Third Sunday in Lent

 
Homily of Augustine on Psalm LXXXVI
Home of Third Sunday in Lent

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Saramentary of Gregory, Bishop of Rome [600 AD] In the Gospel today Jesus heals a man possessed, stretching forth his hand

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Collect of Ash Wednesday said daily until Palm Sunday]

Jer 20:11   Psalm 56, 86 | 119:73–104 ,   Ephesians v. 1. St. Luke xi. 14.

Homily of Augustine on Psalm LXXXVI

O God, the proud are risen against me; and the congregations of violent men have sought after my soul.

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Lent 3 commentary

This Sunday we continue with the Psalms and Augustine's homily on Psalm 86.  This is a prayer of David when attacked by the enemy.

Our collect for this Sunday from Gregory is also one for protection from enemies, and the Old Testament lesson is an affirmation that God will  protect the faithful from their adversaries [Jer xx. 11]

I have selected the verse quoted above for a reason. This week I read of a Bill introduced in the State of Connecticut targeting the financial control of Roman churches. The article at the link suggested the suspected proponents of this bill that arose out of a certain comittee were sponsors of same-sex marriage legislation which the Church has rightly argued against. Minutes after reading of this situation, Prafectus Castrorum sent me an email alerting me of  the same subject. The Roman Catholic bishops raised a cry over the injustice of this bill, rallied with the folk, and the Bill was pulled - for now at least.

It is an important event as it is a clear sign of how a sector of America would like to take over finances and the voice of the church. These folk are proud adversaries, for they refuse to humble themselves before the sovereign LORD, and their god is their belly. Less obvious, but perhaps even more insidious, is the maneuvering of forces within the church to overturn our faith and morals. They violate the sanctity of God's chosen people with their political maneuverings both in civil and ecclesiastical realms. They are finding success in so many places.

O God, the proud are risen against us, and the congregation of the violent men see after our souls.

What does Augustine say?

"O God, the transgressors of the law have arisen up against me" (ver. 14). Whom calleth he transgressors of the law? Not the Pagans, who have not received the law: for no one transgresseth that which he hath not received; the Apostle saith clearly, "For where there is no law, there is no prevarication."  Transgressors of the law he calls "prevaricators." Whom then do we understand, brethren? "

Whom indeed brothers? 

 

Augustine sees in this verse the prevaricators (liars-evaders of the truth) to be the religious proud of the Jewish church who stood against Christ. I see today the apostate clerics and lay scribes who would steal away not only church government and structures, but the very faith of his Church, in order to serve gods of lust, evil, and lies.

 

There is in our postmodern world a heresy that I will call Gospel of Accommodation. It is one of the greatest lies being preached today. It is found in the false teaching of an Inclusion Theology, with the accommodation of sins which the Bible calls an "abomination". Accommodating our faith to the trends of society is a slippery slope that will lead to one's downfall. It is spawned by the Father of Lies (we hear these clerks and scribes, like Satan in the Garden, deny what God has clearly spoken..."surly God did not say....") This false gospel teaches Jesus as accepting and accommodating of these behaviors, and denies the truth of the Gospel of our Lord as the Righteous and Militant Lord, struggling against sin, yet showing  mercy to the sinner who acknowledges his condition and his need for salvation. They preach peace, but this is an illusion. There will be no peace with sin; this is a struggle that shall find its final victory in the end times when our Lord returns  [Rev 19].

 

They accuse the traditional and faithful of being intolerant, and they have that right-for we are: intolerant of calling evil good-and good evil; intolerant of civil law that clearly is against all that is grounded in Natural Law; intolerant of lies, slanders, and hypocrisy; intolerant of unfaithful clerks and their chancellors who abuse power, ignore church polity, and persecute the faithful; intolerant of stripping our Lord of his unique role in the salvation of the whole world.. intolerant indeed-thanks be to God!

 

May God stretch forth his right hand and protect all the members of our band of brothers from every adversary.

Finis

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Released by Primus Pilus
Legio Christi-Ecclesia Militans
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" [St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 14:19]

* ORDO CENTURIONUM * IN HOC SIGNO VINCES * TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM