NOVEMBER. 6th. Leonard, Confessor (died 599), a courtier of King Clovis, converted by St. Remigius, afterwards a hermit and head of a monastery near Limoges. He ministered especially to prisoners, often obtaining their liberation from the king, and became the patron Saint of all prisoners and captives. 11th. St. Martin, Bishop (of Tours). See note on July 4th.This day is one of those which, as "Martinmas Day," became important as a half-quarter day in secular business. 18th. Britius, Bishop ("St. Brice"), pupil of St. Martin of Tours, and bishop as his successor (A.D. 397-414). He was in early life a gross sinner, converted by St. Martin; afterwards a victim of slander, and driven for seven years from his see, but restored from 407 till his death. On St. Brice's day (A.D. 1002) was perpetrated the treacherous massacre of the Danes in England, by command of Ethelred, so signally avenged by Swayn and Canute. 15th. Machutus, Bishop ("St. Malo "), a Welsh saint, hermit in an island near Brittany (then Pagan), afterwards Bishop of Aleth in Brittany (541-564). The see of Aleth was transferred to St. Malo, named after him. 17th. Hugh, Bishop, the great Bishop of Lincoln (A.D. 11861200). He was born at Grenoble, brought over to England in 1181, as Prior of the first English Carthusian monastery; made Bishop of Lincoln against his will, still constantly revisiting his old monastery; famous in his episcopate for holiness, ability, energy, and munificence; builder of a great part of Lincoln Cathe dral, where he lies buried in the shrine behind the high altar. 20th. Edmund, King and Martyr, a Saxon Saint, King of East Anglia (855-870); taken prisoner by the Danes after a brave struggle, and, refusing life on condition of apostasy and vassalage, shot to death with arrows. His relics were translated solemnly under Canute (903) to the great Church of Bury St. Edmunds. 22nd. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. Of this famous Saint, celebrated in all the ancient Western martyrologies, little definite is known, the accounts being contradictory and legendary in character. She appears to have been a Roman lady, converter of her husband Valerian, who suffered martyrdom with her under M. Aurelius (in the 2nd century), or in some later persecution. According to legend, she enjoyed angelic converse and music. Pope Paschal 1. (821) founding a church, to which her relics were translated, ordained and endowed a service of perpetual song of praise. Hence, probably, she became the patron Saint of sacred music, believed to have been the inventress of the organ, and able by her music to "draw an angel down." 23rd. St. Clement, Bishop (of Rome) in the first century, according to Irenæus the third after the death of St. Peter. Eusebius places his death in A.D. 95 or 100. The old tradition, from Origen downwards (uncertain but not improbable), makes him the "Clement the fellow labourer" of St. Paul (Phil. iv. 3). His Epistle to the Corinthians, written late in the first century (and at one time read as of almost canonical authority), is of deep interest and priceless historical value, in comparison and contrast with the Scriptural Epistles. It ends with a noble prayer, perhaps the first specimen of a Christian liturgy. Of his life and death nothing certain is known. Under his name came out the famous apocryphal "Clementine literature" (Homilies, Recognitions, and Epitome), accepted as genuine in former times, now known to be an early Christian romance, and, as such, a favourite theme of modern historical and speculative criticism. 25th. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr (of Alexandria), of whom nothing certain is really known, is yet the subject of an extraordinary mass of legend. According to tradition, brought before Maximus in the early part of the 4th century, victoriously refuting the heathen sages of Alexandria; then, refusing to submit to the lust of the Emperor, and put to death by torture on the spiked wheel; and thenceforth reverenced as patroness of secular learning. DECEMBER. 6th. Nicolas, Bishop (of Myra in Lycia), died A.D. 342.-No record of him remains, except the fame of holiness and charity. His relics were translated to Bari, in Italy (1087), in fear of Mohammedan desecration. For some reason unknown, he became the patron of merchants and sailors, and also of boys, especially orphans, who were taught to place themselves under his care. The Christmas legends of" St. Klaus" and his gifts are a remnant of this dedication. The strange mediæval festival of the "Boy Bishop" began on St. Nicolas' day. 8th. Conception of the Virgin Mary; a festival connected with the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Sept. 8th); a part of the same growth of the idea of the Immaculate Conception. Like that festival, it was earlier in the East than in the West; said to have been introduced into England by St. Anselm: but not held of obligation till the 15th century. the Magnificat, continued (except on St. Thomas' Day) up to December 23rd. They were a series of hymns to Our Lord, beginning successively "O Wisdom,' "O Adonai,' "O Root of Jesse," "O Key of David," "O dawning Light," "O King and desire of all nations," "O Emmanuel." 31st. Silvester, Bishop (of Rome), from A.D. 314-335, passing as a Priest through the Diocletian persecution, and as a Bishop through the Nicene period, although from weak health he did not attend the Nicene Council. Little is known of him historically, but in the middle ages he was celebrated as the receiver of the famous "Donation of Constantine." An edict of the Emperor, forged at some time between the 8th to the 10th centuries, declares that, on transferring the seat of the Empire to Constantinople, he has bestowed on the Pope and his successors the sovereignty of the West, and decrees for them all the outward insignia of Imperial rank. To this Dante refers in the celebrated lines "O Constantine! of how much ill was cause, Not thy conversion, but those rich domains Which the first wealthy Pope received from thee." TABLES AND RULES. (i.) FOR THE MOVEABLE AND IMMOVEABLE FEASTS. The weekly Festival of the LORD'S DAY, and the weekly fast of FRIDAY, as the day of the Passion, are probably as old as Christianity itself. All the later system may be considered as a growth from these, or an addition grafted upon them; naturally developing itself, as Christianity became dominant over the life of the world, and so came to express itself in form and law. The Ecclesiastical year, as now ordered, is divided into two chief parts; first, the Festal portion of the year, from Advent to Trinity secondly, the nonfestal portion (except in respect of Saints' day Festivals), from Trinity to Advent. I. The Festal System, in relation to the manifestation of Our Lord Himself, has two centres: (a) EASTER, preceded by the period of preparation, from Septuagesima to the end of Lent, and followed by the great Pentecoste, or period of fifty days, including Ascension and ending with Whitsunday. (Trinity Sunday was afterwards added.) The celebration of this great Festival, with its preparation and sequel, is probably derived from Apostolic times; and Easter, depending on the Paschal full moon, is necessarily, within limits, a moveable Festival. The rule here given for finding Easter is intended to carry out the decree supposed to have been passed at the Council of Nicæa (A. D. 325), settling authoritatively the controversy about the time of keeping the feast. But it would appear that it should name, not the full moon, but the 14th day of the moon, which is not always the same thing. (b) CHRISTMAS, preceded by the season of Advent, and followed by that of the Epiphany. The celebration of Christmas Day on Dec. 25th is first found in the Western Church, and does not seem to have prevailed in the East till the close of the 4th century. It is clear that in the early Church there was great doubt as to the proper day, and, in some cases, the Nativity was celebrated on the same day as the Epiphany. On what ground it was fixed to Dec. 25th is uncertain; possibly this was only a Christianization of the Festival of the winter solstice, with some mystic reference to Our Lord as the Sun of Righteousness. By Christmas the feasts of the Circumcision, Epiphany, Purification, and Annunciation are of course determined. II. The SAINTS' DAY CELEBRATIONS are, in the Church of England, restricted to the Festivals of Apostles (including St. Paul and St. Barnabas) and Evangelists; the Festivals of St. John Baptist, St. Stephen the first Martyr, the Innocents' Day, St. Michael and all Angels, and All Saints. In 1549, the feast of St. Mary Magdalene was kept on July 22nd. Out of the large number of Saints days commemorated in mediæval times, a certain number were afterwards restored to the Calendar ("the black letter Saints days"), but without provision of any festal Service. |