A Book of Devotion for members of the Episcopal Church
Revised Edition 1967
This little book of devotions is familiar to many of us. Sadly, it is not widely available anymore as it has been superseded by a revised edition, 2014. This edition is directed more at members of the Protestant Episcopal Church USA (PECUSA.) The 1967 edition begins with “The Christian’s Obligations” whereas the 2014 edition begins with a quote of the catechism from the Book of Common Prayer 1979.
In the former edition, we see The Church’s Discipline as to Worship. “The Catholic Church requires regular attendance at its chief act of worship, the Holy Eucharist.” What follows are the Holy Days of Obligation, Special Days of Devotion, The Church’s Discipline as to Fasting and Abstinence. On page 8, we read, “The Ordinary Catholic Duties.” The word “Catholic” appears often in this edition because its meaning is clear to the readers then and now. For the uninitiated, the word does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic comes from a Greek word that means “of the whole” or “universal.”
“We have no doctrine of our own. We only possess the Catholic doctrine of the Catholic Church enshrined in the Catholic Creeds, and these creeds we hold without addition or diminution. We stand firm on that rock.” – The Most Rev. Geoffrey Fisher (1887-1972), Archbishop of Canterbury
The Episcopal Church (PECUSA) became more and more progressive in the years following the retirement of Archbishop Fisher. The 1974 illegal ordination of eleven women to the priesthood was a watershed moment for the church, flying in the face of Catholic order. The leadership of PECUSA made this act official in 1976 rather than risk scandalizing the church. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer was filled with inclusive language and watered down liturgy. Obligations became suggestions. Discipline was too harsh a word. Catholic order was eliminated. Feminism was embraced, which was soon followed by the Gay lobby.
The Knights of St. Michael will seek to bolster the Catholic Faith, learning what that means, and will teach it to others. The 1967 Edition of Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book will be our devotional manual.