About The
Commemoration
We know about
Willibrord’s life and missionary labors through a notice in the Venerable
Bede’s Ecclesiastical History and a biography by his younger kinsman, Alcuin.
He was born in Northumbria about 658, and from the age of seven was brought up
and educated at Bishop Wilfrid’s monastery at Ripon. For twelve years, 678-690,
he studied in Ireland, where he acquired his thirst for missionary work.
In 690, with
twelve companions, he set out for Frisia (the Netherlands), a pagan area that
was increasingly coming under the domination of the Christian Franks. There
Bishop Wilfrid and a few other Englishmen had made short missionary visits, but
with little success. With the aid of the Frankish rulers, Willibrord
established his base at Utrecht, and in 695 Pope Sergius ordained him a bishop
and gave him the name Clement.
In 698 he
founded the monastery of Echternach, near Trier. His work was frequently
disturbed by the conflict of the pagan Frisians with the Franks, and for a time
he left the area to work among the Danes. For three years, 719-722, he was
assisted by Boniface, who at a later time came back to Frisia to strengthen the
mission. In a very real sense, Willibrord prepared the way for Boniface’s more
successful achievements by his relations
with the Franksish rulers and he papacy,
who thus became joint sponsors of missionary work. He died at Echternach,
November 7, 739.
Collects
I. O Lord our
God, who dost call whom thou willest and send them where thou choosest: We
thank thee for sending thy servant Willibrord to be an apostle to the Low
Countries, to turn them from the worship of idols to serve thee, the living
God; and we entreat thee to preserve us from the temptation to exchange the
perfect freedom of thy service for servitude to false gods and to idols of our
own devising; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
II. O Lord
our God, you call whom you will and send them where you choose: We thank you
for sending your servant Willibrord to be an apostle to the Low Countries, to
turn them from the worship of idols to serve you, the living God; and we
entreat you to preserve us from the temptation to exchange the perfect freedom
of your service for servitude to false gods and to idols of our own devising;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
http://britishorthodox-church.blogspot.gr/2013/01/willibrord-archbishop-of-utrecht.html
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