ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Canons linked to the church / liturgical calendar, to help your family to link the passing of each year, through singing, to the story of God’s work in Christ. Each canon is a setting of scripture, paired with a liturgical season or with a specific feast day.
Related: What is a Canon?
The church calendar and its benefits for your family
How do I teach canons to my family?
THE CANON CALENDAR
ADVENT
Week 1: The Lord Himself Will Give You a Sign, Isaiah 7:14
Week 2: O Bethlehem Ephrathah, Micah 5:2
Week 3: Behold, The Days are Coming, Jeremiah 33:14-16
*Feast of St. Thomas, Dec 21: Let Us Also Go, John 11:16
Week 4: There Shall Come Forth a Shoot, Isaiah 11:1-2
A Voice Cries, Isaiah 40:3
The People Who Walked in Darkness, Isaiah 9:2-3
Magnificat, Luke 1:46-48
CHRISTMASTIDE
Dec. 25th: *Nativity of Christ - To Us a Child is Born, Isaiah 9:6
Dec. 26th: *Feast of St. Stephen - As They Were Stoning Stephen, Acts 7:59-60
Dec. 27th - *Feast of St. John - And the Word Became Flesh, John 1:14
Dec. 28th - *Feast of the Holy Innocents - A Voice is Heard in Ramah, Jer. 31:15-16
Dec. 29th - In the Same Region, Luke 2:8-9
Dec. 30th - Good News of Great Joy, Luke 2:10-11
Dec. 31st - This Will Be a Sign for You, Luke 2:12-14
Jan. 1st: *Feast of the Circumcision Of Christ - Above Every Name, Phil. 2:9-11
Jan. 2nd - When the Angels Went Away, Luke 2:15-16
Jan. 3rd - And They Went with Haste, Luke 2:16-18
Jan. 4th - Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion!, Zechariah 9:9
Jan. 5th - Pondering Them in Her Heart, Luke 2:19-20
EPIPHANYTIDE
*Epiphany, Jan. 6: When they Saw the Star, Matthew 2:9-11
Week 1 - Nations Shall Come to Your Light, Isaiah 60:3
Week 2 - May They Fear You While the Sun Endures, Psalm 72:5-7, 11
Week 3 - In Every Nation, Acts 10:34-35
*Feast of the Confession of Peter, Jan 18: The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail (after BWV 784), Matthew 16:15-17
*Feast of the Conversion of Paul, Jan 25: “Who Are You Lord?,” Acts 9:3-5
*Candlemas, or the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Feb 2: Nunc Dimittis, Luke 2:29-32
*Feast of St. Matthias, Feb 24: You, Lord, Who Know the Hearts of All, Acts 1:24, 26
LENT
*Ash Wednesday, Till You Return to the Ground, Genesis 3:19
Our Days Are Like an Evening Shadow, Psalm 102:11, Psalm 90:12
Man Shall Not Live on Bread Alone, Matthew 4:4
Purge Me with Hyssop, Psalm 7:12
Like a Parched Land, Psalm 143:6-7
Whosoever Will Come After Me, Mark 8:34
We, Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray, Isaiah 53:6
*Feast of St. Joseph, March 19: Joseph, Son of David, Matthew 1:20-21
*Feast of the Annunciation, March 25: Do Not Be Afraid, Mary, Luke 1:30-33
Holy Week
Palm Sunday: Blessed is the King Who Comes, Luke 19:38
Holy Monday: Filled with the Fragrance, John 12:3
Holy Tuesday: To Those Who Are Perishing, 1 Corinthians 1:18-19
Spy Wednesday: Thirty Pieces of Silver, Matthew 26:14-16
Maundy Thursday: Just As I Have Loved You, John 13:34-35
Good Friday: Under the Rod of His Wrath, Lamentations 3:1-3
Holy Saturday: Watchmen for the Morning, Psalm 130:5-6
EASTERTIDE
Easter Sunday: Death is Swallowed Up, 1 Cor. 15:54-55
He Will Swallow Up Death Forever, Isaiah 25:8
The Stone Rolled Away, Luke 24:2
I Am the Alpha and the Omega, Rev. 22:13
He is Not Here, For He Has Risen, Matt. 28:5-6
Yet Shall He Live, John 11:25
Make a Joyful Noise, Psalm 100:1-4
*Ascension Day: He Led Them Out as Far as Bethany, Luke 24:50-52
*Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist, April 25: One Heart and Soul, Acts 4:32 (Shared with Barnabas)
*Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles, May 1: And Chose from Them Twelve, Luke 6:12-13
*Rogationtide: He Will Give the Rain, Deuteronomy 11:13-14
*Pentecost: Like a Mighty Rushing Wind, Acts 2:2-4
Ember Days: The Laborers are Few, Matthew 9:37-38
*Feast of the Visitation, May 31: Blessed are You Among Women, Luke 1:42-44
*Trinity Sunday, June 4: When the Spirit of Truth Comes, John 16:13-15
ORDINARY TIME / TRINITY SEASON
Look Among the Nations, Habakkuk 1:5
The Steadfast Love of the Lord, Lamentations 3:22-24
Put on the Armor of Light, Romans 13:12
Whatever You Do, Work Heartily, Colossians 3:23
The Veil is Removed, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free, Galatians 5:1, 13
Oh, The Depth of the Riches, Romans 11:33
He is a New Creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17
The Weapons of Our Warfare, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
It is No Longer I Who Live, Galatians 2:20
Let Us Use Our Strength for our People, 1 Chronicles 19:13
In All Circumstances, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23
Who Shall Separate Us?, Romans 8:35-39
With Loud Singing, Zephaniah 3:17
According to His Great Mercy, 1 Peter 1:3
You Keep Them in Perfect Peace, Isaiah 26:3-4
I Heard a Loud Voice from the Throne, Revelation 3:3-4
*Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle, June 11: One Heart and Soul, Acts 4:32 (Shared with Mark)
*Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, June 24: A Voice Cries, Isaiah 40:3
*Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, June 29: To Live is Christ, and to Die is Gain, Philippians 1:21-22
*Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, July 22: For She Loved Much, Luke 7:44, 47
*Feast of St. James the Elder, Apostle, July 25: Fishers of Men, Matthew 4:19-20
*Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6: Up a High Mountain, Mark 9:2-3, 7
*Feast of the Virgin Mary, August 15: Mary Said, “Behold,” Luke 1:38
*Feast of St. Bartholomew, The Apostle, August 24: And Chose from Them Twelve, Luke 6:12-13
*Holy Cross Day - Sep 14: When I Am Lifted Up, John 12:31-32
*Feast of St. Matthew, Sept 21: Sitting at the Tax Booth, Matthew 9:9
*Michaelmas, or the Feast of Holy Michael & Angels, Sept. 29 : War Arose in Heaven, Rev. 12:7-9
*Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Oct. 18: You Are Witnesses, Luke 24:46-48
*Feast of St. James of Jerusalem, Oct 23: Count it All Joy, My Brothers, James 1:2-4
*Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Oct 28: And Chose from Them Twelve, Luke 6:12-13
*All Saints Day, Nov 1: Like the Roar of Many Waters, Rev. 19:6-7
or So Great a Cloud, Hebrews 12:1-2
*Feast of St. Andrew, Nov 30: Fishers of Men, Matthew 4:19-20
*Christ The King Sunday: So You Are a King?, John 18:37
* These Feast Days are movable in some cases, and the adoption and calendar placement of each individual feast day may vary by tradition. The dates and feast days given here come from the Anglican tradition, and are taken from the ACNA Liturgical Calendar. My hope is that even those from other traditions will find these canons edifying - however, families from Roman Catholic or Orthodox traditions will need to move the dates, and will find some feast days added or omitted, or moved compared to the liturgical calendars of those traditions.