Lessons Antiphons and Collect for Saint Wilfrid, B.C.

Saint Wilfrid, B.C.

Wilfrid, at the age of thirteen, left home to escape from mistreatment by his stepmother ; and thenceforth he found little peace on earth ; for he fought vigorously all his life long to bring the Christians of England who followed the peculiar national Celtic customs into accord with the more general usages of the Western Church under the Roman See. Being the son of a Northumbrian thane, he went first to the court of King Oswy, and thence was sent, at the age of fourteen, to Lindisfarne and Whitby for instruction in divine science. He also studied the Roman usages at Canterbury ; and in 654 set out for Rome with Saint Benedict Biscop on the latter’s first journey to the eternal city. There he tried to perfect himself in holy things, and was finally made secretary to Pope Saint Martin. When he returned to England, Aldfrid, son of Oswy, appointed him to instruct the Northumbrians in the Roman usages, for that prince liked not the Celtic customs concerning the date of Easter and various other matters, any more than did Wilfrid. And when Aldfrid required the monks whom he had placed in his newly-built monastery at Ripon to give up their peculiar Celtic usages, many of them returned to their former monastery of Melrose ; whereupon Wilfrid was made Abbot of Ripon * Now when the dispute regarding the two ecclesiastical observances became more acute, a synod was held at Whitby to decide the matter. For the Celtic party said that their usages came through France from the tradition which Saint John the Evangelist had established in Asia Minor, whereas the Roman party claimed the authority of the Prince of the Apostles for their customs. And when most of those present at the council decided in favour of Roman canon law and discipline, the others withdrew from work in Northumbria, and retired to the holy island of Iona. Whereafter Wilfrid was chosen Bishop of the Northumbrians, and went to Paris for consecration, for he held the neighboring bishops as schismatics. But he was so long delayed on this journey that King Oswy grew impatient, and had Saint Chad consecrated in his stead. Which was the occasion of fresh controversy when Wilfrid returned and went to live in his Abbey of Ripon. However, in 699 Saint Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, set him up as Bishop of York, and Chad went to work among the Mercians. But Wilfrid incurred the enmity of Egfrid, after the latter became King, which same moved Saint Theodore to divide the northern territory into four dioceses, leaving one for Wilfrid, and intruding three others into the rest of Wilfrid’s former jurisdiction. * Then was made the first appeal to the Roman See, namely, from Wilfrid as Bishop of York against the Archbishop of Canterbury ; to which end Wilfrid set out for Rome a second time. And on his way thither he preached the Gospel mightily in Friesland, converting many heathens, and thereby opening the way for the harvest of souls which Saint Willibrord and his companions gathered in. Now when Pope Saint Agatho had decided the case in Wilfrid’s favour, he returned to King Egfrid with the decree, who promptly cast him into prison, and kept him there many months. And when he was set free he was obliged to flee from one place to another, until he came into the region of the South Saxons. There he settled down, and laboured greatly in the Gospel, converting many, and establishing a bishoprick which afterwards became the See of Chichester. But in 686, after King Egfrid had died, Wilfrid was recalled to York, through the intervention of Saint Theodore and others. However, so many difficulties arose that he went to Rome for a third time, to make a second appeal to the Holy See. As a result of which he was again, by papal decree, awarded all his former authority in Northumbria. But he was seventy-two years old, and shortly thereafter died in peace, namely, on April 24^th, 709. But his feast is usually kept on October 12^th, being the day of the translation of his relicks.

Antiphon on Benedictus

Good and faithful servant, enter thou * into the joy of thy Lord.(Alleluia).

 Antiphon on Magnificat

O holy Priest and Bishop, thou worker of so many mighty works, and good shepherd to Christ’s flock, * pray for us unto the Lord our God (Alleluia).

Collect:

O God, who by reason of the singular merits of thy blessed Bishop Saint Wilfrid, didst cause to shine forth in him many wondrous works, we beseech thee, mercifully to grant, that like as we have learnt from his teaching to seek earnestly after all things heavenly, so we may at all times be defended by his intercession, through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end. Amen.