In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

There are so many things in this world that we cling to; education, the social ladder, money, image, youth, possessions, sexuality, career, and a host of others things we desperately hold onto with our death grip, or strive to attain.  We live in a culture that so often denies the reality of the spiritual world that is all around us.  Much of western Christianity has also fallen into the trap of the world’s standards of image, success, and power.  In the end, though, all of this stuff will leave us completely empty and despondent.  We may find success and riches according to the world’s standards, but we will truly be spiritually impoverished.

To find true meaning for our lives, we must strip our lives bare of all the worldly standards, values, and attractions in order to empty ourselves of all the stuff that clutters our lives and prevents Jesus from truly being able to find a hospitable habitation within us. Finding our true identity, meaning, and fulfillment in Jesus will give us the most profound spiritual riches for eternity.

The martyr who wrote the word above loved God with his whole being and was not willing to compromise the truth and riches he found in Jesus Christ.  In surrendering his life completely to Jesus, he was willing to truly take up his cross and to follow our Lord along the costly path of discipleship.  The above manifesto of this Christian martyr is the example of a living faith the worlds sees as foolish.  Some who call themselves Christians may see it as radical or extreme.  Yet, this is an example of the kind of normal life we Christians are called to embrace.  The question is…are we willing?

Fr. Greg

ST. PRAXEDES, MARTYR

Praxedes according to her legend was a Roman maiden, the sister of St. Pudentiana, who, when the Emperor Marcus Antoninus was hunting down Christians, sought them out to relieve them with money, care, comfort and every charitable aid. Some she hid in her house, others she encouraged to keep firm in the faith, and of yet others she buried the bodies; and she allowed those who were in prison or toiling in slavery to lack nothing. At last, being unable any longer to bear the cruelties inflicted on Christians, she prayed to God that, if it were expedient for her to die, she might be released from beholding such sufferings. And so on July 21 she was called to the reward of her goodness in Heaven. Her body was laid by the priest Pastor in the tomb of her father, Pudens, and her sister Pudentiana, which was in the cemetery of Priscilla on the Salarian Way. This saint was certainly buried in the catacomb of Priscilla, near to St. Pudentiana. But that she was the sister of that saint, or that either of them was the daughter (as later legends say) of a Roman senator, Pudens, converted by St. Peter, there is no reason to believe. She was at first venerated as a martyr in connection with the ECCLESIA PUDENTIANA, but afterwards a separate church was built in her honour, on the alleged site of her house, to which, when it was rebuilt by Pope St. Paschal I (the present Santa Prassede), her relics were taken.

***From http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=772***

I thought I would post an article that was written relatively recently by the grandson of Ruth and Billy Graham, Tullian Tchividjian.  This gentleman has some important consideration for us regarding our call to be transformed into Christ.

Fr. Gregory, OFM

“In recent years many books and articles have appeared concerning the appropriate role of the church in our present cultural milieu. This, of course, has included an analysis of contemporary cultural trends and how we as the church, God’s “alternative society”, are supposed to respond to the challenges and opportunities these trends present. The proposed solutions to these challenges and opportunities vary widely, but as yet no consensus has emerged. And while I do not claim to have the final answer, I would like to offer a perspective that, I hope, might stir us to think about this subject, which we, as disciples in the 21st century, cannot afford to ignore.”

“I was blessed to grow up in a solid Christian home. The middle of seven children (4 brothers and 2 sisters), I was raised in an environment where authentic faith was lived out before my very eyes. I have always known who God is and I have always known that He sent His Son to die on a cross for sinners like me. As far back as I can trace, strong Christian conviction and devotion to Jesus Christ have been defining marks of my family heritage. My dad, who was born and reared in Switzerland, is a well-known and respected psychologist who has always put his family before anybody or anything. My mom, the eldest daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, is an award-winning author and speaker whose commitment to discipling her children surpassed any other competing ambition. They have been married for 38 years and counting. Growing up, my other brothers and sisters walked the straight and narrow, for the most part, rarely giving my parents any real trouble. Then there was me… different story!”

“It’s certainly not an excuse, but I found it difficult growing up as a middle child. At times I was bunched with the “older ones”, and at other times I was bunched with the “younger ones”. I ended up, it seemed, bearing the responsibilities of both and enjoying the privileges of neither. I wasn’t sure where I fit in (still don’t at times), and I wanted to be heard, to be distinct. But instead of “casting all of my anxiety on Him”, I turned to the world. At sixteen I dropped out of high school, was kicked out of my house (actually escorted off of our property by the police), and began living in a manner I thought would satisfy. I craved freedom more than anything. So, committing myself to a lifestyle with “no boundaries”, I became a promiscuous, drug-using, club-hopper living in South Florida, who pursued pleasure harder than most. It wasn’t, however, until after I had lived this way for six years that I began to realize my so-called freedom had made me a slave to desires and habits that were quickly destroying me. I had been seeking satisfaction so vigorously that I was unconscious of just how unsatisfied I had become. I was hungrier for meaning at 21 than I had been at 16. I found the Enlightenment promise that all things, including satisfaction and contentment, could be found “this side of the ceiling”, was a lie. The world had not satisfied me the way it had promised, the way I had anticipated. The world’s message and the world’s methods had hung me out to dry. I hungered desperately for something, Someone, “out of this world”. Broken and longing for something transcendent, I began going back to church with my parents.”

“I was very thankful that I walked into a church that was different : A church where the otherness of God was sensed immediately. In the music, in the message, and in the mingling afterward, it was clear that God was the guest of honor there, not I. I had suffered the consequences of the modern world’s emphasis on the individual, and I was unbelievably refreshed to discover a place that took the focus off me and put it on Him. He was the one being “lifted up for all men to see”, not the pastor or the “praise team”. He was the difference I longed for, not some carefully orchestrated performance that, believe me, I would have been able to see right through. And I am glad He was not communicated in the distasteful ways, whether musically or otherwise, that I had grown weary of. Whether or not I understood everything the preacher said that morning didn’t matter. I was the recipient of something more powerful than a “user-friendly” service with its “seeker-sensitive” sermon. I was observing the people of God honoring God as God, and I was drawn in by the glorious mystery of it all. I was being evangelized, not by a man-centered show, but by a God-centered atmosphere. I was experiencing what Dr. Ed Clowney calls “Doxological Evangelism”. It was, quite literally, out of this world!”

“The people like me, whom the church is trying to reach in the modern world, live their lives in a “world without windows.” 1 Traditionally, according to sociologist Peter Berger, human life was lived with “windows to other worlds”. In other words, ordinary reality was not the only reality. People acknowledged that there was much more to reality than the world in which they lived. They recognized that there was Someone bigger than their capabilities, Someone to appeal to beyond themselves, a larger purpose to life reaching beyond the immediate, beyond this world. Prior to the age of Enlightenment, all cultures and societies recognized the “superior power of some kind of supernatural.” 2 “The deepest experiences of all”, says Os Guinness, “were held to be ‘religious’, ‘sacred’, ‘other’, or ‘transcendent’, however these terms were defined.” 3 But modernity has been shutting the windows and closing the blinds. “The Enlightenment’s development of science and reason”, says Marva Dawn, “turned the center of societies from the supernatural to the natural,” 4 creating a “world without windows”. In a world without windows, God, transcendence, and mystery become less and less imaginable and, as a result, all of life becomes, as Max Weber put it, “rationalized”. Everything becomes a matter of human classification, calculation, and control. “What counts in a rationalized world”, says Guinness, “is efficiency, predictability, quantifiability, productivity, the substitution of technology for the human, and—from first to last—control over uncertainty.” 5 Everything is produced, managed, and solved “this side of the ceiling”, which explains why so many people are restless and yearning, as I was, for meaning which transcends this world.”

“Many who live in this world know what the church is trying to do when we “accommodate” them, and they are disappointed. Because, they are, as I was, hungry for something and someone different. There is a reason why television shows such as Unsolved Mysteries, Touched by an Angel, and X-Files return season after season to a waiting audience, why the song “Higher” by the rock band Creed stayed at the top of the charts all of last year, and why Ecstasy is the dominant drug of choice, not only in the Rave culture, but in youth culture as a whole. The increasing fascination with Eastern religions, angels, aliens, psychics, the afterlife, metaphysical healing, etc., indicates that our culture is crying out for something different, something higher, something out of this world. They long for mystery, transcendence, and a deep sense of wonder, awe, and belonging: elements that the modern world disallows.”

“Because the modern world is in a constant state of flux, always changing and never staying the same, people are craving constancy and depth, as well as something “higher” and out of this world. The modern “virtues” of choice and change have become for many people, burdens to carry, not privileges to cherish. And this painful impermanence makes people in the modern world open to, and desirous for, things traditional and historical, ancient and proven. “From the historic preservation movement to the nostalgia of popular culture with its TV reruns, historical fiction, and ‘retro’ fashions, “ says cultural critic Gene Veith, “contemporary people are fascinated and attracted to the past”. 6 They are desperately reaching not just upwards, but backwards. They yearn for a day gone by when things seemed more constant and less shallow. They want to tap into the treasures of the past as they search for staying power that seems unattainable in the present. They are weary of the pressure to become, while they long for the privilege to be. Therefore, they want different music (not just words but style) and different people with their sights set on a different world. They long for someone to speak to them with authority about Someone other than themselves and about a time other than their own. They are not as interested in what they can become as in who they are and where they came from, historically speaking.”

“To be sure, “there are none who seek God, no not one”, according to the Bible, but it seems apparent that our world is becoming weary with the message and the methods of modern culture. If you stop and listen to the cry of our culture, you will hear people crying out for an otherworldly dynamism, not a this-worldly solution. They are up to their necks in “up-to-date” structures and “cutting-edge” methodologies. They are beginning to understand that life’s meaning extends beyond the “bottom line”, and that modern capabilities are neither able to make us better, more satisfied people, nor able to make this world a better, more satisfying place. I have talked to many people who are becoming increasingly wary of the latest “techno-trend” and complain of how impersonal and disenchanted modern life has become. The influx of secularization has left many yearning for an otherworldliness and a historical connection that modernity cannot provide. They seem desperate to recover a world that once was, a world that allows for mystery, miracle, and wonder, a world with “windows to other worlds”. Their cry is for something completely unique to this world, something otherworldly, something only the Church can truly offer.”

“’The world’, says Richard John Neuhaus, ‘desperately needs the Church to be the Church’, not to do church differently. 7 The difference that people are longing for, in other words, is a difference in being, not doing. So while many church “strategists” are locating reformation and revival in structural renovation, we must remember that the deepest needs of the Church today are spiritual, not structural. And yet, “church-growth” advocates are constantly telling us that the Church’s cultural relevance depends ultimately on its ability to keep up with the changing structures, on its ability to do church differently.”

“I have good news for all of us who are becoming weary of this type of pressure: We don’t have to keep up the way we think we do; the world doesn’t want us to! So how do we compete? We don’t! We must come to see that God has established His Church as an “alternative society”, not to compete with this world, but rather to offer a home to those who realize the homelessness of life in this world without Him. It is the calling and the privilege of the Church to be “against the world for the world”. We should be encouraged and challenged by the historical reminder that the Church has always served the world best when it has been most counter cultural, most distinctively different from the world. My fear, however, is that the modern church’s emphasis on “structural renovation” and “doing church”, has inadvertently communicated to our culture that we have nothing unique to offer them, nothing that is deeply spiritual and profoundly otherworldly. And as a result, they have looked elsewhere. We have so emphasized the modern notion of doing (techniques, methods, programs, marketing strategies, etc.), that we have missed the opportunity to be who we are called to be. “Bigger is better and newer is truer” seems to be the banner under which church-growth conferences all over the country are organized and advertised. We have mastered the program, while eclipsing altogether the Master Himself. Our focus on doing church has certainly overshadowed the biblical focus of being church, and this comes at a time when our culture is growing weary of slick production, while growing hungry for authentic presence. They do not want entertainment from the Church; they want engagement by the Church: engagement with historical and cultural solidity that facilitates meaningful interaction with transcendent reality. It is ironic that just when our culture is getting vertical, the Church is spending most of its time and energy getting horizontal. Just when our culture is yearning for difference from the world, the Church is looking for creative ways to develop similarities to the world. Just when our culture is looking to the past, the Church is pronouncing the “irrelevance” of the past.”

“In order for the Church to establish its voice in our postmodern culture we must remember who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going. We must avoid the modern tendency towards “chronological snobbery”, believing that our time is the most important time while expressing little regard for history, tradition, and all those who have gone before us. We must remember that we are the people of the future, formed by the past, and living in the present. We must remember that our citizenship lies in “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God”, not man. We must remember in our worship that while contemporists operate with their heads fixed frontwards, never looking over their shoulder at the stock from which they have come, and traditionalists operate with their heads on backwards, romanticizing about the past and always wanting to go back, the Church, in contrast from both extremes, is called upon to be a people with swiveling heads: learning from the past, living in the present, and looking to the future. We must remember that it is our unique privilege and responsibility to remind our culture that this world is not all there is, and that they are not left to the resources of this world to satisfy their otherworldly longings. For, as Lauren Winner notes, “[People today] are not so much wary of institutions as they are wary of institutions that don’t do what they’re supposed to do.” 8 As the Church, we are supposed to provide this world with that transcendent difference they long for because only the Christian Gospel offers a true spirituality, an otherworldliness, that is grounded in reality and history. It is only our story, the Christian story, that fuses past, present, and future with meaning from above and beyond, and we are supposed to tell it.”

“The old saying that we should “not be so heavenly-minded that we are of no earthly good” is true, as far as it goes. But it seems that in the modern world our earthly good depends on our heavenly-mindedness. In our present cultural climate, it becomes necessary for the Church to remember the words of C.S. Lewis who maintained that Christians who “did the most for the present world were precisely those who thought the most of the next.” 9 The late Henri Nouwen, too, points us in the right direction saying, “I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely ‘irrelevant’…That is the way Jesus came to reveal God’s love” 10 . And speaking of “relevance” in the same way that Nouwen spoke of “irrelevance”, John Seel has said, “The timeless is finally that which is most relevant, and we dare not forget this fact in our pursuit of relevance”. 11 All good and wise reminders that we have been entrusted with a timeless truth that can transform any weary culture and open their eyes to a world beyond their own: the story of a simple Jew who made a difference because He was different.”

Notes:

1. Peter L. Berger and Richard Neuhaus, eds., Against the World for the World (New York: Seabury Press, 1976).

2. Marva Dawn, A Royal Waste of Time: The Splendor of Worshiping God and Being Church for the World (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1999) pg.41

3. Os Guinness, The Gravedigger File: Papers on the Subversion of the Modern Church (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1983) pg. 56

4. Dawn, pg.41

5. Os Guinness, Dining With the Devil: The Megachurch Movement Flirts with Modernity (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1993) pg.48

6. Gene Edward Veith, Jr., Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1994) pg. 227

7. Richard John Neuhaus, “The Christian and the Church” in James M. Boice, ed. Transforming Our World: A Call to Action (Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1988), p. 120.

8. Lauren Winner, “Gen X Revisited: A Return to Tradition?”, Christian Century (November 8, 2000): pg. 1147

9. Quoted in Don E. Eberly, Restoring the Good Society: A New Vision for Politics and Culture (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1994) pg. 80

10. Quoted in Guinness, Dining with the Devil, pg. 64

11. John Seel, “A Cultural Literacy Primer: Ten Resources Christians Need for Understanding Today’s World”, Books and Culture (April 1997)

ST. MARGARET OF ANTIOCH, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

Nothing certain is known of her, but according to her untrustworthy legend, she was the daughter of a pagan priest at Antioch in Pisidia. Also known as Marina, she was converted to Christianity, whereupon she was driven from home by her father. She became a shepherdess and when she spurned the advances of Olybrius, the prefect, who was infatuated with her beauty, he charged her with being a Christian. He had her tortured and then imprisoned, and while she was in prison she had an encounter with the devil in the form of a dragon. According to the legend, he swallowed her, but the cross she carried in her hand so irritated his throat that he was forced to disgorge her (she is patroness of childbirth). The next day, attempts were made to execute her by fire and then by drowning, but she was miraculously saved and converted thousands of spectators witnessing her ordeal-all of whom were promptly executed. Finally, she was beheaded. That she existed and was martyred are probably true; all else is probably fictitious embroidery and added to her story, which was immensely popular in the Middle Ages, spreading from the East all over Western Europe. She is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and hers was one of the voices heard by Joan of Arc. Her feast day is July 20th.

***http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=199***

I have been reading a book lately entitled “The Younger Evangelicals: Facing the Challenges of the New World.”  The author is Robert E. Webber.  In the book there is a description of the modernist situation we have been enveloped by in recent centuries.  Mr. Webber also describes the profound transformation society is experience as we see the emergence of a post-modern mindset.  There are a number of things about the post-modern mindset that are troublesome, which I will touch on in later posts.  Today, though, I would like to ask you to think about what it means to be radically orthodox?  Indeed, to be orthodox is to be radical, especially in a culture that is profoundly confused as to what exactly truth is, and and embraced a view of many things in the world that strives to be radically syncretistic and pluralistic.  Are we Christians; are YOU, dear Christian, more interested in being orthodox in word only?  Are  you more interested in being orthodox by intellectually simply holding to a set of theological beliefs/standards that are detached from real life?  Or, are you orthodox in deed also?  Do you live out your Christian faith, holding to the faith once delivered, striving to hold to the maximum level of orthodoxy, rather than whatever is the vogue minimum of the day?  Think on these things today, and pray about them.  Ask the Lord to open up your heart and mind so that you may truly see the reality of your heart and where the Lord may be calling you to be challenged in your discipleship to Him.  Indeed, this is what all Christians must strive to do daily.

Fr. Gregory

Fr. Gregory Mashburn, OFM

Fr. Gregory

13 JULY 08

LECTIONARY READINGS

Morning Prayer: Psalm 119:33-48; Ecclesiasticus 1:18-27; John 7:14-24

Mass: Romans 8:12-17; Matthew 7:15-21

Evening Prayer: Psalm 25; Ecclesiasticus 6:22-end; Luke 10:38-end

REFLECTION
The Gospel. St. Matthew vii. 15.

BEWARE of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

The Scriptures have much to say about false teachers. Jesus warns us not to have anything to do with a false teacher of religion. However, that is not always the easiest thing. Think of Jesus’ warning to his disciples at Matt. 24:4: “Beware lest anyone mislead you. Because many will come in My name saying: ‘I am the Christ’ and they will deceive many.” False teachers always claim that they are of Christ.

I was flipping through cannels the other day…My wife can tell you I am a typical man and I oh so love to flip channels. In fact, I’m known for my ability to run down the battery on the television remote just by flipping back and forth to “see the score of a ball game while watching something else entirely about forty times in a given hour of TV viewing”… However, the other day I stopped for a second and watched a big toothed and handsomely wavy haired fellow that had his trophy wife sitting nearby while he was speaking to a stadium full of people. I thought to myself…”What’s this fellow saying that is getting so many people excited in this stadium.” It didn’t take me long to figure it out. He was a false teacher. He was speaking about “How if you follow Jesus Christ great wealth and blessings are coming your way…You’re guaranteed to get wealth and health and all kinds of good things will happen to you if you followJesus….Well…And you need to call the toll free number flashing below on the screen.” I thought about my recent sermon regarding St. Peter. I thought about Saint Peter choosing to be a martyr. I thought about the fates of all those closest to Christ and the early Church Fathers.

-Matthew suffered martyrdom by the sword.

-Mark died after being dragged throughthe streets.

-Luke was hanged on an olive tree.

-Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward.

-James the Greater was beheaded at Jerusalem.

-James the Lesser was thrown from the top of the Templeand beaten to death below.

-Philip was hanged against a pillar.

I could continue this list for a very long time…I believe you get the idea now. Those closest to Jesus suffered the most. This is a simple fact. Christians in the East have a wonderful saying…”Every tragedy is an opportunity to know God”. There is a story about a priest who went to the hospital and gave someone Holy Unction and guess what? They died and the family asked the priest, “How could this horrible thing happen?” The priest basically said, “God doesn’t always change the laws of physics and the material world to suit us.” Why should he? After all, God rules the universe from his perspective… not ours. I don’t ever recall reading in scripture bad things don’t happen in this world. I don’t understand how believing in Jesus is going to stop me from losing a loved one or getting my heart broken. However, entire congregations are built around such teachings. When you are the infinite (and God certainly is) you can see further ahead then we can in our hopefully seventy or eighty short years. Why do horrible things happen to people? A false teacher would say becausesomeone doesn’t have enough faith or their faith has lapsed. I would say.. “I don’t know why.” I really don‘t know. However, I DO know that God loved us so much that He came to dwell among us in the flesh and suffered and died as one of us. God gave us the way out of spiritual and permanent death in sin and suffering and that way out is through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Yes, our lives are temporary and we suffer in this life but if you believe in Christ Jesus death and suffering are temporary as well.

Fr. David

***Fr. David Straw is Asst. Rector of Trinity Anglican Church, Evansville, Indiana. Visit their website at http://www.tacuec.org/***
THE COLLECT FOR THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

O God, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; We humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE SAINT OF THE DAY

St. Silas, Martyr (1st century)

Saint Silas was a companion and fellow labourer of the Apostle Paul: “And Paul chose Silas and departed…and he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches” (Acts 15:40-41). He later became Bishop of Corinth, and reposed in peace. Saint Silvan became Bishop of Thessalonica, and also reposed in peace. Saint Crescents, whom Saint Paul mentions in his Second Epistle to Timothy(4:10), became Bishop of Chalcedon, and brought many to the Faith. As for him whom the Apostle of the Nations praises as “my well-beloved Epenetus, the first-fruits of Achaia unto Christ” (Roman 16:5), he became Bishop of Carthage, and after enduring many afflictions from the idolators, and bringing many of them to Christ, he departed to the Lord.

***from www.goarch.org***

THE COLLECT FOR ST. SILAS

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God : that by the prayers of thy holy Martyr blessed Silas, we may be delivered from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LECTIONARY READINGS

Morning Prayer: Psalm 90; 1 Samuel 10:17-end; Luke 14:25-end

Evening Prayer: Psalm 96, 98; Daniel 5:17-30; Acts 25:13-end

THE COLLECT FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Grant in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE SAINT OF THE DAY

St. John Bualbert, Abbot (993-1073)

Born in Florence, Tuscany, Italy, c. 993; died at Passignano (near Florence) in 1073; canonized in 1193. Because of his birth into the noble Visdomini family, John Gualbert had no more thought of following a life of austerity and humility than did his noble Florentine friends and companions. Bred to be a soldier, he spent his time in worldly amusements. Indeed, so far from intending to follow the precepts of Our Lord, his one over-riding ambition was to avenge the murder of his elder brother, Hugh. To him this was a matter of justice and, more importantly, a matter of honor.

***stpatrickdc.org***

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the prayers of thy holy Abbot, blessed John may commend us unto thee : that we, who have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, may be his advocacy find favour in thy sight. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

11 JULY 08

LECTIONARY READINGS

MORNING PRAYER:  Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 10:1-11; Luke 14:15-24

EVENING PRAYER:  Psalm 91; Danuel 5:10-16; Acts 24:24-25:12

REFLECTION

Today, looking at the reading from Gospel of St. Luke found in Morning Prayer, we see Jesus giving a parable about the Kingdom of God.  Again, the idea is that the Kingdom of God isn’t only something far off in the future far removed from life right now as we know it.  The Kingdom of God is now, right now, and should be a part of everything we do.  The parable speaks of “a certain man” who sends his servants out into the streets to invite many to dinner.  All of those who are invited to dinner have excuses of one kind or another.  Upon hearing of all these excuses from his servants, the man tells them to go out and to “bring in the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”  That being done, there was still room left.  The servants are sent out to ”compel” others to come in and be seated at the table for a feast.

What an amazing image of the Kingdom of God.  How often do we see the Church going out to invite certain people, especially those who may be said to be on the ”official” invitation list, people to the feast only to find that there are all kinds of excuses given not to be there.  Do we see the Church going out to invite those who may not be on the invitation list, those we may feel are less worthy or appropriate, those we may find personally objectionable, those the world puts on a lower level of social acceptability?  If not, why not?  If not, do we challenge the Church to do so?  In our world today, in our own neighbourhoods and cultural contexts and in various way both physically and socially…who are the poor, maimed, halt, and blind?

Dear friends in Christ, may we accept the challenge of our Lord to be about the work of the Good News of Jesus Christ to extend the invitation to EVERYONE.  There will be some people who will refuse such a glorious to feast sumptuously in the Kingdom of God, but there will be many who will accept the invitation and find satisfaction, restoration, healing, and renewal.  Thanks be to God!

Fr. Greg 

THE COLLECT FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE SAINT OF THE DAY

St. Benedict, Abbot of Nursia (480-543)

It is unfortunate that no contemporary biography was written of a man who has exercised measureless influence on monasticism in the West. Benedict is well recognized in the later Dialogues of St. Gregory, but these are sketches to illustrate miraculous elements of his career.

Benedict was born of a distinguished family in central Italy, studied at Rome and early in life was drawn to the monastic life. At first he became a hermit, leaving a depressing world—pagan armies on the march, the Church torn by schism, people suffering from war, morality at a low ebb.

He soon realized that he could not live a hidden life in a small town any better than in a large city, so he withdrew to a cave high in the mountains for three years. Some monks chose him as their leader for a while, but found his strictness not to their taste. Still, the shift from hermit to community life had begun for him. He had an idea of gathering various families of monks into one “Grand Monastery” to give them the benefit of unity, fraternity, permanent worship in one house. Finally he began to build what was to become one of the most famous monasteries in the world—Monte Cassino, commanding three narrow valleys running toward the mountain.

The Rule that gradually developed prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor and living together in community under a common father (abbot). Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation, and Benedictine charity has always shown concern for the people in the surrounding countryside. In the course of the Middle Ages, all monasticism in the West was gradually brought under the Rule of St. Benedict.

Today the Benedictine family is represented by two branches: the Benedictine Federation and the Cistercians.

***from americancatholic.org***

THE COLLECT FOR ST BENEDICT

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the prayers of thy holy Abbot, blessed Benedict may commend us unto thee : that we, who have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, may by his advocacy find favour in thy sight.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

9 JULY 08

LECTIONARY READINGS

Morning Prayer:  Psalm 80; 1 Samuel 9:11-21; Luke 13:22-end

Evening Prayer:  Psalm 81; Daniel 4:28-end; Acts 23:25-24:9

REFLECTION

Once again, today, St. Luke records a very strong message from our Lord regarding our discipleship.  There are many who seem to be following the Lord, who say they are, and who may even seem to show signs of such a life on the exterior.  Yet, in truth, their hearts are far from the Lord.  They have chosen not to travel along the narrow path and through the straight gate into the Kingdom of God.

So, what kind of disciple are we?  Do we wear one mask on Sunday to impress everyone around us with our superficial spirituality while wearing a completely different mask at all other times that resembles more the life of the world around us?  Or are we fully integrated, restored, and healed children of God, truly faithful and committed followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, striving to live the authentic apostolic and catholic faith He established?

Fr. Greg

COLLECT FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

SAINT OF THE DAY

St John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr (1469-1535)

John Fisher is usually associated with Erasmus, Thomas More and other Renaissance humanists. His life, therefore, did not have the external simplicity found in the lives of some saints. Rather, he was a man of learning, associated with the intellectuals and political leaders of his day. He was interested in the contemporary culture and eventually became chancellor at Cambridge. He had been made a bishop at 35, and one of his interests was raising the standard of preaching in England. Fisher himself was an accomplished preacher and writer. His sermons on the penitential psalms were reprinted seven times before his death. With the coming of Lutheranism, he was drawn into controversy. His eight books against heresy gave him a leading position among European theologians.

In 1521 he was asked to study the problem of Henry VIII’s marriage. He incurred Henry’s anger by defending the validity of the king’s marriage with Catherine and later by rejecting Henry’s claim to be the supreme head of the Church of England.

In an attempt to be rid of him, Henry first had him accused of not reporting all the “revelations” of the nun of Kent, Elizabeth Barton. John was summoned, in feeble health, to take the oath to the new Act of Succession. He and Thomas More refused because the Act presumed the legality of Henry’s divorce and his claim to be head of the English Church. They were sent to the Tower of London, where Fisher remained 14 months without trial. They were finally sentenced to life imprisonment and loss of goods.

When the two were called to further interrogations, they remained silent. Fisher was tricked, on the supposition he was speaking privately as a priest, and declared again that the king was not supreme head. The king, further angered that the pope had made John Fisher a cardinal, had him brought to trial on the charge of high treason. He was condemned and executed, his body left to lie all day on the scaffold and his head hung on London Bridge. More was executed two weeks later.

***from www.americancatholic.org***

St. Thomas More, Martyr (1478-1535)

His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life.

Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, July 6, 1535, he steadfastly refused to approve Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England.

Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome and denying the pope as head.

More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience.

THE COLLECT FOR STS. JOHN FISHER AND THOMAS MORE

O God, whoh didst raise up amongst the English people thy blessed Martyrs John and Thomas in defence of the Faith in witness to the dignity of Apostolic Authority : grant by their merits and prayers ; that in the profession of one Faith we may all be made on in Christ, and in him continue to be at one with one another.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

8 JULY 08

LECTIONARY READINGS

Morning Prayer:  Psalm 77, 1 Samuel 9:1-10; Luke 13:10-21

Evening Prayer:  Psalm 74; Daniel 4:19-20; Acts 23:12-24

REFLECTION

In the Gospel, found in Morning Prayer, the question is ask as to what the Kingdom of God is like.  Our Lord goes on to say that it is like the grain of a mustard seed that is cast out into the field and grows into a great tree, so much so that birds are able to lodge in its branches.  Again, our Lord likens the Kingdom of God to leaven that is put into three measures of meal.  In time, the leaven infiltrates the entire three measures of meal.

The question that has been on my mind about this reading is this: Are we making our way into all the various parts of our society in such a way as to cause it to grow, rise, become a haven of shelter and security, and that which is prepared to become bread for the world?  On the other hand, are we more like those pharisees who are so caught up with our rubrics, rules, legislation, and politics that we hinder the grace and Good News of Jesus Christ from it’s healing and redeeming mission in the world?  How might we change our hearts and minds so that we might become the very mustard seed, or leaven, that truly has an impact on the world around us with the love of Jesus?

Fr. Greg

COLLECT FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

SAINT OF THE DAY

St. Elisabeth of Portugal, Queen and Widow (1271-1336)

Elizabeth is usually depicted in royal garb with a dove or an olive branch. At her birth in 1271, her father, Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father, James, the reigning monarch. This proved to be a portent of things to come. Under the healthful influences surrounding her early years, she quickly learned self-discipline and acquired a taste for spirituality. Thus fortunately prepared, she was able to meet the challenge when, at the age of 12, she was given in marriage to Denis, king of Portugal. She was able to establish for herself a pattern of life conducive to growth in God’s love, not merely through her exercises of piety, including daily Mass, but also through her exercise of charity, by which she was able to befriend and help pilgrims, strangers, the sick, the poor—in a word, all those whose need came to her notice. At the same time she remained devoted to her husband, whose infidelity to her was a scandal to the kingdom.

He too was the object of many of her peace endeavors. She long sought peace for him with God, and was finally rewarded when he gave up his life of sin. She repeatedly sought and effected peace between the king and their rebellious son, Alfonso, who thought that he was passed over to favor the king’s illegitimate children. She acted as peacemaker in the struggle between Ferdinand, king of Aragon, and his cousin James, who claimed the crown. And finally from Coimbra, where she had retired as a Franciscan tertiary to the monastery of the Poor Clares after the death of her husband, she set out and was able to bring about a lasting peace between her son Alfonso, now king of Portugal, and his son-in-law, the king of Castile.

***from http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1434***

THE COLLECT FOR ST. ELISABETH OF PORTUGAL

Most merciful God, who amongst many excellent gifts didst bestow on the blessed Queen Elisabeth peculiar grace to allay the violence of war : grant, we beseech thee ; that by her intercession we may both obtain in this life that peace for which we humbly pray, and hereafter attain to eternal felicity.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.