Commontide
Liturgical Color: Red
The 1st Sunday of Christmas
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, kindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Christmas
Because you gave Jesus Christ, your only Son, to be born for us; who, by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary his mother, was made truly man, yet without the stain of sin, that we might be cleansed from sin and given the right to become your children.
Most liturgical texts are from the Book of Common Prayer (2019) of the Anglican Church in North America.
The New Coverdale Psalter, © 2019 by the Anglican Church in North America. Used by permission.
Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr
Anglican Commemoration
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in the cathedral on 29 December 1170. Born in London to a family of Norman merchants, he served Henry II as Lord Chancellor before his consecration, then broke with the king over the crown's claim to jurisdiction over the clergy and spent six years in exile. Four of the king's knights killed him at vespers. Alexander III canonized him on 21 February 1173, two years and two months after his death.
Thomas Becket was born in London to a merchant family and educated in canon law. He rose through royal service, becoming chaplain to Archbishop Theobald and then Chancellor under King Henry II (1155–1162). In this role, he earned the king's personal affection and proved an able administrator of royal business. When the archiepiscopal see became vacant in 1162, King Henry expected his loyal friend would be appointed and would serve royal interests. Instead, Thomas underwent a dramatic spiritual conversion, adopted ascetic practice, and began defending ecclesiastical independence vigorously against royal encroachment. This created one of medieval Europe's most famous Church-State conflicts. The primary dispute concerned the king's attempt to subordinate ecclesiastical courts to royal authority, particularly regarding the trial and punishment of clergy. Becket resisted with unwavering principle, arguing that the Church's liberty was sacrosanct. Exiled for six years (1164–1170), during which his cause gained international papal support and sympathy, Thomas lived in France. After apparent reconciliation with Henry, he returned to Canterbury in December 1170. On December 29, 1170, during Vespers, four knights—reportedly acting on Henry's frustrated comment, 'Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?'—murdered him before the altar in his cathedral. Eyewitnesses recorded that Thomas maintained his composure and prayer even as he was struck down, with his arms crossed in the form of a cross. His last reported words were a prayer commending his soul to God. His tomb became immediately a pilgrimage site; miracles were reported within weeks. He was canonized in 1173, making him one of the most rapidly canonized English saints and initiating a centuries-long pilgrimage tradition (later immortalized in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales).
Thomas's cult developed with remarkable speed. Miracles were reported at his tomb within weeks of his death. William of Canterbury and Benedict of Peterborough compiled contemporary miracle accounts including healings, exorcisms, and other extraordinary events. The rapid canonization (1173, only three years after death) reflects the massive popular devotion that developed immediately. Canterbury became one of medieval Europe's major pilgrimage sites, with Thomas's shrine attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims over the centuries. The pilgrimage tradition crystallized in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (14th century), which preserves the cultural memory of Becket's sanctity centuries after his death.