How do Anglican Catholics understand the Filioque?
Monday, November 18, 2024
Sunday, November 17, 2024
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?
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Sunday, November 10, 2024
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.
Monday, November 04, 2024
Anglican Catholicism and the Reformation
Why the Reformation is not something that Anglican Catholics celebrate.
Sunday, November 03, 2024
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.
Monday, October 28, 2024
St Simon and St Jude: piercing zeal
Where Christians should direct their enthusiasm in evangelisation.
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Just answer the question!
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.
Thursday, October 24, 2024
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.
Monday, October 21, 2024
Saturday, October 19, 2024
Not seeing is believing?
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.
Monday, October 14, 2024
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Right to refuse
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.
Monday, October 07, 2024
Saturday, October 05, 2024
Killjoy woz 'ere
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.
Monday, September 30, 2024
Saturday, September 28, 2024
The backroom boys
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.
Monday, September 23, 2024
Anglican Catholicism and the Book of Common Prayer
Why does the Anglican Catholic Church use the 1549 BCP and not the 1662?
Saturday, September 21, 2024
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.
Monday, September 16, 2024
Cyprian and Cornelius: Salvation in the Catholic Church:
Why, as Christians, we need to be wary of extremism.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
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.
Monday, September 09, 2024
Saturday, September 07, 2024
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!
Monday, September 02, 2024
Anglican Catholicism: Directed by Doctrine
Why truth without love and love without truth deconstruct the Church.
Saturday, August 31, 2024
The Position on Salvation
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.