Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop and Scholar
The collect for today, the commemoration of Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626), Bishop of Winchester, scholar, spiritual writer (source):
O Lord God,
who didst give Lancelot Andrewes many gifts
of thy Holy Spirit,
making him a man of prayer and a pastor of thy people:
perfect in us that which is lacking in thy gifts,
of faith, to increase it,
of hope, to establish it,
of love, to kindle it,
that we may live in the light of thy grace and glory;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Epistle: 1 Timothy 2:1-7a
The Gospel: St. Luke 11:1-4
Lancelot Andrewes was a prominent English bishop, theologian, and scholar whose career spanned the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Born in London, Andrewes was educated at the Merchant Taylors’ School before matriculating at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, in 1571, where he distinguished himself in classical languages and theology. He earned his degrees in rapid succession, became a fellow of Pembroke in 1576, and was ordained a priest in 1580.
Andrewes rose steadily through ecclesiastical and academic ranks. He served as Master of Pembroke Hall, Dean of Westminster, and chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I. Under King James I, he was consecrated Bishop of Chichester in 1605, translated to Ely in 1609, and finally to Winchester in 1619, a post he held until his death.