And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
The hymn Jerusalem, taken from a poem by William Blake, alludes to a legend that tells how Joseph of Arimathea, a tin merchant and uncle of Jesus, once brought the boy Jesus to England on a trading journey, and suggests that Jesus once walked the shores of England.
The Legend of Glastonbury goes on to describe how, after the death of Jesus, Joseph and some of the other disciples came to England. It is said that upon arrival, Joseph planted his staff, which miraculously flowered and reportedly still does so each Christmas. A sprig is taken to Buckingham Palace every year as a reminder of the miracle. The church established under Joseph of Arimathea in Glastonbury is said to be the first church in England.
That may have been the beginning of the English Church, but its early history was quite rocky, and it wasn’t until the late 6th century that it began to experience more consistent growth.
In the year 596, Pope St. Gregory the Great sent Augustine, the near-sighted prior of an abbey, along with 30 other monks to England to convert the English to Christianity. This small band of monks landed on the Isle of Thanet, located at the southeast corner of England, in the year 597.
The territory was ruled by Ethelbert, king of Kent, who was wary of these Christians, but because his wife was a Christian, he allowed the monks to stay. Eventually, Ethelbert would convert to Christianity, which encouraged his citizens to do the same. On a single day shortly after Ethelbert’s conversion and baptism, some 10,000 English were baptized in the River Swale by Augustine and his fellow monks. Not bad for a day’s work!
Augustine was consecrated as the first Archbishop of Canterbury and is known as the “Apostle to the English.” Archbishop Sarah Mullally, whom we pray for each week, is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus saw Simon Peter and the others fishing. He said to them, “Throw your nets out into the deep water for a catch.” Simon Peter’s response was, “Look, we’re fishermen. We know what we’re doing, and we’ve been out here all night trying. They aren’t biting, but just to satisfy you…” “They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.”
That event seems to be very accurate in describing the early history of the English Church. Casting and casting – 600 years of casting – then finally bringing in the catch when Augustine and his monks arrived. One of the many lessons in studying the life of Augustine and this era of English church history is persistence in faith. Recognizing that the goal is worth reaching, no matter the setbacks and hardships. This is true in the greater scheme of things and in our own lives.
Candle in a Cave 