9 October. St. Denys, Bishop. 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

9 October. St. Denys, Bishop. 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

Notes from http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/notes/saints.html#Denys

St. Denys, Bishop, the patron Saint of France, a missionary bishop (of Paris), and a martyr in the 3rd century (about A.D. 272), under the persecution of Aurelian. He was often confused with Dionysius the Areopagite, the convert of St. Paul (Acts xvii. 34), and, by tradition, the first Bishop of Athens; whose name was made famous in the Middle Ages by the celebrated mystic work on the "Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies," published in his name probably in the 5th century, and translated into Latin by the celebrated John Erigena in the 9th century. -- October 9th.

A few needed notes: (1) All elect and justified believers are “saints.” All were born dead in their sins and trespasses.  No saint,  including all “Superintendents” or “Over-seers” are anything, have anything or do anything—if good—apart from His Majesty’s grace.  Hence, we object to partitioning schemata.  The Law and Gospel is a humbling message—from kings to farm hands. (2) The term, “patron saint” must be qualified. Given my time and experiences in Italy for years, medievalism lifted saints to a status of “heavenly patronage” and induced the abominable doctrine of saints invocation, as practiced by Greeks, Romans and Tractaholics.  There is no objection to the term “patronage” in another sense: sponsorship, honored position, etc.  But, medievalism must be corrected and so noted by the Church of England. (3) With Heinrich Bullinger, it is honorable to remember and review the lives of those in church history.  It is done all the time by scholars, teachers, and students.  (4) Put more simply, on the 9^th of October, in the Anglican tradition, we rehearse and review Mr. (Bp.) Denys, martyred for the faith.  These corrections—schooling—are offered without ditching the day either.  Presbyterian objections to “days of remembrance” are rejected.  Of course, the Anabaptists and others wouldn’t have any idea of which we speak; they are properly dismissed until they get better minds.