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2006/06/28

Saint Peter [29 June]


O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock; Make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

On June 29, 258 AD, Christians of Rome transferred the remains of Peter and Paul to the Catacombs on the Appian way. From that time on, the Roman Christian calendars commemorated that event with a feast. The Anglican Church observes St. Peter on this day, and the Conversion of St. Paul on 25 January.

 
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God

seasonal-image

2006/06/26

Martrimony.... What saith Scripture?

Centurions:
 
My thoughts today turned toward the estate of matrimony. Tis the season for weddings these days. It came to mind that we had not published propers for a wedding Eucharist on the Order's site, so I've undertaken to do so. It is now linked at the bottom of our Lessons & Homilies page, and shown below. It comes from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer for the Communion at the time of Marriage, I added an alternate epistle of 1 Cor 13 on Charity (Love), which is near and dear to my heart, and I always commend it for couples to ponder.

Solemnization of Matrimony
Communion at the Marriage

O ETERNAL God, we humbly beseech thee, favourably to behold these thy servants now (or about to be) joined in wedlock according to thy holy ordinance; and grant that they, seeking first thy kingdom and thy righteousness, may obtain the manifold blessings of thy grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gen ii. 20, Psalm cxxviii, Ephesians v. 20 or 1 Cor xiii   &   Matt xix. 4
Homily

Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding, changing water into wine




  Gen ii. 20

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Psalm cxxviii.

for the Epistle

Ephesians v. 20.

GIVE thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submit-ting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

or this

1 Cor. xiii

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

for the Gospel

St. Matthew xix. 4.

JESUS answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

 


Other Homilies

HOMILY

John Chrysostom

Homily LXII.
an excerpt

"Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh? So that they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

See a teacher's wisdom. I mean, that being asked, Is it lawful? He did not at once say, It is not lawful, lest they should be disturbed and put in disorder, but before the decision by His argument He rendered this manifest, showing that it is itself too the commandment of His Father, and that not in opposition to Moses did He enjoin these things, but in full agreement with him.

But mark Him arguing strongly not from the creation only, but also from His command. For He said not, that He made one man and one woman only, but that He also gave this command that the one man should be joined to the one woman. But if it had been His will that he should put this one away, and bring in another, when He had made one man, He would have formed many women.

But now both by the manner of the creation, and by the manner of lawgiving, He showed that one man must dwell with one woman continually, and never break off from her.

And see how He saith, "He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female," that is, from one root they sprung, and into one body came they together, "for the twain shall be one flesh."

After this, to make it a fearful thing to find fault with this lawgiving, and to confirm the law, He said not, "Sever not therefore, nor put asunder," but, "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

But if thou put forward Moses, I tell thee of Moses' Lord, and together with this, I rely upon the time also. For God at the beginning made them male and female; and this law is older (though it seem to have been now introduced by me), and with much earnestness established. For not merely did He bring the woman to the man, but also commanded to leave father and mother. And neither did He make it a law for him merely to come to the woman, but also "to cleave to her," by the form of the language intimating that they might not be severed. And not even with this was He satisfied, but sought also for another greater union, "for the twain," He saith, "shall be one flesh."

Then after He had recited the ancient law, which was brought in both by deeds and by words, and shown it to be worthy of respect because of the giver, with authority after that He Himself too interprets and gives the law, saying, "So that they are no more twain, but one flesh." Like then as to sever flesh is a horrible thing, so also to divorce a wife is unlawful. And He stayed not at this, but brought in God also by saying, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder," showing that the act was both against nature, and against law; against nature, because one flesh is dissevered; against law, because that when God hath joined and commanded it not to be divided, ye conspire to do this.

2. What then ought they to have done after this? Ought they not to have held their peace, and to have commended the saying? ought they not to have marvelled at His wisdom? ought they not to have stood amazed at His accordance with the Father? But none of these things do they, but as though they were contending for the law, they say, "How then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?" And yet they ought not now to have brought this forward, but rather He to them; but nevertheless He doth not take advantage of them, nor doth He say to them, "I am not now bound by this," but He solves this too.

And indeed if He had been an alien from the old covenant, He would not have striven for Moses, neither would He have argued positively from the things done once for all at the beginning; He would not have studied to show that His own precepts agreed with those of old.

And indeed Moses had given many other commandments besides, both those about meats, and those about the Sabbath; wherefore then do they nowhere bring him forward, as here? From a wish to enlist the multitude of the husbands against him. For this was considered a thing indifferent with the Jews, and all used to do so much as this. Accordingly it was for this reason that when so many things had been said on the mount, they remembered this commandment only now.

Nevertheless, unspeakable wisdom maketh a defense even for these things, and saith, "Moses for the hardness of your hearts" thus made the law. And not even him doth He suffer to remain under accusation, forasmuch as He had Himself given him the law; but delivers him from the charge, and turns the whole upon their head, as everywhere He doth.

For again when they were blaming His disciples for plucking the ears of corn, He shows themselves to be guilty; and when they were laying a transgression to their charge as to their not washing their hands, He shows themselves to be the transgressors, and touching the Sabbath also: both everywhere, and here in like manner.

Then because the saying was hard to bear, and brought on them much blame, He quickly directs back His discourse to that ancient law, saying as He had said before also, "But in the beginning it was not so," that is, God by His acts at the beginning ordained the contrary. For in order that they may not say, Whence is it manifest, that "for our hardness Moses said this?" hereby again He stoppeth their mouths. For if this were the primary law, and for our good, that other would not have been given at the beginning; God in creating would not have so created, He would not have said such things.

"But I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and marry another, committeth adultery." For since he had stopped their mouths, He then gives the law with His own authority, like as touching the meats, like as touching the Sabbath.

Here ends the excerpt

2006/06/24

the Second Sunday after Trinity

O LORD, who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect source: Sacrementary of Gelasius, Bishop of Rome [ca 494AD]. This collect had it phrases rearranged and expanded in this 1662 version

Deuteronomy xx. 1, Psalm 76, 1 St. John iii. 13   &   St. Luke xiv. 16

Homily


Luke_xiv.16
Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
 
Announcements for the week beginning
25 June 06

Feasts, Memorials, and Fasts
Peter -- June 29th

 
News: Thanks to a fellow centurion who sent us this week an article entitled Following the Centurions. I've placed a link to it under our Links page, under Articles. I commend it to you and your associates. It is an excellent article by Lt. Col Burt Tussing (USMC Ret) that resides on the Officer Christian Fellowship web site.


BIDDING
Centurions in harms way
Peace in the Mideast
 

2006/06/23

Nativity of Saint John Baptist Jun 24 and Anniversary

  ALMIGHTY God, by whose providence thy servant John Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour by preaching repentance; Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
The 24th of June is midsummer. It is exactly six months from the birth of Jesus, in accordance with the timing given in Luke This was a great Midsummer Feast day with many old traditions. "June 23 - is the Vigil of the Nativity of John the Baptist. This is the night when one can wait to see if the Sun will rise just a tiny bit South on the horizon that it did the day before. On the Day when you might be able to see that the Sun has risen slightly to the South presaging that the hours of light are getting shorter, the Saint whose job was to say the Light is coming is celebrated! Likewise, on the opposite end of the year, December 25th, the day when you can first tell that the days are getting longer, the Light of the World, Jesus, is born."

Isaiah xl. 1   &   St. Luke i. 57 and Homily of Augustin on the Feast 

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;
for he hath visited and redeemed his people

 

This is also the anniversary of Saint John Baptist Anglican, Incorporated on this Feast Day one year ago by three centurions of the Red River Cohort as a place of traditional orthodox Anglican worship.

The official shield of Saint John Baptist Anglican as adopted by the Vestry May 2006

Click for a description of The Shield of St. John Baptist Anglican  

2006/06/22

Centurion of Capernaum June 22

ALMIGHTY God, our Sovereign Lord, who didst heal the servant at Capernaum in accordance with the Centurion's great faith; we beseech thee, strengthen us through the power of thy Spirit, that we might always ask those things that are requisite and necessary in faith, knowing that thou wilt answer them according to thy righteous will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and evermore. Amen

Ephesians iii. 14 and Matthew viii 5
Homilies

Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

centurion-capernaum

2006/06/17

First Sunday after Trinity

O GOD, the strength of all those who put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Sarum Missal. The system of numbering Sundays from Trinity was part of the Sarum Missal. 21 years after the first Prayer Book, Rome changed their system to number Sundays after Pentecost... a method that has been adopted by many churches today

Jeremiah xxiii. 23, Psalm 73, 1 St. John iv. 7   &   St. Luke xvi. 19

Homily



Lazarus and Dives
If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

2006/06/11

Barnabas [Transferred]

 

O LORD God Almighty, who didst endue thy holy Apostle Barnabas with singular gifts of the Holy Ghost; Leave us not, we beseech thee, destitute of thy manifold gifts, nor yet of grace to use them alway to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Job xxix. 11. &Acts xi. 22   &   St. John xv. 12
Homily of Chrysostom on John

 

he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith

2006/06/10

Trinity Sunday

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 wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.

Numbers xxi. 4., Psalm 29,   Revelation iv. 1   &   St. John iii. 1

Homily


as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
 
Announcements for the week beginning
Trinity 11 June 06

 


Feasts, Memorials, and Fasts
Sundays are feast days our Lord throughout the year
Wednesdays and Fridays were days of fasting or abstinence and special devotion in the early church
Major Feasts and Fasts in bold.


We are now in the Season of  Trinitytide, This is the long season that runs essentially until Advent, which begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God; * O come, let us adore him

Barnabas the Apostle -- June 11th [transferred to 12th]

Boniface, Legionary - June 15th

News: Order's page on the Chapel of the Centurion of Armageddon - will keep updated as new information becomes available. There are links to research and scholarly sites. The fish graphic is now in the Chapel at Eucharist with link to the Armageddon page.



 

2006/06/06

Ember Days - Wed Fri Sat

Let us remember those in the Order who are in seminaries or other studies concerning divinity, church history, and theology these days to help them to prepare to serve Christ and his Church, and for those who teach and guide them

 

Ember Days
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the Four Seasons

 O ALMIGHTY God, who hast committed to the hands of men the ministry of reconciliation; We humbly beseech thee, by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, to put it into the hearts of many to offer themselves for this ministry; that thereby mankind may be drawn to thy blessed kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Advent, Lent, and Whitsuntide this collect is followed with the seasonal collect

Isaiah lxi. 1, Acts xiii. 44   &   St. Luke iv. 16
Daily Readings for the Four Seasons
Collects, Litany & Hymns
History & Meaning
Homilies

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me

Amori Christi et ecclelssiae

2006/06/05

Tuesday in Whitsun Week


Tuesday in Whitsun Week

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Acts viii. 14., Psalm 148,   &  St. John x. 1.
Homilies


I am the door of the sheep
good_shepherd

Whit-Monday 1865 Onward Christian Soldiers


One to sing this day! Composed for Children for their Whit-Monday Walk. 
 
 Onward Christian Soldiers... from Cyberhymnal.org  by Sabine Baring-Gould
 
Quote:
Baring-Gould wrote about this hymn:

Whit-Mon­day is a great day for school fes­tiv­als in York­shire. One Whit-Mon­day, thir­ty years ago, it was ar­ranged that our school should join forc­es with that of a neigh­bor­ing vil­lage. I want­ed the child­ren to sing when march­ing from one vil­lage to another, but couldn't think of any­thing quite suit­a­ble; so I sat up at night, re­solved that I would write some­thing myself. "Onward, Christ­ian Sol­diers" was the re­sult. It was writ­ten in great haste, and I am afraid some of the rhymes are faulty. Cer­tain­ly no­thing has sur­prised me more than its pop­u­lar­i­ty. I don't re­mem­ber how it got print­ed first, but I know that very soon it found its way into sev­er­al col­lect­ions. I have writ­ten a few other hymns since then, but only two or three have be­come at all well-known.

This hymn was sung at the fun­er­al of Amer­i­can pre­si­dent Dwight Ei­sen­how­er at the Na­tion­al Ca­thed­ral, Wash­ing­ton, DC, March 1969 [in an Anglican service]

End Quote
Sabine Baring-Gould

Megiddo Chapel of a Centurion - Follow up

Note: Nov  12, 2005, I had notified the Order of the find of a very early Christian Church in Megiddo,  The location is near an ancient Roman Army Camp site.  The Government of Israel has plans to move the prison located next to the ancient church to ensure the church's protection. Read more here  http://shorterlink.com/?N1VCHJ
 
clips:
The ruins of the Christian prayer hall, which was located inside a Roman villa, date back to the first half of the third century CE, making the chapel the earliest place of Christian worship ever unearthed in the Holy Land, ... The building, which is thought to have belonged to a Roman officer...
end quote
 
This is truly a
 "CHAPEL OF CENTURIONS"
Cornelius Window - Enter Chapel of the Centurions
 
 
 
 

2006/06/04

Monday in Whitsun Week

Monday in Whitsun Week

Send, we beseech thee, Almighty God, thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that he may direct and rule us according to thy will, comfort us in all our afflictions, defend us from all error, and lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.

O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

 

Acts x. 34 St. John iii. 16

Homilies featuring Chrysostom on John's Gospel 

 

For God sent not His Son to condemn the world, but to save the world.


nicolass_maes


2006/06/03

Pentecost - Whitsunday

 

Pentecost
commonly called Whitsunday

O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

This Collect is to be said daily throughout Whitsun Week.

Joel ii. 28, Psalm 68, Acts ii. 1. St. John xiv. 15.
Homily featuring Chrysostom on Acts

pentecost

We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God

Announcements for the week beginning
Pentecost -- 4 June 06

 
Feasts, Memorials, and Fasts
Sundays are feast days our Lord throughout the year
Wednesdays and Fridays were days of fasting or abstinence and special devotion in the early church. These fasting days were suspended during the Eastertide,  but were obsered after Pentecost, beginning with this week, until Christmas. Indeed, during Eastertide, the Church did not kneel on any day, but in the season after Pentecost kneeling was observed on days other than Sunday

Major Feasts and Fasts in bold.


 

NOTE: We are now in the Season of Whitsuntide, only one week long till next Sunday which is Trinity Sunday. You'll note that there are two Holy Days this week with appointed readings. Whitsun was a popular time for the Whitsun walk in England with the girls all dressed in white, a sign of Baptism and Purity and hence the White Sunday - Whitsun. Whitsun was a popular day for Baptism too, as the church remembered the first mass baptism of over 3,000 on Pentecost. There would also be county fairs called Whitsun Ales (sometimes sponsored by Beer companies) since the Restoration of the Monarchy. The the word pentecost is from the Greek pentekoste. The Feast of Pentecost originated with the Jewish faith and was called the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), (or Feast of the Harvest, or Feast of the First Fruits), as it occurred exactly seven weeks after Passover. It was a time when Israel commemorated the Ten Commandments and it was called for in the OT. Today our Pentecost is 50 days after Easter - The seventh Sunday. This was one of the major feasts of the early church, and one of the traditional times Christians were expected to commune..( along with Christmas and Easter). Note too that we have the Ember days Wed Thur and Fri, and so I bid your prayers for all our seminarians, and those called to the ministry.

Alleluia. The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world * O Come Let us adore him. Alleluia
Pentecost
Monday in Whitsun Week
Tuesday in Whitsun Week
Ember Days Wednesday
Ember Days Thursday
Ember Days Friday
Ferdinand of Portugal, Knight, Crusader, Prince - Saturday [transferred]
 
News: new link Red Rampant - the Roman Army Illustrated will be added to links.

BIDDING
Centurions in harms way
Peace in the Mideast