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Exciting HolinessCollects and Readings for the Festivals and Lesser Festivals of the Calendar of the Church of England
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From the Introduction:
When, in 1935, Bishop Walter Frere first produced his Collects, Epistles and Gospels for the Lesser Feasts
According to the Calendar set out in 1928, he was providing, for the first time in one book, collects and readings
for use on ‘Black Letter’ saints’ days in the Church of England. This tradition has been maintained by the excellent
book compiled by Martin Draper and George Timms, Cloud of Witnesses, produced to complement the publication
of The Alternative Service Book 1980, and by many others throughout the Anglican Communion.
When the Church of England Liturgical Commission began its work in 1993 on re-drafting a Calendar, it appointed
a Committee of its members consisting of Revd Canon Michael Perham as chair, Revd Canon Jane Sinclair, Revd Canon
John Sweet and Brother Tristam SSF. They used as a starting point the Calendar in Celebrating Common Prayer, only
recently published in 1992. After the various revision processes of the General Synod, the final report entitled
Calendar, Lectionary & Collects 2000, published as GS1161a, was finally authorised at the November 1996 session,
to have authority from Advent 1997, without time limit.
As a result, Michael Perham assisted Cassell Publishing in producing a book for use on Sundays, using what is called
the Temporale section of the Report. Using the Sanctorale in the Report, this Editor was given the
task of producing a book for use on saints’ days, to be published by Canterbury Press Norwich. Other publishers,
including Church House Publishing and SPCK, have produced material for use with the new Calendar.
The aim of all these publications is to make available to the Church the wherewithal to use the new material provided
in Calendar, Lectionary & Collects 2000. In particular, the Sunday lectionary provision will help the
Church of England to come closer in worship to its sisters and brothers in the rest of the Anglican Communion and
in other Communions throughout the world.
This book’s subtitle adequately sums up its contents and purpose.
Tristam SSF