The Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

News of the Order and commentary appear after the Proper Collect, Epistle and Gospel

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity

O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect Source: Sacrementary of Gelasius, Bishop of Rome [ca 494AD]. Inspired by 1 Corinthians ii. 9. (from Isaiah lxiv. 4)

Isaiah xxxi. 32, Psalms 28, 29 | 30, 31 , Romans vi. 3   & St. Matthew v. 20

Homily of Augustine on Psalm XXVIII

Recompense them after the work of their hands;
pay them that they have deserved. For they regard not in their mind the works of the LORD

---

 

 

BULLETIN

 

calendar

Peter the Apostle -- June 29th

 

quotation

 

If we would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from Heaven. For he who giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready to succor those at fight manfully, and do trust in his grace.

 

 [Thomas a Kempis]

 

 commentary

Recompense them after the work of their hands

 

Augustine expounds on Psalm xxviii in today's homily.  He speaks of David's prayer for justice against those who do evil.

 

 "Give unto them according to their works". Give unto them according to their works, for this is just. "And according to the malice of their affections."  For aiming at evil, they cannot discover good. "According to the works of their hands give Thou unto them." Although what they have done may avail for salvation to others, yet give Thou unto them according to the works of their wills. "Pay them their recompense." Because, for the truth which they heard, they wished to recompense deceit; let their own deceit deceive them.

 

We find the same warning in our Old Testament reading from Isaiah xxxiii. 1, where it is written:

 

Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

 

What did our Lord say? In Matthew he is quoted:

 

Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

 

And he follows with the remedy:

 

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls sinners to repent and through faith to reform and turn to God.  A church that fails to echo this call to righteousness is no Church of Christ, but is rather a Synagogue of Satan.

 

What can we learn from today's psalm, an the quotation of Thomas a Kempis? We have a battle at hand; it is against the Prince of this World and his minions. How can we fail if God be with us? We know God shall recompense the wicked.

 

Α☧Ω
Order of Centurions

 

Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

News of the Order and commentary appear after the Proper Collect, Epistle and Gospel

 

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Augustine on Psalm XXI

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.

Sacramentary of Leo and Gregory. They faced Goths, Huns and Vandals

2nd Samuel xii  Psalm 21, 23 | 26, 27 , 1 St. Peter iii. 8   &  St. Luke v. 1

Homily of Augustine on Psalm XXI

For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness:
thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

---

 BULLETIN

 

calendar

 

Centurion at Capernaum - June 22nd

Nativity of John Baptist -- June 24th

membership

 

We remember the membership anniversary of these saints of the Order

 

Edward of Queensland, Australia

JPR of the United Kingdom

Brian of Oxford, England

 

Almighty God, we entrust these centurions who are dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come; knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we an desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

Please hold all centurions in your prayers this week. You may like to use this

 Centurion's Daily Litany

 

quotation

 

'What blows do athletes receive in their face, what blows all over their body. Yet they bear all the torture from thirst of glory. Let us also overcome all things, for our reward is not a crown or a palm branch or the trumpeter proclaiming silence for the announcement of our name, but virtue and strength of mind and peace acquired ever after'

 

 [Seneca, as quoted by J.B. Lightfoot in Dissertation on the Apostolic Age]

 

news

I commend this document to those of the Order who are orthodox Anglicans.   The Way, The Truth and the Life 

 

bidding prayer

 

For the orthodox Anglican Conference in Jerusalem which convenes this day, the Fifth Sunday after Trinity

 

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who by thy Holy Spirit didst preside in the Council of the blessed Apostles, and hast promised, through thy Son Jesus Christ, to be with thy Church to the end of the world; We beseech thee to be with the Council of thy Church in Jerusalem assembled in thy Name and Presence. Save them from all error, ignorance, pride, and prejudice; and of thy great mercy vouchsafe, we beseech thee, so to direct, sanctify, and govern them in their work, by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, that the comfortable Gospel of Christ may be truly preached, truly received, and truly followed, in all places, to the breaking down the kingdom of sin, Satan, and death; till at length the whole of thy dispersed sheep, being gathered into one fold, shall become partakers of everlasting life; through the merits and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

 

commentary

 

Although one will not find a date on traditional church calendars to commemorate the Centurion of Caparneum, we have chosen to do so in the Order, remembering that Centurion whose faith was lauded by our Lord and has been by the Church ever since. Surly he will stand with all the saints on that last great day crowned in the glory of Eternal Bliss.

 

For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness:

thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

 

Augustine explains Psalm xxi in today's homily. He speaks liberally of the verses that point to Christ, and yet, they also record David's life, as this is a "Psalm of David" Of the above verse Augustine writes:

 

 "For Thou hast presented Him with the blessings of sweetness"  Because He had first quaffed the blessing of Thy sweetness, the gall of our sins did not hurt Him. "Diapsalma. Thou hast set a crown of precious stone on His Head."  At the beginning of His discoursing precious stones were brought, and compassed Him about; His disciples, from whom the commencement of His preaching should be made.

 

The Hebrew word from which the KJV translators derived "prevented" is "Qadam". It is translated in Strong's as "to meet, come, or be in front, go before." We know from Scripture that God went before David; and on many occasions he specifically promised to do so. One finds in the 12^th Chapter of 2^nd Samuel (chosen for the OT lesson to accompany this psalm on the link above) the story of David being crowed with the booty from the defeat of Rabbah of the Amorites. This occurred shortly after God had stricken David and had taken his firstborn of Bathsheba, the consequence of the double sin of adultery and murder. God restored the contrite and penitent David and loved his son Solomon. I suspect David wrote of this event in this very verse of Psalm 21.

 

God disciplines his children because he loves them and is their Father, but he does not cast them away. God is faithful. He reads the heart of man and knows the contrite heart from the feint. He restores the penitent to the full state of grace, and continues to precede his elect with grace and blessings according to his sovereign will. As Seneca pointed out in our quotation today, and like David, and the Son of David, we may look forward to the day when God will crown us with the great prize that has no equal: Peace in Life Everlasting.

 

Α☧Ω
Order of Centurions

 

Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

News of the Order and commentary appear after the Proper Collect, Epistle and Gospel

 

Fourth Sunday after Trinity

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.

Collect Source: Sacramentary of Bishop Gregory of Rome [ca 600AD].

Lamentations iii. 22, Psalms 19, 20 | 24, 25 ; Romans viii. 18   &  St. Luke vi. 36

Homily of Augustine on Psalm XIX

 

---

BULLETIN

 

calendar

 

Boniface, Legionary - June 15th

Alban, Centurion, First Martyr of England - June 20th

quotation

 

When the Lord says, "unless you have eaten the flesh of the Son of Man and drunk His blood, you will not have life in you", you ought so to be partakers at the Holy Table as to have no doubt whatever concerning the reality of Christ's Body and Blood; for that is taken in the mouth which is believed in faith and it is vain for them to respond "Amen" who dispute that which is taken.

 

 [LEO, BISHOP OF ROME]

 

commentary

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be

acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

 

In today's ancient Homily, Augustine writes of the last verse of Psalm XIX,

 

"And the words of my mouth shall be pleasing, and the meditation of my heart is always in Thy sight" (ver. 14). The meditation of my heart is not after the vain glory of pleasing men, for now there is pride no more, but in Thy sight alway, who regardest a pure conscience. "O Lord, my Helper, and my Redeemer" [566] (ver. 15). O Lord, my Helper, in my approach to Thee; for Thou art my Redeemer, that I might set out unto Thee: lest any attributing to his own wisdom his conversion to Thee, or to his own strength his attaining to Thee, should be rather driven back by Thee, who resistest the proud; for he is not cleansed from the great offence, nor pleasing in Thy sight, who redeemest us that we may be converted, and helpest us that we may attain unto Thee.

 

 

Α☧Ω
Order of Centurions

 

 

Third Sunday after Trinity

 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

News of the Order and commentary appear after the Proper Collect, Epistle and Gospel

 

Third Sunday after Trinity

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; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect Source: Sacramentary of Gregory [ca 600AD]. In a 1662 revision the last phrase was added and comforted in all dangers and adversities

1st Samuel xxiv, Psalm xvi, xvii | xviii , 1 St. Peter v. 5   &  St. Luke xv. 1.

Homily of Augustine on Psalm XVIII

Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.

---

 

 

BULLETIN

 

calendar

 

Barnabas the Apostle -- June 11th 

 

quotation

 

But the marvel with the Psalter is that, barring those prophecies about the Savior and some about the Gentiles, the reader takes all its words upon his lips as though they were his own, written for his special benefit, and takes them and recites them, not as though someone else were speaking or another person's feelings being described, but as himself speaking of himself, offering the words to God as his own heart's utterance, just as though he himself had made them up.

 

 [ Praying the Psalms - Letter of Athanasius to Marcellinus ]

 

news

Resource. Chrysostom Homilies on the Old Testament in three volumes. Possible source http://store.holycrossbookstore.com/1885652674.html

 

Book Review: St. John Chrysostom, Old Testament Homilies, Volume One: Homilies on Hannah, David and Saul; St. John Chrysostom, Old Testament Homilies, Volume Two: Homilies on Isaiah and Jeremiah; St. John Chrysostom, Old Testament Homilies, Volume Three: Homilies on the Obscurity of the Old Testament – Homilies on the Psalms; St. John Chrysostom, Eight Sermons on the Book of Genesis; St. John Chrysostom, Spiritual Gems from the Book of Psalms; Reading the Old Testament in Antioch

Uwe Michael Lang http://itq.sagepub.com/cgi/content/citation/71/1-2/190

 

 

commentary

 

In today's homily Augustine examines Psalm XII . It is a psalm that David sang in praise and thanksgiving for his deliverance from his enemies, including King Saul. Above in the artwork, and at the lessons, we remember the story of how Saul was delivered into the hand of David, but rather than slay Saul, David cut the hem of his robe, as proof that God had provided the opportunity to take his revenge. God said, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. What seemed good was to refrain from killing God's anointed, and to wait on the Lord to judge and to vindicate.  David remained on the defensive, trusting in God's promise.

 

Augustine sees this psalm and the stories behind it as a "type" for Christ, and his suffering at the hands of the Chief Priests and other parties that schemed to eliminate him and his disciples. He wrote

 

On the day when the Lord delivered him out of the hands of his enemies and of the hand of Saul:" namely, the king of the Jews, whom they had demanded for themselves

 

It is a good type I think, and certainly this psalm and others like it were sung by our Lord with an understanding that they pointed to him as the Christ – the suffering servant, who would be vindicated by his Father. Wait on the Lord and his defense, as today' collect asks, is something we all might strive to do in dealing with enemies, and let the Lord work his righteousness.

 

If you would like to learn more about Christ the Messiah in the Old Testament and how scripture points to him, I highly recommend the book:

Messianic Revelation in the Old Testament by Dr. Gerard Van Groningen available from Covenant Seminary. You may audit Dr. Van Groningen's moving seminary course, Biblical Theology, for  free at this site.  http://www.covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/en/OT215/OT215.asp

 

I assure you his work is Rock Solid. We keep a link to all the Covenant Course on the Centurion Seminary so that you may go there at any time

 

 

 

Α☧Ω
Order of Centurions

 

 

-