The First Sunday after Epiphany - 2014

The First Sunday after the Epiphany.

Psalm 13

Usque quo, Domine?

HOW long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, for ever : how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2. How long shall I seek counsel in my soul, and be so vexed in my heart : how long shall mine enemies triumph over me?

3. Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God : lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.

4. Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him : for if I be cast down, they that trouble me will rejoice at it.

5. But my trust is in thy mercy : and my heart is joyful in thy salvation.

6. I will sing of the Lord, because he hath dealt so lovingly with me : yea, I will praise the Name of the Lord most Highest.

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which 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.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 60.1-9

Psalter: Psalm 47, 48 | 66, 67

Epistle Reading: Romans 12.1-5

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 2.41-52

Toon: “Having prayed since the Feast of the Epiphany to be given the grace to contemplate the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ in heaven, five days later the Church makes two further and inter-connected petitions of her heavenly Father, the Lord our God, in the name of her Saviour and Mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The first is that God will receive in mercy and compassion the desires, vows and prayers of his people who supplicate, with bended knee, before him. However, the Church does not ask God to answer them as asked, but rather to receive them and then in the judgment of his perfect wisdom and mercy to respond to them for the true good of his people. For, if God gave to his people merely what they desired and asked for, he would not be a merciful God, since we often desire and ask for that which is not for our short-term or long-term good!

The force of the verb "grant" in prayer is that of "give and supply for no other is able to do so." Of God the Church asks that she will be inspired by the Holy Ghost to recognize and see what is her duty according to the divine will, and that, further, she will have the will and strength to perform that duty in its totality.

In relating to God, we need to know him, to perceive by his inspiration what is his will and then knowing the will, to perform and do the same. It is so easy for us to assume that our own best human wisdom and insights are in fact God's will for us and his Church. Such an assumption is best avoided and in its place there should be a humble recognition that we need to know from God what is his purpose and plan, and then we need his help to fulfil the same!

The Epistle calls for wholehearted commitment to the Lord and his service by each and every member of the congregation of Christ's flock and that they all be conformed to his perfect will. The Gospel provides us with an example of the developing consecration of Jesus to the Father's will and his growing sense of being uniquely the Father's Son. Thus he is the One to whom we go in order to know and come to the same Father.

Because of the Gospel lesson, this Sunday is sometimes called "A Feast of the Holy Family".

A final comment. If the original Latin prayer in the Gregorian Sacramentary had been translated literally by Archbishop Cranmer, it would have been something like this:

"O Lord, we beseech thee, regard with the compassion of a heavenly Father the fervent desires of thy people, who make their supplications unto thee, that they may both see what things ought to be done, and may have strength to fulfil what they see. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

It will be observed that each prayer seeks the same blessings from the one and the same Lord God” ()http://www.pbs.org.uk/bcp/commentary_detail.php?CommentaryID=10.

***Since this Collect is talking about prayer, and seeking God's will, let me recommend a free booklet you can download as you own: "Winning Life's Battles through Prayer" - you can go to this site and download it - http://www.kingdomprayer.org/free-downloads/

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity and the Transfiguration of Christ (6 August) - 2013

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 37

Noli aemulari

( . . . )

4. Delight thou in the Lord : and he shall give thee thy heart’s desire.

5. Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him : and he shall bring it to pass.

( . . . )

The Collect.

LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Lamentations 1.1-12

Psalter: Psalm 61, 62 | 48, 49

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 12.1-11

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 19.41-46

Barbee and Zahl: “An important insight concerning prayer exists at the heart of this petition. But the insight is a hard saying. ( . . . ) It is about praying according to the Word of God and not contrary to it. On more than one occasion, this writer has heard the outpourings of a sincere Christian who is praying for God to give him something that the Word expressly denies. For example, someone asks God to give him a new wife or husband other than the one who already exists. Sometimes the one praying has a specific third party in mind! Or a person longs to be living an entirely different life, virtually in a different body and mind, than the life he or she is able to live. But God has given what He has given. Do not call unclean what God has called clean (Acts 10:15) and vice-versa! This Collect invites s to pray for those changes and transformations in our lives that accord with righteousness, which we see explicit both in the Law (i.e., the Ten Commandments) and the Gospel (i.e., the Life of Christ Jesus). Believe me, that gives us plenty of scope for our prayers (89)!

The Transfiguration of Christ
August 6

Psalm 16

Conserva me, Domine

( . . . )

10. Wherefore my heart was glad, and my glory rejoiced : my flesh also shall rest in hope.

11. For why? thou shalt not leave my soul in hell : neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.

12. Thou shalt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is the fulness of joy : and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore.

( . . . )

The Collect

O GOD, who on the mount didst reveal to chosen witnesses thine only-begotten Son wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistering; Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may be permitted to behold the King in his beauty, who with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.

Epistle Reading: 2 Peter 1.13-18

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 9.28-36

Philippians 3.20-21: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Third Sunday after Trinity - 2013

The Third Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 69

Salvum me fac

( . . . )

13. But, Lord, I make my prayer unto thee : in an acceptable time.

14. Hear me, O God, in the multitude of thy mercy : even in the truth of thy salvation.

( . . . )

17. Hear me, O Lord, for thy loving-kindness is comfortable : turn thee unto me according to the multitude of thy mercies.

18. And hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble : O haste thee, and hear me.

( . . . )

The Collect.

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

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31.1-14

Psalter: Psalm 16, 17 | 18

Epistle Reading: 1 Peter 5.5-11

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 15.1-10

Barbe and Zahl: “All this material, all this work of compiling, translating, creating, editing, and rewriting which Cranmer undertook in order to present the Prayer Book for “common” use: it all assumes that prayer is a good, desirable thing. We wish to talk to God. We wish to present our concerns and worries, our ( . . . ) burdens and out most treasured, fragile hopes to God. Yet we fail to do this. It is striking how many important problems we fail to put into words before God. It is startling how often the biggest troubles we have are the last ones to find expression in our praying. That is probably because we have given up hope of intervention or transformation in the really vexing areas. In any event, take inventory. Which of your life’s problems at this moment is not a conscious part of your prayers? Ever? It is no wonder that this concise Collect understands that the desire to pray is the gift of God” (75).

What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer.

(What a Friend We Have in Jesus; Revised Trinity Hymnal #629)

Mike
Primus Pilus II

The Second Sunday after Epiphany-2013

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany.

The Collect.

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.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 45.1-15

Psalter: Psalm 96, 97 | 45, 46

Epistle Reading: Romans 12.6-16

Gospel Reading: St. Mark 1.1-11

Barbee and Zahl:

“Does He govern all things in heaven and earth? Or, rather, are there one or two undiscussables, those unprayerable matters which bitter defeat and chronic experience have taught us to exempt from the list of things God governs? ( . . . ) What do you exempt, in practice, from “all things in heaven and earth” which the Collect places under the direction and oversight of Almighty God? If this prayer has any integrity at all, the answer has to be, nothing. That would fly in the face of our personal experience, which continually exempts chronic unprayerables from God’s oversight. Consider un-exempting the impossible thing that has got you defeated. Consider taking it out from your strongbox of undiscussables and setting it before the Lord one more time. And pray the old words of this Collect. The gift given back should be “peace, all the days of our life.”” (19).

C.S. Lewis:

“And perhaps, as those who do not turn to God in petty trials will have no habit or such resort to help them when the great trials come, so those who have not learned to ask Him for childish things will have less readiness to ask Him for great ones. We must not be too high-minded. I fancy we may sometimes be deterred from small prayers by a sense of our own dignity rather than of God’s” (“Letters to  Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer,” 23).

Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare

John Newton, 1779

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare:
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
he himself has bid thee pray,
therefore will not say thee nay.

Thou art coming to a King,
large petitions with thee bring;
for his grace and power are such,
none can ever ask too much.

With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
let thy blood, for sinners spilt,
set my conscience free from guilt.

Lord, I come to thee for rest,
take possession of my breast;
there thy blood bought right maintain,
and without a rival reign.

Show me what I have to do,
every hour my strength renew:
let me live a life of faith,
let me die thy people's death.

While I am a pilgrim here,
let thy love my spirit cheer;
as my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
lead me to my journey's end.

The First Sunday after Epiphany-2013

The First Sunday after the Epiphany.

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which 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.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 60.1-9

Psalter: Psalm 47, 48 | 66, 67

Epistle Reading: Romans 12.1-5

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 2.41-52

Barbee and Zahl: “In the Gregorian prayer underlying the Collect, the word translated “prayer” is vota, votive offerings, thus linking the Wise Men and their gifts to the Epistle originally appointed for this day: Romans 12:1-5. ( . . . ) All the Collect asks of God is that He hear or “receive” the asking, and that He help the one who prays to perceive what he or she ought to do. And whatever that turns out to be, to aid the person in doing it. A more succinct, less pompous prayer could scarcely exist. Pray it today, specifically in that area of confusion where you really do not know what to do. If the prayer is spoken as open-endedly as it is written, you will get your answer” (16-7).

My Personal Observation: Clergy, Congregations and denominations often struggle with direction, sustainability and viability, especially in cloudy, complex seasons; or at least, one hopes that they do. The human predicament we find ourselves in makes fidelity difficult at times because we live in the twilight between the passing away of darkness and dawning of the light (1 John 2.8b). True enough, God has entrusted us with his Scriptures and guided the Church in her understanding of the Word of God. Nevertheless, not every circumstance is covered in a clearly marked way. How do we live faithful to our Lord Jesus in this specific community, during this national crisis, or in the midst of these critical moments? This Collect is a beautiful prayer voicing that very dilemma, and reminding us of our utter dependence on God’s aid and grace. It seems to me that no matter where you are on the political and social spectrum in the North America of 2013, this Collect needs to be employed by the whole of Christ’s Church; labored with verve, pathos, and confidence; and striven with collectively. My challenge: That every member of the Order would express and assent, daily, to this Collect for the remainder of 2013.

Primus Pilus II