The Word is Very Near You
Feasts and Festivals
Also by the same author and available from Canterbury Press
The Word is Very Near You: Sundays
‘Pure Gold. An invaluable resource for preachers and all who wish to relate the Bible to life today.’ Canon John Young
‘Lively, imaginative, insightful and profound, these reflections penetrate to the heart of the readings and often open unexpected connections with the world’s needs and longings.’ Liz Carmichael, Chaplain, St John’s College, Oxford
The Inner-City of God: The Diary of an East End Parson
‘This book made me laugh out loud, but it also made me cry. It is about what it means to be faithful to Christ, even if you are not successful, which is how life is for most of us.’ Nick Holtam, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields
‘John Pridmore is an Anglican hero – and one of the few writers I know
capable of making me a better person.’ Giles Fraser, Canon Chancellor of
St Paul’s Cathedral
‘This book is and will remain unrivalled for those who wish to understand what the job of an Anglican parish priest is like.’ CR Quarterly
The Word is Very Near You
Feasts and Festivals
Reflections on the lectionary readings
John Pridmore
© John Pridmore 2010
First published in 2010 by the Canterbury Press Norwich
Editorial office
13–17 Long Lane,
London, EC1A 9PN, UK
Canterbury Press is an imprint of Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd
(a registered charity)
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Norwich NR6 5DR, UK
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of
the publisher, Canterbury Press.
The Author has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the Author of this Work
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
978 1 84825 031 4
Originated by The Manila Typesetting Company
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
CPI William Clowes, Beccles, Suffolk
Contents
The Epiphany of the Lord (6 January)
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (2 February)
The Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Good Friday
Easter Eve
Ascension Day
All Saints’ Day (1 November)
The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus (1 January)
The Conversion of Paul (25 January)
Joseph of Nazareth (19 March)
George, Martyr, Patron of England (23 April)
Mark the Evangelist (25 April)
Philip and James, Apostles (1 May)
Matthias the Apostle (14 May)
The Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth (31 May)
Barnabas the Apostle (11 June)
The Birth of John the Baptist (24 June)
Peter the Apostle (29 June)
Peter and Paul, Apostles (29 June)
