Saint Anskar, (September 8, 801 – February 3, 865), was the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen known as the "Apostle of the North" and is the patron saint of Scandinavia.
A native of France, Anskar devoted himself to a spiritual life while still a boy after seeing a vision of his deceased mother with the Virgin Mary. In his twenties he became a missionary, first to Denmark and then Sweden, where he met with mixed success among the native pagan population. In 831 he was appointed archbishop. Political divisions of the Frankish lands and the sack of Hamburg by the Danes dealt him severe setbacks in the early 840s. Later, he was able to establish amicable relations with certain Scandinavian monarchs and succeeded in establishing a number of churches. He died in Bremen in 865.
Anskar is remembered on the Episcopal Church calendar as his ministry serves as a reverent connection between Anglicanism and Swedish Lutheranism [the latter sharing a belief in the "apostolic succession" of bishops, a theological point not shared in the rest of Lutheranism].
Almighty and everlasting God, you sent your servant Anskar as an apostle to the people of Scandinavia, and enabled him to lay a firm foundation for their conversion, though he did not see the results of his labors: Keep your Church from discouragement in the day of small things, knowing that when you have begun a good work you will bring it to a fruitful conclusion; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
February 4: Cornelius the Centurion
There are moments in great literature that always cause me to pause, if only for a moment, regardless of how many times I've read that particular sacred or secular work. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it is the moment when Huck, who has been taught that to defy authority is a mortal sin, decides that he would rather go to Hell than to turn in Jim, the runaway slave who has become his friend. In sacred literature, it is the moment when Peter, who has understood that Christianity is for Jews and Jews only, realizes in the tenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles that, "Truly, God shows no partiality." This moment of revelation is what opens Christianity to all, in fulfillment of Jesus' teaching.
Peter's revelation is made known through his work with Cornelius the Centurion and Cornelius' family. All we know of today's feast day honoree is captured in two chapters of Acts,
that Cornelius lived in Caesarea, the capital of Judea under Herod, and would have been in charge of 100 Roman soldiers [The title "Centurion" is the root word for the military rank of "captain".] This reference gives us a window into that moment when Peter, and the other surviving apostles, were able to internalize and live the teachings of their rabbi, thus opening Christianity to the large influx of gentiles that would fill its ranks by the end of the 1st century.
O God, who by your Spirit called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles: Grant to your Church in every nation a ready mind and will to proclaim your love to all who turn to you with unfeigned hope and faith; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
February 5: The Martyrs of Japan
"The Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan (日本二十六聖人 Nihon Nijūroku Seijin) refers to a group of Christians who were executed by crucifixion on February 5, 1597 at Nagasaki...
A promising beginning to Catholic missions in Japan — perhaps as many as 300,000 Christians by the end of the sixteenth century — met complications from competition between the missionary groups, political difficulty between Spain and Portugal, and factions within the government of Japan. Christianity was suppressed, and it was during this time that the 26 martyrs were executed. By 1630, Christianity had been driven underground. Two hundred and fifty years later, when Christian missionaries returned to Japan, they found a community of "hidden Christians"...."
Thus reads the official history, although what played the greatest role in their slaughter was the fear of the first shogun, Tokugawa, that outsiders would begin to dilute both Japanese culture and, particularly, his brutal control over his people. Historically, there is nothing more threatening to authority, whether that of a feudal dictator or a 21st century politician, than free-thinking people of faith who recognize only one higher authority.
However, so well taught were those early Japanese Christians that, even without benefit of clergy or viable copies of the Holy Bible, Christianity remained alive and well, if hidden, for over 200 years and emerged from its underground a fully realized faith.
The Episcopal Church in Japan is the Nippon Sei Ko Kei, just so you know. Above is a photo of their shrine in Nagasaki to those martyrs.
O God our Father, source of strength to all your saints, who brought the holy martyrs of Japan through the suffering of the cross to the joys of life eternal: Grant that we, being encouraged by their example, may hold fast the faith we profess, even to death itself; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.