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

Acts xii. 1   &   St. Matthew xvi. 13 & Homily

Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God

   

Onward, Christian Soldiers

I commend the November-December issue of the Mandate.

 

The first article suggests two prayers for those who have troops in combat, and a comparison of the 1928 BCP and the revised "Prayer Book" of 1979. I'll place these prayers on our Order's Prayer page directly.

 

http://www.episcopalian.org/pbs1928/Mandate/Mandate_1-4_NovDec.pdf

 

The second article Onward, Christian Soldiers by the Rev. Dr. Tarsitano, is a good one.  He writes:

 

For orthodox Christians, then, peace is not an achievable

human goal, but a divine gift of grace, to be perfected at the

Second Coming, when all the distractions of sin (and the

human weakness that gives them power over us) will be done

away (cf. Romans 8). Under such a definition, moreover, “an

absence of war” is not necessarily peace at all. A failure by

nations to fight when the weak and the helpless are harmed is actually war against God, who is Justice, Mercy, and Love.

 

and a little later

 

A Christian soldier, then, is a subordinate minister of God,

deriving his authority to make war from the divine

appointment of his superiors. In terms of his derived authority

to act, he is little different from the Christian priest. The

members of the ministerial priesthood receive their authority

to minister to the spiritual needs of God’s people from God the

Father, through Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Ghost,

and at the hands of their superiors in the ministry. The

Christian soldier receives his authority to bear arms in a just

cause from God the Father, through Jesus Christ, by the grace

of the Holy Ghost, and by the appointment of those earthly

governors that God has made his ministers for the restraint

of evil.

 

___________ Aside______________________

 

In visiting a sermon site today I found that Dr. Tarsitano died in January 2005. However, one can still find his sermons through the St. Andrew's Church, Savanah. His sermons match the collects and lessons we use in the Order. We have a link on our site.

http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=77314&ck=

 

By the way, concerning the Sunday collects, The Right Rev Dr. Anthony Sparrow, writing in 1672, had this to say about most of the collects we use:

for we find by ancient testimony that they were composed or ordered, either by S. Ambrose, Gelasius, or Gregory the Great, those holy Bishops and Fathers of the Church

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/sparrow/rationale/collects.html

(thanks PV)

 

One of our centurions has an excellent resource on the history of the collects which I hope to use in the future for our reflection each Sunday... and as they were intended... throughout the week.

 

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity

 The Fifth Sunday after Trinity

See announcements below

GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ecclesiastes ii. 1, Psalm 62, 1 St. Peter iii. 8   &   St. Luke v. 1 & Homily
http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/trinity5.html

Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men
Announcements for the week beginning 26 June 05

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

Feasts and Fasts

St. Peter -- June 29th

Nativity of Saint John Baptist [24 June]

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.

Isaiah xl. 1   &   St. Luke i. 57 & Homily

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

In some traditions the ancient Creed of Anthanasius would have been said at morning prayer this Feast Day http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/anthanasius.html

We in the Red River Cohort meet this Feast day to execute the Articles of Incorporation of Saint John Baptist - Anglican, and to celebrate its dedication. Please pray for this outreach ministry.

Thought: In thinking about John Baptist as a prophetical preacher who exposed the errors of his day, and was anything but politically correct, I share this article with you on what many of us consider one of  the greatest threats to orthodox Christianity since the heretical movements of the early church... and sadly much of it today comes from within the formal structures of the "Western" church and is bred in seminaries. May we have the clarity of vision and courage of John Baptist to spot the viper and call him by his name.

The Spirit of the Age and the Reality of the Risen Christ http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/98/041298.html

A thought:

This struggle against emerging heresies of post-modern thought of Christianity that reveals itself in many ways reminds me of the mural of Christ Militant in our Internet Chapel of the Centurions, standing upon the adder and the lion, representing the Arian heretical movement that the Church fought against - while Christ holds open the Gospel with the passage: "I am the way the truth and the life" Jn 14:6. Is this mural not also applicable to us today as we face arising heresies within the Church? As the author of the article discusses, the first heresy is that of relativism...  sort of "my truth, your truth, a million truths...mentality". Jesus is THE truth, not a truth - he said so - so let us talk about our Lord's truth and endeavor to understand it. Secondly is the teaching that Jesus is just one of many ways to the Father.... again, what did he say, "no man cometh unto the Father except by me " Jn:14:16  - the rest of the verse he holds his hand. Let us work as centurions to follow the image of Christ Militant in the mural, and trample the Lion and Adder under foot (Psalm 91:13) through a ready response to these errors, to help those who are confused and confounded by these heresies. I was reminded again by a dear centurion of one resource that he highly recommends for orthodox thought that crosses denominational lines: First Things. Another I have found helpful is Orthodoxy Today.  Equip yourselves so that you might be as John Baptist, a voice crying in the wilderness, and through the types of activities mentioned in Today's Collect, prepare yourself and fight for Christ and the Church.

Happy Feast Day ! 
Marcus
primus pilus

Centurion at Capernaum 20 June

Today the Order remembers the Centurion at Capernaum.

 

 

O Lord, whose servant the Centurion of Capernaum displayed such faith as your Son had not seen in all Israel; inspire us through your Holy Spirit to such faith; through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Here is an interesting study if you haven't seen it already from our History Page links

http://www.thedericksons.com/m01550.htm The Odd Couple, Jesus and the Centurion.

 

Luke 7 1-9

Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

 

Mt 8:10

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

 

Fourth Sunday after Trinity

 Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Announcements Below

O GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Can the blind lead the blind?

Lamentations iii. 22, Psalm 91, Romans viii. 18   &   St. Luke vi. 36 & Homily
http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/trinity4.html#readings

 

Announcements for the week beginning 19 June 05
Feasts and Fasts
Centurion at Capernaum - June 20th

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

Boniface, Common Legionary ca 417

Today the Order remembers a common soldier, Boniface. As far as I know, he did nothing remarkable. He was a mere Christian legionary of the Roman Army who apparently struggled with concerns about his service to God and country. We know of him through a letter that has been preserved through the ages that was meant to reassure and encourage him.

 To the Order of Centurions Boniface represents every Christian military person whose name is never remembered, but whose name is written in the Book of Life – one of the least of His.

 In US Army tradition, Boniface is like who we called, “Joe Tentpeg”  In dining-ins we always used to salute and toast Joe Tentpeg, representative of the faceless private soldier who quietly endured hardships and did his duty. We knew that he was the main reason for our being as leaders. Today, likewise, the Order of Centurion recognizes Boniface as a symbol of the millions of unnamed Christian soldiers around the world, throughout the ages, who now serve or have served Christ First, as well as their nation.

 ST. AUGUSTINE TO THE SOLDIER BONIFACE

Do not think that no one can please God who is a soldier in military arms. Holy David was among these, to whom the Lord gave such great witness [cf. 1 Kings 14. 7, where God says David, "followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes"] and many just men of that time among them. Among these was Cornelius [Acts 10] to whom the angel was sent.... Among these were those who came to John for baptism.... Surely he did not forbid them to serve in arms, to whom he ordered to be content with their pay.... . Some therefore fight for you by praying against invisible enemies; you work for them by fighting against visible barbarians.... So think first of this, when you arm yourself for battle, that even your bodily strength is a gift of God.... (c. AD 417 St. Augustine to Boniface, a Soldier Epistle 189, Paragraph 60)
source http://www.catholicmil.org/

Augustine Sermon IX

Ye then who have found a Father in heaven, be loth to cleave to the things of earth. For ye are about to say, "Our Father, which art in heaven." You have begun to belong to a great family. Under this Father the lord and the slave are brethren; under this Father the general and the common soldier are brethren; under this Father the rich man and the poor are brethren. All Christian believers have divers fathers in earth, some noble, some obscure; but they all call upon one Father which is in heaven.

 

 

Third Sunday after Trinity

Third Sunday after Trinity

See announcements below

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jeremiah xxxi. 1, Psalm cxlv , 1 St. Peter v. 5 & St. Luke xv. 1 & Homily

Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Announcements for the week beginning 12 June 05

Feasts and Fasts

Boniface, Legionary - June 15th

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

Barnabas - Apostle 11 June

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

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

Ferdinand - Prince of Portugal, Knight, Religious, 5 June, 1443 [transferred]

Centurions: I commend this site on the remarkable life of Ferdinand and service to country and God, and his faithfulness to God and his devotion, even unto death, as a prisoner of war: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06039c.htm

 

O God, by whose grace thy servant Ferdinand, enkindled with the
flame of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy
Church:  Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit
of love and discipline, and may ever walk before thee as
children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with
thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one
God, now and for ever. Amen

 

 

The Second Sunday after Trinity

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.

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

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 5 June 05
NEW- Litany for Centurions

Feasts and Fasts
Ferdinand of Portugal, Knight, Crusader, Prince - June 6th [transferred]
Saint Barnabas the Apostle -- June 11th

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

BIDDINGS

We bid your prayers for

• Centurions in harms way,
• for the Marine that our preafectus castrorum told us of with the head injugy,
• for those preparing for deployment or special training,
• for Peace in the Mideast

Please notice the link to a new Centurion's Litany that we commend for your use when praying for Centurions by name. The link is right after the name of centurions for this week.