October 9: Robert Grosseteste, Bishop, 1253

The Collect of the Day

Robert Grosseteste

O God, our heavenly Father, who raised up your faithful servant Robert Grosseteste to be a bishop and pastor in your church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Robert Grosseteste

O God, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant Robert Grosseteste to be a bishopand pastor in thy church and to feed thy flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of thy Holy Ghost,that they may minister in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daniel 6:1–23
Psalm 112:1–9
Luke 16:10–15

Robert Grosseteste, one of the outstanding English bishops of the thirteenth century, rose to preeminence in the church from humble beginnings in Suffolk. He distinguished himself as a scholar in all branches of study—law, medicine, languages, sciences, and theology.

He was appointed Master of the Oxford School, and teacherof theology to the Franciscans when they established a house at Oxford. Grosseteste translated Aristotle’s works from the Greek, wrote commentaries on them, and sought to refute the philosopher’s views by developing a scientific method based on Augustine’s theories. Because of Grosseteste, Oxford began to emphasize the study of the sciences, especially physics, geometry, and mathematics. One notable pupil of Grosseteste was Roger Bacon, a brilliant proponent of the scientific method. Both as a teacher and as a bishop, Grosseteste had a strong influence on John Wycliffe.

In 1235, Grosseteste was consecrated as Bishop of Lincoln. He exercised his office with efficiency and conscientiousness, remarking that a bishop’s pastoral responsibility was not merely to give instructions but to see that they were carried out. “I am obligated to visit the sheep committed to me with all diligence, as Scripture prescribes,” he said.

He traveled regularly to each rural deanery, called together the clergy and laity, preached, confirmed, and dealt with questions of doctrine. “My lord, you are doing something new and exceptional,” remarked some of the people during his first visitation. He replied, “Every new thing which implants and promotes and perfects the new man, corrupts and destroys the old. Blessed is the new, and in every way welcome to him who comes to recreate the old man in newness.”

Grosseteste actively opposed royal infringements on church liberties and he did not fear to protest even papal abuses of local prerogatives. He once refused to accept the appointment of the pope’s nephewto a living in his diocese, saying, “As an obedient son, I disobey, I contradict, I rebel…my every word and act is not rebellion, but filial honor due by God’s blessed command to father and mother.”

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

Psalm

¹Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord *and have great delight in his commandments!

²Their descendants will be mighty in the land; *the generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches will be in their house, *and their righteousness will last for ever.

⁴Light shines in the darkness for the upright; *the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

⁵It is good for them to be generous in lending *and to manage their affairs with justice.

⁶For they will never be shaken; *the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

⁷They will not be afraid of any evil rumors; *their heart is right; they put their trust in the Lord.

⁸Their heart is established and will not shrink, *until they see their desire upon their enemies.

⁹They have given freely to the poor, *and their righteousness stands fast for ever; they will hold up their head with honor.

Gospel

¹It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, ²and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. ³Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. ⁴So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. ⁵The men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” ⁶So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! ⁷All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. ⁸Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” ⁹Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict. ¹⁰Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. ¹¹The conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. ¹²Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?” The king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” ¹³Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.” ¹⁴When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. ¹⁵Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” ¹⁶Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!” ¹⁷A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. ¹⁸Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him. ¹⁹Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. ²⁰When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! ²²My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” ²³Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.