofEGuildford pic.twitter.com/DpWknDyaef

— John Valentine (@jvalentine63) May 26, 2023

Cuthbert was present at Bede’s deathbed, and this is how he describes his death.

For nearly a fortnight before the Feast of our Lord’s Resurrection he was troubled by weakness and breathed with great difficulty, although he suffered little pain. Thenceforward until Ascension Day he remained cheerful and happy, giving thanks to God each hour day and night. He gave daily lessons to us his students, and spent the rest of the day in singing the psalms so far as his strength allowed. He passed the whole night in joyful prayer and thanksgiving to God, except when slumber overcame him; but directly he awoke, he continued to meditate on spiritual themes, and never failed to thank God with hands outstretched. I can truthfully affirm that I have never seen or heard of anyone who gave thanks so unceasingly to the living God as he.

O truly blessed man! He used to repeat the saying of the holy Apostle Paul, ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’, and many other sayings from holy scripture, and in this manner he used to arouse our souls by the consideration of our last hour. Being well-versed in our native songs, he described to us the dread departure of the soul from the body by a verse in our own tongue, which translated means: ‘Before setting forth on that inevitable journey, none is wiser than the man who considers – before his soul departs hence – what good or evil he has done, and what judgement his soul will receive after its passing’.

Read it all.

#ImageOfTheDay on Thursday.

Today is the feast of St #Bede (672/3-735), one of Europe’s outstanding historians, theologians, biblical scholars and poets. This is his shrine in ⁦@durhamcathedral⁩.

The text on the wall is from his commentary on the Book of Revelation. pic.twitter.com/4LCmXWXQ8y

— Michael Sadgrove 🇪🇺 (@MichaelSadgrove) May 25, 2023

Heavenly Father, who didst call thy servant Bede, while still a child, to devote his life to thy service in the disciplines of religion and scholarship: Grant that as he labored in the Spirit to bring the riches of thy truth to his generation, so we, in our various vocations, may strive to make thee known in all the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today is the feast day of St Bede the Venerable.

Known as the 'Father of English history', Bede is considered one of the most learned men of his time. Did you know his final resting place is @durhamcathedral's Galilee Chapel? https://t.co/1qd8Irq7zT 📸 by @engcathedrals pic.twitter.com/JJe6g0vTKu

— This is Durham (@ThisisDurham) May 25, 2023

Lord God, in whose providence Jackson Kemper was chosen first missionary bishop in this land, that by his arduous labor and travel congregations might be established in scattered settlements of the West: Grant that the Church may always be faithful to its mission, and have the vision, courage, and perseverance to make known to all peoples the Good News of Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever.

The Episcopal Church today also commemorates Jackson Kemper, Bishop and Missionary, 1870 https://t.co/fmzsRZjgGB

Image: Posthumous portrait by James Reeve Stuart (1888), in the Wisconsin Historical Society collection, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via flickr pic.twitter.com/qpvJDQEoD9

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 24, 2023

As the heavens declare thy glory, O God, and the firmament showeth thy handiwork, we bless thy Name for the gifts of knowledge and insight thou didst bestow upon Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler; and we pray that thou wouldst continue to advance our understanding of thy cosmos, for our good and for thy glory; through Jesus Christ, the firstborn of all creation, who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler, Astronomers, 1543 & 1630 https://t.co/4ZmtA6dEAQ pic.twitter.com/tR2BUfDVZn

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 23, 2020

Most Merciful God, who didst vouchsafe to bless thy servant Helena with such grace and devotion to thee that she didst venerate the very footsteps of our Savior; Grant unto us the same grace that, aided by her prayers and example, we too may evermore behold thy glory in the cross of thy Son. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Helena of Constantinople, Protector of the Holy Places, 330

Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine I, did much to promote Christianity, visiting the Holy Land, founding churches on sacred sites & allegedly rediscovering the True Cross pic.twitter.com/vkbIwdoP19

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 22, 2023

Almighty God, who in a rude and barbarous age didst raise up thy deacon Alcuin to rekindle the light of learning: Illumine our minds, we pray thee, that amid the uncertainties and confusions of our own time we may show forth thine eternal truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

19 May 804: d. Alcuin, scholar, poet from #York who was reputed the most learned person of his time #otd pic.twitter.com/1Pn7FJyjDa

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) May 19, 2023

The text comes from Hymns of the Anglo-Saxon Church, ed. Inge B. Milfull (Cambridge, 1996), pp. 317-8. Here’s a translation:

Hail Dunstan, star and shining adornment of bishops, true light of the English nation and leader preceding it on its path to God.

You are the greatest hope of your people, and also an innermost sweetness, breathing the honey-sweet fragrance of life-giving balms.

In you, Father, we trust, we to whom nothing is more pleasing than you are. To you we stretch out our hands, to you we pour out our prayers….

Read it all.

19 May is the feast of St Dunstan, one of the greatest saints of Anglo-Saxon England, who died in 988 – a multi-talented archbishop, statesman, musician, metal-worker, and devil-fighter https://t.co/HblFsbRp5o pic.twitter.com/8ujcJ3pQuq

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) May 19, 2023

O God of truth and beauty, who didst richly endow thy Bishop Dunstan with skill in music and the working of metals, and with gifts of administration and reforming zeal: Teach us, we beseech thee, to see in thee the source of all our talents, and move us to offer them for the adornment of worship and the advancement of true religion; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

St Dunstan with his tongs in Peterborough Cathedral, by Carter Shapland c1960 I think. Today's the feast of St Dunstan. His somewhat anguished face may be repeated by many in Peterborough today after the remarkable events of last night. pic.twitter.com/G8Y3bjoFIh

— Simon Knott (@last_of_england) May 19, 2023