2010 – Page 6 – Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music

October 29 – James Hannington and his Companions, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, Martyrs, 1885

October 29, 2010gcoffice13 Comments

Welcome to the Holy Women, Holy Men blog! We invite you to read about this commemoration, use the collect and lessons in prayer, whether individually or in corporate worship, and then tell us what you think. For more information about this project, click here.

About this commemoration

James Hannington was born at Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, September 3, 1847, and was educated at Temple School, Brighton. For six years, he assisted his father in the warehouse business. The family became members of the Church of England in 1867, and the following year Hannington entered St. Mary Hall, Oxford, where he obtained his B.A. and M.A. degrees.

Following his ordination at Exeter, Hannington served as a curate in his native town until, in 1882, he offered himself to the Church Missionary Society for its mission in Victoria, Nyanza, Africa. Serious illness soon required his return to England, but he went out again to Africa in 1884 as Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa.

Lake Victoria (http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/news/lib/202)

Hannington’s mission ﬁeld was the shores of Lake Victoria. On a difﬁcult venture towards Uganda, he and his party were apprehended by emissaries of King Mwanga, who feared this foreign penetration into his territory. After a week of cruel privations and suffering, he and the remaining members of his company were martyred on October 29, 1885.

Hannington’s last words were: “Go, tell Mwanga I have purchased the road to Uganda with my blood.” Other martyrs of Uganda shared his fate before the Gospel was ﬁrmly planted in this heartland of Africa, where today the Church has a vigorous life under an indigenous ministry.

Lake Victoria (http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/news/lib/202)

Collects

I Precious in thy sight, O Lord, is the death of thy saints, whose faithful witness, by thy providence, has its great reward: We give thee thanks for thy martyrs James Hannington and his companions, who purchased with their blood a road into Uganda for the proclamation of the Gospel; and we pray that with them we also may obtain the crown of righteousness which is laid up for all who love the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II Precious in your sight, O Lord, is the death of your saints, whose faithful witness, by your providence, has its great reward: We give you thanks for your martyrs James Hannington and his companions, who purchased with their blood a road into Uganda for the proclamation of the Gospel; and we pray that with them we also may obtain the crown of righteousness which is laid up for all who love the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 124

Lessons: Job 23:10–17, 1 Peter 3:14–18,22, and Matthew 10:16–22

Preface of Holy Week

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October 26 – Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899

October 26, 2010gcoffice7 Comments

About this commemoration

Alfred, alone of all English rulers, has been called “the Great,” because of his courage and Christian virtues. Born in 849 at Wantage, Berkshire, the youngest of ﬁve sons of King Aethelwulf, Alfred spent his life in a time of “battle, murder, and sudden death” during the Viking invasions and settlement in Britain. He was deeply impressed when, on a visit to Rome at the age of four, he was blessed by Pope Leo IV, and two years later when he witnessed the marriage of Aethelwulf to a young princess of the Frankish court. Following his father’s death and the short reigns of his brothers, Alfred became King in 871.

In heroic battles and by stratagems against the Danes, Alfred halted the tide of their invasion, and secured control of the southern, and part of the midland regions, of England for the English. After a decisive victory in 878 at Edington over the Danish leader Guthrum, he persuaded his foe to accept baptism. Alfred died on October 26, 899, and was buried in the old Minster at Winchester.

In his later years, Alfred sought to repair the damage that the Viking invasions had inﬂicted on culture and learning, especially among the parish clergy. With the help of scholars from Wales and the Continent, he supervised translations into English of important classics of theology and history, including works of Pope Gregory the Great, Augustine of Hippo, and the Venerable Bede. In one of them he commented: “He seemed to me a very foolish man, and very wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world, and ever wish and long to reach that endless life where all shall be made clear.”

Collects

I O Sovereign Lord, who didst bring thy servant Alfred to a troubled throne that he might establish peace in a ravaged land and revive learning and the arts among the people: Awake in us also, we beseech thee, a keen desire to increase our understanding while we are in this world, and an eager longing to reach that endless life where all will be made clear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II O Sovereign Lord, you brought your servant Alfred to a troubled throne that he might establish peace in a ravaged land and revive learning and the arts among the people: Awake in us also a keen desire to increase our understanding while we are in this world, and an eager longing to reach that endless life where all will be made clear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 21:1-7

Lessons: Wisdom 6:1–3,9–12,24–25, 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, and Luke 6:43–49

Preface of Baptism

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Stories from New England

October 22, 2010gcoffice3 Comments

The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music met this week in Concord, New Hampshire, where we held a hearing with 33 representatives of the dioceses of Province I (which comprises all of New England). The commission was eager to learn from the experiences of those dioceses. The changing status of civil unions and same-gender marriage in those states has meant that many of the dioceses have been addressing questions of blessing same-gender relationships for many years. The province is the only province of the Episcopal Church to develop a resource for clergy ministering to same-gender couples, and most of the dioceses have provided guidelines for blessing same-gender relationships.

In the early afternoon of October 19, in the parish hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Concord, people came forward, diocese by diocese, to tell their stories. Two church musicians used the vows and prayers from the Book of Common Prayer; they had seen many weddings from the vantage point of the organ bench, and they did not want to be forced to do something different. Another couple pondered what to call their rite and finally settled on “covenant.” Two men who have been in a committed relationship for 27 years moved to Vermont 3 years ago and found themselves warmly embraced by a congregation; in this place, they had nothing to hide any more, and were able to receive the church’s blessing and celebrate eucharist as part of that liturgy.

Again and again we heard about the cost of secrecy in times when relationships had to be hidden and blessings could not be openly celebrated. Couples and clergy spoke powerfully of the joy that came when relationships could be openly acknowledged. Many told us that congregations were transformed when they joined in the celebration of a blessing; for one congregation, the blessing of a civil union as part of the regular Sunday liturgy was especially powerful. Clergy and couples alike were surprised at how jubilant congregations were.

In two dioceses, Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts, the bishop has not allowed clergy to officiate at blessings of civil unions or same-gender marriage. Laity and clergy spoke of their yearning to have blessings celebrated in churches in these dioceses. One man who was married in Massachusetts after 10 years in a committed relationship explained he and his husband knew they could do this on their own because they had learned from the catechism that the couple are the ministers of the rite.

There was a lot to take in! I will be pondering these stories for quite some time. These stories have helped me – and the entire commission – understand more deeply the variety of experiences and the ways God is at work as the church begins to welcome and bless the relationships of same-gender couples.

Episcopal Life Online covered the event in text and video.

Ruth Meyers

Chair, Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music

October 19: Henry Martyn, Priest, and Missionary to India and Persia, 1812

October 19, 2010gcoffice7 Comments

From: A memoir of the Rev. Henry Martyn; Sargent, John; London : Printed for R. B. Seeley and W. Burnside : and sold by L. and G. Seeley; 1837.

About this commemoration

Translator of the Scriptures and Prayer Book into Hindi and Persian, Henry Martyn, an English missionary in India, died in Armenia when he was thirty-one years old. Though his life was brief, it was a remarkable one.

Like most English clergymen of the time, he was educated at one of the two ancient universities, Cambridge in his case. He had intended to become a lawyer, but Charles Simeon (November 12), the notable Evangelical rector of Holy Trinity, Cambridge, inspired him to go to India as a missionary. After serving as Simeon’s curate for a short time, Martyn traveled to Calcutta in 1806 as chaplain of the East India Company.

During his ﬁve years in India, Martyn preached the Gospel, organized private schools, and founded churches. In addition to his work as a missionary, Martyn translated the New Testament and the Book of Common Prayer into Hindi, a valuable missionary aid to the young Anglican Church in India. He also began the study of Persian, and translated the New Testament into Persian.

Martyn longed to go to Persia; in 1811, his persistence brought him to Shirmas, to become the ﬁrst English clergyman in that city. He engaged in theological discussions with learned Muslims and had time to correct his Persian translations. Obviously gifted with a remarkable facility for languages, Martyn hoped eventually to visit Arabia, and to translate the New Testament into Arabic.

While on his way to Constantinople in 1812, however, he died in the city of Tokat. The Armenians of the city recognized his greatness and buried him with the honors usually accorded to one of their own bishops. Very soon afterwards, his life of energetic devotion and remarkable accomplishment became widely known. He is remembered as one of the founders of the modern Christian Church in India and Iran.

Collects

I O God of the nations, who didst give to thy faithful servant Henry Martyn a brilliant mind, a loving heart, and a gift for languages, that he might translate the Scriptures and other holy writings for the peoples of India and Persia: Inspire in us, we beseech thee, a love like his, eager to commit both life and talents to thee who gavest them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II O God of the nations, you gave your faithful servant Henry Martyn a brilliant mind, a loving heart, and a gift for languages, that he might translate the Scriptures and other holy writings for the peoples of India and Persia: Inspire in us a love like his, eager to commit both life and talents to you who gave them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 56:8-12

Lessons: Isaiah 49:1–6, Romans 1:8–15, and John 4:22–26

Preface of a Saint (2)

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October 19: William Carey, Missionary to India, 1834

October 19, 2010gcoffice6 Comments

From William Carey: The Shoemaker Who Became the Founder of Modern Missions; John Brown Myers; London 1887

About this commemoration

William Carey was an English Baptist missionary and was a major ﬁgure in developing the Protestant missionary movement of the nineteenth century.

Born a son of the Church of England in 1761, Carey took an early interest in his studies and excelled at languages, a gift that would serve him in his ministry. After his village schooling, Carey apprenticed as a cobbler where he came into contact with a fellow worker who was a Nonconformist. Carey was challenged by this relationship and he eventually left the Church of England and became a Congregationalist. Carey developed into a master cobbler, married, and with his wife, Dorothy, had six children, only three of which survived childhood. During his years as a master cobbler, Carey’s interest in languages became a passionate avocation; he learned Italian, French, Dutch, and Hebrew, while increasing his mastery of Latin, a language he had taught himself as a youngster.

Carey’s spiritual quest continued. He was re-baptized in 1783 and was a Baptist for the remainder of his life. He became a schoolmaster and served as a Baptist pastor while struggling with his responsibility to foreign missions. He was among the founders in 1792 of what would become the Baptist Missionary Society. Finally, in 1793, Carey and company set out for India.

After transitional periods in Calcutta and Midnapore, Carey and his fellow missionaries settled in Serampore in 1800 where Carey would spend the rest of his life. He was appointed a professor at Fort Williams College, which had been founded to educate the children of civil servants. While teaching, Carey translated the Bible into Bengali and Sanskrit and the New Testament into other Indian languages and dialects, in addition to providing translations of other Christian literature. Carey also completed a Bengali-English dictionary and other linguistic tools to support missionary work.

In 1818, Carey’s mission established Serampore College for the dual purpose of training indigenous ministers and providing a classical education to anyone regardless of caste or national origin.

William Carey died on June 9, 1834, and was buried in Serampore.

Collects

I Merciful God, who didst call William Carey to missionary work in India and didst endue him with a zeal for thy Word that led him to translate Scripture into many local languages and dialects: Give us a heart for the spreading of thy Gospel and a thirst for justice among all the peoples of the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who sheds thy light and peace throughout humanity, and who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II Merciful God, you called William Carey to missionary work in India and gave him a zeal for your Word that led him to translate Scripture into many local languages and dialects: Give us a heart for the spreading of your Gospel and a thirst for justice among all the peoples of the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who sheds your light and peace throughout humanity, and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 119:25-32

Lessons: Jeremiah 1:4–8, Romans 10:14–17, and Matthew 17:14–20

Preface of a Saint (1)

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October 18: Saint Luke the Evangelist

October 18, 2010gcoffice8 Comments

Lukasaltar, linker Flügel innen; Inspiration des Hl. Lukas, Hermen Rode, 1484, Sankt-Annen-Museum, Lübeck

About this commemoration

Luke was a Gentile, a physician, and one of Paul’s fellow missionaries in the early spread of Christianity through the Roman world. He has been identiﬁed as the writer of both the Gospel which bears his name, and its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles. He had apparently not known Jesus, but was clearly much inspired by hearing about him from those who had known him.

Luke wrote in Greek, so that Gentiles might learn about the Lord, whose life and deeds so impressed him. In the ﬁrst chapter of his Gospel, he makes clear that he is offering authentic knowledge about Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. The Gospel is not a full biography—none of the Gospels are—but a history of salvation.

Only Luke provides the very familiar stories of the annunciation to Mary, of her visit to Elizabeth, of the child in the manger, the angelic host appearing to shepherds, and the meeting with the aged Simeon. Luke includes in his work six miracles and eighteen parables not recorded in the other Gospels. In Acts he tells about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the struggles of the apostles and their triumphs over persecution, of their preaching of the Good News, and the conversion and baptism of other disciples, who would extend the Church in future years.

Luke was with Paul apparently until the latter’s martyrdom in Rome. What happened to Luke after Paul’s death is unknown. Early tradition has it that he wrote his Gospel in Greece, and that he died at the age of eighty-four in Boeotia. Gregory of Nazianzus says that Luke was martyred, but this testimony is doubted by most scholars. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantius ordered the supposed relics of Luke to be removed from Boeotia to Constantinople, where they could be venerated by pilgrims.

Collects

I Almighty God, who didst inspire thy servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of thy Son: Graciously continue in thy Church the like love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of thy Name; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 147 or 147:1-7

Lessons: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:1–4,6–10,12–14, 2 Timothy 4:5–13, Luke 4:14–21

Preface of All Saints

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October 17: Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr, c. 115

October 17, 2010gcoffice12 Comments

About this commemoration

Ignatius of Antioch, martyred in 115, had a profound sense of two ends—his own, and the consummation of history in Jesus Christ. In ecstasy, he saw his impending martyrdom as the ﬁtting conclusion to a long episcopate. He was accounted the second Bishop of Antioch in Syria.

Seven authentic letters which Ignatius wrote to Churches while he journeyed across Asia Minor in the custody of ten soldiers (“my leopards,” he called them), give valuable insights into the life of the early Church. Of certain Gnostic teachings that exalted the divinity of Jesus at the expense of his humanity, Ignatius wrote: “Be deaf … to any talk that ignores Jesus Christ, of David’s lineage, of Mary; who was really born, ate, and drank; was really persecuted under Pontius Pilate; was really cruciﬁed and died in the sight of heaven and earth and the underworld. He was really raised from the dead.”

In another, he condemned a form of biblicism espoused by some as the method of historical interpretation and the only rule of Church practice. He wrote: “When I heard some people saying, ‘If I don’t ﬁnd it in the ancient documents, I don’t believe it in the Gospel,’ I answered them, ‘But it is written there.’ They retorted, ‘That has got to be proved.’ But to my mind it is Jesus Christ who is the ancient documents.”

Ignatius maintained that the Church’s unity would always spring from that liturgy by which all are initiated into Christ through Baptism. He exhorted: “Try to gather more frequently to celebrate God’s Eucharist and to praise him … At these meetings you should heed the bishop and presbytery attentively and break one loaf, which is the medicine of immortality … ”

Ignatius regarded the Church as God’s holy order in the world. He was, therefore, concerned for the proper ordering of the Church’s teaching and worship. He wrote: “Flee from schism as the source of mischief. You should all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ did the Father. Follow, too, the presbytery as you would the apostles; and respect the deacons as you would God’s law … Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”

Collects

I Almighty God, we praise thy Name for thy bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch, who offered himself as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that he might present unto thee the pure bread of sacriﬁce. Accept, we pray thee, the willing tribute of our lives, and give us a share in the pure and spotless offering of thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II Almighty God, we praise your Name for your bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch, who offered himself as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that he might present to you the pure bread of sacriﬁce. Accept, we pray, the willing tribute of our lives and give us a share in the pure and spotless offering of your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 31:1-5

Lessons: Isaiah 43:16–21, Romans 8:35–39, and John 12:23–26

Preface of a Saint (3)

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October 16: Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, Bishops and Martyrs, 1555

October 16, 2010gcoffice11 Comments

About this commemoration

Hugh Latimer was the outstanding English preacher of the Reformation. His sermons against ecclesiastical abuses led to several trials for heresy, but no proof could be established against his orthodoxy. Latimer was little interested in the reﬁnements of doctrine; his zeal was concentrated on the moral life of Christian clergy and people.

Born of yeoman stock about 1490 in Leicestershire, Latimer graduated from Clare College, Cambridge, and became a Fellow in 1510. Though a conservative, he was attracted to the new currents of reform stemming from the Continental Reformation of the 1520’s. King Henry VIII made him a royal chaplain in 1530, and ﬁve years later appointed him to the See of Worcester, a position he relinquished in 1539 in opposition to the king’s reactionary policies against the progress of the Reformation.

Hugh Latimer Preaching to Edward VI of England, in John Foxe's "Acts and Monuments," 1563

In the reign of Edward VI, Latimer became prominent again as a preacher, but he refused to resume his see. With the accession of Queen Mary in 1553 he was imprisoned, and on October 16, 1555, he was burned at the stake in Oxford alongside Bishop Nicholas Ridley.

Nicholas Ridley was born in Northumberland, and was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. While there he belonged to a circle of young men deeply attracted to the currents of reform inspired by the Continental Reformation.

A supporter of Archbishop Cranmer’s reforming agenda, Ridley became the Archbishop’s Chaplain in 1537, and vicar of Herne, Kent, in 1538. He was chosen Master of Pembroke in 1540, and chaplain to Henry VIII and Canon of Canterbury in 1541. Two years later he was acquitted of a charge of heresy.

Latimer and Ridley at the stake, Foxe's "Acts and Monuments," 1563

Early in the reign of Edward VI, Ridley was made Bishop of Rochester and participated with Cranmer in the preparation of the ﬁrst Book of Common Prayer. He was translated to the See of London in 1550, where he was a strong advocate for and administrator of the principles of the Reformation. His unwillingness to recant of his Protestant theology and his opposition to the accession of Queen Mary led to his condemnation and his execution at the side of Bishop Latimer.

Collects

I Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, that, like thy servants Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, we may live in thy fear, die in thy favor, and rest in thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, that, like your servants Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, we may live in your fear, die in your favor, and rest in your peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 142

Lessons: Zephaniah 3:1–5, 1 Corinthians 3:9–14, and John 15:20–16:1

Preface of a Saint (1)

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October 15: Teresa of Avila, Nun, 1582

October 15, 2010gcoffice13 Comments

Teresa of Avila, 1827, by Francois Pascal Simon Gerard, Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse, Paris

About this commemoration

Teresa was one of two women declared a “Doctor of the Church” in 1970, primarily because of her two mystical contemplative works, The Way of Perfection and Interior Castle. She was a close spiritual and personal friend of St. John of the Cross.

Teresa was born near Avila. Even in her childhood, she took much pleasure in the study of saints’ lives, and she used to delight in spending times of contemplation, repeating over and over “For ever, for ever, for ever, for ever, they shall see God.”

In her autobiography Teresa tells that, following her mother’s death, she became quite worldly. To offset this, her father placed her in an Augustinian convent to be educated, but serious illness ended her studies. During convalescence, she determined to enter the religious life; and, though opposed by her father, she became a postulant at a Carmelite convent. Again, illness forced her to return home. After three years, she returned to the convent.

The easygoing life of the “mitigated” Carmelite rule distracted her from her customary prayer life, to which she returned. Taking recourse in two great penitents, Augustine of Hippo and Mary Magdalene, she became increasingly meditative. She began to receive visions—whether from God or the Devil she could not know—and struggled to reject them.

Teresa set out to establish a reformed Carmelite order of the “discalced” religious, who wore sandals or went unshod. Despite many setbacks she traveled for 25 years through Spain. Energetic, practical, efﬁcient, as well as being a mystic and ascetic, she established 17 convents of Reformed Carmelites. Even imprisonment did not deter her.

Despite the demands of her administrative and missionary work, Teresa found time to write the numerous letters that give us rare insights into her personality and concerns. She shows us a practical organizer, a writer of native genius, a warm devoted friend, and, above all, a lover of and the beloved of God.

Her death, following two years of illness, was peaceful. Her last sight was of the Sacrament brought for her comfort; her last words, “O my Lord! Now is the time that we may see each other.”

Collects

I O God, who by the Holy Spirit didst move Teresa of Avila to manifest to thy Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we beseech thee, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a lively and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II O God, by your Holy Spirit you moved Teresa of Avila to manifest to your Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we pray, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a keen and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 42:1-7

Lessons: Song of Songs 4:12–16, Romans 8:22–27, and Matthew 5:13–16

Preface of Baptism

Also of interest

Link to a free digital edition of The Way of Perfection

http://books.google.com/booksid=62yZID0WbEIC&lpg=PP1&ots=7rkR_viv_Y&dq=Teresa%20of%20Avila%20the%20way%20of%20perfection&pg=PR27#v=onepage&q&f=false

Link to a free digital edition of Interior Castle

http://books.google.com/booksid=hNmMCNYCpQcC&lpg=PP1&dq=Teresa%20of%20Avila%20Interior%20Castle&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=Teresa%20of%20Avila%20Interior%20Castle&f=false

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October 14: Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, Bishop of Shanghai, 1906

October 14, 2010gcoffice10 Comments

About this commemoration

The story of Joseph Schereschewsky is unique in the annals of the Church. He was born on May 6, 1831, of Jewish parents, in the Lithuanian town of Tauroggen. His early education was directed toward the rabbinate, but during graduate studies in Germany, he became interested in Christianity through missionaries of the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews, and through his own reading of a Hebrew translation of the New Testament.

In 1854 Schereschewsky immigrated to America and entered the Western Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh to train for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church. After two years, he decided to become an Episcopalian, and to ﬁnish his theological studies at the General Theological Seminary in New York City, from which he graduated in 1859.

After ordination, and in response to Bishop Boone’s call for helpers in China, Schereschewsky left for Shanghai. Always facile in languages, he learned to write Chinese during the voyage. From 1862 to 1875 he lived in Peking, and translated the Bible and parts of the Prayer Book into Mandarin. After Bishop Williams was transferred to Japan, Schereschewsky was elected Bishop of Shanghai in 1877, and was consecrated in Grace Church, New York City. He established St. John’s University, in Shanghai, and began his translation of the Bible and other works into Wenli. Stricken with paralysis, he resigned his see in 1883.

Schereschewsky was determined to continue his translation work, and after many difﬁculties in ﬁnding support, he was able to return to Shanghai in 1895. Two years later, he moved to Tokyo. There he died on October 15, 1906.

With heroic perseverance Schereschewsky completed his translation of the Bible, typing some 2,000 pages with the middle ﬁnger of his partially crippled hand. Four years before his death, he said, “I have sat in this chair for over twenty years. It seemed very hard at ﬁrst. But God knew best. He kept me for the work for which I am best ﬁtted.” He is buried in the Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo, next to his wife, who supported him constantly during his labors and illness.

Collects

I O God, who in thy providence didst call Joseph Schereschewsky from his home in Eastern Europe to the ministry of this Church, and didst send him as a missionary to China, upholding him in his inﬁrmity, that he might translate the Holy Scriptures into languages of that land: Lead us, we pray thee, to commit our lives and talents to thee, in the conﬁdence that when thou givest unto thy servants any work to do, thou dost also supply the strength to do it; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II O God, in your providence you called Joseph Schereschewsky from his home in Eastern Europe to the ministry of this Church, and sent him as a missionary to China, upholding him in his inﬁrmity, that he might translate the Holy Scriptures into languages of that land. Lead us, we pray, to commit our lives and talents to you, in the conﬁdence that when you give your servants any work to do, you also supply the strength to do it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 84:1-6

Lessons: Isaiah 12:1–6, 2 Corinthians 4:11–18, and Luke 24:44–48

Preface of Pentecost

Also of interest

St. John’s University song (English)

http://www.stjohns.ubc.ca/@sjc/images/SJUSongE.jpg

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