The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

O GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Sacrementary of Bishop Gregory of Rome [600 AD]. This is based on the collect for the Ember Saturday in Lent. Gregory lived in a very troubled time for the Roman Empire as is indicated in this collect and aligned with the Gospel appointed for that day, Matt 8-23-27, the storm upon the sea, when the boat was so tossed that they disciples could not stand upright.

Romans xiii. 1   &   St. Matthew viii. 1

Homilies featuring Chrysostom on the Gospel

 

 

Announcements for the week beginning 29 Jan 06

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


Feasts, Memorials, and Fasts

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

The Presentation of CHRIST in the Temple
commonly called
The Purification of Mary the Virgin
-- February 2nd

Chaplains of the USAT Dorchester February 3rd

Cornelius, Centurion at Caesarea, Bishop - February 4th

BIDDINGS

Centurions in harms way
Peace in the Mideast

 

--
IN HOC SIGNO VINCES - TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
               www.OrderofCenturions.org

English Choral Evensong

I commend the BBC Choral Evensong. See and hear it here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/choralevensong/

 

This week, the 25th of January, Evensong for the Conversion of Saint Paul is recorded from Birmingham Cathedral.

 

A delight.... you will need Real Player installed to hear this.

 

From the choral page click on the radio player button in the top right hand corner. Wait a moment and if you have RealPlayer installed with a plugin on your internet browser, you should start receiving the current broadcast. Click on the hyperlink that says Choral Evensong under Most Popular Shows and it should swithch you to the recorded evensong.

 

Enjoy!

Evensong - Minnesota Compline

I commend the Minnesota Compline Choir at this site for a weekly (or so) Choral Evening Prayer. This site will take you to a listen page where the different episodes are  shown, several a month, normally produced on Sunday. 

http://www.minnesotacompline.org/page/pageShow.html?Listen

 

You will see an order of worship link that you can see some of the versicles and responses that will be helpful.

 

Enjoy

 

 

Conversion of Saint Paul [25 Jan]

O GOD, who, through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world; Grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same, by following the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jeremiah i. 4,   Psalm 67,   Acts ix. 1   &  St. Matthew xix. 27
Homilies featuring John Crysostom on Acts

Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Sarum Missal. Orginally related to the epistle appointed for this Sunday of Matthew 8:1-13 where Jesus put forth his hand

Is 41:8,   Ps 104,   Romans xii. 16   &   St. John ii. 1
Homilies

but thou hast kept the good wine until now

Announcements for the week beginning 22 Jan 06


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


Feasts, Memorials, and Fasts

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

The Conversion of Paul -- January 25th

Maximinus, Legionary of the Imperial Guard Antioch, Martyr - January 26th

BIDDINGS


Centurions in harms way
Peace in the Mideast

--
IN HOC SIGNO VINCES - TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
               www.OrderofCenturions.org

Suicide - Supreme Court Upholds

Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Suicide Law

 

 

 

Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.[1 Sam 31:4-5]

 

see Article http://makeashorterlink.com/?V6CB36B7C

 

Suicide = Self Murder - Thou shalt do no murder

 

For thought and discussion.

 

Jews and Christians have traditionally considered suicide to be a sin, and for those who count such, a mortal sin.

 

The Bible doesn't use the word suicide - but does speak of murder as we have seen above. Stories of it include Judas who hung himself, Saul, who fell on his sword, Abimelech who didn't wish to die by a woman's hand, and Sampson who took a house full of the enemy with him.

 

Several early church councils had disciplinary canons about it.

 

A bit later we have Augustine

The law, rightly interpreted, even prohibits suicide, where it says ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ This is proved especially by the omission of the word ‘thy neighbor’, which are inserted when false witness is forbidden in the commandment there is no limitation added nor exception made in favor of any one, and least of all in favor of him on whom the command is laid! (Augustine, book I, chapter 20)

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/suicide/#2.2

Finally, a look at the Roman and Greek thought on suicide: The Cynic and Epicurean schools accepted it to avoid dishonor, grief, or service; but otherwise it was seen as dishonorable. Roman law prohibited it in some circumstances: for example soldiers and slaves.

 

Closely connected to the issue of physician-assited suicide in the ancient world is the Hippocratic Oath, the first samples have in the first Century Roman Empire:

 

I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly, I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.

http://www.phrusa.org/research/methics/methicsoath.html

 

msc

 

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
The Baptism is recognized on Jan 6 in the Orthodox Church - The Theophany

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth; Mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Archbishop Cranmer translated this from Latin. Originally a prayer for outward peace, now for inner peace

coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Isaiah 45:1,   Psalm 118,   Romans xii. 6   &   St. Mark i. 1

Announcements for the week beginning 15 Jan 06

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


Feasts, Memorials, and Fasts

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

Sebastian, Centurion, Martyr - January 20th [Diocletian's Purge]

--
IN HOC SIGNO VINCES - TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
               www.OrderofCenturions.org

Nativity of Jesus Christ - Nativity of John Baptist

The Baptist said of Jesus: He must increase and I must decrease. So the early church placed the feast of Jesus' birth on the shortest day of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere), and that of John the Baptist on the longest day. Now in January we have passed the solstice. Though it will be weeks before we notice the difference, the days are stretching. But daylight is still subdued, and we may feel something of a "morning-after" in the wake of Christmas. As the infant Jesus was growing, Mary and Joseph allowed themselves to dream of the future. Can I dream of the year ahead, and find something to aim at in these twelve months? What new skill will I have learned to keep me young? Who needs me? What fresh start can I make?

[Sacred Space ... link available on the Chapel of Centurions]

 

The Epiphany is a season when we remember the events of the life of our Lord up to his baptism, and his very special association with his elder cousin, John Baptist...

 

 

Ancient Hymn - Earth has Many a Noble City

Here is an acient hynm of the early church that a fellow centurion selected for us in Church this morning on the First Sunday after the Epiphany

Words by Prudentius (348-413). The music we used is on this site http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/e/e004.html

Earth has many a noble city

---

Earth has many a noble city;
Bethlehem, thou dost all excel:
out of thee the Lord from heaven
came to rule his Israel.

Fairer than the sun at morning
was the star that told his birth,
to the world its God announcing
seen in fleshly form on earth.

Eastern sages at his cradle
make oblations rich and rare;
see them give, in deep devotion,
gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Sacred gifts of mystic meaning:
incense doth their God disclose,
gold the King of kings proclaimeth,
myrrh his sepulcher foreshows.

Jesus, whom the Gentiles worshiped
at thy glad epiphany,
unto thee, with God the Father
and the Spirit, glory be.

---

Words: Prudentius (348-413);
trans. Edward Caswall, 1849

Music: Stuttgart

Meter: 87 87

--
IN HOC SIGNO VINCES - TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
               www.OrderofCenturions.org

 

First Sunday after the Epiphany

See announcements below

The First Sunday after the Epiphany

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source Sacramentary of Bishop Gregory of Rome [600 AD]. It is based on James 4:17, John 13:17, and Luke 12:47 -[Barbee and Zahl] = DO WHAT IS RIGHT!

Isaiah lx. 1, Psalm 72 Romans xii. 1 & St. Luke ii. 41
Homilies

all that heard him were astonished at his understanding
Announcements for the week beginning 8 Jan 06

Feasts, Memorials, and Fasts

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

Typasius, Legionary of Tigava, Martyr - January 11th

BIDDINGS

Please pray for
Centurions in harms way
Peace in the Mideast