Anglican Catholics and the Filioque

 

How do Anglican Catholics understand the Filioque?

False Truth

Sermon for the twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity (using propers of the sixth Sunday after Epiphany)

Is the shroud of Turin

a fake?

In the past forty years or so,

competing scientific research 

has deemed it 

a fake from the Middle Ages

or undoubtedly 

a relic from the First Century.

Many people 

believe it to be genuine.

Many people 

believe it to be a forgery.

And it seems

people are determined 

to use the scientific method 

to prop up their own

belief about what this cloth is.

It does seem,

given recent articles 

that no-one comes to 

study the shroud

without some preconceived desire

to prove that it shows

The True Christ 

or a false Christ.

Does it show 

the True face of Christ?

[PAUSE]

If it does,

then we have

some way of recognising Him

when He comes again.

Wouldn't it be awful

if He returned to us

and we didn't recognise Him?

Wouldn't it be awfuI

if we've missed His second coming

just because we didn't know

what He looked like.

Doesn't the Turin Shroud 

give us a way of knowing 

Who we're looking for?

Doesn't it give us

a frame of reference for our faith?

Doesn't it give us

the ability to say

"Yes! This is Christ!

Here He is!"?

No.

No it doesn't.

And why?

Listen to the True Christ.

"If any man shall say unto you, 

Lo, here is Christ, or there; 

believe it not. 

For there shall arise false Christs, 

and false prophets, 

and shall shew 

great signs and wonders; 

insomuch that, 

if it were possible, 

they shall deceive the very elect."

If the Shroud of Turin 

is real,

and there is every chance

that it is,

then it is an ikon

a way of seeing into

the Heavenly Truth.

But,

while ikons are so good

for the soul

and a necessary part

of Christian doctrine

no one ikon

is necessary.

The Shroud of Turin

adds nothing to our Faith

beyond any other ikon.

If the Shroud is a fake 

then this takes nothing away

from our faith:

it still remains as much an ikon

as any ikon written on wood.

The Shroud is not the basis

of our faith.

Christ is the basis of our faith.

The Man

depicted upon the Shroud 

the one depicted in the ikon

the one depicted upon the Cross,

He is the Christ 

and basis of our faith.

[PAUSE]

But don't we say 

"Here is Christ"

when the priest lifts up

the consecrated host?

Indeed we do,

but this is Christ in the Sacrament,

not Christ coming in glory

to judge the quick and the dead.

It is those people

who say "Here is Christ"

meaning the Messiah 

at His second coming 

who are talking about

a false Christ.

It is those people

who are thinking of a Christ

made in their own image

who hope for a return 

of a false Christ.

[PAUSE]

But that is not how Christ will return.

He won't suddenly appear

in one place

so that we all have to pile

into cars and aeroplanes

to meet Him

He won't appear

on television

and tell us to do bizarre things

to prove our love for Him.

But if the Shroud is fake 

how will we recognise Him?

[PAUSE]

The apostles tell us how.

They see Him

hear Him

and touch Him.

And their faith is ours.

We just need to preserve that faith.

Christian Doctrine

isn't just about

what to do

and what not to do.

It is about living,

studying,

praying,

and getting to know Jesus

as He is

through what the Church

has always handed down to us

since those feet in ancient time

walk closely with the apostles 

and walk with us 

through those who follow the apostles.

Christian Doctrine 

will ensure 

that we will truly know Him

when He comes again

in His own way

at a time when we least expect Him.

And then how much joy

will there be for us?

Anglican Catholic Spirit?

 

How there is something indefinable about our faith.

Worth worship

Sermon for the twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity 

So many people

seem to think

that Jesus never claimed

to be God.

There are so many places

where He does make that plain

such as saying 

"Before Abraham was, I am."

which causes the Pharisees 

to pick up stones

since Jesus has just used

the same words

that God uses in the Burning Bush

to Moses.

Jesus does not say explicitly 

"I am God!"

but it's there

in the Gospels.

And today 

we see Jairus

- at least it's probably Jairus

since St Matthew

doesn't say -

approach Jesus

to heal his daughter.

And crucially

what's the first thing

Jairus does?

He falls down and

worships Jesus.

This is exactly 

the same worship 

that Our Lord tells us

belongs to God.

The Greek word

that we translate as worship

literally means

to kiss the hand

in the same way

that a pet dog 

licks the hand of its master.

Is that how God wants us

to worship him?

[PAUSE]

The underlying idea

behind worship

is the amount of value 

we put upon a thing

or a person.

Worship is worth-ship:

that's where the word comes from.

The question is 

how do we demonstrate 

the worth something 

or someone has 

in our estimation?

If we regard someone 

as more important than us,

as possessing some 

power over us,

as someone whom we need

to live our lives,

then we have to demonstrate 

that respect.

We demonstrate it 

so that the person we value

knows we value them,

and we demonstrate it

to remind ourselves

if how much

that person means to us.

You can certainly see

how people who are shown

into the presence of

an emperor 

get on their knees

in knowledge 

that he has the power

of life and death over you.

Your bowing down 

is the outward act 

of your expression 

of the emperor's worth.

[PAUSE]

And we see Jairus 

(if it is indeed Jairus)

worshipping Jesus,

bowing before Him.

A leader of the Jewish community 

is bowing before this teacher 

and so shows Him of greater worth

than his own standing 

in the community.

But the Commandment says,

"Thou shalt not make unto thee 

a graven image, 

nor any manner of likeness, 

of any thing that is in heaven above, 

or that is in the earth beneath, 

or that is in the water 

under the earth;

thou shalt not bow down 

unto them, nor serve them."

Now, 

there are several times

when someone falls down 

to worship someone 

who isn't God.

This happens to St Paul

and Barnabus, 

who are mistaken 

for Greek gods,

and St John gets

terribly overawed

and tries to worship an angel

in the Revelation.

In each case,

where the worship 

is misplaced,

they say,

"don't worship us

we are not God."

But Jesus doesn't do that.

There is no rebuke 

for those

like the Magi,

the Leper ,

Jairus,

and the Disciples 

especially after 

St Peter walks on water

and again after the Resurrection,

all of whom 

worship Jesus as the Son of God.

But worship 

can go wrong.

[PAUSE]

The Roman Soldiers

who mock Jesus

before His crucifixion 

worship Him

St Matthew tells us that.

What does that mean?

It means 

that the soldiers

go through the motions

of worship,

bowing down 

and genuflecting.

But it isn't true worship 

because the intention 

to honour Jesus

is not there.

They do not see Him

as being of any value to them

so they have no respect for Him.

There is no actual worship here,

just the appearance of worship.

They worship Him in truth

because Jesus is truly God

but not in spirit

because they do not love Him.

[PAUSE]

And then there are

the Israelites 

who make a Golden Calf 

and worship it.

They believe that 

the God who saves them

from Egypt 

has the likeness of a calf.

But this is not true.

God does not have

the image of a calf.

The Israelites 

are worshipping in spirit 

because they intend to worship the calf 

but not in truth

because the calf is not God.

Further,

in the persecution under the Romans

Christians are compelled

to burn incense to the pagan gods.

They could do so,

secretly intending 

to burn the incense 

in honour of God.

But this is worship in spirit 

and not in truth.

The outward sign

and the inward intention

do not marry up.

[PAUSE]

Jesus says,

"God is a Spirit:

and they that worship Him

must worship Him

in spirit and in truth."

Jairus worships Jesus

in truth because he

perceives that

Jesus is God

and in spirit 

because he believes 

that Jesus can raise 

His daughter 

from the dead.

St Paul says that Jesus is 

the image of the invisible God.

When we see God with our eyes

it is Jesus Whom we see.

This makes sense

because the Father

is the source of all being

and stands outside the gaze

of anything He has created.

And the Holy Ghost is a spirit

who does not have a body.

It means that Jesus 

is the focus of our worship 

because we have someone 

visible to bow down to.

It means 

whenever we see 

a picture of Jesus

we can bow down

not to the picture

but the one in the picture.

[PAUSE]

We Catholics are often accused 

of worshipping statues

but we know this is not the case.

We venerate the saints

because we see Christ at work in them.

We venerate Mary greatly

because we see Christ born in her.

And we worship Christ

the image of the invisible God.

And we do what the Church has done

from the earliest times.

We venerate ikons,

sacred images,

because of who they depict.

Our outward worship 

is towards a picture 

of Christ

and our inward worship

is towards the Christ depicted.

We worship Christ truly and in spirit.

We don't worship

the block of wood 

with paint on it,

but the truth of Christ

the visible God.

If people cannot tell the difference 

then they are only watching our worship

at a superficial

and unspiritual level.

[PAUSE]

As Jairus worships 

the image of the invisible God

so must we venerate His image

with Jairus.

Ikons of the saints 

help us remember that

they are truly real

and truly alive

- spirit and truth.

Ikons of Our Lady

help us remember 

that God becomes a man

so that man can become like Him

in spirit and in truth.

Ikons of Our Lord,

show us the picture

of the One Who saves us

by showing us His very self

in spirit and in truth.

We are not worshipping 

a graven image,

but Christ Himself through

that image in the truth

of His Incarnation 

and we do so in spirit 

because we love Him.

Anglican Catholicism and the Reformation

Why the Reformation is not something that Anglican Catholics celebrate.

Present Tense Saints

Sermon for the Sunday in the Octave of All Saints

Our Lord sits

on the mountain 

to teach.

His disciples 

are those who

have climbed after Him

scaling the rocky crags

against gravity,

against comfort,

against the better judgment 

of others

to hear this Man teach.

Already,

they show themselves 

to be blessed

for "blessed are those

who hunger and thirst

for righteousness' sake

for theirs is

the Kingdom of Heaven."

And how the disciples

demonstrate that!

In clambering uphill

they have demonstrated 

their hunger and thirst

for the teaching of Christ 

because they know 

that what He teaches 

is not just righteous 

but Righteousness

itself.

Last week,

we recognise 

Jesus as our King

and this week 

we follow Him

and set ourselves apart for Him

from the World.

And if we set ourselves 

apart from the world

for Righteousness' sake

God sets us apart for Him.

We become holy.

We become saints.

[PAUSE]

We are only as holy

as far as we are apart from 

Sin, the World and the Devil.

Our salvation is 

precisely the end of 

our separation from God,

our return to the full health

that God has wanted for us 

from Eternity.

Our Lord promises those 

who hunger and thirst

for righteousness' sake

a place in His Kingdom 

which St Peter describes as an

eternal Kingdom,

something that even

the prophet Daniel knows to be true.

Something is Eternal

if it is connected 

with God's age.

Just as we have 

the Stone Age,

the Iron Age,

the Bronze Age,

whatever is Eternal

is of the God Age.

Think about that,

because,

for God,

Time is not a limitation.

He is as present now

as He was a million years ago

and a million years to come.

All Time is present to God

at once.

And this is the Eternal life

that He offers in His Kingdom.

He offers His saints

to be of His Age,

Eternal, 

not simply everlasting 

but unbound to Time.

St John tells us

that we cannot understand 

what we will be like

when we are in His Kingdom 

but we will be like Him

because we will see Him as He is.

When Jesus says

that God is not the God of the dead 

but of the living

He shows us that

Abraham,

Isaac,

Jacob,

Moses,

Elijah

and all the saints are still alive

and that Death 

for the saints

is an event,

not a state of being.

The saints are not dead.

[PAUSE]

And, we know that St Peter says

the ears of the Lord

are open to

the prayers of the righteous,

and their prayers ascend 

before God like incense.

St Jerome says,

"If the Apostles and Martyrs, 

while still in the body, 

can pray for others, 

at a time when 

they must still be anxious for themselves, how much more 

after their crowns, 

victories, and triumphs are won!"

We also no that 

nothing in Heaven and Earth

or under the Earth,

not even life and death

can separate us 

from the love of Christ.

And the saints are righteous 

because they show 

the love of Christ to us

even as Christ in Heaven 

shows His love for us on earth.

[PAUSE]

So,

the saints are alive,

but are no longer

bound by Time and Space.

The saints still love us

because they are perfected

in the love of God,

and Love is something 

that requires action.

The saints have passed 

through death 

but are neither 

separated from God

nor from us

because nothing separates us

from the love of God.

The saints pray

just as they have 

throughout their lives

hungering and thirsting

for Righteousness' sake.

Prayer is more than just words.

It is a communication 

at a deeper level between 

us and God

and 

us and those who love God.

Likewise,

we pray for our departed loved ones

for their happiness in God.

This prayer is an expression

of our continued love 

for those who have died.

The saints prayer for us

is an expression of

their continued love

for us who are yet to 

undergo death.

This is true communion

for these prayers

bring us closer to God 

because God is love.

This is precisely 

the communion of the saints

a communion expressed 

through mutual prayer

and, at its summit, 

Christ Himself 

in the Blessed Sacrament

of the altar.

[PAUSE]

We should rejoice

that we have such

a cloud of witnesses

cheering us on

bringing their concerns for us

to God,

and that our prayers

do the same

for those in need

whether living 

or departed.

There will be those

who try to show us

that we are wrong,

who say the saints are dead

who say the dead heart nothing

who say that praying for the dead

does nothing.

But these are they

who do not understand prayer

who do not understand death

and who do not understand 

that Love and Power are the same in God

and grow in the hearts 

of those who hunger and thirst 

for Righteousness' sake.

May Holy Mary,

Mother of God

and all the Holy Angels and Saints 

pray for us

and may the souls 

of the faithful departed 

through the love of God 

rest in peace.

Amen.

St Simon and St Jude: piercing zeal

 

Where Christians should direct their enthusiasm in evangelisation.

Just answer the question!

Sermon for the feast of Christ the King

Oh He's infuriating!

Why doesn't He answer

the question.

Yes or no.

"Art Thou a king, then?"

But you know why 

Jesus is going around the houses

in answer to the question.

It's not about being truthful

it's about being truthful 

under the circumstances.

Is Jesus a king?

[PAUSE]

Of course He is.

The apostles say, "Jesus is Lord"

and the psalms say

"The Lord is king 

and hath put on glorious apparel."

It's a no brainer.

But it's how you tell the truth

that matters.

Preconceived ideas

make things difficult.

If you are a military person 

and someone calls herself

a captain.

You're going to think:

Army - an important commissioned officer

in charge of a platoon

or 

Navy - an even more important officer

in  full charge of a vessel.

But what if she means

she is

the captain of the rugby team?

The confusion 

could be amusing,

irritating,

or even dangerous.

The same is true

with the title, "doctor".

A doctor of philosophy 

is dangerously useless

when a doctor of medicine 

is needed urgently.

[PAUSE]

It's clear

that Jesus wants 

to refrain from using the title

because it could

be very dangerous.

The people 

have all tried

to proclaim him king

but Jesus 

slips away from them.

A king 

could cause 

a misunderstanding 

that could result 

in many deaths.

The people want

a triumphant military Messiah

to cast out the hated Romans

and restore their land.

That's not the salvation 

that Jesus is thinking.

To call Himself king

would give Pilate

a grave cause for concern 

that the people

are about to rise up.

It is a question of kingdoms.

[PAUSE]

Of course,

Our Lord is King of the Jews,

but He is King of the Jews

because He is

the King of Kings.

His Kingdom is more

than Judaea.

It's more than Rome.

It's more than 

all the kingdoms 

of this little planet.

His Kingdom is not of this world.

It cannot be explained 

in earthly terms 

of treaty, jurisdiction 

contract, and alliance.

If a King

favours one part 

of His Kingdom

over another,

it splits the kingdom.

To fight the Romans 

for the Jews

might liberate the Jews

for a time

but it would not 

liberate the Romans,

and Jesus is King of the Romans.

To have that view of Kingship

defeats the purpose 

of the Incarnation,

defeats the purpose 

of the Cross.

[PAUSE]

The Kingdom of God

is established in us

by one covenant alone

and that is the covenant 

of the Blood of Christ.

In drinking that cup,

we accept Christ our King,

and in accepting Christ our King

we accept a King 

Who fights for us

and with us

against the darkness

that seems to enslave us

by separating us from our King

and His Kingdom.

And, because He is our King,

He issues His Royal command to us

to fight under His banner

against sin, the world and the Devil

to play our part

in our salvation 

and the salvation of others 

by co-operating with His grace.

Our salvation comes 

by faith and trusting in our King

and by works of love

that proceed from faith

through our willing acceptance 

of His Kingdom.

[PAUSE]

Jesus always uses His titles

carefully, judiciously and in perfect truth

so as not to confuse

or scandalise.

Likewise,

our proclamation 

of His Kingdom 

must be done

carefully, judiciously and in perfect truth

which can only come by love.

Love is the Royal Command 

for us to obey.

My Community

Dom Bruce de Walt (left) died on 20th September, peacefully and having been assiduously and lovingly looked after by Prior Simon and Dom Francis as well as the staff of his nursing home.

With the passing of Dom Kenneth (pictured beneath the holy crucifix) there are now just two monks remaining from the Pershore-Nashdom-Elmore-Salisbury community. Indeed, Dom Francis joined the order in Nashdom.

Dom Bruce was not what you would call orthodox either in belief, nor in manner, but he was a Godsend. He reminded me, an earnest doctrine-scrutinising Anglican Papalist, that life has to be lived and lived with some joy. His passions were always on display: I have heard him snap and complain and grumble; I heard his laughter, his naughty joke and mischievous expressions of his thoughts. Although, the Rule rather prohibits all of these, Dom Bruce reminded me that St Benedict wanted moderation. 

St Benedict knew of the frailties of human beings. The laughter he witnessed was cruel and at the malicious expense of others: Dom Bruce was often cheeky but he didn't rejoice in the misfortunes of others. St Benedict hated murmuring, having in mind the Israelites complaining against God and Moses in the desert; Dom Bruce complained often but he was always loyal to his community and valued its integrity - something which murmuratio does not allow.

Dom Bruce remained a full part of the CofE, unapologetically accepting the decisions which caused me to question my membership before I had to leave. That didn't bother me: I am most content with being an Anglican Catholic, having withdrawn from full Anglican Papalism, when I joined the ACC, but this departure from the CofE didn't split my sense of community with the monks even if I am not in communion with them. I am still proud (if that is the right word) to retain my oblation with Salisbury Priory and I pray for them daily, though now I pray for Dom Bruce along with Dom Kenneth and Abbot Basil in a different section of my intercessions from those who still have an earthly conversation.

Dom Bruce reminds me that Christians who disagree should not do hatred. I have heard several Christians declare others as "satanic" or "non-Christian" for not being Calvinist. I certainly would not think of anyone in that way for not being an Anglican Catholic, even if I firmly believe that it is the truest expression within the Catholic Church. My love for Dom Bruce has not diminished, nor for Prior Simon or Dom Francis - they are my community even if we are separated.

God bless them and keep them safe, for they are precious to His Church.

And may the Angels bear Dom Bruce to His eternal rest in the arms of Our Saviour.

Anglican Catholicism and Merit

 

Why there are things we can earn with God.

Not seeing is believing?

Sermon for the twenty-first Sunday after Trinity 

Do you believe 

in ghosts?

What about

the Loch Ness Monster?

The Yeti?

Fairies, pixies and little folk?

What would it take

for you to believe?

Photographic evidence?

A YouTube video?

Or would it have to be

something you see

with your own eyes?

[PAUSE]

A nobleman rushes to Jesus

and asks Him

to heal his dying son.

And Jesus tells him

"Except ye see signs

and wonders,

ye will not believe."

It's a strange thing

to say, 

isn't it?

After all,

this nobleman 

has only heard 

of Jesus' fame

and clearly believes 

that He can heal his son.

He's clearly 

not after signs and wonders

but the healing of his son.

He's not after proof 

to believe 

but already believes.

So why does the Lord 

tell Him,

"Except ye see signs

and wonders,

ye will not believe."

[PAUSE]

There is a great beauty

in using the language

of Cranmer, Coverdale 

and King James 

in our worship.

But often it reveals 

something

that modern English 

does not.

In particular,

Old English

can tell the difference 

between 

you singular 

and

you plural.

We say "thou, thee and thine'

when we are speaking

to one person.

We say "you, ye and, your"

when we are talking

to more than

one person.

And Jesus is saying "ye".

"Except ye see signs

and wonders,

ye will not believe."

He is talking 

to a group of people,

the man among the bystanders.

You see that

we know that the man

already believes 

and so 

Our Lord 

is about to use 

the faith of this man

as an example 

to all those 

who will not believe 

unless they see signs

and wonders.

And what happens?

[PAUSE]

There is no flash or bang.

There is no waving of hands

or making clay

or anything obvious at all.

The man takes Jesus 

at His word

and starts the journey home.

And we know that 

this journey

took more than a day!

What faith 

this man has!

And his household greets him

with the great news:

the son lives.

And St John

doesn't even bring us

to see the boy, 

either.

We are just told

that the son lives

and that is that.

We leave the situation 

with the father 

going back to his house

rejoicing.

The miracle 

isn't for us to see.

It is a miracle 

for us to believe 

because we trust 

in Our Lord.

It is a miracle 

that brings us

face to face with

the joy that we can't see,

the peace which passes 

all understanding,

the love we see through 

the glass darkly.

We don't need to see Christ 

to believe Him 

but when we do see Him

we shall be like Him

for we shall see Him as He is.

Hope in a web-free society

 

What will we do when the internet goes down.

Right to refuse

Sermon for the twentieth Sunday after Trinity 

A wedding!

A feast for the senses!

The taste of the sumptuous food, 

well-prepared, 

succulent,

and delicious!

The sound of joyful music,

laughter,

happy conversations 

and thanksgiving!

The smell of the food 

but also the perfumes

and incense!

The feel of the warmth

energy and vibrancy, 

the dancing and revelry

of the guests congratulating

the Happy Couple.

The sight 

of gorgeous dresses

of the King dressed in His

most regal and elegant clothes,

of the Bride and Groom 

in their finery

and clearly very much in love.

Who would refuse

an invitation to this feast?

Would you?

But there are that would.

[PAUSE]

It seems you don't have 

to come if you don't want to.

You are allowed to stay away.

Parties aren't for everyone,

it's true.

For some people,

the business of socialising 

is difficult and many stay away.

And that's okay.

But even then,

if it's a family friend

getting married

or an invitation from a king

or someone you really love,

then even an introvert

might be persuaded 

just to put their head around the door

and enjoy just a bit of the festivities.

Who knows,

with this king

there might be a quiet room provided,

or a chance to go out 

into the lavish gardens

and enjoy the feast

in beautiful surroundings 

with the noise of the party

carrying on in the background.

This is a feast for everyone.

In this kingdom, 

there are many mansions

prepared for those 

who accept the invitation.

You can still come

even if you're 

not a social animal.

And yet people 

still don't want to come 

and, worse, kill the people 

carrying the invitations!

Who would do that?

[PAUSE]

There are clearly

those who hate the king

and yet they have been invited,

freely to enjoy 

the great feast.

It's their hatred

that causes them

to reject the invitation 

and even try

to stop others being invited.

There are even those

who will go to the feast

but show contempt for it

by not dressing appropriately.

They will be cast out.

They have chosen 

not to participate 

and they are the ones who miss out.

[PAUSE]

We always have a choice

whether to  enter 

the Kingdom of God

and God honours that choice.

But He honours it with justice.

We cannot expect 

to enter into the wedding feast 

of the Lamb

if we are dressed inappropriately.

We are given a wedding garment 

to put on

this is the white robe St John

records in his Revelation.

It is the white robe

of those baptised in the name

of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

It is the white robe 

that signals that we belong to Christ,

that we love Him

and seek to invite others 

into His feast.

It is the white robe

of love,

of working with God's grace

in our hearts

for the good of all.

Those who try 

to gatecrash the party

do not have this robe 

and are cast out

because the Lord says,

"I never knew you!"

even if they say,

"Lord, Lord!"

[PAUSE]

It is clear,

that we do not have to enter

the Kingdom of God.

It is also clear

that we enter that Kingdom

accepting the terms 

of the King.

If we choose

not to enter

or to try and enter

on our own terms,

then we shall be shut out

from this wonderful feast.

But we can be assured

that, should we choose

to accept the invitation,

should we choose

to put on our wedding garment,

then the door will be opened

and we shall enter a feast

that goes beyond the understanding 

of what it means to be enjoyable.

That is our invitation.

That is God's promise to us.

Anglican Catholic Infallibility

 

How Anglican Catholicism begins to engage with authority.

Killjoy woz 'ere

Sermon for the nineteenth Sunday after Trinity 

There has always been

that type of person 

who likes to put

a downer on everything.

"I'm just trying

to be realistic here,"

they say.

While it is truth to say

that life is not always

a bed of roses,

life is not always 

not a bed of roses 

either.

Our bed of roses

has thorns

but it has gorgeous flowers, too.

... if you like roses, that is.

There will always be

someone who doesn't 

and will take great glee

in telling you why not.

[PAUSE]

A paralysed man

is brought to Jesus.

What's the first thing 

Our Lord says to him?

"Son, be of good cheer!"

He doesn't say

"thy sins are forgiven thee"

- not straightaway.

He doesn't say

"Arise, take up thy bed,

and go unto thine house"

- not straightaway.

No.

Straightaway it's,

"Son, be of good cheer!"

In this first clause,

Our Lord calls the man, "Son".

A term of familiarity,

a term of acceptance,

a term of love.

Then, He says, 

"Be of good cheer!"

A message of hope!

A message of healing!

And a message of intention.

Our Lord wants the man

to be joyful

and live a life

freed from the shackles 

of his condition.

But,

rather than allow

joy its rightful place

in this encounter

between the patient

and the Eternal Doctor,

there are those

who can see

only sin,

only transgression,

only condemnation.

And they seek to steal this joy

to fill the emptiness 

of their being right.

And so the Lord

shows them the truth

that He is God 

by healing not only 

the spiritual paralysis of sin

but also

the physical paralysis of disease.

Jesus is showing us

that sin is a sickness 

of the soul

and He can save 

both soul and body.

[PAUSE]

The trouble is

that there are 

thieves of joy

among Christians too.

These are those Christians 

who see nothing but sin

in human beings

These are those Christians 

who try to spread the Gospel 

by focussing on

Man's total depravity

and our need for Salvation.

 

Every conversation 

with this sort of Christian

involves the words

sin, heresy, immoral, 

and even Hell!

How can we expect 

to share the Good News 

if the only thing that is good

about what we say

is the full stop

at the end of our

final sentence?

[PAUSE]

We Christians know

that we are sinners 

but we also know

that God made us,

that God loves us,

and that

the Creator of this magnificent universe 

with all its complexity,

variety,

from supernova 

to neutrino

wants us never to be

separated from Him so badly

that He will become 

one of us,

die for us,

rise from the dead for us.

We are dead to sin and,

if we live the life of faith,

sin need never be a real problem 

because if we do sin

then we have an advocate in heaven

who will save us from it.

Of course, 

sin is serious

and we must repent,

but we are given the opportunity 

to get up from our sickness 

take up our beds 

and walk in joy

at knowing Christ Himself.

We are not to be killjoys

but bringers of true joy

in Christ.

Conviction and love

 

Why the irascible St Jerome reminds us of the close fit between truth and love.

The backroom boys

Sermon for Michaelimas Day

We are in that strange situation 

where what we hear in the Gospel 

does not seem to fit 

with feast of the day.

Our Lord

speaks of the importance 

of being as humble as children.

He speaks of the fate

of those who would corrupt them.

He speaks of clear and decisive action

to prevent sin.

Then and only then

does He speak briefly 

of the angels

that represent His children

in Heaven.

There is no mention 

of St Michael.

In celebrating Michaelmas,

are we focussing 

too much on things

that are really unimportant?

[PAUSE]

The thing is

that angels are very important.

We see them throughout 

Holy Scripture,

we know three of their names

from the Bible:

Gabriel, Michael and Raphael.

They herald important events,

offer healing to the righteous,

and battle evil with swords drawn.

We know Our Lord 

has legions of angels 

at His disposal.

So why, on this celebration 

of the Angels

is there so little in the Gospel?

[PAUSE]

Angels are background workers.

Their days are spent 

in service to God.

As spirits,

they have no bodies,

just appearances of bodies

when rare circumstances demand.

They don't operate 

in the same part of Creation 

that we do.

We don't see them

because our eyes are physical 

and the Angels are spirits.

But God tells us they are there

and on our side. 

We also know

that there are those spirits 

who wants us to fall

and be destroyed.

There are spirits of hate

and malice,

who corrupt those

who are weak enough 

to be corrupted.

There are spirits 

who are corrupters

of the children of God.

We have seen them

almost from the beginning 

tempting us 

to eat the forbidden fruit

and turn from Almighty God.

These beguiling spirits 

are the cause of much 

of our misery

because they exploit 

our weaknesses.

It s these spirits 

that God bids us

amputate from our lives.

[PAUSE]

We don't always see

the evil until it's too late

but, if we listen,

we can learn to hear the words

of temptation 

which seek to corrupt us.

Our duty is 

to keep our humility,

realise our need 

for someone greater to look after us

in our weakness,

and not try to be greater

or more powerful than we really are.

We differ from the angels

because we have bodies.

While those bodies limit us

they are gifts of God to us

and they are to be used

for the Glory of God.

Of course,

having a body 

makes us open to corruption 

sin and temptation.

Our Lord says

that we are better off

cutting off bits of our body

than entering Hell.

But we need not do that

if we recognise the work 

of the angels around us.

For, 

behind the scenes,

we know that St Michael

has already fought

with that old serpent 

and cast it away.

It is the Devil 

and his angels that have 

caused offence

and are cut off

and thrown into the pit

so that we can be free

from the same fate

through the resurrection 

of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Behind the scenes,

the angels climb up and down

the ladder connecting 

Heaven and Earth

on our behalf

bringing us messages of hope

and instruction,

protecting us

lest we should dash 

our foot against a stone.

It is not permitted for us

to use the angels as our servants

for they obey only 

the Divine Master.

Any spirit that would obey us

is a spirit that seeks 

to take advantage of our bodies

and corrupt us

with enticements and trinkets 

which we need to cut out of our lives

so that, like the angels

we might obey only God

in our service of Him.

[PAUSE]

Our Lord tells us

that the angels are there 

before the throne 

on our behalf 

but we must keep our focus

on being children of God.

But, if Our Lord says 

that they are there,

then we ought to venerate

their feast day in gratitude 

for their service to us.

For they will take our veneration

and give it to the One

to Whom all glory is given

a glory that is not just

reflected in angels

but in all of His creation.

Including us.

Including you.

Yes. You.

Anglican Catholicism and the Book of Common Prayer

 

Why does the Anglican Catholic Church use the 1549 BCP and not the 1662?

Pharisaic Freedom

Sermon for the seventeenth Sunday after Trinity 

Is it lawful

to heal on the Sabbath day?

No-one has an answer.

Nor does any

answer Jesus

when He asks them

whether they would

rescue their ox or their ass

- expensive and highly useful animals

- from a pit

on the Sabbath day.

This is rather surprising.

Jesus is sitting

eating with 

the chief Pharisee

and,

one would presume,

the Pharisee social set.

All doctors of the law.

And they have no answer.

This is worrying.

[PAUSE]

In writing His laws 

in Deuteronomy,

God tells people

that if they have a problem

too difficult for the law

they are to ask the priests.

The priests 

are to interpret the Law of God.

That is what God intended

and this is why it was written down

In the book of Deuteronomy.

So why can't the Pharisees answer?

[PAUSE]

They are not priests.

Well not necessarily.

The Pharisees

are a Jewish sect

who practice rigorous observation

of the Jewish law.

They are very well versed 

in the details of the Law of Moses 

and they are fixed 

on keeping Judaism pure.

This is why they are respected

in Jewish Society.

Their practices 

are meant to be exemplary 

and the height of social etiquette.

They are meant to be

the morally superior

declaring what's right.

But they aren't priests

- not all of them.

[PAUSE]

Our Lord 

has one intention 

to bring people back to God,

to offer them salvation 

at His hands 

to show them what Love really is.

Yes, that is one intention.

And He is the priest

of the New Covenant.

This is how He not only keeps the Law

but teaches it as to what it means.

He shows us

that the Sabbath 

is not something that needs

minute regulation 

because the Sabbath

is given for the good of man,

not man for the good of the Sabbath.

The Sabbath rest

represents freedom

from slavery.

It represents the end

of back-breaking,

soul-destroying,

endless miserable

labour under 

indifferent, uncaring 

and often malicious masters.

Of course it's lawful

to heal on the Sabbath 

and it's clear to anyone

who seeks the kingdom of God.

[PAUSE]

The Pharisees 

have assumed more authority 

than they are entitled.

Thus they are enslaving people

by micromanaging 

the Sabbath to the extent

that they are not permitting people

to be free to deal with

the extraordinary circumstances 

of life.

And yet it seems

that if no-one is looking

they will haul

their ox and ass 

out of a pit 

and pretend 

nothing has happened.

This is why Our Lord says,

"what they say, do,

but what they do, do not."

The Pharisees have walked

into the wedding feast of the Lamb

and,

in claiming the same authority 

as the priests,

have sat down.

The trouble is

that the Great High Priest,

the Bridegroom Himself

has seen this 

and humiliates them

by sending them to a lower room.

And this is why

the Pharisees hate Jesus:

He exposed them 

for the frauds that they are

and ruins their social standing 

which they worship

more than their God.

[PAUSE]

To interpret the law of God

we need to be close to God.

This doesn't necessarily mean

getting doctorates

in Theology or Law.

It means seeking first 

the Kingdom of God

in our hearts,

spending time 

remembering that we need 

to be Holy through Christ 

and being honest

with our shortcomings.

We can and should study

the word of God as well as we can 

but it is in living His word 

from the heart

not looking for social acceptance 

and respectability, 

it is in these that we encounter Him

and find ourselves able 

to help others truly

by letting His love speak through us

to them.

Cyprian and Cornelius: Salvation in the Catholic Church:

 

Why, as Christians, we need to be wary of extremism.

Up and at 'em!

Sermon for the sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

Have you ever been

to a stately home

which has a family vault?

Generations of

aristocratic families

all buried in one place?

There's something creepy 

about it,

something of 

the Edgar Allen Poe

and Vincent Price

lurking in the shadows

of the family crypt.

For those of us

of a more modest

and lowly status,

we will find our resting place

in a cemetery 

or a crematorium.

Unlike family vaults,

cemeteries and crematoria 

are usually set away 

from places where people live.

There's something 

uncomfortable about living

in the House by the Cemetery.

Why?

Do the living not want

to associate with the dead?

[PAUSE]

For the people of Nain,

it is important for everyone's health

that the dead be carried out 

of the City.

It's not that they 

dishonour the dead -

they would not treat the dead

with such ritual and care -

but that the dead rest in peace

while the living are kept away

from the unpleasant nature

of death.

As far as the people of Nain

are concerned,

they know the scriptures:

"For the living know 

that they shall die: 

but the dead know not any thing, 

neither have they any more a reward; 

for the memory of them 

is forgotten."

"So man lieth down, 

and riseth not: till 

the heavens be no more, 

they shall not awake, 

nor be raised out of their sleep."

"His breath goeth forth, 

he returneth to his earth; 

in that very day his thoughts perish."

And then comes Our Lord.

[PAUSE]

The widow's son 

lives!

His thoughts have not perished!

His breath has returned!

He has been raised,

just like Lazarus,

just like Jairus' daughter.

In raising the dead,

Our Lord shows the difference 

between the old life

of sin, depravity 

corruption and death,

and the new life

of restoration, renewal

sanctification and communion

with God and His saints.

The Old Testament 

gives us the facts

that sin leads to death.

It presents us with the Law

and then shows how the best of us

Saul

David

Solomon

even Moses

fall away.

As far as the Law goes,

when you are dead

there's nothing more

that can be said.

Indeed,

it's just a short step

from that

to believing that 

when you're dead,

you're dead - finito!

[PAUSE]

What the Old Testament does do

is point beyond itself

to the One Who Lives

the true God 

in Whom there is life 

and love.

He is not the God of the dead

but of the living.

He is the God of Abraham,

of Isaac

of Jacob.

"Is," not, "was."

With Him appear

Elijah and Moses

after Moses' death.

And Jesus says to Martha,

before raising Lazarus,

"whosoever liveth

and believeth in Me

shall never die."

These are the words of God.

[PAUSE]

So we can be sure,

at the words of Our Lord,

the saints are alive 

and have not died

because they have lived 

and believed in Christ

and therefore

live beyond their bodily death

and in Eternity.

We see this 

in the Revelation 

of the saints who have died for Christ

alive beneath the altar

crying to God.

We see the prayers of saints

rising up to God

like incense.

Their life is in Christ 

and the whole of Holy Scripture 

points to this common fact

of reunion with Christ in Eternity.

Indeed, we shall be like Him

because we shall see Him

as He really is.

And we have communion

with the saints who have gone before

in the great cloud of witnesses

seen by St Paul 

and told to the Hebrews

the people of the Old Testament 

who once thought

that death is an end.

Indeed,

in Christ we have life 

and death is no more a state 

but just an event in our lives.

Just a passing from

a world of sin and toil

and into the world of light 

and love.

And the saints still love us

- how could they not? -

so, looking with Christ,

cheering us on,

welcoming our entry into life 

with feasts and joys,

and praying to God for us

in the communion of the saints

which we have always believed in.

[PAUSE]

The one who says

"The saints are dead"

lives in the Old Testament 

waiting for the New to be born in him

from on high.

The saints live 

raised

like Lazarus,

like Jairus' daughter,

like the widow's son in Nain,

and they will accompany us

from the place of the dead

back into the city

where mourning is replaced with joy

and sorrow with jubilation.

Come, Lord Jesus.

An Anglican Catholic doubts Descartes

 

Why casting doubt on Descartes gives us back our objectivity.

Heavenly birthday parties?

Sermon for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Why do we celebrate birthdays?

They seem quite arbitrary,

just another complete circuit

of the Earth around the Sun.

We celebrate anniversaries 

like wedding anniversaries 

or ordination anniversaries 

because we remember them.

We remember the sights

the sounds,

the various little mishaps 

and their resolutions.

We remember the joy

and the thrill 

of being with our families and friends.

We remember achieving something.

But birthdays aren't like that.

[PAUSE]

Do you remember your birthday?

The actual moment of your birth?

Do you remember the sights

and sounds?

Do you remember 

what you achieved that day?

But it wasn't you 

putting in all the work.

It was your mother 

labouring to give birth to you,

and delivering you

safely into the cold light

of day.

Surely it's not we 

who should celebrate our birthday.

Rather it is we who should be

celebrating our mothers

on our birthday.

They should get

the cards,

the presents,

the cake.

Birthdays should be

about the mothers.

So should today

be more in honour

of St Anne 

rather than Our Lady?

[PAUSE]

Well, this is the funny thing.

Our Lady's birthday 

is a cause of celebration 

for us

because of 

who she becomes.

She is born Mary;

she leaves this world

Mother of God.

She would not be

the Mother of God

if she had not been born,

and yet, she is the same person 

throughout her life.

It is because of Jesus

that she becomes the Mother of God

in the same way that

God the Father

can only be called Father

because of His Son Jesus.

Mary becomes 

Mother of God

because of Jesus.

Even when she is born,

even when she is conceived,

Mary is the Mother of God

because of Jesus

regardless of Christmas Day.

From Eternity,

being the Mother of God

is part of Our Lady's identity 

written by the very Person

of her Son.

[PAUSE]

Today,

we celebrate what that means for us.

It's something we can rejoice in,

because we have the benefit

of hindsight 

seeing the truth 

of Our Lord's Incarnation 

even in the birth 

of His Mother.

Even at her birth,

we still hear the words,

"where she is,

He is."

[PAUSE]

Our Lord says that

whoever does the will of His Father

is His brother and sister and mother.

He opens up 

His family to us

to participate in the joy

of family celebrations.

Just as He joys

in the birth of His Mother,

so He invites us to share in that joy

by following Him

being obedient to the Father's will

which seeks

the flourishing of mankind

in love through 

His salvation.

We participate in the Holy Family 

by being one with the Church

and labouring for its good,

for its spreading of the Gospel 

for the giving of grace

for the redemption of souls 

to joy.

Is there a heavenly birthday party

for Mary?

Given the love that Jesus has for her,

we can't rule it out.

In fact,

we are invited to it!

Anglican Catholicism: Directed by Doctrine

 

Why truth without love and love without truth deconstruct the Church.

The Position on Salvation

Sermon for the fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Position is everything 

in life, they say.

If this is true,

then it's worth watching 

the position of the ten lepers

who ask for healing

as Our Lord enters their town.

Because of their condition 

they stand at a prudent distance 

from Jesus.

That is the done thing.

We're used to that

even in this day and age.

When COVID lockdowns happen,

business is conducted at a distance.

So the lepers are acting

in a socially acceptable fashion

when approaching Jesus.

That's their starting position.

Then they are told

to show themselves to the priests

who have the responsibility 

to declare them clean

or not.

And now we see them set off.

Their distance from Jesus 

is increasing 

but necessary for them

to be declared clean.

It is then

that salvation comes to them.

Salvation in the sense 

of being salved, cured, healed.

Nine continue on their way

recognising the cure

but still walking away from Jesus

more concerned 

with being declared clean

and being restored to society.

Their cries of relief

are heard

but they must go to the priests

to praise God.

But the tenth,

the Samaritan,

a man who has no position

in the eyes of the Jewish society,

turns back to Christ.

His position 

becomes prostration 

at the feet of Jesus,

no longer far off 

but in a closeness

that would be obscene

if he were still a leper.

But it is here,

at the feet of Christ 

that glory is given to God.

It's not that the nine others 

aren't giving glory to God

in the temple,

it's that this one leper

recognises the grace of God

in his healing

and recognises that the source

of this grace is not far off

but here, right here,

standing and waiting for his thanks

with blessing upon blessing

in His holy and venerable hands.

[PAUSE]

This is a key moment 

in that it points directly

to Jesus as God,

not a prophet,

not a messenger,

not an angel

but Christ Our God.

Further,

it shows that,

while we come to Church

to find and worship God,

He is always near us.

Our Church will always

make His presence clear

to the world,

but,

for us Christians

who seek first 

the Kingdom of God

and His righteousness,

He is always nearer than we think

to receive our praise and thanksgiving,

and our prayers and supplications.

[PAUSE]

The Christian religion

preaches the truth

that God is always with us

which is why Our Lord Jesus Christ 

is the One Whom Isaiah calls

Emmanuel - God with us.

Seven centuries before 

the Incarnation,

Jesus is near Isaiah 

just as He is near 

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

centuries even before that.

[PAUSE]

And now,

many centuries after,

Jesus is present here for us

to be worshipped 

and adored.

He has given us

the sacrifice of the Mass

not only to make His presence 

visible to us

but for us to take away with us

in the depths of our hearts.

Our tenth leper 

shows us 

that we can always 

give glory to God

at the feet of Christ 

where we are 

and that doing so 

brings us ever closer to Him

and to our Eternal joy.