Whit Monday MMXII

 O God, who didst give thy Holy Spirit to thine Apostles: grant unto thy people the performance of their petitions, so that on us to whom thou hast given faith, thou mayest also bestow peace; through our Lord in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God. 

Latin:

Deus, qui apostolis tuis Sanctum dedisti Spiritum: concede plebi tuae petitionis effectum; ut quibus dedisti fidem, largiaris et pacem.  Per Dominum...in unitate eiusdem Spiritus Sancti, Deus

Gelasian Sacramentally 

Introit: The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: Halleluah.

Ps: Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered ... 

Epistle: Acts 10: 42-48.  And he commanded us to preach unto the people. 

Gradual: Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created ...

Gospel:  John 3: 16-21. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son

http://www.archive.org/stream/commonserviceb00unknuoft#page/n95/mode/2up

 Feria secunda - A second holy day of rest. The weekdays in an octave following a high holy feast like Pentecost were and are known by the Latin "Feriae"  this observation was for the Octave that is the week following or eight-day celebration. Whit Monday is a remnant of that practice  -- although in many traditions the octave are still kept with the collect appointed for the feast. 

"O God, who didst give thy Holy Spirit to thine Apostles: grant unto thy people the performance of their petitions, "

The collect recalls the wonderful work in bestowing the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and so closely ties this collect to the feast. It goes on to ask God to work out their petitions.  From yesterday's collect we have a request that we may have a right judgement in all things and the comfort of the Holy Ghost always. 

"So that on us to whom thou hast given faith, thou mayest also bestow peace "

Today we ask for Peace.   Note too that  another attribute is asserted. It is the sovereign God who gives his elect faith and not the man who generates faith within himself.  In the homily I suggested for yesterday, Augustine gives a good treatment to this catholic doctrine (see also Romans 12:3). Yet the man ought to pray to God always for a strengthening of his faith and must step out in faith in response to God's call. 

Today's epistle is a favorite of centurions as it recalls Peter's visit to Cornelius and God's gift of the Holy Ghost on that day. The gospel reminds us of the reason: God's great love to reconcile his elect to himself through his Son -- and none other. 

"through our Lord in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God."

Today's Latin shows a full Trinitarian closing  The tranlation here is literal.  This was so no doubt to emphasize the importance and witness of God acting in unity in this great Pentecost event. In the Suday coming we specifically recognize the Trinity.

An homily of Chrysostom on the gospel

http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/whitsun_monday.html#homily

Finis

(Portions were paraphrased and passages cited from The Collect of the Day, by Paul Zeller Strodach, 1939, The United Lutheran Press, Philadelphia)  http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/r/strodach_pz.htm

 

The Ancient Collect: Its history and form

http://orderofcenturions.org/collect-form.html

-- 

Memorial Day Collect

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

Whitsunday MMXII

 O God, who on this day didst instruct the hearts of thy faithful by the light of thy Holy Spirit: grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and to rejoice in his comfort always,  through the Lord

Latin:

Deus, qui hodierna die corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de eius semper consolatione gaudere, per Dominum. 

Gelasian Sacramentary 

Introit: The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: Halleluah.

Ps: Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered ... 

Epistle: Acts 2: 1-13. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come...

Gradual: Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created ...

Gospel:  John 14: 23-31. ... if a man love me he will keep my words

http://www.archive.org/stream/commonserviceb00unknuoft#page/n93/mode/2up

 The day is called Whitsun-day in the English and is also known as Pentecost from Greek for the 50 days after the Passover when the Jews celebrated. In our Lord's day there was a remembrance of the gift of the Ten Commandments, which came  traditionally 50 days after the first Passover in Egypt. Notice how this collect reflects the Gospel. A few verses before the place where ours begins, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter" 

  I am always amazed by those who claim "Love trumps Truth" as to say that his commandments mean little; we are only to "love" and that is the essence of Jesus. They say that those who do not keep his words are to be fully included because "all we need is love". No!  The beginning of love is a fear of the Lord and the desire to keep his words -- the Commandments and the Summary of the Law.   So it is always appropriate that we too recount those Commandments - his word - on this special day.   The proof of our love for him is in our heart's true desire and our will to keep his word, and to recognize our sin when we fall short.  That is certainly the instruction of the Holy Ghost throughout scripture and the very words of our Savior.  I have no doubt that those 3,000 who received his gift that day were instructed in Truth , not perversion, and fortified to live by this teaching, and not to indulge in sin. This innovation of the post-modern church is a heresy and is the broad way that leads to Perdition 

 O God, who on this day didst instruct the hearts of thy faithful by the light of thy Holy Spirit: 

This prayer recounts one special day- Pentecost  In the first English translation this "day" was dropped and "time" substituted.  The Holy Ghost came to teach. To teach means to discipline. Those who are God's elect are the recipients of both his instruction and his discipline.  There cannot be one without the other. The Holy Ghost brings the Light of God as he abides with God's folk.  He is the spark of the new creation-the Light to a dark world, the fire that battles against the evil one. 

 grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and to rejoice in his comfort always,  through the Lord

Now we ask  in our day that the Father send to us that same Spirit that we also may be wise in the way of Salvation.  Note the word "true" modifies wise. There is a wisdom of this wold that leads to eternal death and one of God's true Wisdom that leads to eternal life. Grant this petition to the end that we may rejoice always in the gift of God in the presence of his  Comforter -- being always sure of his promise for his elect--eternal felicity in his presence. 

An homily of Augustine on John

http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/whitsunday_07.html

Finis

(Portions were paraphrased and passages cited from The Collect of the Day, by Paul Zeller Strodach, 1939, The United Lutheran Press, Philadelphia)  http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/r/strodach_pz.htm

 

The Ancient Collect: Its history and form

http://orderofcenturions.org/collect-form.html

-- 

The Sunday after the Ascension MMXII

Almighty and everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will towards thee, and to serve thy majesty with a pure heart; through...

Latin 

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, fac nos tibi semper et devotam gerere voluntatem; et maiestati tuae sincero corde servire, per...

Gelasian Sacrementary 

Introit: Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice

Ps: The Lord is my light and my salvation 

Epistle:  1st Peter 4:7-11. Be ye therefore sober...

Gradual:  Hallelujah. Hallelujah God reigneth over the heaven

Gospel:  John 15:26-16:4. But when the Comforter is come...

See it all here

http://www.archive.org/stream/commonserviceb00unknuoft#page/n93/mode/2up

In the Ascention Day collect we heard, "leave us not orphaned."  We remember that period now of ten days when it seemed the disciples were orphaned. Jesus had ascended to heaven and the promise of the Comforter was yet to be fulfilled. 

--Almighty and everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will towards thee

Peter wrote in todays epistle, "Be ye sober and watch unto prayer"  There come times in many a Christian's life when he feels comfortless and orphaned. It may come in a time of spiritual dryness, or some tribulation. We can hear in so many places where David sang songs of despair when he did not sense the presence of the LORD.   It is in these times when we ought to ask God to intercede with us and make our heats and wills to be devout toward him.  

 To serve thy majesty with a pure heart;

Many a Christian who has felt abandoned need look no further than his relationship with God when " in the troughs" so to speak. Sometimes the worries of this world seem to drag us down so that we put aside service to God which we desire and he expects. A pure heart is able to seve his Majesty in truth. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

For a homily this day I commend Leo on the Ascension

http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/ascension1_07.html

Finis

Portions were paraphrased and passages cited from The Collect of the Day, by Paul Zeller Strodach, 1939, The United Lutheran Press, Philadelphia)  http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/r/strodach_pz.htm

 

The Ancient Collect: Its history and form

http://orderofcenturions.org/collect-form.html

Ascension MMXII

The Ascension of our Lord

Grant, we beseech thee Almighty God that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have ascended this day into the heavens; so may we also in mind in heavenly places with him dwell:

O King of Glory, Lord of Hosts, who didst this day ascend in triumph far above all heavens: we beseech thee leave us not orphans, but send to us the Spirit of Truth promised of the Father. 

Latin

Concede quaesumus omnipotens Deus, ut qui hodierna die unigenitum tuum redemptorem nostrum ad coelos ascendisse credimus, ipsi quoque mente in coelestibus habitemus, per eumdem. 

Gelasian Sacramentary

O rex gloriae, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes coelos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos spiritum veritatis, allel.

Gregorian Liber Responsalis

The High Feast of the Ascension has two prayers this day. The first is a confession of faith: We Believe in the physical Ascension of our Lord as witnessed by his disciples and recorded in Acts.  We petition that we may in our minds dwell with him in those heavenly places. We "seek those things that are above where Christ sits".

The second collect is a festive proclamation of Christ's victory. It begins with majestic titles and then concludes with the petition that reflects the promise our Lord made to his disciples--that the Father would send them a Comforter, his Holy Spirit.

Finis

Mobilis

Rogate

Bless our land O Lord!


Via IPhone

Fifth Sunday after Easter MMXII

O God, from whom all good things to come: Grant to us humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those thinks that be right, and by thy merciful  guiding may perform the same; through


Latin:
Deus, a quo bono cuncta procedunt: largire supplicibus, ut cogitemus, te inspirante, quea recta sunt: et, te gubernante, eadem faciamus. Per.
Gelasian Sacramentary


Introit: With the voice of singing declare ye,
and tell this...Halleluah.
 Ps: Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands B
 Epistle: James 1:22-27.  But be ye doers of the word...
 Gradual: Hallelujah. Hallelujah. It behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead ...
 Gospel:  John 16:23-30. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
http://www.archive.org/stream/commonserviceb00unknuoft#page/n91/mode/2up

Rogate is the name of this Sunday, but it does not have to do with the Gradual. In 452, the Bishop of Vienna instituted days of pilgrimages into the countryside to ask God's blessings after a period of scourges had occurred. Therefore the old custom continues in the weekdays following this Sunday before Ascension Thursday as "Rogation Days"

-- O God, from whom all good things to come:

God is the source of good in this world from his creation and  in his continual sustainment.  Those who are reconciled to God enjoy the peace of working in his good order.

 -- Grant to us  humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration

Without God on our side or perhaps better stated, we on God's side, all our works are in vain. We petition that God would then show us by his inspiration that good he would have us to do. He has done so in part through his Holy Scripture, and that is the first place to check anything a person claims as the new moving of the Spirit, or God's will for a new thing never recognized in the history of the people. Ask, "What saith scripture?"

--We may think those thinks that be right, and by thy merciful  guiding may perform the same

The petition clearly reflects the epistle of James appointed today. Hear, think, do.  Scripture is not so mysterious that we do not understand it. Man is devious enough to use every vain trick to attempt to twist it, however. That is what Satan tried on our Lord Jesus unsuccessfully, but with great success against Eve.  We are like Eve and unlike our Master in that we are vulnerable to stray like lost sheep- doing that which we ought not do and failing to do those things which we ought to do. We pray that God would guide us in paths of righteous deeds and good works for his name sake.

An homily of Augustine on John
 http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/easter5.html#homily
Finis

(Portions were paraphrased and passages cited from The Collect of the Day, by Paul Zeller Strodach, 1939, The United Lutheran Press, Philadelphia)  http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/r/strodach_pz.htm

The Ancient Collect: Its history and form
http://orderofcenturions.org/collect-form.html
--

ForthSunday after Easter MMXII

O God, who makest the minds of the faithful to be of one will: Grant unto thy people that they may love what thou commandest and desire what thou dost promise; that among the manifold changes of this world, our hearts may there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through... 

Latin:
Deus, qui fidelium mentes unius efficis voluntatis: da populis tuis, id amare, quod praecipis, id desiderare, quod promittis: ut inter mundanas varietates ibi nostra fixa ain't corda ubi vera sunt gaudia. Per-
Gelasian Sacramentary

Introit: O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvelous things
Ps: His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him the victory
Epistle:  James 1:16 – 21  Do not err my beloved brethren
Gradual:  Hallelujah. Hallelujah The right hand of the Lord is exalted 
Gospel: John 16:5-15 But now I go my way to him that sent me

This is certainly a collect for today. I watch with some amazement as churches are wracked with heresy as they abandon the Scriptures and the 2,000 years of tradition of the Christian folk and adopt the values of the culture around them. We live in a day when it seems very hard to keep the faith handed down by our Fathers.  

O  God, who makest the minds of the faithful to be of one will:

The collect begins with this attribute of God to mold the will and mind of the church into one. How? Jesus tells us in today's Gospel from John 16. This is the work of God through the Holy Ghost -- the Comforter who proceeds from the Father (as the Creed teaches) and was sent by the Son (so saith Scripture) to teach us one will: God's will. 

Grant unto thy people that they may love what thou commandest and desire what thou dost promise

In the Epistle of James he tells that every gift of the Father is good and perfect. When we look back at the psalms of David we see the theme of the good gift of God's law which was perfect and served his chosen as a lamp unto their feet. That law was perfected in the Last Days with the coming of Christ  "He begat us with the word of truth"  James goes on to encourage his readers to be true to that gift by living lives after the example of our Lord--in fact loving what he commanded and desiring what he promised.

That among the manifold changes of this world, our hearts may there be fixed where true joys are to be found

In the day when this collected was recorded in Galasius' Sacramentay, Rome was under great pressure from adversaries without and decadence within. I can find many similarities today. The Christian world is globally under assault by a Jihad of Muslim extremist.  The true faith is under assault by leaders in colleges, schools, elected officials, and even the pulpit.  Christians in places like Africa are massacred every year. Yet, in the face of this assault so many stand firm and fix their hearts on Jesus where their true joys are to be found as members of the body of Christ -- the blessed company of all faithful people --where the Holy Ghost abides  with, guides, and comforts the elect. 

Finis

(Portions were paraphrased and passages cited from The Collect of the Day, by Paul Zeller Strodach, 1939, The United Lutheran Press, Philadelphia)  http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/r/strodach_pz.htm

The Ancient Collect: Its history and form
http://orderofcenturions.org/collect-form.html

--
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