The Festival of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Posted on June 5, 2026 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV)
5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Devotion
This is also the appointed Gospel for All Saints’ Day. It is appropriate here, not just because today is the festival of St. Boniface, but because St. Boniface was the instrument of the Triune God to make more saints through the preaching of the Gospel. For “saint”—a “holy one” or one whom Jesus calls “blessed” in today’s text—means one justified by faith in Christ.
Boniface was a monk, an archbishop, and an early missionary into Germany, for which reason he has been named the patron saint of Germany. He was martyred on this day in AD 754. He is known for chopping down the pagan “sacred oak” of Jupiter and building a church with its wood, graphically depicting the triumph of the Christian Gospel over pagan superstition.
What is meaningful about St. Boniface is not a list of miracles, but that he preached the Gospel of Christ to those without it. It is through the preaching of such men that God makes believers out of unbelievers, Christians out of pagans, and saints out of sinners. Christ’s Beatitudes (or “blessings”) are not a to-do list; they are a description of the saints of God. All who believe the Gospel of Christ, which St. Boniface preached and which the true Church preaches, are saints and are blessed.
Collect: O God, Who dost guide Thy Church through the faithful ministrations of Thy servants, grant that Thy ministers, like St. Boniface, stand steadfast against those who would work iniquity; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without
end. Amen.
Collect for the Feast of the Holy Trinity
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee, that Thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; Who livest and reignest, One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
