Archbishop Cranmer
should have employed
a better proof reader.
We believe in
One Holy, Catholic
and Apostolic
Church.
But the Book of Common Prayer
leaves the word "Holy" out
but it's there
in all the texts
that influenced
our prayer book.
There could be
lots of reasons
for this,
ranging from
forgetting it
to mistranslating
early sources of
the Creed.
The fact remains,
we believe that
the true Church
is Holy
- set apart for
the purposes of God.
Does the omission
really matter, though?
[PAUSE[
Of course it does,
and Archbishop Cranmer himself
believes in the Holy Catholic Church
because he keeps it
in the Apostles' Creed.
It matters because
it describes the difference
between what we want to do
and what we should do.
Look at it this way.
Can an atheist be kind?
Can a Marxist be compassionate?
Can a Muslim be faithful?
Can a Sikh be selfless?
We have to answer
an emphatic "YES!"
to all of these.
But it's clear that
being kind,
compassionate,
faithful and selfless
don't depend on what we believe.
On the other hand.
Can a Christian be cruel?
Can a Christian be heartless?
Can a Christian be adulterous?
Can a Christian be selfish?
Regrettably history shows
that they can.
Regrettably our own experiences
show that they can.
But what we know is
that when a Christian
is cruel, heartless, adulterous
or selfish
there is something wrong.
Cruelty, heartlessness
adultery and greed
should not be part of
Christian nature.
St Paul is clear about that!
But we are to do the right thing
and reject the wrong thing,
not because they are right or wrong
but because we are part
of God's family - the Church.
Jesus says,
"If ye love me,
keep my commandments"
but it is clear that
the commandments can
be kept
without loving Jesus.
It is because we love God
that we keep His commandments.
It is because God is
kind, compassionate,
faithful and selfless
that we should be.
This is where holiness comes in.
[PAUSE]
To be holy
is to stand in relation to God.
We are enlightened by
Christ's light,
reconciled to God
by Christ through Baptism,
taught by Divine Grace,
our eyes opened by
Christ's healing touch.
That is why sin should not be
part of our lives.
We are holy
only if we strive to be holy
by living good, moral lives,
in humility,
repentance,
prayer and love.
It is the love of Christ
that motivates our good deeds.
It is the love of Christ
which calls us even
to lay down our lives
and shed our blood.
We love our spouses
because we love Christ.
We love our neighbour
because we love Christ.
In all things we do
we do for the love of Christ
and,
when we fail,
we pick ourselves up,
turn to Him in humility
and try again.
[PAUSE]
Archbishop Cranmer
knows the Church is Holy.
It is our faith that
sets us apart for God
and what we do
confirms that faith.
That's why we cannot
omit holiness from the Church
even if we forget to
write it down.
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