High Days and Holy Days for October

1   Remigius (d.533)

If you've ever prayed for the ill children of non-Christian friends, then you are following in the steps of Remigius.

Remigius was bishop of Reims late in the 5th century, and the king's son was ill.  The queen, Clotild, was a Christian, but the king of the Franks, Clovis I, was not.  Then Remigius prayed for their ailing son, and he was healed.  The king was so overwhelmed with gratitude, that he decided to acknowledge and honour the Christian God. 

In his enthusiasm King Clovis seems to have turned his royal household into something akin to the aftermath of a Billy Graham rally/Alpha course, for he commanded that all 3,000 members of the royal household and followers become Christians at once, and be baptised. 

Under the protection of King Clovis, Remigius carried on preaching the Gospel throughout the Frankish kingdom.  He did some extensive church-planting - founding bishoprics and churches - and was greatly loved by the people up to his death in Reims in 533.

2   Your Guardian Angel

The teaching of Jesus encourages us to believe that we each have our own guardian angel.  He once said, 'See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.'  (Matthew 18.10)

The existence of angels was suggested in various Old Testament texts,   Jesus mentioned them explicitly, and the early Christians accepted their existence and work (Acts 12.15).  

In England, devotion to the angels, both in Anglo-Saxon times and later, was strong.  In modern times, the great American evangelist Billy Graham, has written an entire book on the existence and work of angels.

Alcuin described them as intercessors (in the 11th century Leofric Missal); Herbert of Losinga, bishop of Norwich (d 1119) specially praised them, and his contemporary, Reginald of Canterbury, wrote prayers in their honour. 

Honorius Augustodunenis (d 1151) clarified the existing belief of the time by asserting that each human soul, when infused into the body, is entrusted to the particular care of a single angel, who protects both body and soul and offers prayers to God.

For many centuries Christendom was satisfied with the feast of St Michael (and all Angels), but the special feast of the Guardian Angels was introduced in Austria, Spain and Portugal in the 15th – 16th centuries.  Guardian Angels were there seen as guardians of particular towns or regions, or of each individual.  Pope Clement X made the feast day universal in 1607, fixing its date to 2 October.

4 St. Francis of Assisi

St Francis (1181 - 1226) is surely one of the most attractive and best-loved of all the saints.  But he began by being anything but a saint.  Born the son of a wealthy cloth-merchant of Assisi, Francis' youth was spent in fast-living, parties and on fast horses as a leader of the young society of the town. Then he went to the war between Assisi and Perugia, and was taken prisoner for a year.

By the time of his release, Francis had changed.  Perhaps his own suffering had awakened him to that of others.  In any case, he abandoned warfare and carousing, and began to help the poor and the lepers of his area.  Then one day a voice which seemed to come from the crucifix in the small, semi-derelict church of Damiano Assisi 'Go and repair my house, which you see is falling down'.

This religious experience was a vital turning point in Francis' life:  Jesus Christ became very real and immediate to him.  His first action was to begin repairing the church, having sold some of his father's cloth to pay for materials.  His father was not amused, in fact he was furious - until Francis renounced his inheritance and even his clothes by his dramatic stripping off in the public square of the town.  The Bishop of Assisi provided him with simple garments, and Francis began his new life.

His inspiration was always religious, not social, and the object of his quest was always the Crucified Christ, not Lady Poverty for her own sake. Francis rebuilt San Samiano, and then travelled as a pilgrim. His compassion for the poor and lepers became famous. Soon disciples joined him, and they set up a communal life in simple wattle and daub huts. They went on occasional preaching tours. (Not until later did they become an Order whose theologians won fame in the Universities)

In 1219 Francis visited the Holy Land, and his illusions about the Crusaders were shattered.  He went on to seek out the Sultan, and tried to convert him.  Back home, he found his Order was now 5,000 strong, and growing.  Francis stepped down as head, but continued to preach and was immensely popular. He died after a prolonged illness at 45, and was canonised in 1228.

Francis' close rapport with the animal creation was well known.  The story of his preaching to the birds has always been a favourite scene from his life.  He also tamed the wolf of Gubbio.  This affinity emphasises his consideration for, and sense of identity with, all elements of the physical universe, as seen in his Canticle of the Sun.  This makes him an apt patron of nature conservation.

The 20th century witnessed a widespread revival of interest in Francis.  Sadly, some films and books caricatured him as only a sentimental nature-lover or a hippie drop out from society.  This ignores the real sternness of his character, and his all-pervasive love of God and identification with Christ's' sufferings, which alone make sense of his life. 

Two ancient, and many modern English churches are dedicated to him.

14 Donation c 484 martyr

Some Christians today have the curious idea that being a Christian guarantees a prosperous life in this world.  St Paul was more realistic – throughout his epistles he urges Christians to pray for patience and endurance in this world.  Donation is a timely reminder that we are called to be witnesses, and that that may not be easy.  When Hunneric, the King of the Vandals, closed all the churches in North Africa in the late fifth century, Donation and his friends were tortured, driven into the desert, and left to die of exposure.   Many Christians in Muslim Africa today face similar dangers for Christ.   Pray for them, that they find the courage and endurance they need.

18        St Luke the Evangelist

To St Luke, a gentile, we owe the beautifully written Gospel of Luke, and the Book of Acts.  He was a Greek physician, a disciple of St Paul, a companion on some of his missionary journeys, and an inspired writer.

Luke's gospel focuses on the compassion of Christ. His gospel contains some of the most moving parables, such as the Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son.  This, with his emphasis on poverty, prayer and purity of heart, make up much of his appeal to the Gentles, for whom he wrote.

Women figure more prominently in Luke's gospel than any other: look out for the extended story of the Virgin Birth, and stories of Mary, Elizabeth, and the woman who was a sinner.

In Acts, Luke is remarkably good as linking sacred and profane history, as subsequent archaeology has shown. A principal theme of his Acts is the how the early Christian moved away from Jerusalem into the pagan world, and especially on to Rome.

Luke is the patron saint of doctors, surgeons and artists (due to his picturesque style of writing).  His symbol is an ox, sometimes explained by reference to the sacrifice in the Temple at the beginning of his Gospel.  In England 28 ancient churches were dedicated to him.

27        Odran of Iona died c. 563

Odran is a suitable saint to remember as Halloween approaches, for his story involves the spirit world.

British by birth, Odran was one of Columba's first companions on Iona.  Sadly, he died not long after his arrival on the island.  But Columba found comfort, for in a vision he saw Odran's soul ascending to heaven, after being fought over by angels and devils.  Christ had redeemed Odran for his own, and so all the devils there ever were could not lay claim to Odran's soul. 

In memory of his dear friend, Columba named the graveyard on Iona after him, Reilig Orain.  An old Irish tradition has an Odran abbot of Meath and founder of Latteragh (Co. Tipperary), and it is probable that these Odrans are one and the same.

28 Simon and Jude (1st century)

Jude the apostle and martyr warns us in his epistle that not all 'evil' comes in the form of obvious ghosties and ghoulies.  He writes instead to warn the Christians of the greater danger of people who infect others with heresy and moral failure.  He writes that they are nothing more than ....  “blemishes on your love-feasts...feeding themselves.  They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame, wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever. 

Such dangerous people can be frightening, but Jude also encourages his readers to remember “...him who is able to keep you from falling and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing...the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power and authority, before all time and now and forever.... 

According to Western tradition, Jude and Simon went to preach the gospel in Persia, where both were martyred.

31        Halloween

Modern Halloween celebrations have their roots with the Celtic peoples of pre-Christian times. 

In those long-ago days, on the last night of October, the Celts celebrated the Festival of Samhain, or 'Summer's End'.  The priests, or Druids, performed ceremonies to thank and honour the sun.  For there was a very dark side to all this: Samhain also signalled the onset of winter, a time when it was feared that unfriendly ghosts, nature-spirits, and witches roamed the earth, creating mischief.  So the Druid priests lit great bonfires and performed magic rites to ward off or appease these dark supernatural powers.

Then the Romans arrived, and brought their Harvest Festival which honoured the Goddess Pomona with gifts of apples and nuts. The two festivals slowly merged.

When Christianity arrived still later, it began to replace the Roman and Druid religions.  1 November - All Saints' Day - was dedicated to all Christian Martyrs and Saints who had died.  It was called 'All Hallows' Day'. The evening before became an evening of prayer and preparation and was called 'All Hallows' Eve', The Holy Evening, later shortened to 'Halloween'. 

For many centuries, however, fear of the supernatural remained strong.  During the Middle Ages, animal costumes and frightening masks were worn to ward off the evil spirits of darkness on Halloween.  Magic words and charms were used to keep away bad luck, and everybody believed that witches ride about on broomsticks.  Fortune telling was popular, and predicting the future by the use of nuts and apples was so popular that Halloween is still sometimes known as Nutcrack Night or Snap-Apple Night.