On August 15th, Christians worldwide celebrate the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord, honoring the remarkable life of the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a joyous occasion filled with reverence, thanksgiving, and reflection on Mary’s profound role in the salvation story. The Life of St. Mary The life…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. James the Elder
The Feast of St. James the Elder on July 25th is a special occasion to honor the life and legacy of this beloved apostle. Two apostles and three total New Testament saints are named James. Therefore, the Church uses the title “Saint James the Elder” or “Saint James the Great” to distinguish this James, the…
The Liturgical Home: Saint Lucy Day
In this article, Ashley shares how she celebrates Saint Lucy Day in the home, with a recipe for Saffron Buns! For more Advent traditions and recipes, see Ashley’s book, The Liturgical Home: Advent. My family has always loved celebrating St. Lucy’s Day on December 13th. We have such fun making saffron buns, a traditional food for…
The Liturgical Home: Saint Nicholas Day
Nicholas became the Bishop of Myra in the 4th century and took part in the great church council of Nicaea that gave us the Nicene Creed.
Saint Lucy’s Day: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Flickering candles, hot coffee, and saffron buns (here’s a recipe!). This Scandinavian Advent tradition has its roots in the story of a 3rd-century martyr who brought light and aid to Christian saints in hiding. Celebrated on December 13 (one week after St Nicholas day), the feast day of St. Lucy is one of warmth, light,…
All Saints’ Day: A Rookie Anglican Guide
All Saints’ Day is November 1st, and it is often celebrated on All Saints’ Sunday, the first Sunday in November. Though we remember the most notable Christians throughout the year with the calendar of the saints, the Feast of All Saints is a day to remember the whole Church across time and space. We honor…
Holy Michael and All Angels: A Rookie Anglican Guide to Michaelmas
Michael-what? Michaelmas is a shortened form of “Michael’s Mass” (just like Christmas is a shortened form of Christ’s Mass). It is also known as the feast day of Holy (or “St.”) Michael and All Angels. Celebrated similarly to Thanksgiving, Michaelmas conjures images of cool fall days, abundant harvests, and feasting. Festivities focus on the defeat…
The Calendar of Saints: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Anglicans celebrate feast days for saints to honor exemplary Christian lives, rooted in biblical teachings on imitation. This practice evolved from early church commemorations of martyrs like Polycarp. While Reformation efforts simplified the calendar, Anglicans now recognize both historical and contemporary figures, maintaining focus on Christ as the central figure in worship.
Why Pray for the Dead?
“For all those who departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection, in thanksgiving let us pray to the Lord.” In Anglican worship, we don’t pray to the dead. But, we do pray for the dead and we pray with the dead. Many people have asked me why we do this. Most of the time they…
What is All Saints Day?
Knowing Our Family in Jesus Christ We’ve always been curious about our ancestors, to know where we came from and who we are. We’ve also wanted to gain wisdom from the experience of the past, both successes and failures. And we’ve desired communion and reunion of some sort. I know of a family that discovered a…
