The Great Justification

Well folks, here it is. The Windsor Report asked for it, and the ACC got it. "To Set our Hope on Christ" is the theological response to the Windsor Report's invitation that ECUSA submit a theological rationale for its insistence in engaging in communion-breaking activities. It can be found (among other places, I'm sure) here for download as a PDF document. I will try to read it in the next few days, but I can already tell that I'm in for a frustrating read as I was already fuming at the end of +Frank's introduction in which he commends the Spirit of Truth for guiding us into new truths out the riches of "Christ who is our Truth." Our Truth? I believe Jesus said that he was the Truth. But there lies the rub, right? I suppose I should have expected nothing less from a committed pluralist/relativist.

On a more joyful, and I suppose quite appropriate note, a blessed St. Alban's day to all. St. Alban, for those who are not familiar, is venerated as the first martyr (protomartyr) of Britain. He was a pagan Roman soldier living in the Roman city of Verulamium, to the northeast of London. He was converted by a Christian priest who sought and gained shelter from Alban during a widespread persecution by the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. When the authorities discovered the priest's whereabouts, Alban insisted on taking the priest's cloak and turning himself in. He was tortured and beheaded in the year 304. The Venerable Bede tells a moving tale of the man whose duty it was to execute Alban. He was overcome with "terror from God" and cast away his sword, "desiring rather to die with the Martyr or for the Martyr." The executioner was beheaded there with Alban on this date in 304.

Holy Alban, pray for us.

True Romance

Mr. and Mrs. Percy Arrowsmith

This English couple just celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary on June 1. 80 years!! Now that's a great love story. You can have the torrid affairs of TV and movies and the 1-5 year "marriages" of Hollywood, I don't want them. I'll take the story of a man and woman who said "til death do us part" and meant it...for 80 years.

Truly this couple meant it because today, two weeks after their 80-year anniversary, Mr. Arrowsmith died at home with his beloved wife by his side. He was 105 and she is 100.

You can read about it here, along with some rather flat and uninspiring words from the Anglican Bishop of Hereford.

Now, of course, I didn't know them, and have no idea of how their 80 years together panned out. But I do know that "romance" doesn't keep two people together for 80 years, love does. Love that stands by vows and committments made. Love that dies to self so that the other can grow. Love that says "til death do us part," and then sticks around until death.

May this couple be an inspiration to all married persons in their vocation of being one in the Lord. Please pray for the repose of Mr. Arrowsmith's soul and for his grieving wife and family.

May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. And may light perpetual shine them. Amen.

It's a small world

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Remember that line near the beginning of Last Crusade. Professor Jones is teaching a class in the lecture hall and he says this:

"Archaeology is the search for fact. Not truth. If it's truth you're interested in, Doctor Tyree's Philosophy class is right down the hall."

Well, I met Dr. Tyree yesterday. He lives in Macomb, IL, and attends St. George's Episcopal Church, where I was the supply priest. He is a very kindly and distinguished old gentleman who is small of stature and always wears his rather eccentric scarf around. The Deacon of the parish pointed him out to me and said that he was the man on whom that particular line in the movie was based.

And being a huge Indiana Jones fan, I thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I wanted to get a picture with him to put on the blog, but I didn't have a camera with me, so you'll just have to trust me on this one. He, of course, doesn't actually appear in the film, they simply used his name.

"Cranking 'em out"

Whew! It's been quite a weekend in the Diocese of Quincy! Two new priests ordained and instituted as Rectors in two days.

Fr. Michael Brooks and Fr. David Wagner are two recent grads of Nashotah House. Fr. Michael was ordained yesterday on the feast of St. Barnabas and Fr. David was ordained this evening.

Fr. Brooks is the Rector of St. Peter's Church in Canton, IL, and Fr. Wagner is the Rector of St. John's, Kewanee, IL, and its parochial mission, the Church of the Transfiguration in Princeton.

You can find info on these parishes at our Diocesan website: www.dioceseofquincy.org

The ordinations/institutions were glorious. There is something pretty incredible about the fullness of the Body of Christ gathered together when all orders are present to offer the Holy Sacrifice with their Bishop. Bishop Ackerman's sermons were powerful and inspiring, and renewed all the priests (well, at least my) desire to serve our Lord with fervency and sacrificial love. What an amazing feeling it is to know that as we gathered around the ordinands to sing the Veni Creator Spiritus and join the Bishop in laying on hands we were entering into an act that has been done by the Church for ages and ages.

It's good to be the Church.

Please pray for these two men as they enter into exciting and challenging parish ministries.

Pax Vobiscum

RED+

St. Barnabas the Apostle

St. Barnabas the Apostle


Please pray for my friend Michael Brooks, who, God willing, will be ordained a priest in Christ's One, Holy, Cathlolic, and Apostolic Church today at 2:00pm

St. Ephrem of Edessa

St Ephrem of Edessa


THE PRAYER OF SAINT EPHREM THE SYRIAN

O Lord and Master of my life,take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency,lust of power, and idle talk; But grant rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Interesting...

This is from the blog of a newly-ordained Roman Catholic priest:


Consistency: via The Curt Jester

Consistency

1. Crucifix in a jar of urine - Art to be protected.

2. Elephant dung on a picture of the Madonna - Art to be protected.

3. Accidental urine over spray on a Koran via an air duct - High crime to be denounced by the major media.

The soldier who did this and who was subsequently relieved and sent to guard the gate instead should have claimed he was a performance artist.

To playing Martin Luther in Wittenburg...

You can find it all at your Episcopal Church!!

What it is about Episcoheretics and "Theses?" First we had to deal with Spong's 12 Theses and now Mr. Fox has come up with 95. Do these guys really think they're going to go down in history the same way Luther and other reformers did? It seems to me quite arrogant and presumptuous to even call what they're putting out there "theses." I suppose that's technically a correct term, but clearly they mean it in a deeper sense. They see themselves as groundbreaking reformers of a Christianity in danger of dying out for its "fundamentalism (a catch-all term for those who don't agree with them)."

It's quite sad, really. The fact of the matter is that centuries from now the works of these men will be as familiar to Christians as the works of the heresiarchs of ages past are today. Who reads Arius today apart from patristic scholars?

Such energy and emotion spent on tearing down the house than cannot fall in order to put up a house of cards that will inevitably blow away forever. What a pity. And their teaching isn't even cutting edge or original. Same old tired blathering we've been hearing since the 1960s ("we" in a collective sense...of course I didn't hear anything in the 60's because I wasn't born until 1977...).

Usquequo, Domine?

From clowning around with the Holy Eucharist...

Beginning another year

Yesterday, June 5, which is normally the Feast of St. Boniface (but not this year because it fell on a Sunday) marked the one year anniversary of my ordination to the Holy Priesthood. Only 29 more to go until I can retire (ha,ha). Please pray for me that I may faithfully obey the will of Our Lord and serve his Church with reverence, love, and holy joy.

pax vobiscum,

RED+

St. Paul's Vision

Acts 9:1-9

"Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."

This text tells the story of St. Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Of course, Paul was not looking to be converted to Christ. He was, rather, in hot pursuit of followers of the Way, armed with credentials from the high priest and a passionate resolve to see this "Way" wiped out completely.

The story that unfolds in these few verses is one that has much to say about the nature of the Church and the nature of conversion.

I had never noticed this before reading A. M. Ramsey's The Gospel and the Catholic Church, but Jesus tells Saul that he is the one Saul is persecuting. He doesn't say "I am Jesus, whose disciples you are persecuting," or "I am Jesus, whose Way you are persecuting." In this simple post-ascension "I am" statement, the Lord Jesus identifies himself with his Church. The Church is not simply a group of people who follow Jesus. The Church is in a very real way united to her Lord. It's not surprising that Saul would hear these words and later be the one to develop the idea of the Church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians) with Christ as the Head (Ephesians, Colossians).* This has tremendous implications of how the Church is to order her life. Simply put, she is to order her life in the same way a human body orders itself...by listening to and obeying the commands that come from the head. Life in the Church is nothing less than sharing in the life of God in Christ, or "partaking of the divine nature (1 Peter 1:4)." A church that orders its life apart from living union with Christ, body and head, is no church at all. When a church sells its birthright for a "mess of pottage (Heb. 12:16)" it loses its place in the line of inheritance. The lifeblood that keeps body and head united throughout the centuries is called Holy Tradition. When this is ignored, changed, or discarded, it is to drain the blood and replace with embalming fluid, which appropriately enough, only serves the dead, and that by making them look better. But they're still dead.

Jesus, when he appeared to that great theologian-to-be of the Church, laid the foundation by identifying himself with that Church. To persecute the Way was to persecute Christ himself. And so today, to depart from the Way as it has been handed down is to depart from Christ himself.

This passage also gives some interesting insight into the nature of conversion. The stereotypical evangelical approach ( and I mean stereotypical...not necessarily typical) is to "present the gospel" and then seal the deal with a "decision" for Christ. Without denying the necessity of a personal embrace of the truth of the gospel, it needs to be said that conversion is a process. Paul heard the living voice of the One for whom he would from henceforth live...and die. And yet, even with that unmediated encounter, Paul was blinded for a period of three days before he was completely enlightened. Why was Paul blinded? Shouldn't his eyes have immediately been opened after encountering the Lord Jesus? No, for the light of Christ was so bright that it simply allowed him to see how in the dark he really was. Those who are in complete darkness must first have their eyes opened to darkness itself before they can see the Light as He really is. Perhaps this is why the early Church was so committed to the Catechumenate as a requirement for Holy Baptism.

All dressed up and no folks to celebrate for...

This is the third week in a row.

Since as a Diocesan staff priest I have no parochial assignment, the Cathedral where I have my office has graciously given me the Altar every week on Friday. This is actually to the Cathedral staff's advantage, as the clergy here take Friday as their day off, whereas I take Monday off. So
it's a great deal for both parties...at least when someone shows up.

I showed up to set out the vessels, light the candles, vest prayerfully, and begin Matins by myself (which is not unusual). Usually those who are coming to Mass show up during the recitation of the Psalter or the readings. So, as I prayed the prayer of St. Chrysostom toward the end of the Office, I realized that, again, I was alone and no one would be coming for the Holy Mysteries...for the third week in a row.

My feelings about this are certainly colored by the flesh. As a priest, I look forward to every opportunity to offer the Holy Sacrifice, and am understandably disappointed when that opportunity is missed due to lack of interest of the laity. And I feel what is certainly an unfounded fear that perhaps no one comes because they don't like me...after all, people come during the rest of the week. But as I thought and reflected today in the silence and solitude of the Lady Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, I realized that maybe I was sensing more than just human disappointment.

Christ longs to have fellowship with his Bride just as she should long to have fellowship with him. The Holy Eucharist is the highest form of that fellowship here on earth. It is the pledge and foretaste of the consummation of the Church's union with Christ in heaven. So perhaps I sensed from the Lord a disappointment that on these particular days not one person could be bothered to come and partake of the Divine food. I realize that life is busy now, but isn't that more reason to start the day at the Altar?

Oh well, I guess this will all be taken care of in eternity, where EVERYONE (who accepted the invitation, that is) will be at Mass ALL the time.

Pax Vobiscum,

RED+