Commontide
Liturgical Color: White/Gold
The 2nd Sunday of Epiphany
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Epiphany
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who took on our mortal flesh to reveal his glory; that he might bring us out of darkness and into his own glorious light.
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.
Missionary to Strathclyde
Anglican Commemoration
Kentigern, called Mungo, was the first bishop of the Britons of Strathclyde and is the patron of Glasgow, where his church stands on the site he is said to have chosen at the meeting of the Clyde and the Molendinar. He was driven out by a hostile king, sheltered in Wales, and was called home by King Rhydderch to rebuild a Christian people. He died on 13 January, and Glasgow has carried his emblems ever since.
According to Jocelin's Life, Kentigern was the son of a British princess named Teneu (or Thaney), who was seduced or assaulted and cast out by her father. The child was raised by St. Serf at Culross in Fife, who gave him the pet name Mungo. Kentigern was trained in the monastic life and eventually sent to evangelize the Britons of Strathclyde.
He established his base at Glasgow — the name traditionally derived from 'dear green place' — where he founded a monastic community and served as bishop. His ministry was characterized by ascetic discipline, preaching, and the establishment of churches across a wide territory. Political instability in Strathclyde eventually forced him into exile. According to tradition, he traveled to Wales, where he may have met St. David and founded a monastery at Llanelwy (later St. Asaph). He returned to Strathclyde when political conditions changed and continued his episcopate until his death, traditionally dated to January 13, 603.
The historical core is thin but not empty: Kentigern was a real bishop associated with Glasgow and Strathclyde in the sixth century, and his memory was strong enough to anchor a major medieval cult. The Glasgow coat of arms incorporates symbols from his legends.
Kentigern became the subject of extensive hagiographic tradition, particularly in Jocelin's Life. He is presented as man of monastic virtues, miracle-worker, and bishop of spiritual authority. Jocelin records numerous miracles: divine assistance in building Glasgow monastery, healings, exorcisms, miraculous rescues, spiritual visions.