19 March 2024

Daily prayer in Lent with
early English saints:
35, 19 March 2024,
Saint William of York

Saint William of York depicted above the doorway of Saint William’s College, York (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2023)

Patrick Comerford

Passiontide – the last two weeks of Lent – began on Sunday, the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Lent V), also known as Passion Sunday (17 March 2024). Today, the Calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship remembers Saint Joseph of Nazareth (19 March).

Throughout Lent this year, I am taking time each morning to reflect on the lives of early, pre-Reformation English saints commemorated in the Calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship.

Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks for life and love, for reflection, prayer and reading in these ways:

1, A reflection on an early, pre-Reformation English saint;

2, today’s Gospel reading;

d 3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

Saint William of York depicted above the doorway of Saint William’s College, York (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2023)

Early English pre-Reformation saints: 35, Saint William of York (1154)

Saint William of York, who died in 1154, is remembered on 8 June. He was born William FitzHerbert in York, the son of Herbert of Winchester, Chancellor and Treasurer of King Henry I.

William was elected Archbishop of York in 1140, but his election was challenged by reformers, including a group of Cistercians. William was accused of simony, sexual misconduct and being unduly influenced by his connections to the Royal Court.

Pope Innocent cleared William of all charges and confirmed him as Archbishop of York in 1143, three years after his election. However, the charges resurfaced a few years later under Pope Eugene III, who was also a Cistercian. Pope Eugene suspended William from York and removed him as archbishop in 1147, replacing him with the Cistercian Henry Murdac, Abbot of Fountains Abbey. During a riot, some of William’s supporters burned a section of Fountain’ Abbey. William, however, retired to Winchester, became a monk and was known for his austere lifestyle and active prayer life.

During the reign of Pope Anastasius IV, William was called from his seclusion and again became the Archbishop of York in 1154. When he entered York after years of exile, he received an enthusiastic welcome. However, he died within two months, probably from poisoning believed to be in the sacramental wine. One of William’s clerks accused Osbert de Bayeux, Archdeacon of York, who was summoned to face trial before the king. But the king died before the trial took, and it seems never have taken place.

William was buried at York Cathedral. A few months of his death, miracles were attributed to his intervention and a sweet smell came from his tomb when it was damaged during a fire. Pope Honorius III canonised him on 18 March 1226, 73 years after his death.

Saint William’s College was founded for chantry priests in York Minister (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2023)

Matthew 1: 18-25 (NRSVA):

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ 22 All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,

which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Saint William of York (or Saint Thomas Becket?) in the Saint Thomas Window in All Saints’ Church, North Street, York (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Prayers (Tuesday 19 March 2024):

The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘Lent Reflection: True repentance is the key to Christian Freedom.’ This theme was introduced on Sunday by the Revd Dr Simon Ro, Dean of Graduate School of Theology at Sungkonghoe (Anglican) University, Seoul, Korea.

The USPG Prayer Diary today (19 March 2024, Saint Joseph of Nazareth) invites us to pray reflecting on these words:

Help us Lord understand that for true freedom we must have true repentance.

The Collect:

God our Father,
who from the family of your servant David
raised up Joseph the carpenter
to be the guardian of your incarnate Son
and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
give us grace to follow him
in faithful obedience to your commands;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Post-Communion Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
whose Son grew in wisdom and stature
in the home of Joseph the carpenter of Nazareth
and on the wood of the cross
perfected the work of the world’s salvation:
help us, strengthened by this sacrament of his passion,
to count the wisdom of the world as foolishness,
and to walk with him in simplicity and trust;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yesterday: Saint Anselm of Canterbury

Tomorrow: Saint Aelred of Rievaulx

Saint Joseph and the Christ Child depicted in a mosaic in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar, Co Westmeath … Saint Joseph is commemorated on 19 March (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org