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2005/07/31

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity

Announcements below
 
LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source of Collect: Gelasian Sacramentary [492-496] and one similar appeared before in in the Leionine. [Barbee & Zahl]  The petition reminds one of Romans: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 8:26-27

Lamentations i. 1, Psalm xlii, 1 Corinthians xii. 1   &   St. Luke xix. 41

Homilies

Announcements
our primary site is up, but we cannot post to it yet, links will take you to an alternate site for today's lessons and homily. Chrysostom homily is long. You may wish to save the homily file to your desktop to review and study over the week.

Please hold all centurions in your prayers this week. You may like to use this Centurion's Daily Litany

Feasts and Fasts : Transfiguration 6 August, Saturday

Bulletin Insert -- pdf reader updated weekly by Religion.com

BIDDINGS

Please pray for
Centurions in harms way,
Centurions in special training,
Peace in the Mideast

2005/07/27

Order's Site Down

The Order's web site is down due to maintenance by the Internet Service Provider
 
For those who use the Chapel or other resouces, this alternate site is operative with basic files
 
 
 
Mark

2005/07/26

Chrysostom's LONG Homilies

ave centurions
 
If you viewed the homily by Chrysostom this past Sunday on the Weekly Sunday Collect post from the Order of Centurions, you would have noted that John Chrysostom was verbose by today's standard ( One site recommended a 15 minute sermon in an interesting analysis I read this past week.)
 
If you find these Chrysostom homilies to be lengthy, an alternative to trying to read through the entire Chrysostom homily in one sitting is to come back to it through the week. That has two benefits, one is to reinforce the Scripture reading and the Collect, and the second is the ability to read a portion of his sermon that is tied to specific verses for deeper reflection. As we go through this year with an emphasis on Chrysostom for study, you'll see that verse-by-verse exposition is Chrysostom's style, and lends itself to a more detailed meditation and reflection on Scripture verses without loosing the whole of his homily.
 
If computer Internet time is a problem, and you wish to use it throughout the week, may I suggest you save the Weekly Collect Scripture and Homily to a file on your desktop so that you can refer back to it off line until finished. (file- save as, and navigate to the desktop to save)
 
IHSV
 
Mark

Again, I will ask you another thing also. Which is higher? He who acts as a priest to God and offers sacrifice? or he who is somewhere far removed from confidence towards Him? And what manner of sacrifice doth the lowly man offer? one may say. Hear David saying, “The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God will not despise.”  John Chrysostom: Homily LXV, on Matt xx appointed for St James 25 July] [400 AD]  - For we are a Kingdom of Priests [Rev 1:6]

2005/07/25

Saint James [July 25]

Saint James
[July 25th]

GRANT, O merciful God, that, as thine holy Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

James Bar-Zebedee "the Major", brother of John, slain by Herod Agrippa I in about 42 AD [Acts xi.]. This collect recalls Matthew iv. 21-22 when Jesus called James and John from their work as fishermen to leave their ship and their father and follow him

Jeremiah xlv   Psalm 34   Acts xi. 27   &   St. Matthew xx. 20
Homily of John Chrysostom on Gospel Reading [ca. 400AD]

but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister

2005/07/23

Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Announcements below

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source Leonine [440-461] taken in the Gelasian Sacramentary [492-496]. The 1662 Prayer Book revision added "who cannot do anything that is is good". One is reminded of Paul's Epistle to Philemon vs 1:6 "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." The Collect clearly points to God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit in aiding us to do good. This theme was made a canon in the ecumenical councils and is part of the Order's vow. Today's Gospel story of the Prodigal Son reminds us of our innate nature and weakness and God's mercy and strength, as does the Epistle, that God will help us in the day of temptation..

1 Corinthians x. 1 & St. Luke xv. 11

Homilies



Announcements for the week beginning 24 July 05

Feasts and Fasts

James, Apostle [July 25th]

Bulletin Insert -- pdf reader updated weekly by Religion.com

BIDDINGS

Please pray for
Centurions in harms way,
Centurions in special training,
Peace in the Mideast

2005/07/18

Camillus of Lellus, Soldier, Caregiver, Presbyter 1550-1614

Soldier, Son of an Officer, wounded fighting against the Turks. Later turned from gambling and such to serve Christ as hospital worker, eventually administrator. Founded Congregation of the Servants of the Sick (the Camellians). Here is one site in Thiland where there is a chapter  http://www.ticnet.co.uk/camillus/order.html
 
 
And here a history on the order he founded with two other men from a current guild
 
 

2005/07/16

The Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Announcements Below
 
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.

Historical Note: Source Gelasian [ca 494]. Original Latin: cuius providential in sui despositione non fallitur . This acknowledgement calls to mind Gen 1, where God ordered all things in heaven and earth, and they "were Good". The petition calls to mind the teaching of Jesus concerning the gifts of God being good and never hurtful [Matt 7:9-11]

Zechariah iv 1, Psalm 127, Romans viii. 12   &   St. Matthew vii. 15

Homily of John Chrysostom on Romans Lesson

Announcements for the week beginning 17 July 05

Please hold these and all centurions in your prayers this week. You may like to use this Centurion's Daily Litany

Feasts and Fasts

Camillus of Lellis, Soldier, Religious - July 18th [TRANSFERRED]

Bulletin Insert -- pdf reader updated weekly by Religion.com

BIDDINGS

Please pray for
Centurions in harms way,
Centurions in special training,
Peace in the Mideast

Olive Branch International, Inc Military Outreach


primus pilus to centurions, I


I received a letter in the mail from this organization a few days ago
that discussed its work with psychological officers in Sri Lanka in
February 2005 - The Olive Branch International, Inc. It is a
charitable corporation that is dedicated to "Humanitarian Service to
the International Military Community.


I invite you to look at their website here
http://www.obi-intl.org/index.asp .


For any looking for an opportunity to travel and support an outreach, they are looking for volunteers. Others may wish to support this mission with contributions and all may do so with prayers. View their history page to see some of their many worthy projects over their nine-year history


May God bless them in their charitable work of love


Mark

primus pilus

www.orderofcenturions.org

2005/07/11

Christopher and El Cid [transferred]

These two Christian soldiers died on 10 July.
 
Christopher of Antioch  guard for a king, ca 250 Martyred for refusing to submit to idolotry and was martyred under Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius reign.  Chistopher is a popular religous figure. In the West he is depicted with a child on his shoulders, in the East as a very ugly "dogged faced" soldier.  The link takes you to a fanciful ancient history that seemingly embellished his martyrdom. Some in the West take him to be legendary
 
 
 
El Cid Campeador  "The Lord Champion" Knight, had a very political and combative life. Latter-day critical evaluation by historians has identified him as somewhat of a mercenary (albeit from Moslem historical sources for whatever that is worth). 
 
However, he is recognized in Spain as a Christian hero and savior for Spain from Moslem domination.  Poema de Mio Cid, (Lay of the Cid) is a legendary poem written a century after his death in 1099. It no doubt inspired many a Spanish Christian soldier to virtue and Christian service.  Great epic movie with a cast of thousands and with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren based on the Poem and Christian legend - one of my very favorites when growing up.
 
bu-cid.jpg (19411 bytes)

2005/07/09

Seventh Sunday after Trinity

 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.

Historical Note: Source: Collect orginally composed by Bishop Gelasius of Rome (492-496), His version began with, "O Lord of Hosts" [1Sam 1:11]. His "true religion" reminds one of James' epistle and "pure religon KJV [James 1:27]

I have compassion on the multitude

Hosea xiv, Psalm viii, Romans vi. 19   &  St. Mark viii. 1


Homily of John Chrysostom Romans 6:19

The Eternal Gifts of Christ the King - Ambrose of Milan, 340-397

New Series � History of Collects and Ancient Homilies

New Series – History of Collects and Ancient Homilies

Beginning this Sunday and for the rest of the year, look for a short history on the weekly Collect and for an ancient homily –  by John Chrysostom where available. Read more below.

One of the chief aims of the Order, as has been stated in our History section since the very beginning, has been to encourage worship as practiced by the Early Christians. Scripture is our first source, and our next is the exposition of Scripture and the traditions as recorded by the early doctors of the Church. In this regard, I encourage all centurions to read this piece by a scholar of early literature and a Christian Knight of the 20th Century Why Read the Classics?;An Introduction by CS Lewis.

One classic source offered Sunday-by Sunday has been the Collect. In the book: The Collects of Thomas Cranmer, by C. Frederick Barbee, and Paul FM Zahl, they write:

One constant that … is still with us .. is the Collect. Imagine being transported in a time machine to fifth-century Rome on a particular Sunday of the church year and knowing enough Latin to recognize with delight and suppose the very same prayer to be found for that day in the Book of Common Prayer!. This is entirely possible, for the vast majority …are in fact pre-Reformation. Most are taken from the Sacramentaries of three famous Bishops of Rome: Leo I (440-461), Gelasius (492-496), and Gregogry the Great (590-604). A Sacramentary was a book that contained the fixed prayers of the Eucharist and the variable Collects of the Day"

The Collect’s name comes from the Latin "collecta", meaning to collect up the prayers of the people. Collects were originally extemporaneous, and still are, or may be, in many places. In the developing Early Church, Collects evolved to the form shown below. As you read through the following component outline of a Collect, compare the component with the corresponding phrase from the Prayer of the Order of Centurions shown in italics.

Address -- almost always addressed to God the Father, sometimes to Christ : Almighty God

Acknowledgement -- what God has done or his character: "our sovereign Lord, who called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles, who healed the servant at Capernaum in accordance with the Centurion's great faith, and who inspired the Centurion at Calvary to glorify Jesus"

Petition -- the action verbs – what we want God to do : strengthen us in our faith

Aspiration -- that which we wish to be the outcome of our prayer: "that we might follow their example to love, serve, and glorify you as faithful members of the Church Militant,"

Pleading. -- a concluding phrase offered through the Son, often with a describing clause, and stating the Trinity: "through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen"

The Collects are by tradition to be used all the week following unless another is specifically appointed for a special day (e.g., Epiphany, Transfiguration, etc.) They may be said morning, noon, and evening with the Lord’s Prayer. You may wish to make the weekly Collect part of your daily prayers. Copy it down or print it and carry it with you. It is also on the Order’s Chapel site all week in the devotional section..

Mark

2005/07/08

Bidding for London

I bid your prayers for London in the aftermath of the terrorist attack there. We have centurions from  Great Britain and at least one residing in London. Pray for their safety, for their neighbors, for peace, and for the response of their leaders.
 

Religion and Virture - the Foundation of Freedom

Centurions,
 
It is not normally my custom to officially share with you quotations from the latter ages, but for this one I am making an exception. It is in my opinion - timeless and universal... it comes from a former President of the United States...  a learned man of ancient history, philosophy, and Scripture. His words ring true to this centurion. 
 
"[R]eligion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in all the combinations of human society."
 
John Adams (letter in response to Rush letter above, 8/28 1811)
 
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. [John 8:36]
 
Mark
 

 

2005/07/03

US Independence Day Collect & Readings

For our centurions in the US
 ETERNAL God, through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Deuteronomy x. 17   &   St. Matthew v. 43 & Homily
http://www.orderofcenturions.org/documents/independence.html 

2005/07/02

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity

 
O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Isaih lvii. 13b, Psalm 16, Romans vi. 3   &   St. Matthew v. 20 & Homily

first be reconciled to thy brother