In the Spirit of Saint Edward the Confessor, King — III Class Feast
Monday in the Eighteenth Week after the Octave of Pentecost
October 2nd
Today’s liturgical readings—Sirach 31:8–11 and Luke 12:35–40—illuminate a harmony between sanctity in the world and watchfulness for the world to come. In the context of the feast of St. Edward the Confessor, a king who ruled with justice and lived in penitence, these Scriptures offer a mirror in which we see the soul of the just man prepared for judgment—both as steward and as servant.
✠ Sirach 31:8–11 — “Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish…”
“Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish: and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money, nor in treasures. Who is he, and we will praise him? For he hath done wonderful things in his life.”
This passage offers a crown not to one who merely possesses riches, but to one who governs them rightly—a man detached, uncorrupted, and generous. The Church has often held up kings and nobles who, despite worldly power, reigned in the fear of God. St. Edward stands as one of the most eminent examples: though a monarch, he shunned excess, ruled in peace, and was deeply pious. His chastity in marriage and devotion to prayer made his court more a monastery than a palace.
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on wealth, says:
“He is truly rich not who has much, but who needs little.”
(Hom. on Matthew, 66)
Sirach praises not wealth, but detachment. St. Edward’s sanctity flowed not despite his royal estate, but through his humility within it. He governed his household and kingdom in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and this fidelity gained him eternal renown: “His memorial shall not be forgotten, and his name shall be in request from generation to generation” (Sir 31:11).
✠ Luke 12:35–40 — “Let your loins be girt…”
“Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh, shall find watching… Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.”
Our Lord speaks of vigilance—the mark of the wise servant. St. Edward lived in the shadow of eternity. His reign was not marked by ambition, but by preparation. He built Westminster Abbey, not merely as a royal foundation, but as his tomb and house of prayer—a place where he awaited the coming of the Bridegroom.
St. Gregory the Great, in his Homilies on the Gospels (Hom. XIII), writes:
“To be girt and to have lamps burning is to keep the body in readiness through discipline, and the mind shining with the light of truth.”
Edward’s discipline of life—fasting, almsgiving, nightly vigils—manifested the girded loins of the servant. His constant prayer and love for the sacred liturgy were the lamps he kept burning.
In both readings, there is a sense of watchful stewardship. The wealthy man praised in Sirach is one who handles riches with wisdom. The faithful servant in the Gospel is one who tends the house until the Master returns. These converge in St. Edward: king, confessor, and watchman of the Lord’s household.
✠ Spiritual Application
Today, amidst our own duties and possessions, the Church presents us with a saint who reminds us that the crown of holiness is possible even in palaces. In a world intoxicated by gain, distracted by vanities, and dulled by comfort, St. Edward shows us that even kings can serve the King of kings with purity and detachment.
Let us therefore:
- Examine how we steward the goods entrusted to us (Sir 31:8–11),
- Renew our readiness for the return of Christ (Lk 12:35–40),
- And imitate St. Edward in fusing temporal duty with eternal longing.
May our loins be girt with penance, our lamps burning with prayer, and our hearts watchful with love.
Prayer Suggestion (in the spirit of today’s readings):
O God, who didst crown Thy blessed Confessor Edward with the glory of saints even upon an earthly throne: grant us, we beseech Thee, so to walk in vigilance and detachment, that we too may be found ready when Thou comest, and receive the inheritance of those who serve Thee with an undivided heart. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.