Thanksgiving Day (USA) - 2014

Thanksgiving Day

O PRAISE the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; * yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem, * and gather together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth those that are broken in heart, * and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.

O sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; * sing praises upon the harp unto our God:

Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; * and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men;

Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, * and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; * praise thy God, O Sion.

For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, * and hath blessed thy children within thee.

He maketh peace in thy borders, * and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

The Collect.

O MOST merciful Father, who hast blessed the labours of the husbandman in the returns of the fruits of the earth; We give thee humble and hearty thanks for this thy bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness to us, that our land may still yield her increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. St. James i. 16.

DO not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The Gospel. St. Matthew vi. 25.

JESUS said, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: forthey sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? And why are ye anxious for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

A Thanksgiving Litany: http://mphilliber.blogspot.com/2014/11/prayer-of-thanksgiving-litany.html

The Sunday next before Advent - 2014

The Sunday next before Advent.

Psalm 127

Nisi Dominus

1. EXCEPT the Lord build the house : their labour is but lost that build it.

2. Except the Lord keep the city : the watchman waketh but in vain.

3. It is but lost labour that ye haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness : for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

4. Lo, children and the fruit of the womb : are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord.

5. Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant : even so are the young children.

6. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them : they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

The Collect.

STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 23.5-8

Psalter: Psalm 146, 147 | 148, 149, 150

Epistle Reading: (Ephesians 2.1-10)

Gospel Reading: St. John 6.1-14

Toon: “As this is the last Collect of the Christian Year, we may regard it as summing up in petition a major theme of the Collects, Epistles and Gospels for the Year past. And this theme may be simply stated: in the Christian life, unless the human will is engaged then all thought and feeling may be, or even are, wasted.

One of the great spiritual diseases of the Church and of individual Christians is lethargy. We remain content with where we are on the highway of holiness and in the climbing of Mount Zion. There is always tomorrow, we say to ourselves; then we can strive the more. Today we can relax! As pilgrims heading for the celestial city we are tempted to take too many rests on the way and thus do not seek to conquer more of the terrain & path in front of us.

The call is to press on towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). We are often deaf and stationary and do not pay heed to that call. We need to be awakened, stirred up and energized to make headway!

So the major petition of this Collect is that God the Father will cause the Holy Ghost to stir up our lazy and inactive wills and to rouse us from the slumber of complacency. Yet, as we know, a fire when stirred up does not always blaze and a sleeper, when roused, does not always get up! In the final analysis we are given a measure of freedom by our Creator so that we can respond to his call as persons with dignity and freedom and in love. This said, it is also true to say that our wills are naturally weak and need divine inspiration and assistance in order to be directed towards the glorifying of God in good works.

Thus there must be both stirring up from heaven and wholehearted cooperation by ourselves to the motions of the Spirit in our souls.

We can have the best of intentions and we can have the sweetest of feelings about those intentions but unless the will is engaged then there is no action! And action by the will is inspired and energized by the Spirit in souls that are prepared to do what is right.

In this prayer, God is thought of as the Judge who is the Lord of the harvest. Our reward (though altogether undeserved) will be apportioned to the measure of the good fruit that we produce. Obviously, we cannot bring forth plenteously such good fruit without an unfailing perseverance and unceasing exertion which only a resolved will can supply. Let us ponder for a moment the amount of work that is necessary to produce a good harvest in the world of nature. The farmer has to accept the conditions and provisions of nature (e.g., sunshine & rain, wind and frost) and persevere week by week in his varied tasks for many months until he sees the purpose of his labour in the plenteous harvest. If he did not prune and water, feed and protect, there would be a reduced harvest or none at all. Likewise, there is no fruit of the Spirit produced in our lives if we simply sit back and do not cooperate day by day, week by week, with the Spirit of the Lord, who assists us to cultivate our souls, intellect, emotions and will, aright.

The idea of plenteous reward for good works freely and lovingly done for the glory of God is a scriptural doctrine. Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9); Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). Of course, the rewards are at the end of the age and pertain to the life of the world to come.

Then, let us be clear, we offer this prayer not on the basis of our own merits and achievements (assuming we have any!) but through the one Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, in and through whom alone there will be reward for the faithful in the age to come….” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/the-sunday-next-before-advent).

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.169-176

Appropinquet deprecatio

169. LET my complaint come before thee, O Lord : give me understanding, according to thy word.

170. Let my supplication come before thee : deliver me, according to thy word.

171. My lips shall speak of thy praise : when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

172. Yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word : for all thy commandments are righteous.

173. Let thine hand help me : for I have chosen thy commandments.

174. I have longed for thy saving health, O Lord : and in thy law is my delight.

175. O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee : and thy judgements shall help me.

176. I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost : O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.

The Collect.

LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Numbers 20.14-29

Psalter: Psalm 123, 124, 125 | 136, 138

Epistle Reading: Philippians 1.3-11

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 18.21-35

Personal: This Collect begins with a request that the LORD will keep (preserve, secure, direct) God’s household the Church (“if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3.15).) in continual godliness.  The idea of God’s Church being God’s household, family, is a warm concept. The Old Testament is rife with images of God being married and having children (for one take on this and how this message can be a comfort to those whose home life is rough and tumble, see my short piece: http://mphilliber.blogspot.com/2014/11/he-knows-hosea-22-23.html).

The request is unpacked in the remainder of the Collect where, on the one hand, the Lord is asked to protect his household “from all adversities”; and on the other hand, to guide her to serve him with good works in a heartfelt way.

This Collect is a great way to pray for three aspects of Christ’s church: (1) that portion of the Church that is being hounded and harmed by predators (whether the predators are heretics or Christ-haters); (2) the section of God’s people who are falling into gross unorthodoxy; (3) finally, the rest of God’s family circle who are faithfully pushing hard against the culture that is pushing hard against her.

The aim of the Collect is properly “to the glory of thy name”.  We are strongly assured that if this is our aim, then we will find the Father attentive and ready to answer our prayer; “"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14.12-13), and “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15.7-8).

Let us pray!

Primus Pilus II
Mike

The Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.161-168

Principes persecuti sunt

161. PRINCES have persecuted me without a cause : but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

162. I am as glad of thy word : as one that findeth great spoils.

163. As for lies, I hate and abhor them : but thy law do I love.

164. Seven times a day do I praise thee : because of thy righteous judgements.

165. Great is the peace that they have who love thy law : and they are not offended at it.

166. Lord, I have looked for thy saving health : and done after thy commandments.

167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies : and loved them exceedingly.

168. I have kept thy commandments and testimonies : for all my ways are before thee.

The Collect.

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 59.15b-21

Psalter: Psalm 120, 121, 122 | 133, 134, 135

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 6.10-20

Gospel Reading: St. John 4.46-54

Toon: “God never does things by quarters, thirds or halves. The verb to grant from the Latin largire has the sense of grant largely or bountifully. We know that God is wont to give more than we either desire or deserve (Trinity 12,Collect), and that when he feeds a multitude there remain of fragments twelve full baskets (Matthew 14:20).

We can humbly yet boldly use the verb grant and address the Almighty Father as the merciful Lord because of the expiation and propitiation provided for our sins at Calvary by the Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Father has demonstrated in the fullest and clearest way in the Incarnation, Death and Exaltation of Jesus that he loves us with an infinite and eternal love and that he is ready to give unto us pardon, remission and forgiveness of our sins, to reckon us to be righteous in his sight, justified by faith, and to adopt us as his children.

In fact not only is the Father, because of the merits of his Son, always ready to be in a state of peace or reconciliation with us, so that we are no longer his enemies, but he is also desirous to place in our souls by the presence of the Holy Ghost that internal peace, which passes understanding and which endures through pain and tribulation, persecution and trials.

In response to such a bountiful provision by the grace and mercy of the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, we ought to be enthusiastic about and consecrated to the service of God, with a mind, heart and will that are focused” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/twenty-first-sunday-after-trinity).

The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.153-160

Vide humilitatem

153. O CONSIDER mine adversity, and deliver me : for I do not forget thy law.

154. Avenge thou my cause, and deliver me : quicken me, according to thy word.

155. Health is far from the ungodly : for they regard not thy statutes.

156. Great is thy mercy, O Lord : quicken me, as thou art wont.

157. Many there are that trouble me, and persecute me : yet do I not swerve from thy testimonies.

158. It grieveth me when I see the transgressors : because they keep not thy law.

159. Consider, O Lord, how I love thy commandments : O quicken me, according to thy loving-kindness.

160. Thy word is true from everlasting : all the judgements of thy righteousness endure for evermore.

The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully* accomplish those things that thou wouldest have done; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

{*the 1549 BCP has, “may with free hearts accomplish…”}

Old Testament Reading: Ecclesiastes 9.4-10

Psalter: Psalm 116, 117 | 118, 83

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 5.15-21

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 22.1-14

Toon: “We address God the Father as both omnipotent, everlastingly and infinitely powerful, and as most merciful, abounding in mercy towards sinners such as we are. But that is not the end, for we also address him as possessing within himself towards his creatures bountiful goodness, an overflowing, inexhaustible reservoir of goodness from which it is his desire and determination to secure our true & everlasting good.

Of such a Lord God we not merely ask but we beseech that he will so watch over us in his superlative power, mercy and goodness that we shall be kept from all things [spiritual and physical, material and immaterial] that may hurt us as whole beings (as persons with body and soul). We desire to be preserved by the grace of God as whole creatures from any harm intended against us by the world, the flesh and the devil. There is a divine, unifying connection between body & soul and harm to the one affects the other.

The desire to be free from harm is not for self-satisfaction or for a sense of self-worth; rather it is so that we are alert and ready in mind, heart and will to do what God commands and calls us to do as his servants in his world for his glory. We are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world ñ being and doing that which we are taught by the Holy Ghost to be the will of God for us today. And, further, we are to do what the Lord commands and requires of us cheerfully, rejoicing! As the appointed Epistle declares: Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart.

And all our prayer is offered to the Father through the Incarnate Son, the only Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ who is the Lord. It is to his Messianic Banquet that sinners are called, as the appointed Gospel declares” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/twentieth-sunday-after-trinity).

All Saints' Day - 2014

All Saints’ Day

The Collect

O almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Daniel 12.1-4

[Reading from Apocrypha: Wisdom 3.1-10]

Psalter: Psalm 1, 15 | 97, 112

Epistle Reading: Hebrews 11.33-12.7

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 25.31-40

For a devotional reading, see a piece I presented last week at a Bible study at the Oklahoma State Capitol: http://mphilliber.blogspot.com/2014/10/all-saints-day.html

The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Psalm 119.145-152

Clamavi in toto corde meo

145 I CALL with my whole heart : hear me, O Lord, I will keep thy statutes.

146 Yea, even unto thee do I call : help me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.

147 Early in the morning do I cry unto thee : for in thy word is my trust.

148 Mine eyes prevent the night-watches : that I might be occupied in thy words.

149 Hear my voice, O Lord, according unto thy loving-kindness : quicken me, according as thou art wont.

150 They draw nigh that of malice persecute me : and are far from thy law.

151 Be thou nigh at hand, O Lord : for all thy commandments are true.

152 As concerning thy testimonies, I have known long since : that thou hast grounded them for ever.

The Collect

O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Note the change from the 1549 BCP: "O GOD, for asmuche as without thee, we are not able to please thee; Graunte that the workyng of thy mercie maye in all thynges directe and rule our heartes; Through Jesus Christ our Lorde.")

Old Testament: Job 24.1-17
Psalter: 114, 115 | 107, 70
Epistle: Ephesians 4.17-32
Gospel: St. Matthew 9.1-8

Toon: “We can only genuinely desire to please the Lord our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, if and when he inspires us so to do. In and of ourselves, because our natures are infected by sin, we cannot produce by our own effort the purity of heart, mind and will that is necessary to worship the Lord God in the beauty of holiness and in spirit and in truth.

To recognize this powerlessness within ourselves is to begin to move into the sphere where we can worship God aright, for the confession before the LORD of our weakness and sin, our impotency and our spiritual sickness, is the beginning of his true worship and praise. And this beginning occurs because of his prevenient grace!

Therefore, we invoke our Father in heaven, by his great mercy and because of his marvellous grace, to send us the assistance that we need in order to be what he calls us to be. We ask for the gift and presence of the Holy Ghost (the One who comes in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, bearing his virtues and graces) to indwell our souls that we may be rightly inspired, directed and guided in how we are to please our Creator, Redeemer & Father, in what we think and say and do.

Let us so pray and let us be so directed by the personal presence of the Third Person of the Blessed, Holy and Undivided Trinity.

The Epistle is a vigorous call to holiness of life as we walk with Christ and the Gospel is a proclamation of the power of Christ to save, help and guide us.”

(There is a bit more at: http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/nineteenth-sunday-after-trinity)

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity -2014

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.137-144

Justus es, Domine

RIGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord : and true is thy judgement.

138. The testimonies that thou hast commanded : are exceeding righteous and true.

139. My zeal hath even consumed me : because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.

140. Thy word is tried to the uttermost : and thy servant loveth it.

141. I am small, and of no reputation : yet do I not forget thy commandments.

142. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness : and thy law is the truth.

143. Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me : yet is my delight in thy commandments.

144. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting : O grant me understanding, and I shall live.

The Collect.

LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Amos 8.4-12

Psalter: Psalm 111, 112 | 106, 69

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 1.4-8(9)

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 22.34-46

Toon: The Almighty Father, who is the Father of the only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is addressed as LORD, the self-existent holy Being, who is the Creator of heaven and earth, and Judge of all men.

He is not merely asked but he is also beseeched (that is, asked with a sense of urgency in a spirit of humility and submission before Him). Out of his great mercy and abundant grace he is asked to hear and grant (as a great favour to those who know they do not deserve favour) two petitions from his covenant people.

First of all, the inner strength and motivation to face real, daily temptations that if not resisted actually lead to the committing of sin against God. The temptations come from three basic sources: the world (human society and culture as organised and existing without submission to God’s law & with the influence therein of evil people); the flesh (human nature in its weakness and with its bias to assert the self and distrust God); and the devil (the spiritual being who has himself rebelled against God’s holy law and now seeks to persuade others to do the same). Resist the devil and he will flee from you, said James (iv.7).

In the second place, with contrite, cleansed and pure hearts and minds to follow with devotion and with zeal the will, purpose and commandments of the Almighty Father, as these are revealed and made known in the life, teaching, example and saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ. While there are many kings and lords, rulers and authorities in the world, there is only ONE living and true God: thus the wording of the petition.

The first petition is made so that we do not go in the wrong direction while the second is made that we actually do go in the right direction, that is we follow God’s signposts and walk in his ways. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8).

In the original Latin this one-sentence Collect was composed in the fifth century and used in the Mass for many centuries. Archbishop Cranmer translated it for the original English Prayer Book of 1549 and Bishop Cosin improved the translation for the edition of the Prayer Book of 1662 (the edition that has been translated into around 150 languages)” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/eighteenth-sunday-after-trinity).

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.129-136

Mirabilia

129. THY testimonies are wonderful : therefore doth my soul keep them.
130. When thy word goeth forth : it giveth light and understanding unto the simple.
131. I opened my mouth, and drew in my breath : for my delight was in thy commandments.
132. O look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me : as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name.
133. Order my steps in thy word : and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me.
134. O deliver me from the wrongful dealings of men : and so shall I keep thy commandments.
135. Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant : and teach me thy statutes.
136. Mine eyes gush out with water : because men keep not thy law.

The Collect.

LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 13.15-21

Psalter: Psalm 91, 92 | 105, 60

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 4.1-6

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 14.1-11

Toon: “Here we address the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as the LORD, in Hebrew YHWH, the revealed Name of God given to Moses at the burning bush in the wilderness (Exodus 3). He is I AM WHO I AM and I AM WHO I SHALL BE and I AM & SHALL BE WHO I WAS. He is the utterly faithful One from generation to generation and from age to age. And his Son, the One Mediator between God and Man, who also shares the name of LORD is the same yesterday, today and for ever (Hebrews 13:8).

To this eternally existing, infinite and ineffable God, who came to us in Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of the almighty Father, we are most highly privileged to be able to bring our petitions and to offer our praise and thanksgiving.

Here we use a verb Prevent whose meaning in this context is the old one [to anticipate, to forestall, to be beforehand with]. And we make two petitions which are connected to each other. First of all, we ask that the grace (the personal presence and unmerited mercy) of God (that is as the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, present in the world as the Spirit of Christ) may always both go before us and come behind us, so that we are always surrounded on all sides by the divine omnipresence and infinite care. In the second place, being thus placed within the gracious favour of God, we ask that we shall continually respond in faith and faithfulness to be and do that which is pleasing in his sight -- loving God with all our being & loving our neighbour as ourselves.

There is great strength in the word always. We need God’s personal presence and assistance not sometimes, not even often; but, rather, always. We may wish to compare this Collect for Trinity XVII with the Fourth Collect at the end of the Order for Holy Communion where we pray, Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favour. That is, we ask God, as it were, to bring up the rear as his Church moves through space and time. The same Collect also asks, Further us with thy continual help. Here, we ask God to surround us and to go before us with his Presence.

Let us be clear that the LORD, the Blessed, Holy and Undivided Trinity of the Father, together with the Son and the Holy Ghost, is wholly desirous of being with his children in a complete and satisfying way for their salvation and their general good. His promises of his presence and his help are many. What he looks for in us is faith and faithfulness so that we are truly, consciously and continually his people and he is known by us always as our covenant God.

The Epistle reminds us of the Christian vocation which always includes maintaining the unity of the church. The Gospel proclaims the virtue of humility before God and amongst men” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/seventeenth-sunday-after-trinity).

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity (And the Commemoration of Wm Tyndale, 6 October) - 2014

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.121-128

Feci judicium

121. I DEAL with the thing that is lawful and right : O give me not over unto mine oppressors.

122. Make thou thy servant to delight in that which is good : that the proud do me no wrong.

123. Mine eyes are wasted away with looking for thy health : and for the word of thy righteousness.

124. O deal with thy servant according unto thy loving mercy : and teach me thy statutes.

125. I am thy servant, O grant me understanding : that I may know thy testimonies.

126. It is time for thee, Lord to lay to thine hand : for they have destroyed thy law.

127. For I love thy commandments : above gold and precious stone.

128. Therefore hold I straight all thy commandments : and all false ways I utterly abhor.

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 12

Psalter: Psalm 98, 99 | 89, 59

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 3.8-21

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 7.11-18

Toon: “Here we recognise that the Church on earth needs both cleansing by the Divine Pardon and defence by the Divine Providence.

The Church, militant here on earth, is engaged in a spiritual war against the world, the flesh and the devil, and this is so even when it seems that the local society & government are partially supportive of the presence and aims of the Church of God. It is so easy for the refinements and ethos of the world to be absorbed by the Church and for them to affect her worship, her doctrine, her discipline, her ways of operation and so on, so that she is compromised and falls short of the fullness of her vocation.

Thus the Church not merely asks but beseeches (asks with intensity of feeling and conviction) the Lord our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to help. In a vital sense this is what the Church does in part daily in her Morning and Evening Prayer and when she celebrates the Holy Communion. She confesses her sins and asks for the divine forgiveness. But this Collect contains a special, extra request because of a felt and real need. The Church needs the continued and continual Pity/Mercy of God both to cleanse her members and to defend them from all adversity, especially from enemies of the soul. And by members are meant both clergy and laity, bishops and doorkeepers.

Any society or organisation can get to the point where it begins to think that it is self-sufficient. The Church can begin to think that she is doing pretty well with a casual relation to God. But when she sees the true situation, that she is at war with real enemies of Christ & his Gospel, then she knows that she cannot continue as his army without his continued and continual succour. Further, she knows that she cannot stand firm today and tomorrow without his presence, help and goodness.

Today, it is common to speak of the secularisation of Christianity and of the accommodation of the agenda of the Church to that of humane and liberal society. And such is basically true of the denominations of the Western world. So this is surely a Prayer to be offered by all who know and feel that the Church in the West is far too much accommodated to the society and not sufficiently critical of its norms and ethos. We are to be in the world and for the world but NOT of the world” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/sixteenth-sunday-after-trinity).

William Tyndale 1536
Translator of the Bible
Commemorated Monday, October 6th, 2014

Almighty God, you planted in the heart of your servant William Tyndale a consuming passion to bring the Scriptures to people in their native tongue, and endowed him with the gift of powerful and graceful expression and with strength to persevere against all obstacles: Reveal to us your saving Word, as we read and study the Scriptures, and hear them calling us to repentance and life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels - 2014

Saint Michael and All Angels

{29 September}

Psalm 113

Laudate, pueri

PRAISE the Lord, ye servants : O praise the Name of the Lord.

2. Blessed be the Name of the Lord : from this time forth for evermore.251 The Book of Common Prayer

3. The Lord’s Name is praised : from the rising up of the sun unto the going down of the same.

4. The Lord is high above all heathen and his glory above the heavens.

5. Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling so high : and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

6. He taketh up the simple out of the dust : and lifteth the poor out of the mire;

7. That he may set him with the princes : even with the princes of his people.

8. He maketh the barren woman to keep house : and to be a joyful mother of children.

Collect

Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order; Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Daniel 12.1-3

Psalter: Psalm 103

Epistle Reading: Revelation 12.7-12

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 18.1-10

The Feast of St. Michael is the 11^th anniversary of our Order: http://orderofcenturions.org/history.html

The Feast of St. Michael is a good time to prayerfully reflect on our Vow we have taken: http://orderofcenturions.org/vow.html

Finally, here is the Prayer of the Order:

Almighty God, 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; strengthen us in our faith that we might follow their example to love, serve, and glorify you as faithful members of the Church Militant, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.113-120

Iniquos odio habui

113. I HATE them that imagine evil things : but thy law do I love.

114. Thou art my defence and shield : and my trust is in thy word.

115. Away from me, ye wicked : I will keep the commandments of my God.

116. O stablish me according to thy word, that I may live : and let me not be disappointed of my hope.

117. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe : yea, my delight shall be ever in thy statutes.

118. Thou hast trodden down all them that depart from thy statutes : for they imagine but deceit.

119. Thou puttest away all the ungodly of the earth like dross : therefore I love thy testimonies.

120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee : and I am afraid of thy judgements.

The Collect.

KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy: and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 7.6-13

Psalter: Psalm 97, 98 | 79, 80

Epistle Reading: Galatians 6.11-18

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 6.24-34

Toon: “Let us notice here in the first petition a strange but most relevant fact. God the Father is implored to keep his Church (for which his Son shed his precious blood) not with his Fatherly Care, not with his Watchful Providence and not with the guardianship of his holy Archangels and angels, but with his Perpetual Mercy.

If man (we, all of us) is to be saved and secured from major spiritual and moral injuries with which Satan, the world (Zeitgeist) and the flesh threaten him, it can only be by the continual & perpetual exercise of the Father’s mercy in the name and for the sake of his Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our conviction is that from that heavenly mercy proceed abundant blessings of many and varied kinds, descending upon those who seek the Lord and find him.

Let us also recognize, as does the Collect, that considered as moral and spiritual beings who stand before God, the all-holy, the all-seeing and the all-knowing One, we are not only mortal but also frail. We possess the ancient disease of inbred, original sin and because of it we cannot truly, in and of ourselves, truly help ourselves into the way and enjoyment of God’s salvation.

Thus we pray again for help, the presence of the Holy Ghost indwelling our souls so that he elevates our affections, inspires our thinking and energises our wills in order to guide us away from that which will harm us and towards that which will protect and bless us. Many things exist to harm us, even things which, in and of themselves, are good but for you or for me. In practice, they are the cause of temptation and sin. Happily there are many things in God’s creation, and especially in the provisions of the new creation of grace and mercy, that are for the cleansing, renewing, inspiring and saving of our souls and bodies.

As the Household of God and the Body of Christ we are in the fishing boat, the Ark of the Lord, as it were on the high seas, and the Lord is with us to make sure that the boat does not sink, that the sea is calmed and that we arrive at our heavenly destination rejoicing in the Lord.

The Epistle points us to the Cross of Christ, in which alone we are to glory. The Gospel takes us into the Sermon on the Mount for instruction in the ways of the Kingdom of God” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/fifteenth-sunday-after-trinity).

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity (and Feast of St. Matthew) - 2014

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.105-112

Lucerna pedibus meis

105. THY word is a lantern unto my feet : and a light unto my paths.

106. I have sworn, and am stedfastly purposed : to keep thy righteous judgements.

107. I am troubled above measure : quicken me, O Lord, according to thy word.

108. Let the free-will offerings of my mouth please thee, O Lord : and teach me thy judgements.

109. My soul is always in my hand : yet do I not forget thy law.

110. The ungodly have laid a snare for me : but yet I swerved not from thy commandments.

111. Thy testimonies have I claimed as mine heritage for ever : and why? they are the very joy of my heart.

112. I have applied my heart to fulfil thy statutes alway : even unto the end.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Micah 6.1-8

Psalter: Psalm 84, 85 | 74

Epistle Reading: Galatians 5.16-24

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 17.11-19

Toon: “Here the assembled people of God make two large requests of their heavenly Father. First of all, presuming that they have, at least in small measure, the basic Christian virtues in their souls, they pray for the increase of them, of their quality and scope. Give unto us the increase of faith, hope and charity. In the second place, because they long to receive what God has promised to his faithful people, both now and in the age to come, they ask that especially the virtue of love/charity [caritas, agape] grows in them so that they begin truly to love each day and with consistency what God commands.

It has been said that the theological virtues of faith, hope and love/charity are the right relation of the reason, the imagination, and the will, to the spiritual world presented in divine Revelation and called things invisible in the Nicene Creed. Faith is in the convictions of the understanding; Hope pictures the promised future by an exercise of the imagination, and Love is a preference for the true good and seated in the will.

Faith, hope and charity/love also have a certain correspondence to past, present and future. In large part Faith looks back to the revelation of God in word and in deed, and especially in the Incarnate Son, recorded in Holy Scripture and witnessed by tradition. But faith propels us into the future for it is the substance of things hoped for, the things God has promised in, through and with Christ. So faith is joined to Hope in and by which we truly look forward in humble confidence to the fulfilment of God’s purposes and will for us and for the universe. But we do not live merely in memories of the past and anticipations of the future, there is Love. We are to love our neighbour as ourselves, to love on another as Christ loved us, and to fulfil all the commands of the law by loving God and man.

Faith is well illustrated and presented in the Gospel for this week and in the Epistle the virtues as fruit of the indwelling Spirit are contrasted with the works of the flesh.

These extensive and profound requests can & should be made because they are address to the Almighty and the Everlasting GOD and furthermore they rise to Him in the Name and Person of the High Priest and Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/fourteenth-sunday-after-trinity)!

For the Feast of Saint Matthew, see here: http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/matthew.html

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Quomodo dilexi!

Psalm 119.97-104

97. LORD, what love have I unto thy law : all the day long is my study in it.

98. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies : for they are ever with me.

99. I have more understanding than my teachers : for thy testimonies are my study.

100. I am wiser than the aged : because I keep thy commandments.

101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way : that I may keep thy word.

102. I have not shrunk from thy judgements : for thou teachest me.

103. O how sweet are thy words unto my throat : yea, sweeter than honey unto my mouth.

104. Through thy commandments I get understanding : therefore I hate all evil ways.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service ; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

***Here is the 1549: “ALMYGHTIE and mercyfull God, of whose onely gifte it cometh that thy faythfull people doe unto thee true and laudable service; graunte we beseche thee, that we may so runne to thy heavenly promises, that we faile not finally to attayne the same; through Jesus Christe our Lorde.”

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 24.10-22

Psalter: Psalm 81, 82 | 73

Epistle Reading: Galatians 3.16-22

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 10.23-37

Toon: “This is most certainly a prayer that assumes that human beings are made in the image of God to be his servants not only in this life but in the age to come. They are creatures who by God’s mercy look forward to a rich, full and everlasting life in the kingdom of God, where their service of the Lord will be richer and fuller and progress from glory to glory. However, in this prayer is also the biblical assumption that the fullness and quality of the life to be enjoyed in the age to come is related to the type of life that is lived in this evil age.

The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is addressed as the Almighty (the Sovereign, All-powerful) and as merciful (showing pity and love to the undeserving). Then, in bowing before his presence (by the device grammatically of the relative clause) his people remember that their vocation in this world, as Christians in the Household of God, is that they serve God fruitfully even as they daily pray, Thy will be done. Also they remember that their right serving of their God and Father is dependent upon his gift to them of grace, mercy, wisdom and strength. The little word only emphasises that they are wholly dependent on God’s help to serve him aright.

If the vocation of the creature is to serve the Creator, who is the Father and the Judge, in the name and merits of Christ Jesus, then it is most appropriate for the people of God to ask for spiritual strength to offer this service daily in the right mind and attitude and with appropriate fervour and consecration. Grant, we beseech thee, is an emphatic way of showing total dependence and asking for total help with the intention of offering complete service.

The end of man is to enjoy and glorify God for ever. The Gospels and Epistles place before Christian believers an array of promises of eternal life with rewards for those who, in this world and life, faithfully serve the Lord and their fellow men. Implied in the words of petition is a warning that we may fail to attain to the enjoyment of the content of the promises of heavenly bliss.

This prayer is offered not only through the one Mediator, Jesus Christ, but specifically through the merits of the same Lord, for the attainment of the promises is only possible by what he has done for us and for our salvation.

From the Epistle we learn of the centrality of Christ in the purposes of God and that it is in, with and through him that we have a right relation with the Father through the Holy Ghost.

From the Gospel we learn that loving God also requires the loving of the neighbour and who in reality and fact the neighbour is” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/thirteenth-sunday-after-trinity).

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity - 2014

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.89-96

In aeternum. Domine

89. O LORD, thy word : endureth for ever in heaven.

90. Thy truth also remaineth from one generation to another : thou hast laid the foundation of the earth, and it abideth.

91. They continue this day according to thine ordinance : for all things serve thee.

92. If my delight had not been in thy law : I should have perished in my trouble.

93. I will never forget thy commandments : for with them thou hast quickened me.

94. I am thine, O save me : for I have sought thy commandments.

95. The ungodly laid wait for me to destroy me : but I will consider thy testimonies.

96. I see that all things come to an end : but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire, or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 29.18-24

Psalter: Psalm 76, 77 | 71, 72

Epistle Reading: 2 Corinthians 3.1-9

Gospel Reading: St. Mark 7.31-37

Toon: “Here we address the Lord our God on the basis of two convictions concerning him, convictions whose content we have learned from Holy Scripture from the Parable of the Prodigal Son, for example (Luke 15:20).

First of all, we speak to God knowing that in his infinite compassion and mercy he is always more ready and prepared to hear our prayers and than we are to engage in prayer, petition, supplication and intercession to him. This conviction serves to make us humble and confident.

Then, secondly, we speak to God knowing that he is wont (accustomed in his normal relation to sinners) to be much more generous to those who make supplication to him than they can possibly put into words or deserve. For they ask out of the human context of sin and finitude and God hears in the divine context of grace and infinite knowledge.

Thus, knowing God’s character, we are bold in our petitions asking that He pours down upon us, out of the abundance of the sea of his mercy, two gifts of his grace. First, we ask for forgiveness for all our sins, especially those concerning which we are especially embarrassed and fearful; and secondly we ask for those further gifts which are needed to perfect our Christian lives, making us worthy servants of such a gracious Master. What these gifts are for each and every one of us we leave to God’s wisdom, as we surely ask that they be given unto us as truly good things.

We make sure to offer all our prayer in the Name of and by the Merits of and through the Mediatorship of the Lord Jesus Christ. For in him and with him and through him we are heard by the Father in heaven as we ask in faith. As the Epistle declares Christians belong to a new era, a new epoch, a new covenant and a new relation with God who is their all-sufficiency. And as the Gospel make clear, Jesus hath done all things [for us and for our salvation] well” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/twelfth-sunday-after-trinity).