THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI - Episcopal ChurchToday the church celebrates the Feast Day of...
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Copyright © 2014 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society | www.episcopalchurch.org Today the church celebrates the Feast Day of Christina Rossetti, a 19th-century Anglican poet. Rossetti was born in 1830, one of four children of the poet Gabriele Rossetti and his wife, Frances Polidori. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the eldest child, be- came a famous artist who helped establish the Pre-Raphaelite movement in paint- ing. Several of his most famous works were modeled by his sister Christina. Christina was a lively child, ed- ucated by her parents, and be- gan writing stories and poems at an early age. By the time she was 14, however, she began suffering from nervous disor- ders and declining health. Dur- ing this time, she became fas- cinated by the Anglo-Catholic movement within the Church of England, and she remained a devout Anglican for the rest of her life. Her writing is charac- terized by its deeply infused re- ligious and devotional themes. “Holy Women, Holy Men” (Church Publishing, 2010) ex- plains: “Over 500 of her poems were devotional. They were re- lated to the liturgy, to the feasts and fasts of the liturgical year, and to biblical ‘dialogues’ with Christ” (p. 348). APRIL 27, 2014 – SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI Copyright © 2014 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society | www.episcopalchurch.org Today the church celebrates the Feast Day of Christina Rossetti, a 19th-century Anglican poet. Rossetti was born in 1830, one of four children of the poet Gabriele Rossetti and his wife, Frances Polidori. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the eldest child, be- came a famous artist who helped establish the Pre-Raphaelite movement in paint- ing. Several of his most famous works were modeled by his sister Christina. Christina was a lively child, educated by her parents, and began writing stories and po- ems at an early age. By the time she was 14, however, she began suffering from ner- vous disorders and declining health. During this time, she became fascinated by the An- glo-Catholic movement within the Church of England, and she remained a devout Angli- can for the rest of her life. Her writing is characterized by its deeply infused religious and devotional themes. “Holy Women, Holy Men” (Church Publishing, 2010) ex- plains: “Over 500 of her poems were devotional. They were re- lated to the liturgy, to the feasts and fasts of the liturgical year, and to biblical ‘dialogues’ with Christ” (p. 348). APRIL 27, 2014 – SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI “Portrait of Christina Rossetti” by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1866 “Portrait of Christina Rossetti” by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1866
Transcript of THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI - Episcopal ChurchToday the church celebrates the Feast Day of...
Copyright © 2014 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society | www.episcopalchurch.org
Today the church celebrates the Feast Day of Christina Rossetti, a 19th-century Anglican poet. Rossetti was born in 1830, one of four children of the poet Gabriele Rossetti and his wife, Frances Polidori. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the eldest child, be-came a famous artist who helped establish the Pre-Raphaelite movement in paint-ing. Several of his most famous works were modeled by his sister Christina.
Christina was a lively child, ed-ucated by her parents, and be-gan writing stories and poems at an early age. By the time she was 14, however, she began suffering from nervous disor-ders and declining health. Dur-ing this time, she became fas-cinated by the Anglo-Catholic movement within the Church of England, and she remained a devout Anglican for the rest of her life. Her writing is charac-terized by its deeply infused re-ligious and devotional themes.
“Holy Women, Holy Men” (Church Publishing, 2010) ex-plains: “Over 500 of her poems were devotional. They were re-lated to the liturgy, to the feasts and fasts of the liturgical year, and to biblical ‘dialogues’ with Christ” (p. 348).
APRIL 27, 2014 – SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTERTHE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI
Copyright © 2014 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society | www.episcopalchurch.org
Today the church celebrates the Feast Day of Christina Rossetti, a 19th-century Anglican poet. Rossetti was born in 1830, one of four children of the poet Gabriele Rossetti and his wife, Frances Polidori. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the eldest child, be-came a famous artist who helped establish the Pre-Raphaelite movement in paint-ing. Several of his most famous works were modeled by his sister Christina.
Christina was a lively child, educated by her parents, and began writing stories and po-ems at an early age. By the time she was 14, however, she began suffering from ner-vous disorders and declining health. During this time, she became fascinated by the An-glo-Catholic movement within the Church of England, and she remained a devout Angli-can for the rest of her life. Her writing is characterized by its deeply infused religious and devotional themes.
“Holy Women, Holy Men” (Church Publishing, 2010) ex-plains: “Over 500 of her poems were devotional. They were re-lated to the liturgy, to the feasts and fasts of the liturgical year, and to biblical ‘dialogues’ with Christ” (p. 348).
APRIL 27, 2014 – SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTERTHE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI
“Portrait of Christina Rossetti” by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1866
“Portrait of Christina Rossetti” by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1866
Two of Rossetti’s poems appear in our Hymnal as Christmas carols – #84 “Love came down at Christmas” and #112 “In the bleak midwinter.” Hymn #112 be-gins:
In the bleak mid-winter,Frosty wind made moan,Earth stood hard as iron,Water like a stone;Snow had fallen, snow on snow,Snow on snow,In the bleak mid-winter,Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold HimNor earth sustain;Heaven and earth shall flee awayWhen He comes to reign:In the bleak mid-winter,A stable-place sufficedThe Lord God Almighty,Jesus Christ. ...
Angels and archangelsMay have gathered there,Cherubim and seraphimThronged the air -But only His motherIn her maiden blissWorshipped the BelovedWith a kiss.
Collect for Christina Rossetti
O God, whom heaven cannot hold, you inspired Christina Rossetti to express the mystery of the Incarnation through her poems: Help us to follow her example in giving our hearts to Christ, who is love; and who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen (“Holy Women, Holy Men,” p. 349).
Two of Rossetti’s poems appear in our Hymnal as Christmas carols – #84 “Love came down at Christmas” and #112 “In the bleak midwinter.” Hymn #112 be-gins:
In the bleak mid-winter,Frosty wind made moan,Earth stood hard as iron,Water like a stone;Snow had fallen, snow on snow,Snow on snow,In the bleak mid-winter,Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold HimNor earth sustain;Heaven and earth shall flee awayWhen He comes to reign:In the bleak mid-winter,A stable-place sufficedThe Lord God Almighty,Jesus Christ. ...
Angels and archangelsMay have gathered there,Cherubim and seraphimThronged the air -But only His motherIn her maiden blissWorshipped the BelovedWith a kiss.
Collect for Christina Rossetti
O God, whom heaven cannot hold, you inspired Christina Rossetti to express the mystery of the Incarnation through her poems: Help us to follow her example in giving our hearts to Christ, who is love; and who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen (“Holy Women, Holy Men,” p. 349).
