St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

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On the Liturgical Calendar –
St. Cornelius the Centurion

Today on the calendar we encounter St. Cornelius the Centurion who is described in Holy Scripture. (The 2009 General Convention moved Cornelius’ recognition from February 4 to this date, February 7, as new commemorations were added to the calendar.) The 10th Chapter of the Book of Acts begins this way:

In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called. He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” He answered, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him, and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa. (Acts 10:1-8, NRSV)

An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church by Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum tells us:

[Cornelius] and his household were the first known Gentile converts to the Christian faith. Cornelius was stationed at Caesarea in Palestine. The story of the conversion and baptism of Cornelius and his household is recorded in Acts 10:1-11:18. Their conversion and baptism served as a precedent in resolving the question whether a Gentile must first become a Jew to become a Christian. Cornelius, “a devout man who feared God,” was commanded in a vision by an angel to send for Peter at Joppa. Before those sent by Cornelius arrived, Peter was told while in a trance, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” Peter subsequently visited Cornelius’s home, and proclaimed the Christian faith to them. While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came down on Cornelius and his household. They spoke in tongues. This event was like the gift of the Holy Spirit to the apostles at Pentecost. Peter directed that Cornelius and his household should be baptized. Circumcision was not required by Peter for baptism. Peter was criticized by the Judaistic Christian church in Jerusalem for visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them. He defended himself by recalling the story of the baptism of Cornelius and his household. He noted that “God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.” This silenced Peter’s critics, who praised God and proclaimed that “God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” This issue was later resolved more fully by an apostolic council in Jerusalem which determined that “we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15). Gentiles were admitted into the Christian church on an equal basis with Jewish converts. According to tradition, Cornelius became Bishop of Caesarea.

A prayer for today:

The collect for today’s feast is found in Lesser Feasts and Fasts – 2006:

O God, by your Spirit you called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles; Grant to your Church such a ready will to go where you send and to do what you command, that under your guidance it may welcome all who turn to you in love and faith, and proclaim the Gospel to all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.