Where would I be without my trusty Churchwarden’s Yearbook? An A5 sized diary that runs from Advent to Advent (the Christian church year, not the secular calendar year), stuffed full of useful information and reminders. What liturgical season are we in? What colour should the altar ‘wear’, what are the lessons for Sunday?

It also reminds you of Saints days, and today I am intrigued to see is the day Perpetua and Felicity with some other early Christians were martyred in Carthage in 203AD. You can read a surprisingly detailed account of the awful last days of these two young women, both mothers, who were Christians in the early days of the faith.

Here’s a link to it: https://www.plough.com/en/topics/faith/witness/perpetua

Sadly we know that Christians around the world are once again suffering religious intolerance. Allegedly nearly 50,000 Christians are detained in North Korea today. Extremists in Pakistan are putting increasing pressure on non-Muslims while several countries in Africa and the Middle East are dangerous places to speak out as a Christian. Would I, could I cope with that? Can I even imagine being a martyr like Perpetua and Felicity?

Of course not, but I’m grateful to the Churchwarden’s Yearbook for introducing me to their lives.