The Feast Day of The Martyrs Of Oxford

Give a thought and a prayer to the brave Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of Rochester, and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, who suffered martyrdom under Queen Mary. Latimer and Ridley were burned at the stake together for the crime of heresy. Latimer's last words to Ridley were, "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God's grace shall never be put out."

Read about them at the Lectionary.

During the reign of the Protestant King Edward VI, Henry VIII's only son, Thomas Cranmer translated the church worship service into English in the 1549 First Book of Common Prayer.

When Roman Catholic Queen Mary took the throne upon Edward's death, she ordered Cranmer to write a letter of submission to the Pope. He wrote four letters and tore them up, but he sent the fifth. However, Mary did not believe he was sincere, so she had him burned at the stake for heresy. His final words were, "I have sinned, in that I signed with my hand what I did not believe with my heart. When the flames are lit, this hand shall be the first to burn."

This post is short, because I'm still exhausted from Teresa of Avila. My apologies to the three gentlemen.

READINGS:

Psalm 142 or 124
1 Corinthians 3:9-14
John 15:20--16:1

PRAYER

Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, after the examples of your servants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer; that 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.

UPDATE: Oh dear! Tobias has an excellent sermon posted to mark the feast day, which makes my offering look more pitiful, but being of generous heart, I give you the link.