Episcoblog - The Online Journal of the Rt. Rev. Leo Michael

May 1, 2012

I called a plumbing company to take care of the sewer pump that has been giving trouble in the church. So the guy came and looked at it, filled the tank to the test the pump, but the loud noise continued. 

We got to know each other in a short while, and began to talk about church, etc. He thought I was going to convert him and I allayed his fears. I was trying to be nice to him, as it was a nasty job. He said we needed to repalce the pump with the float and that it would be expensive. Asking how to keep costs down, his temporary suggestion was that we turn it off at night and turn it back on in the morning. His colleague, Dewey, came up with the suggestion which he typed in the receipt.

 After reading the receipt, I said, "if you think I'm so dumb that I would have to connect 110 +110 extension cord to get 220,

it implies that I'm a fool in your mind. Do you know what happens to those who call others 'fool'? By the Lord's standard: 'Hell!."(Mt 5:22)

I saw his face turn serious. I was playing with him, as I knew he was kidding. I maintained my cool and told him to tell Dewey what I told him. He thought  he

would be in serious trouble but then considered his colleagues at the office would have a good laugh. I said, "not at the customer's expense. I will call you boss."

I explained that I was kidding when he began to worry. He couldn't help laughing when I said "Don't you mess with God nor his clergy".

Thought the whole episode was funny but we had serious theological discussions too, all over a busted sewer pump.

April 29, 2012

Kudos to AtoZ Blog Challenge for keeing us committed and going. It was a tough call, given the ministerial responsibilities, but I kept at it, sometimes battling time zones to get my blog finished before the strike of twelve. My wife Holly Michael and her blog lead to me to AtoZ Challenge. Thanks to the wonderful bloggers whom I've connected with and today my hope is to connect with more. I promise.  Thanks to them for making this a possibility! And so we are on Z!

As in keeping with the theme of Anglicanism, that thrived in Britain since the time of the Apostles and was found to be alive and active upon the arrival of St. Augustine in 597in Britain. This is the beginnings that we cling on to, Christianity undefiled, Catholicism pure. Hence I treasure what is conservative, ancient as the faith has been watered down due to political exigencies. Vernon Staley is the one I have quoted often and it gives the glimpse of this wonderful faith, apart from Roman Catholicism. The faith once delivered unto the saints must be kept and preserved.

Z is for Zeal for Jesus, Zeal for His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven!

The kingdom of God is within you (Lk 17:21), Jesus said.
St. Paul writes,"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.'" Within the soul of every man is a throne upon which either God or sin sits as a king. We pray that God alone may occupy the throne of the heart. When this is so, we shall be able to influence others for good, and so God's Kingdom will spread in the world
we pray for Christ's second coming to judgment, when all remaining enemies shall be put under His feet. Unless the Kingdom- has come to our hearts, we are not ready for Christ's coming at the end of the world. As we cannot alter the Prayer, we must alter our lives, and thus be getting ready for the second coming of our Lord.(Vernon Staley, The Catholic Religion: Guide for Anglican (Circa 1856) p.285
 

By "Thy will be done," we not only mean that all God's appointments of trial or suffering are to be patiently borne, but also that His will may be actively carried out by us. The will of God is not only to be accepted, but it is also to be fulfilled. God has given us a free will, and we pray that in all things, great and small, our wills may follow His, choosing that which He chooses, and rejecting that which He rejects.The rule of life is the same under all circumstances,- to do God's will as we see it.We pray that His will may be'done in earth as it is in heaven. In heaven it is done by the holy angels, consciously and completely, cheerfully and continually.(Vernon Staley, The Catholic Religion)p.286

Some axioms from Saint John Bosco who dedicated his life in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd, in caring for the youth and their souls for God:

Little piece of paradise will make everything alright. If only we had that eternal perspective we would evaluate every thought, word and deed of ours. As Christians, we believe that we will be part of the communion of saints, the great cloud of witnesses and we will worship the Lord God for all eternity.

A priest never goes to heaven or hell alone; a pastor. the moral responsibility that we hold for the souls is immense. Much has been given to us and much will be expected of us. Blessed is the servant whom the Master finds serving upon his arrival.

Zeal for the kingdom of heaven was paramount in the Lord's public ministry. For us Christians in the United States, Christianity has been subjected to so many attacks, subtle but real. Letting such a thing to continue on only will obliterate the Christian faith slowly but surely.

Under the guise of welcoming anything new everybody gets a pass except Christians. Under the political correctness of inclusion, everyone else gets a better treatment than Christians or the Christian principles that have been the foundation of this great nation.

Good Christians and Honest Citizens:Zeal for His kingdom demands that we render unto Ceaser what is Ceaser and unto God what is Gods. Let us continue to be good Christians and honest citizens.

The goodness of America is in the face of tragedy across the globe. When Tsunami or natural calamities strike, we have seen the goodness of America flow in abundance. The number of volunteers that go and serve in the third world country is very inspiring. We will continue to serve the Lord, His kingdom until His Second Coming!

^"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev.3:20

April 28, 2012

Past three days have been a great test of patience! As the NFL Draft trickled down to the 250s, we were praying and concerned Jake wouldn't be drafted. The draft was over and we had not heard anything from Jake yet. We went to church to get things ready for tomorrow's service. We knelt in the McNeleys Chapel, in prayer for Jake, trusting that he is in the Lord's hands and He knew best. As I was trimming the hedge outside our church, Holly came out with a tweet from Nick, our youngest - that he was proud of his brother. We still wanted to make sure and after ascertaining with Jake, Holly told me that he had signed up with the New Orleans Saints. Jake is a great kid who wants to help others for His glory!  Great attitude Jake! Here is his mom;s post on him.

Congratulations Jake!

Here's an old posting while he played for the Wisconsin Badgers!
May the Good Lord continue to bless you. Your mom and I are proud of you!

Here is the article on Jake "UW tight end catches on to playing with diabetes" by Jeff Potrykus of Journal Sentinel Online. Sometimes the links disappear , hence here is the full extent of the article thanks to Jeff Potrykus of JSonline.com.

Madison --As he prepared for his junior year of high school in Rogers, Ark., Jake Byrne knew his body was short-circuiting.

He just didn't know why.

"I lost about 30 pounds and couldn't figure it out," Byrne, now a junior tight end at Wisconsin, said after a recent practice.

Byrne was a 245-pound offensive tackle as a high school sophomore. His weight dropped to 215 pounds during the summer before his junior season, so he was moved to wide receiver.

"At first, I thought it was a bladder infection," Byrne said. "I had to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes."

Doctors eventually diagnosed Byrne with type 1 diabetes. Byrne's pancreas wasn't producing enough insulin to control his blood sugar level.

"I was dehydrated because of all the sugar," he said, "and I was thirsty and drinking Powerade, which has sugar."

According to Powerade, the drink has 14 grams of sugar and 0 grams of protein in every eight-ounce serving. Byrne, like many of his high school teammates, drank a lot of the sports drink.

Today, Byrne is working to replace the departed Garrett Graham at tight end with UW's No. 1 offense and take pressure off senior H-back Lance Kendricks.

"I feel I can be the guy who can go in there and help Lance out," Byrne said. "I think we can complement each other."

Byrne is listed at 6 foot 4, 251 pounds, but his weight is up to 256 pounds. The latter figure is an increase of 11 pounds from last season.

He improved his eating habits over the off-season and was more productive in the weight room.

"I just sat down and thought about all the things that have affected me," Byrne said. "So I tried to get a healthier diet with more protein and more complex carbs.

"I changed my diet and worked hard in the weight room to become stronger."

His old diet included standard American fare.

"I was always a huge fan of cheeseburgers and french fries," he said, smiling. "There is a place on State St. called the Fat Sandwich Company. Love it.

"But I try to cut those things out and do more grilled chicken breast and vegetables. Trying to cook for myself was a little challenging, but once I got the hang of it, I felt better.

"So it was definitely worth it."

Tight ends coach Joe Rudolph challenged all the players in his unit to hit the 400-pound mark on the bench press and the 500-pound mark in the squat.

Byrne hit 385 on the bench and 505 on the squat. His previous high marks had been 350 and 435, respectively.

"His confidence level is much, much higher, and that allows you to play faster," Rudolph said. "I think he has gotten stronger physically. He is a physical player, a good football player."

Byrne has a constant companion during practice and games - an insulin pump taped onto his back and covered by protective padding.

"We custom-made a back plate and stuck it in there," said Byrne, who likened the pump to being hooked up to an IV. "I take insulin any time I eat anything with sugar.

"I check my blood sugar - during a regular day with no practice probably six times - and with practice it could be 10 or 12 times. It's just kind of how I feel."

Rudolph, who was a graduate assistant at Ohio State and the tight ends coach at Nebraska before coming to UW in 2008, has experience coaching players with diabetes.

"Our medical staff has done a great job with Jake, and he has done a great job learning how to handle everything," Rudolph said. "You just coach him, and you trust they'll let you know when they're not feeling right.

"He has got a pretty good feel about his (condition), and he's pretty honest with the medical staff."

There has been announcements regarding the release of "Corpus Christi" a movie that portrays our Lord and Savior and his disciples as homosexuals. This movie is said to be released this year across America and is being screened today in San Francisco. As a play, this has already been in theaters for a while. It's called " Corpus Christi " which means "The Body of Christ". It's a revolting mockery of our Lord. This was treated as an urban legend at the beginning of millenium and dismissed by the snopes.com. It is true and is being screened today.

For your information: Corpus Christi means the Body of Christ of which Christ is the head. The body of Christ is the Church of which we are all members. Its high time that those who want to promote their agenda, quit desecrating the Most Holy Name of our Lord for ther hidden purposes with utter insensitivity to the Christian ethos. In the depiction of the Corpus Christi in Pieta by Michaelangelo, you see the death Christ endured for our salvation, his dead body in the arms of his loving mother. For centuries, we have been worshipping Christ the Lord and Savior. This is Corpus Christi - the body of Christ who died for us while we were yet sinners.

 I had spoken out on earlier occasion when our Lord's naked body was rendered in a chocolate art form and I will continue to speak. This has nothing to do about being left or right, everything to do with what is right and wrong, distinguishing between what is sacred and mundane, respecting God and respecting the body of Christ which is called Corpus Christi.

In the movie trailor addressing those who object to the movie, someone says, "You hate what you don't understand: You hate what you are not willing to look at. I am trying to understand you, why can't you @!# understand me"

We have gone beyond understanding, but when you drag God and my faith into mud that's where we have a problem. If you want to make money, there are any number of ways, but don't in the name of God or my faith. Respect is give and take.

When you ridiculed the traditional marriage
and floated your lifestyle, we tolerated it

When you contested your civil rights
as being part of the civil discourse, we tolerated it.

When you inundated the minds of our children
in public schools we resisted it

St. Paul speaks of the Body of Christ:

4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.(Ephesians4:4-16)

Someone said that radical Christianity is a form of fundamentalism and likened it to fundamental Islam. Even if so, radical Christianity is a call to fidelity--fidelity to faith and morals. To love the Lord and neighbor, why, even love one's enemies is what we are called to follow radically. Jesus lived and died and rose for this very same principle. No greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his friends. We need to be proud of this deep faith in the son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. He did not ask us to kill anyone in God's name, for Christians to be likened to some of the fundamentalists in Islam. But if we loved God radically, our society would not allow for such nonsense--to say no to such aberrations.

While speaking of the Chocolate Jesus I wrote and holds true for this movie too: Our message is simple. Whatever type of artist one may be, there is no license to offend the religious sense of the people. If it does, it should be abhorred. If one still wants to express anything and everything, we as Christians have the freedom to defend what is sacred to us. As for the chocolate rendition, it's an abomination for God to be caricatured in such an art form. For a true Christian, Easter is about Christ crucified and risen. For the secular, Easter is about chocolate. It's an unholy alliance.

Should someone think this is an overreaction on the part of Christians, then I would say try ridiculing others' faith and then you will know the truth and see the difference. You will see how tolerant Christians have been, during the tirade of mockery that has been unleashed on us under the name of freedom of expression.

April 27, 2012

"Why Me Lord" is a hymn that has a humbling effect on everyone, it moves me each time I hear it.Though it may not be a "Y", "Why Me Lord" makes us question the Lord as did St. Peter when the Lord came to wash his feet  The very thought of God's graciousness to us brings us to our knees, regardless of who we are and what we have achieved. We question ourselves, "What have I ever done to deserve" any such achievement. Such an attitude makes us acknowledge God's propensity and our own fallibility. Here is the "Why Me Lord" story behind the hymn told and sung by Kris Kristofferson. (Photo:Palma Giovanne 1561Web Art Gallery).

The question Why Me has been asked by so many in the Holy Bible. When God calls someone there is always a why, a resistance or objection in terms of deficiency on the part of the one who is being called.

Call of Gideon: (Judges 6:11-13)
Angel:The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour [a force; virtue, strength: power, worthy].
Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Call of Jeremiah: (Jeremiah 1:1-7)

When God called Jeremiah, he said: "I do not how to speak" and "I am only a child" God responded with His presence "I am with you"."and a command "say whatever I command you" Though he was still young Jeremiah would rely on the knowledge of God and His will (Jer9:23-24)

Call of Isaiah: (Isaiah 6:1-6)

Call of Samuel: "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9) together with  "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God."(Hebrew 10:7) is the best response when the Good Lord wants us to do what He wills. And ast St.James says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."(James 4:10)

Since X is hard to come by in the Anglican glossary, I blog in terms x times: Borrowing from the Greek concept of Chronos and Chiros! (Photo courtesy Web Art Gallery)

Time also is measured in terms of chronos, the chronological times and chiros the chirological one, the momentousness of time > Or as someone put it, 'Chronos is counted in minutes and seconds- human time and Chiros is counted in value and quality- God's time'
Every chronos can be turned into chiros when we fully live the Christian calling and invest in the kingdom to come, where no thieves break in and no moth shall destroy.

The possibility of converting a chronos into chiros is available in the liturgical year, when we come to acknowledge and mark the milestones of salvation along the course of human calendar in the Liturgical year. Its fitting that we keep the times as Anno Domini, Year of our Lord. During every Liturgical year as in Calendar years, the church offers times of grace that we can access, the mercy of God we can bask in and the strength to carry on and mature as a child of God. Though we were not there two thousand years ago, all the salvific blessings can be ours if we enter in faith. The Lord provides us the same through the action of the Holy Spirit.

Speaking of times, and end times, people have been talking about end times and wonder if 2012 would be the end. What is certain is the Second Coming.

When there was so much hype about the end of the world, prophesy etc, our focus is to remain faithful to the Lord and live a life that is worthy of our Christian calling, that when He does come, we will not be surprised or shocked.

So long as we have the eternal perspective we will not be mislead or disoriented: There is a simple prayer that makes this very conscious at all times: "I come from God, I belong to God and I go back to God" Everything done, thought and said in terms of this axiom is just fine.

That also addresses the parting from this world, when death the inevitable must happen. It is a faithful life to the Gospel that transcends all the aspects of life, that matters. Death will not be the end but the beginning."For thy faithful O Lord, life is not ended but changed."

It is in this eternal perspective, we want all of us to continue living our lives to the fullest in Worshipping and serving Him and to be one day with Him in heaven!

As we are almost close to the end of the AtoZ Blog Challenge, want to share this thought on our eternal and everlasting perspective which should drive our efforts, thoughts and actions. Here is the hymn asking the Lord to "Abide with me"

April 26, 2012

"Sometimes I feel like I'm not getting anything out of church," said one of young church members. His mother corrected him, "We don't go to church to get but to give, to give God all we have and all we are." These days the meaning of worship seems to have morphed into a me-centered worship, rather than a God-centered worship.

Worshipping the Lord in the beauty of Holiness is heaven on earth. The Book of Common Prayer serves as a guideline for the Anglican method of worship. Kudos to the Reformation that it placed the Scriptures in the hands of the Commoner.  And so was the praying of the Breviary, once a privilege of the Clergy passed on to all. Thus was born the BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. Did you know that most of it is from Scripture including the prayers adapted from the Scripture? Here are the opening sentences from the Morning Prayer:  THE LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Hab. ii. 20.

O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him. Psalm xcvi. 9.


Worship is God Centered - Not Choir centered nor the Preacher or Pastor Centered: The role of the priest is to lead the people in worshipping the Lord and he does not become the center of attention nor attraction and hence the 'ad orientum' facing the east during the Mass. In the Anglican Worship, the Choir has its place in the Choir loft away from the Sanctuary, the Clergy have their place in as much as enabling worship, the faithful stand to praise, sit to listen and kneel to pray. There is order in the prayers of the Mass. The Mass is celebrated with Angels and Archangels and in the company of saints chanting the praises of God: "Holy Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts..." This is the prayer that we will pray eternally forever once we cross over into eternal life.

As every worship should be there is moment of penitence and hence seeking Divine forgiveness, there is a moment of praise and adoration, there is a moment of intercession or asking and a moment of thanksgiving to the Lord. Anglo-Catholicism has continued the worship every Sunday in the Church with the community of believers. Upon my visit to the Canterbury Cathedral a phrase caught my attention: God has been worshipped here for fourteen centuries."

There is beauty, there is grandeur there is diginity and decorum,and it done "Decently and in Order", lifting up the souls in the presence of the Lord. There is reverance in the language used to the eternal God as thou and thee.  The service is orderly in order to focus on God and avoid distraction.

There is incense offered to the Lord signifying the raising of our prayers up to the Lord: Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense; and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. Psalm cxli. 2.

The Preaching of the Gospel or the Sermon is modelled after this prayer: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm xix. 14, 15.

There is Absolution (releasing the sinner and offering God's pardon): ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him; Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The faithful are fed with the precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ given for you: preserve your body  and soul unto everlasting life; Take and eat in remembrance that Christ died for thee and feed on him in thy heart by faith and thanksgiving. The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ shed for thee preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life..

Its a coporate worship reminding us of the words of St. John Chrysostom : ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

It is prayer of thanksgiving: ALMIGHTY and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee, for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us who have duly received these holy mysteries with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom, by the merits of his most precious death and passion. And we most humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

Try one of our services All worship to the greater Glory of God. This is how for centuries the church has worshipped the Lord in the beauty of holiness: O come let us adore him!

April 25, 2012

V is for Vestments

Some time ago, one of my evangelical friends said, "you catholics continue to crucify the Lord time and time again in your Mass." The Mass is the memorial, remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross who died once and for all. Here, we are only limiting ourselves to the context of the Eucharistic sacrifice or the Mass as a memorial of the sacrifice of our Lord.

When we speak of the Holy Eucharist as a sacrifice, we do not understand any repetition of the Sacrifice of the cross, or any renewal of Christ's sufferings or death. His sufferings and His death took place once for all, and can never be repeated. Neither are we to suppose that anything is wanting in His sufferings or Sacrifice, which the Eucharistic Sacrifice supplies. But we mean that in the Holy Eucharist we plead before God the One Sacrifice offered once upon the cross, even as Christ Himself presents the same Offering in Heaven. Thus the Fathers spoke of the Holy Eucharist as "the unbloody sacrifice," The Eucharistic Sacrifice is not so much on a line with the Sacrifice on Calvary, as with the pleading of that Sacrifice in heaven.Our Blessed Lord's Sacrifice upon the cross is " a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world,"-not only for birth-sin, but for all actual sin. "The Sacrifice of the Mass" must be distinguished from "the sacrifices of Masses" (Staley 251,52)

The early church's worship included: listening to God's Word and Apostles teaching and the Breaking of Bread (Acts2,20). Through the sacred tradition of the church, the worship assumed greater significance in commemoration of the singular sacrifice of Christ on the Cross as it liturgicaly evolved. The priests, wearing the vestments, was an imitation of the Old Testament priesthood while appoaching the Holy of Holies. They also signify the passion of Christ.

Another evangelical friend asked about the dresses that I wore during the Mass and what they meant.

The priest puts on the Eucharistic vestments - symbolic of the singular sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, now being remembered in an unbloody manner. These vestments are basically similar to the street clothing which was worn at the time of our Lord‟s incarnate life. The apostles used their best clothing when they led in the celebration of the Holy Communion. When styles of street clothing changed, the clothing worn for the Eucharist remained the same, and has remained basically the same throughout the centuries. Thus the celebrant at the Eucharist now, who is acting at the command of Christ, is clothed in the same way, as a reminder that the real celebrant (Jesus) is no human being, but our Lord himself. As the priest vests he prays for himself and for all the people that they may worthily celebrate these Holy Mysteries.

THE FIRST VESTMENT is the Amice:a white napkin that reminds the priest of our Lord's Crown of thorns:

Vesting Prayer: "Place, O Lord, on my head the helmet of salvation, that so I may resist the assaults of the devil."
The priest then secures it by wrapping the strings around his torso and tying them mid-waist.

THE SECOND VESTMENT is the alb which was the basic garment in the Palestine of our Lord's Day. This is the "coat" referred to when our Lord says, "If a man ask of thee thy cloak give him thy coat also." It represents the robe of mockery which was put on our Lord before his crucifixion. Being of white linen, it symbolizes innocence, chastity, purity, joy of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Savior.

Vesting Prayer "Make me white, O Lord, and cleanse my heart; that being made white the Blood of the Lamb I may deserve an eternal reward." Symbolizes purity of mind, heart and body. It goes over the amice.

THE THIRD VESTMENT is the cincture with which the alb is girded. It holds the stole in place and represents the rope with which Christ was bound to the pillar during flagellation. It symbolizes chastity, temperance, and self-restraint.

Vesting Prayer: "Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me."

THE FOURTH VESTMENT is the MANIPLE - the chains that bound the Lord to the pillar during scourging Vesting Prayer: "May I deserve, O Lord, to bear the maniple of weeping and sorrow in order that I may joyfully reap the reward of my labors."

THE FIFTH VESTMENT is the stole, or scarf, which today symbolizes the yoke of Christ and the office and work of the priest - symbolic of our Lord's Cross.

Vesting Prayer: "Restore to me, O Lord, the state of immortality which I lost through the sin of my first parents and, although unworthy to approach Thy sacred Mysteries, may I deserve nevertheless eternal joy."

THE FINAL VESTMENT is the chasuble (which the priest normally puts on after the sermon). Originally, it was an outer coat issued to Roman soldiers in cold weather. It represents our Lord‟s coat without seams for which soldiers at the cross casts lots and the purple cloak Pilate ordered placed on Christ as King of the Jews. It represents protection and charity from St. Paul's injunction "Above all things put on charity."
Vesting Prayer: "O Lord, who hast said, 'My yoke is sweet and my burden light' grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace."

V is for Vestry: the local administrative body that takes care of the needs of the local church.

The Vestry is known in law by the title of "The Rector, Churchwardens, - and Vestrymen." Together they form a corporate body in civil law, when duly incorporated by the State, and posess the usual powers to take and hold real estate, to manage all the property and temporalities of the body, to have succession, and the other powers attendant upon the formation of a corporation aggregate.

"These are to control and regulate the expenditure of the Parish funds, to decide as to altering or enlarging the parochial Churches or Chapels, and as to adding to or disposing of the' goods and ornaments.' The Vestry also elect -some of the parochial officers, either wholly or in part, and has, either directly or indirectly, a superintending authority in all the weightier matters of the Parish. (Baum, Henry Mason,The rights and duties of rectors, churchwarden and Vestrymen Philadelphia 1879).

Here speaking of the duties of the churchwarden or senior warden, Baum further addresses: " The active duties of the office are" chiefly those of providing necessaries for Divine Service, maintaining order during its performance, keeping the Church and its accessories in proper condition, and taking charge of the benefice during vacancies.

The Duties of Churchwardens.

 1. To provide for the Churches of which they have the care, a Prayer book and Bible of suitable size at the expense of the Parish.
 2. To make the collections which are usual in the Parishes.
 3. To provide, at the expense of the Congregation,a sufficient quantity of fine white bread,and good, wholesome wine, for the celebration of the Lord's Supper.
 4. To provide a proper book, at the charge of the Parish, in which shall be written by the Rector, or, in case of vacancy, by one of the Wardens, the name of every person baptized, married,and buried in the Church, and the time when such baptism, marriage, and burial took place.
 5. To present to the Bishop of the Diocese,or, if there is no Bishop, to the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Church in the State, every Priest and Deacon residing in the Parish to which they belong, who has voluntarily relinquished his sacerdotal office, and uses such employments as belong to laymen.
 6. To take care that the Church of which they have the charge be kept in good repair, well glazed,and free from dirt and dust, as becomes the house of God; that the Churchyard be decently fenced, and to cause that order be preserved during service.                                                                                                                                                        7. To diligently see that the parishioners resort to Church on Sundays, and there continue tne whole time of Divine Service; and to gently admonish them when they are negligent.
 8. To prevent any idle persons continuing in the Churchyard or Forch during Divine Service, by causing them either to enter the Church or depart,and to prohibit the sale of anything in the yard.
 9. To give an account to the corporation of the Church, if it has no treasurer, at the expiration of each year, of the money they have received,and what they have expended in repairs, etc. ; and. when they go out of office to give a fair account of all their money transactions relative to the Church, and deliver up to their successors the Church property in their possession. (279-80)

V is for via media: the midway between protestantism and catholicism- the Roman additions and Protestant subtractions to the faith once delivered unto the saints. Reformation questioned the Roman excesses or additions and in the process protestantism was born. They began to abhore anything catholic, throwing the sacramental worship  as if throwing the baby with bathwater. In truth the word catholic according to St. Vincent of Larins "that which is accepted everywhere and by all" what else could be other than Christ the word incarnate and the salvation He offers. While evangelicals sought the authority from the Scriptures and Roman catholics in the magisterium and tradition along with scripture, Anglicanism rests on the three legged stool of Scripture, Tradition and Reasoning. Anglicanism is able to embrace the strength of God's word which the evangelicals have nurtured so far and the worshipping God in the beauty of holiness that the catholic tradition has offered over the centuries. Anglicanism is able to embrace both and draw strength from both in continuing on the Great Commission of our Blessed Lord until His second Coming. Check us out

April 23, 2012

The Universality of Christ:
In the beginning God made heaven and earth...(Gen1:1)
In the beginning was the Word, the word was with God and the word was God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1:1)
The Logos (Word) is Jesus Christ. The Anointed one of God who will save people from sin.
As St. Paul says Christ yesterday, today and forever is the same. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. All things belong to him and all seasons.
The reign of Christ encompasses everything as He sits at the right hand of God the Father.
The whole creation is earning and waiting.

The Uniqueness of Christ:
He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth

When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind's progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life

Christ the Anointed one took the human:Here is the Christological Hymn (Philippians2)
1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He lived, died and rose again.
God who partook of human nature in the foot prints of humanity.
Who is for all and at the same time for you and me.
To those who accepted him he gave them the right to become the
Children of God. not of blood, but of God.

And he continues to offer. May we accept him, adore him and worship him,
the son of the living God.

April 22, 2012

God is Father the Creator, Son the Redeemer and Holy Spirit the Sanctifier. How can God be One and yet Three Persons? For us getting used to gadgets having very many features, perhaps the concept of Three in One and One in Three is not so difficult to understand.

God is real and true very much involved in our lives - our Creator, Reedeemer, and Sanctifier. GOD so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that all who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

And the Son assured us of the Holy Comforter after His ascending into heaven. The Holy Spirit descended on  on the twelve Apostles on Pentecost Day and continues to guide our lives in the path of holiness back to God.

Vernon Staley, reflecting on Trinity, says: There is one God in Three Persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. These Three Persons are co-equal in all things.
" The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet they are not three Gods, but one God." This is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, taught by the Church, and proved by the Scriptures. Whilst the Holy Scriptures teach that there is but One God, they speak of each of the Three Persons as God, and thus prove to us their co-equal Godhead.

The doctrine of the Trinity in Unity is a great mystery. A mystery is a truth revealed by God which we are thereftSre bound to believe,but which we are unable fully to understand.Though the doctrine of the Trinity is above the understanding, it is not contrary to it. It is reasonable that there should be mysteries in religion, and above all that there should be mysteries about the Being of God. If we could grasp the doctrine of the Trinity, we should ourselves be God. The fly on the ceiling cannot understand the nature of man, because mao is so much beyond a fly in the scale of creation. But there is less interval between a fly and a man, than there is between man and God, for man is a creature, and God is the infinite Creator.
It is said that on a certain occasion a preacher named Alanus (Augustine as mentioned in the footnote), promised to make plain to his hearers on the next Sunday, the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity. Whilst considering the matter by the sea shore, .he saw a child with a spoon in his hand walking to and fro between the sea and a hole which he had made in the sand. Alanus asked the child what he was doing. He replied,-" I am trying to empty the sea into this hole." Alanus said,"Why dost thou waste thy time in attempting an impossibility?"
The child again replied,-"I am not more wasting my time than thou art, for thou wilt no sooner get all the knowledge of the Holy Trinity into thy small mind, than I shall empty the great sea into this hole in the
sand."
Though a philosopher cannot explain the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity, a child can believe it. This great truth is not one about which we are to puzzle our minds. We are simply to believe it, because God has revealed it to the Church, and the Church teaches it. Reason becomes lost in wonder, and gives place to adoring faith.

This was my posting on St. Patrick's Day reflecting on the Trinity

As the world revels in Saint Patrick's Day, named after the Apostle of Ireland, we honor him, not so much for green beer, as for his undaunted faith and courage in taking God's word to his very captors. Taken a slave, he learned the art of winning the hearts and minds of his captors and won their hearts for Christ the Lord as His bishop - the shepherd of His flock.

The Shamrock - a tell-tale of the Divine mystery of God - The One in Three and Three in One - Eternal Father, Word and Spirit,

The Lorica - (breastplate - a mystical garment that would protect from illness and dangers, a guarantee for entry into heaven - the eternal perspective that will surely guide us along heaven's way). Yes we sing his hymn in our church - it's a beautiful prayer for protection to shroud ourselves with Divine Protection.

Lest we remember St. Patrick for just for revelry alone, his hymn reminds us of eternity - the Sweet well done in judgment hour.

Binding ourselves to the strong Name of the Trinity is a wonderful way to begin each day- "The Power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need."

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.
I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom

I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet 'Well done' in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,
The Patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun's life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.
Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility

I bind to me these holy powers.
Against all Satan's spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart's idolatry,
Against the wizard's evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Sacrament is the unique way in which the Lord continues to offer His Divine grace for us miserable offenders. From birth till death, every milestone of our lives is marked by these sacraments. At Birth - Baptism of a child assures the cleansing of sins and making us the members of Christ Body, the Church. Holy Communion is the precious body and blood of Christ for the nourishment of our souls. Holy Confirmation - strengthens us with the power of the Holy Spirit to embrace the faith and life in Christ in its totality. Holy Absolution is divine forgiveness extended to the sinner through the ministry of the church where the penitent is absolved from his or her sins.Holy Anointing is when one is sick is anointed in the Name of the Father Son and the Holy Ghost. Holy Orders is the sacrament through which these channels of graces are administered. Holy Matrimony is the sacrament through which a man and woman are brought together in the wedlock in the presence of the Lord and in the presence of the witnesses.through which the original sin is washed awayThey are outward signs of inward and spiritual grace.

The Sacraments are nothing less than the Divinely-appointed means through which the benefits of these mysteries are applied to our souls. The Sacraments are the Divinely-ordered channels by which the spiritual forces of the Incarnation reach us.

The term sacrament was restricted to seven ordinances. Some of these owe their existence to our Lord's direct institution, as recorded in the Gospels; others to the Apostles acting, we may believe, under unrecorded commands of Christ.' The Two Greater Sacraments are named :i. HOLY BAPTISM. ii. THE HOLY EUCHARIST. The Five Lesser Sacraments are named :iii.CONFIRMATION. iv. PENANCE. v. HOLY ORDER. vi. HOLY MATRIMONY. vii. UNCTION.

Our Lord's authority can be traced directly for the institution of Holy Baptism, the Holy Eucharist, Holy Order, and Penance. Matrimony, instituted by God from the beginning, was raised by our Lord .to a higher dignity; whilst the expression" in the name of the Lord," used by St. James' of Unction, compared with St. Mark vi. 13, p oints to His authority for this Sacrament also. Although there is no record of the institution of Confirmation in the New Testament, yet we have the highest reasons for believing that it was ordered by our Lord Himself before His Ascension. Confirmation conveys the fulness of the gift of the Holy Ghost, which no rite of the Church's appointing could do without Divine authority. - The Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist claim special attention, for our Lord has given them a peculiar prominence. They are the instruments of INWARD LIFE, according to our Lord's declaration, that Baptism is THE NEW BIRTH, and that in the Eucharist we eat THE LIVING BREAD. They are sometimes called" the Sacraments of the Gospel," because they have their visible sign or ceremony ordained by Christ in the Gospels. (Vernon Staley, The Catholic Religion)

April 21, 2012

Root cause of Reformation was the sale of indulgences.
Some of the benefits of Reformation according to Vernon Staley:
*1539, the Holy Bible in English was circulated,and a few years after,
the services of the Church were read in our own language.
The Chalice in the Holy Sacrament was restored to the laity, who werenow
allowed to seek Absolution after Confession,as their consciences directed, and not
of compulsion as hitherto.
The appeal all through the Reformation time was to the Holy Scriptures as interpreted by the
teaching of the primitive Church and the fathers, and to the decisions of the General
Councils of the Church. This appeal is ours to-day.

*The Apostolic Succession was continued without break, bishops being consecrated all
through Reformation times by bishops of the old Apostolic line. The Sacraments, deriving
their security and value from the Apostolic Succession, were continued. The appeal to
antiquity, as the test of truth, was clearer than before. Thus the Church of England issued
from the Reformation a true and living branch of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church
of Christ. In the words of Mr. Aubrey Moore,"The continuity of the English Church was the first principle of the English Reformation,and the Apostolical Succession, so carefully preserved through all changes, was the answer to the charge of schism, as the retention of the three Creeds and the recognition of the four Councils was the answer to the charge of heresy."

There were also instances of throwing the baby with bathwater - the great catholic principles because of the Reformers anti-Roman stance.

April 20, 2012

Though Queen Elizabeth I was known for her "Elizabethan Settlement" in the history of Anglicanism. While theologians strived to explain or debate the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the following four lines form the basis of belief, because He said so.

Christ was the WORD that, spake it,
He blessed the bread, and brake it,
And what that WORD doth make it,
That I believe, and take it!

April 18, 2012

Power of Prayer
Anglicanism as a via media is able to synthesize good elements from the evangelical protestantism (love for God's Word) side and the catholic aspect of the  sacramental and liturgical worship (love for God's worship). J. C. Ryle is another great Anglican whom I admire for his teaching in preaching. Here are some excerpts from his powerful thoughts on prayer from "Practical Religion" on prayer, of course the questions are mine.

On the power of prayer he says: There are wonderful examples in Scripture of the power of prayer. Nothing seems to be too great, too hard, or too difficult for prayer to do.. It has obtained things that seemed impossible and out of reach. It has won victories over fire, air, earth and water. Prayer opened the Red Sea. Prayer brought water from the rock and bread from heaven. Prayer made the sun stand still. Prayer brought fire from the sky on Elijah's sacrifice. Prayer turned the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. Prayer overthrew the army of Sennacherib... Prayer has healed the sick. Prayer has raised the dead. Prayer has procured the conversion of souls.

Who needs prayer?
Some, without doubt, have a larger cup of sorrow to drink than others. But few are to be found who live very long without sorrows or cares of some sort or another. Our bodies, our property, our families, our children, our relations, our friends, our neighbors, our worldly callings - each and all of these are fountains of care. Sicknesses, deaths, losses, disappointments, partings separations, ingratitude, slander - all these are common things. We cannot get through life without them, Someday hey will find us out. The greater are our afflictions the deeper are our afflictions; and the more we love, the more we have to cry.

And the best way is to take everything to God in prayer:
This is the clear advice that the Bible gives, both in the Old Testament and the New. What does God say? "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me (Ps50:15). " Cast your care on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall (Ps55:22) What does St. Paul say? "Don not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understating, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7) What does the Apostle James say? "Is anyone of your in trouble? He should pray" (James 5:13)

What did the saints do in times of affliction? - They prayed:

This was the practice of all the saints whose history we have recorded in the Scriptures. This is what Jacob did, when he feared his brother Esau. This is what Moses did, when the people were ready to stone him in the wilderness. This is what Joshua did, when Israel was defeated before Ai. This is what David did, when he was in danger at Keliah. This is what Hezekiah did, when he received the letter from Sennacherib. This is what the Church did, when Peter was in prison. This is what Paul di, when he was cast into the dungeon at Philippi.

The only way to be really happy, in such work as this is to be ever casting all our cares on God. It is the attempt of carrying their own burdens which so often makes the believers sad. If they will only tell their troubles to God He will enable them to bear them as easily as Samson did the gates of Gaza. If they are resolved to keep them to themselves they will find one day that the very grasshopper is a burden  (Ecclesiastics12:5)   (Picture of St. Francis of Assisi prayerfully steeped before the Crucifix - Courtesy of Web Art Gallery                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Take it to the Lord
There is a friend ever waiting, to help us, if we will only tell Him our sorrow- a friend who pitied the poor, and sick, and sorrowful when He was on earth - a friend who knows the heart of a man, for He lived thirty three years as a man among us - a friend who can weep with the weepers, for He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief - a friend who is able to help us for there never was earthly pain He could not cure. That friend is Jesus Christ. The way to be happy is always opening our hearts to Him.

What a life we bear without prayer!
Bibles read without prayer, sermons heard without prayer, engagements to marriage without prayer, travel undertaken without prayer, homes chosen without prayer, friendships formed without prayer, daily act of private prayer itself hurried over or gone through without heart- these are the kind of downward steps by which many a Christian descends to a condition of spiritually paralysis or reaches the point where God allows him to have a tremendous fall. This is the process which forms the lingering Lots, the unstable Samsons, the wife-idolizing Solomons, the inconsistent Asas, the pitiable Jehoshaphat, the over-careful Marthas.

Prayer can lighten crosses for us no matter how heavy they are. It can bring down to our side One who down One who will say, "This is the way, walk in it." Prayer can let in a ray of hope when all our earthly prospects seem darkened. It can bring down One who will say, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Prayer can obtain relief for us when those we love most are taken away, and the world feels empty. It can bring down One who can fill the gap in our hearts with Himself and say to the waves within, "Peace: be still!" Oh that men were not so much like Hagar in the wilderness, bling to the well of living waters close beside them.

What is Prayer then?
Prayer is the simplest act in all religion. It is simply speaking to God. It needs neither learning, nor wisdom, nor book-knowledge to begin it. It needs nothing but heart and will, The weakest infant can cry when he is hungry. The poorest beggar can hold out his hand for charity and does not wait for fine words.

Where can we pray?
It is useless to say you have no convenient place to pray in. Any man can find a place private enough, if he is inclined. Our Lord prayed on a mountain; Peter ion the house-top; Isaac in the field; Nathanael under the fig tree; Jonah in the whale's belly. Any place may become a closet and a Bethel, and to us the presence of God.

When can we pray?
It is useless to say you have no time. There is plenty of time, if men will only utilize it. Time maybe short but time is always long enough for prayer. Daniel had all the affairs of a kingdom on his hand, and yet he prayed three times a day, David was ruler over a mighty nation and yet he says, "Evening, morning and noon, I cry out in distress"(Psalm55-17)

May we never forget that every sigh and whisper of ours reaches the throne of Almighty, more than the maternal instincts of a caring mother during the child's infancy. So let us pray.

April 17, 2012

O is for Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence - all pervasive, all encompassing stands for God. He is Omnipotent - with unlimited power, Omniscient - with all knowledge, Omnipresent - present in all place and at all times. This attribute can only be ascribed to God the Almighty!

O is for Orthodoxy, literally translated "right belief" -  The belief As the Lord taught, As the Apostles preached and As the Fathers of the Church preserved. The Church's duty is to teach and preach the gospel as mandated by Christ the Lord. And in order to accomplish this our Blessed Lord set the church on the foundation of the twelve apostles and Christ Himself being the corner stone.(Eph 2:20) The teaching  must adhere to what was taught in the Apostolic times. One such way this is maintained is the unbroken chain of Apostolic Succession through which Holy Orders have been passed on.

According to Vernon Staley, The power to act as ministers of Christ was,as already said, given by Jesus Christ in the first instance to the Apostles. But this ministerial commission was not intended to be exercised only by them, and to cease- when they died. The Christian Ministry was formed as the appointed means of applying the blessings of the Incarnation to mankind; and the Incarnation is not a paising event in the world's history,but an abiding reality. The permanent character of the Ministry which Christ ordained,rests upon the permanent character of His Incarnation.

Our Lord intended the office which He bestowed upon the twelve Apostles, to live on after their deaths, until the end of the world.The Apostolic Ministry is an abiding fact in a world of change. It is true that the commission,-" Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the.Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,"  It was given to the Apostles, but it was accompanied by the promise,-" Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." This promise was not addressed to all Christian people, but only to the Apostles,' and that too in connection with the official acts of teaching and baptising. It is as though Christ had said,-" Baptise and teach all nations, and I will be with you in so doing." Moreover, He promised to be with the Apostles in performing these ministerial acts "unto the end of the world." But how could He be with the Apostles in their work "unto the end of the world"?

Thus we have the great promise on which the doctrine of the Apostolic succession rests.As Christ was with the Apostles cunfirming and ratifying their official acts, so He has promised to be with their successors as long as His mediatorial Kingdom lasts. We have thus the best possible grounds for believing in the continuity of the Apostolic Ministry as it now exists among ourselves.(Vernon Staley, The Catholic Religion p.20)

O is for Orders: From Jesus Christ to the Apostles to the Ordained Ministers

The Apostolic Succession confirms and validates the sacred orders to the ministry:

The Apostolic Ministry was to be secured by the Apostles in their life-time providing successors to their office. As our Blessed Lord ordained the Twelve to be His representatives when He left the earth,so the Apostles chose others to take their place when they in turn were withdrawn by death.This plan of continuing the Apostles· Ministry was to be carried on from age to age until the end of time. As a fact of history, it has been carried on. It is now nearly two thousand years since our Lord's promise was made.During this long period, successors of the Apostles, first receiving and then in turn handing on the Divine power and authority which Christ gave to the Twelve, have never been wanting. Such successors of the Apostles are with us now. The Apostolic succession is the link or bond which connects the Church of the nineteenth century with that of the first century.

The greatest possible care has ever been taken in this matter, to secure the true succession. It became a rule of the Church in very early days, that at least three successors of the Apostles (or bishops as they were called),should lay their hands upon the heads of those whom they admitted to the highest office of the Ministry.

God, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent sent His only Son Jesus Christ, who promised to be with us to the end of the world. He appointed the twelve and the twelve passed on that authority that they received from the Lord through the Laying on of hands. It is the Church's duty to preserve and be a steward of the 'faith once delivered unto the saints.'

April 16, 2012

Nativity: The Incarnation of the Son of God.

Incarnation means taking the form of flesh: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten so that all who believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:8)

Despite the commercial tone that attempts to trounce the Nativity, the stillness of the night still bears the significance of the birth of Christ. O what joy! The Babe of Bethelehem is the Divine Son, Jesus born to save the people from sin. Christmas holds memories of family gathering on the occasion of the Birth our Savior, going to church, exchanging gifts out of love for one another...the nostalgia that goes with all our Christmasses.

His birth was foretold in the Old Testament several hundred years ago: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.(Is 7:14)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6

This child was indeed destined for the rise and fall of many: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John1:12,13)

Even now, in April, it's nice to think about The Nativity. It's good to consider that Christmas makes sense only when it is embraced personally, any time of the year, that God loved us and gave his only son for our salvation.

April 14, 2012

When God asked the consent of a young virgin of Nazareth

It's easy to dismiss Mary as one among us, but we need not lessen her in order to give importance to the Incarnation of the Son of God. God's angel addressed her, "Hail, FULL OF GRACE". So where is the argument to liken her to the rest of us human beings, having sin in her, in order to highlight the "sinless one who will save His people from sin?" Do we need anymore endorsement than the messenger of God, Angel Gabriel.

Moreover, for me, that she was full of grace is sufficient to know that she was not full of sin. With Jesus in her womb, how in the world could grace and sin, light and darkness co-exist?

All things are possible with God. And so, God could have made a sinless womb, not for Mary's sake, but for the sake of the Son of God. Let us not cherry pick as to what we like from the Gospel and leave the rest out, of sheer convenience, because it does not conveniently suit the partial truth that we have been thumping from the pulpit. The inconvenient truth is that the Son of God was born through Mary, the Virgin of Nazareth. Who, among humanity, could claim to be better than her.

Therefore, I do not worship her, but revere and respect her. I dare say that no human being could have enjoyed the privileged position and none among human beings can compare with her ever.

She was the best disciple, best mother, and her Yes mattered for the birth of the Savior. That is history. That's the Gospel truth.

When God asks our consent, how many of us are willing to accept His directions?Here is the virgin of Nazareth who consented to the will of God, despite the exegencies of her time. We should not sideline her. She has a special place in Anglicanism, in the Catholic Faith.

Speaking of God's consent and Mary's response, Vernon Staley comments:It was a tremendous crisis in the history of the world, a crisis in which the salvation of mankind, for a time at least, lay trembling in the balance. Would God be suffered to become incarnate for us men and for our salvation, or would His merciful design, for a season at least, be thwarted?

The decision lay with Mary, and we may well thank God that it was the right decision. In the face of all that awaited her, by the grace of God, the Blessed Virgin accepted with complete self-surrender the wondrous call of God, and uttered the eventful words," Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to Thy Word." 1 In that central moment, the everlasting Son of the Father, Who took upon him to deliver man, did not abhor the Virgin's womb. He began to take human form, and Mary became the Mother of God." Well may we make the words of one of o'ur English bishops, the pious and affectionate Bishop Hall our own,-" But how gladly do we second. the Angel in the praise.of her, which was more ours than his I How justly do we bless her, whom the Angel pronounced blessed.How worthily is she honoured of men, whom the Angel proclaimed beloved of God I 0 Blessed, Mary, he cannot bless thee, he cannot honour thee too much, that deifies thee not I That which the Angel said of thee, thou hast prophesied of thyself; we believe lhe Angel and thee: 'All generations shall call thee blessed,' by the Fruit of whose womb all generations are blessed." Vernon Staley" The Catholic Faith: Guide for Anglicans p.163-64

The title "Mother of God" was solemnly bestowed upon the Blessed Virgin Mary at the General Council of Ephesus held in the year 431. This Council met to condemn the heresy of Nestorius, who taught that in Christ were two Persons, the Person of God and the person of man; the Person of God being, as he said', united some time after birth to the person of man. 'The Catholic Faith is, that there is but one Person in Christ, that of God; and that this Divine Person took the Manhood into God in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus the title • Mother of God,' was given to safeguard the truth of the Incarnation, and not with a view to her special honour. In speaking of her as "the Motker of God," it is not meant that she was the Mother of the Divine Nature, but of the Human Nature of Him who is God, and Who took of her that Human Nature. Canon Bright writes,-" The theological importance of the title consists in this, that it is a cond<;nsed expression of the personal Divinity of the Redeemer." (Notes from Vernon Staley)

The Anglican Shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Walsingham, England

 With Bishop Lindsey Urwin at the shrine of our Lady of Walsingham.

L is for Liturgy: "O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" Ps 96:9

The word 'liturgy' is a secular Greek term, originally signifying a public work. In the early Christian era, liturgy was restricted to the public function of the Church, presided over by its official ministers. In its root meaning, liturgy denotes an act performed for the good of the community. In its commonly accepted meaning, liturgy refers to the public rites and ceremonies officially authorized by the Church, in contrast to the private prayers and devotions of individuals or of voluntary groups. To quote Massey Shepherd: "Liturgy is not a personal exercise of devotion performed in public...it involves the give and take of minister and people." Lastly, liturgy involves a responsible and active participation by all worshippers, the congregation no less than its ministers.

Liturgy consists of order, ritual, and ceremonial. The order of a liturgy is its structural framework. The order must be fixed and invariable. A liturgy without a fixed order is analogous to a body without a skeleton. A fixed order is necessary if worship is to be corporate. People must know what to expect (and when to expect it), or they cannot be active participants in the liturgy.

Ritual is the "vocal organ" of a liturgy; that is, the words which are spoken or sung. The ritual Word is communicated in various ways--through prayer or song, by reading or preaching. Ritual is comprised of the prescribed texts, which are conveyed through the gifts or rhetoric and music. The ritual element, that is, the "what is done" (through speech or song) tends to become fixed and invariable.

If ritual consists of prescribed texts, then ceremony is prescribed actions, the "how it (the ritual) is done." Ceremonial is the reverent and efficient method of doing what has to be done. Genuflecting, processing and recessing, the signing of the cross, are all considered in the realm of the ceremonial, rather than that of the ritual. Ceremonial, like ritual, includes both the actions of the minister and the congregation. (Courtesy Rev. Michael Rush)

Anglican Liturgy,,,,

When the Celebrant and Ministers enter for Mass, they bow before the altar, as to the throne of Christ; and members of the congregation usually do the same when they enter and leave the church. During the central portion of the Mass (from the Consecration to the Communion) those who pass before the altar genuflect or kneel on their right knee before the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. This latter act of reverence is also performed by those who pass in front of an altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved for the needs of the sick, the dying, or others unable to be present at the time of Communion. A white light always burns near the place of reservation in token of the continual presence of the Lord among his people.

At certain points in the service the Celebrant and those present make the sign of the Cross, touching with their right forefinger first their forehead, then their chest, then their left and right sides. That sign, which was first made upon us at our Baptism, reminds us that we are consecrated to the service of Christ crucified, and that we are not ashamed to confess our faith in him. Before the reading of the Gospel at Mass, the sign of the Cross is made first on the forehead to signify our belief in that faith; then on the lips to signify our readiness to proclaim that faith; last on the breast to signify that we will treasure that faith in our hearts. Holy water stands at the door of the church, and those who enter and leave dip their finger therein and make the sign of the Cross in memory of their first entrance into the Church of Christ through Baptism.

The vestments that the priest wears are the Amice, a square piece of linen worn about the neck like a scarf; the Alb, a long white linen garment reaching down to the feet; the Girdle, about the waist; the Maniple, a strip of coloured silk (originally a towel), worn on the left wrist; the Stole, a longer band of silk worn over his shoulders; and the Chasuble, a large sleeveless silk garment worn over the Alb and Stole. When the priest is assisted by Deacon and Subdeacon, these wear the same vestments, except for the Chasuble; instead they wear silk garments with short sleeves, the Dalmatic and Tunicle. The Subdeacon wears no Stole, and the Deacon's Stole is worn over his left shoulder only. The colours of the vestments vary with the season. On Feasts of the Church they are usually White; but at Whitsun and on feasts of Martyrs they are Red. Purple is worn during penitential seasons, Green at the seasons after Epiphany and Trinity, and Black at Masses for the repose of the faithful departed.

A bell is rung when the priest says "Holy, holy, holy" at the end of the Preface and also at the times of Consecration and Communion. The purpose of this is both to express the Church's joy at the most solemn moments of the service, and also to rouse the congregation to devotion.

The most solemn form of the service is called High Mass. The priest is then assisted by Deacon and Subdeacon, incense is used and the service is sung. In churches where there are too few clergy to make High Mass possible, the Celebrant sings the Mass without assistant ministers, and incense is often not used. When a priest celebrates without music or incense, the service is known as Low Mass. "Early services" usually take this form. At all these forms of Mass it is usual for there to be laymen assisting in the sanctuary as servers. This custom emphasizes the fact that, although it belongs only to the priesthood to consecrate the Sacrament, the laity have a definite part to play in the offering of the Church's Sacrifice.

It is worth mentioning that the earliest way in which the Church offered the Holy Sacrifice resembled High Mass more nearly than Low Mass. The Bishop normally used to be the Celebrant, and would chant the service surrounded by his priests. In later days, when the faith spread and more churches were necessary, the parish priests sang Mass in the churches over which they had charge, attended by deacons. Only much later was the shorter and simpler form of Low Mass introduced as a concession to the hurry and bustle of modern life. While Low Mass is the normal service on early mornings, it is right and customary that on Sundays and great feasts the Holy Sacrifice should be offered with the greatest possible dignity.

In some churches, before the principal Mass on Sundays, it is customary for the Celebrant to sprinkle the congregation with holy water. This ceremony is known as the Asperges, from the Latin word meaning "Thou shalt purge me," this being the first phrase of the Anthem sung at the sprinkling. The Asperges expresses in action the thought of the familiar prayer at the beginning of Mass: "Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts . . . that we may perfectly love thee." (Source "I Ca't Follow the Service")

April 12, 2012

For the AtoZ Blog Challenge, my mind mused on the words, King's Highway as I completed several hundreds of miles on the highway. New shoots and blossoms on branches still wearing a wintry look appeared along landscapes transitioning into spring. This reminded me of Isaiah 35:
1The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
8And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Highways wind through fertile plains, majestic mountains, green valleys, through peaks and troughs. However, highways also have rumble strips and narrow shoulders. There are rules to follow and at times you run into occasional work zones where you have to slow down. A reminder of St. John the Baptist's clarion cry for every heart to prepare for the coming of the Lord: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.(Mark 1:3)

The destination of the King's Highway is Heaven. A life lived according to the Gospel is a requirement to be a disciple of Christ. Our everyday choices determine our destination: Heaven or Hell. Life with or without God.

Along the King's Highway, we meet people of all sorts and conditions. Isaiah calls us to: 3Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

We who are privledged to ride on the Kings Highway sometimes take detours and lose our way. If we veer from the King's Highway, Jesus tells us in the parable of the wedding banquet, the King will fill the table with others from all over the highways and byways. We may not find a room there.

Along the highway when we get low on gas, we dread running out of fuel. We look for the nearest gas station and wonder how far our remaining gas will take us. When we run out of grace on the King's highway, we can easily fill ourselves as the Grace of God is always available plenteously, only if we desire it. Unlike the gas, God's grace need not be purchased, for it has been bought by the precious blood of the Son of God.

For those who wonder what Anglicanism is, read The King's Highway: In the words of Canon Patric Comerford in his essay on Anglo-Catholicsm, "Archdeacon George Dundas Carleton (1877-ca 1961), from Dublin, was educated at Benson's school in Rathmines and at TCD, where he was auditor of the College Theological Society. An early tutor at Kelham Theological College (1902-1914), Carelton was involved in a dispute that almost split the Kelham community. As a missionary in South Africa (1915-1923), he was Warden of Modderpoort Theological College (1918-1923) and Archdeacon of Modderpoort (1922-1923). After leaving the Kelham Fathers, he played a key role in organising the 1923 Anglo-Catholic Congress and for a year worked as the Anglo-Catholic Congress Missioner (1923-1924), when he published The King's Highway: a simple statement of Catholic belief and duty (1924, republished in 1973 by Canterbury press in the series of Classics of Anglo-Catholic Devotion), before working briefly for SPG (1925) and then going into parish ministry in the Diocese of London (1926-1948)."

April 11, 2012

J is for Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is a word even a non-believer doesn't hesitate to say while cursing, even though its not a curse word. I wish people would say it, believing in the saving power of His Name. No one would like their name to be used as a curse word. If our name is so important how much is the name of God! Our sincere appreciation to SHIPWITHSAM Company for making their clear message  on their truck. God bless them. Picture  taken on my iphone enroute to my church.

Several years ago when the Tsunami hit South India, some renown religious leaders questioned the existence of God: "How could a God permit such catastrophe." But having ministered to the victims, I heard them say, "God help us."

This grandma in the picture lost her husband to the tsunami waves and had no roof - her mud house decimated. Her cry was "God help me!"

Two different attitudes of those who claim to know God and those for whom He is near in times of trouble. The victims' attitude reflects those in the Bible that called the Name of the Lord: "This poor man called and the Lord answered." "The Lord hears the cry of the poor."

Jesus Christ is the name that I call on in all my hours - just a prayer thought as I go about driving and working, just a thought toward Heaven, knowing that He is in full control and that everything will turn unto good to those who love Him. Saints of old used to call this raising of one's mind and heart, 'Union with God." God is not far away. He is only a thought away.
Yes we can call on Him not just to curse, but when we breathe a sigh of our wanting Him.
"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe," the Lord told the doubting Thomas. I do believe with all my heart that the Risen Savior is very much alive and present and that we need to call on His Name always, especially when we are in need of His help and mercy. Jesus is the very name that saves everyone from sin and shame.
"At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in heaven, on earth and under the earth and every tongue shall proclaim that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father"
What I am is because of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ

April 10, 2012

I is for inspiration, Inscription

The Holy Bible is inspired by God and inscribed by writers, to be inscribed on the hearts of all.  The opening verses have such an awe about them:"In the begiinning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)"In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1) The words of the Bible have been a source of strength and stay for humanity for thousands of years: to invite, to pray, to comfort and console, to challenge and build up, to encourage and enthuse, to question the ways of the world and set our feet in the path of God. Yes the Bible is inspired by God and written for us fallible human beings and the purpose being, to bring us to the heart of God.

Inspiration is from above - the source of inspiriation is the Holy Spirit. God's word is inspired
The word inspiration signifies inbreathing or breathing into. By this term we understand the
action of God the Holy Spirit upon the minds of the writers of the Bible, whereby they were
enabled to deliver in writing God's message to man. "Holy men of God spake as they were
moved (or carried along) by the Holy Ghost"(2 St. Pet. i.21) (Vernon Staley)

The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible, filling their minds with the truths
which He willed to be made known, and impelling them to write them down. In this
way the Bible is not only true as a History of England might be true. but it contains much
that would never have been known unless God had revealed it, and caused it to be committed
to writing. The Holy Spirit also inspired the writers of the Bible in another direction. All
along the ages there had been a series of revelations from God, and of p(ovidential dealings
with mankind. Inspiration enabled the writers of the Bible to select out of this mass of revelation
such truths, and to place on record such event900f history, as possessed an abiding value
and a lasting interest to mankind. In speaking of the Bible as inspired, we claim that it is a
certain and sure guide in all the principles of religion and morals. and is absolutely trustworthy

The Bible was produced by man acting under the influence of God the Holy Spirit.

"In what way inspiration is compatible with that personal agency on the part of its instruments, which the composition
of the Bible evidences, we know not; but if anything is certain. it is this,-that,
though the Bible is inspired, and therefore, in one sense, written by God, yet very large portions
of it, if not far the greater part of it, are written in as free and unconstrained a manner,
and (apparently) with as little consciousness of a supernatural dictation or restraint, on the
part of His earthly instruments, as if He had had no share in the work. As God rules the will,
yet the will is free,-as He rules the course of the world, yet men conduct it,-so He has
inspired the Bible, yet men have written it.

Whatever else is true about it, this is true,that we may speak of the history, or mode of its
composition, as truly as of that of other books; we may speak of its writers having a~ object in
view, being influenced by circumstances, being anxious, taking pains, purposely omitting or
introducing things, leaving things incomplete, or supplying what others had so left. Though
the Bible be inspired, it.has all such characteristics as might attach to a book uninspired,the
characteristics of dialect and style, the distinct effects of times and places, youth and age,
of moral and intellectual character; and I insist on this, lest I seem to forget (what I do not
forget), that in spite of its human form, it has in it the spirit and the mind of God:'  (Vernon Staley: The Catholic Religion 336-37)

(Newman in Tracts for tlu Times, No. 85. p. 30, 1840.)

April 9, 2012

H is for His Resurrection:

In my previous blog G for Grave on the Grave.That's not the end.
But the third day He rose again. "He is risen, indeed!"  Below photo of the mosaic in St. Paul's Cathedral, London. The Angel teeling Mary Magdalene and other women: "He is not here:he is risen"

Easter 2012:A Moving Holy Communion Hymn - reflecting on the real presence of Christ at theAltar sung by Jim Daniesl, Steve White and Maureen Akamihe at St. James Anglican Church, Kansas City USA of the Diocese of Holy Trinity and Great Plains of the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite

April 7, 2012

G is for Grave
Death is a certainty. What happens when we die? We may be burried or cremated.What next? What happens to our soul?  After Christ died and was burried, in the Apostle's creed we read, He descended into Hell. What? Jesus descended into Hell? Yes and  because of this descent he was able to liberate all those since Adam's times and offer them salvation. (Photo Courtesy: Guercino, Entombment of Christ (1665) Web Art Gallery)

According to Vernon Staley: At three o'clock on Good Friday our Blessed Saviour died on the cross, and from this time until the morning of Easter Day, a period of some forty hours, His Soul remained separated from His Body.It was during this interval that the Soul of Jesus" descended into hell." The word "hell" in the Creed, signifies the underworld, or the unseen world. It does not mean the place of torment reserved for the devil and his angels, but the abode of departed spirits, of which our Lord had spoken to the penitent thief under the name of " paradise."

From the death of Abel until the time of our Lord's Passion, grrat numbers of souls had passed out of this life into the unseen world. These disembodied souls were in a place of safe-keeping in what is known as the" intermediate state," by which we understand the state of the departed between death and the last judgment. St. Peter describes some of these souls as "the spirits in prison," and tells us that our Lord visited the realms of the dead after His Passion, in order that He might announce to them the glad tidings of his victory over Satan.'('1 St. Pet. iii. 19; iv. 6.)

Our Lord's descent into hell is a subject about which little can be said with certainty. As to what actually took place there at His coming, we do not know. We may believe that some special blessing to the departed resulted from His presence at such a time, but we have no means of knowing any details.

When Martha had her own doubts her brother Lazarus' status...

²¹Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. ²²But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

²³Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

²⁴Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

²⁵Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ²⁶And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

²⁷She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. (John 11:21-27)

April 6, 2012

F for Friday the Good One

We have good days and bad days. How can a bad day be good? How can death be good?

This Friday is good because God died for us. In all religions, there is no history of a god who became incarnate and walked among us - not just walked this planet earth but shared our humanity in every way but sin and died for us even while we were yet sinners. "By His stripes we are healed"

God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son - He is the visible image of the invisible God. Through Jesus, God touched humanity, just to make us realize, he was born for us, shared every tear and laughter and died on the cross to release us from sin and shame.

The cross, the symbol of shame became the symbol of victory uniting God (vertical) and people (horizontal) enjoined in itself the summary of the law (Love God and love your neighbor). "When I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself." "Come unto me all ye that travail and are heavy laden, I will give you rest" Only goodness exudes even in the worst moment of Jesus' torments. "Father, forgive them..." "Today you will be with me in paradise", "Behold your mother, behold thy son"

God who is love, died for us all to redeem us from sin and shame: "No greater love hath a man than laying down his life for his friends"

There is power in the blood of the Lamb - let us acknowledge and embrace this God who continues to love us beyond death. Take note. God loves you.

"The Crucifixion of Jesus is the most terrible crime which it is possible to conceive, for the Crucified was none other than God the Son, the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity, the Creator and the Judge of all men. Our Blessed Saviour was nailed to the cross at nine o'clock in the morning;at twelve o'clock a mysterious darkness fell upon the face of nature which lasted until three o'clock,when He died. During the six hours He hung upon the cross, He uttered seven sayings known as the Seven Words from the cross;-
I. Jesus prayed for His murderers in the words,-"Father, forgive them; for they know
not what they do."
2. He pardoned the penitent thief who was crucified with Him, saying,-" To-day shalt
thou be with me in paradise."
3. He commended His Blessed Mother to the care of the Apostle St. John,-" Woman,
behold thy son!" "Son... Behold thy mother! ..
4. Forsaken by God, He uttered the awful cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me ?
5.Hesaid "Ithirst."
6. He spoke of the1'completion of His redemptive work saying,-"It is finished."
7. In the moment of death he yielded up His Soul into His Father's keeping with the words,-" Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." Vernon Staley - "The Catholic Religion - A guide for Anglicans" p.176-79

April 5, 2012

E is for Eucharist: The Body and Blood of Christ 'cos He said so.

The opening verses of the 13th chapter of John: It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. It was time for him to go to the Father. Jesus loved his disciples who were in the world. (Jn 13:1) The same John extolled the divinity of Jesus in the Prologue: "In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God... And the word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn1:1ff) Now John sees the Lord washing the feet of his disciples and offering Himself, His Body and Blood for the life of the world. Yes its traditionally known as Maundy Thursday the day when he gave the mandate to love. This very night Jesus who loved His own loved them till the end and after washing the feet of his disciples - the way to love through humility, he takes the traditional Passover meal and gives it as His own flesh and blood for the life of the world:
"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Lk 22:19,20)

If Jesus said so, He meant it. This was no symbolism, nor pretended offering, pretended suffering, pretended death on calvary nor pretended rising on the third day. The Lord said it and he meant it - that is the teaching of the Apostes and Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). When Jesus was impressing upon them the reality of "I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE" in John 6, many of them deserted him as the teaching was too hard. And Paul as he calls himself the least of the Apostles, speaks of the tradition, "What I have received that on the night ...(1Cor10) Anyone who teaches otherwise is fooling the Lord Jesus Himself.

St. Irenaeus, one of the early fathers of the church said "The bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, cons.isting of two realities, earthly and heavenly." St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies. Bk. iv. I8,s..

Today this is celebrated as a sacrifice of the mass (the sacrifice, he offered once and for all) as opposed to the sacrifices of the mass, the medieval corruption which claimed that Christ is being sacrificed everytime. According to Vernon Staley, "The Sacrifice of the Mass, or Eucharistic Sacrifice, understood in its ancient and Catholic seme as "the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ," ..The word mass, which is of uncertain - origin, was retained in the first reformed Prayer Book of Edward the VI.'s reign. The title of the Eucharistic Office ran,-" The Supper of the Lorde and the Holy Communion, commonly called the Masse."

"Our Blessed Lord ordained the Sacrament of the Eucharist in order that we might be able on earth to plead His Sacrifice before the Face of God, even as He does in heaven. But beyond this, He had a further object in view, and one of supreme importance, viz., that He might feed our souls with His Body and Blood. That we may thus be able to feed upon Him, He has given to His Church authority to consecrate, by the power of His Holy Spirit, bread and wine to become His Body and Blood. When we receive the bread and the wine thus consecrated, we verily and indeed receive His Sacred Flesh and Blood. This is what is known as the doctrine of the Real Presence. The term Real Presence signifies the presence of a Reality. This Reality is the Body and Blood of Christ, present in the Sacrament under the form of bread and wine.'

Holy Communion is thus the most blessed and the most solemn Thing upon earth, it affords the nearest approach to God of which the soul is capable here below. When we come to the Holy Communion we should always remember that we are approaching the Throne of God (Vernon Staley - The Catholic Religion - Guide for Anglicans p.255 circa 1886).

What more can we get when the Lord offers Himself as the food for the nourishment of our souls, "that we may dwell in Him and He in us"

April 4, 2012

Jesus from the Deesis Mosaic (Photo credit: jakebouma)

D is for Doctrine or Dogma

In life we need to have principles and stand on them. If not we will be wavering like St. Paul warns us against: "be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Ephesians 4:14,15) St. Patrick on whose day the world revels, refers to the Trinitarian doctrine: I bind unto myself the strong name of the trinity... confessors faith, Apostles word, the patriarchs faith, the prophets scrolls...

The doctrine came from the Lord, preached by the Apostles and preserved by the Father's of the Church. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, St. Matthew records: And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Mt 7:28-29).

What the Lord taught the Apostles preached: The Apostles Creed - everyone who wanted to be baptized needed to accept the doctrine and this was also made known in the Didache (The Apostle's Teaching)

The Anglican Doctrine comprises of Scripture, Creeds (The Apostles,The Nicene and the Athanasian Creed). It's a living doctrine as it is dynamic and is reflected in the way of prayer and manner of life. Below:Picture of Christ and the 12 Apostles - one of the entrances of Westminster Abbey by Holly Michael
Yesterday, while at church, a polling place for elections, there was a low turn out. Some of the election officials to stretch their feet and we began to walk around the church, talking about the stained glass windows of the Apostles and Disciples, etc.

At Saints windows, an official asked, "Is he in the Bible?" The official was hesitant to accept anything not in the Bible as true and wasn't impressed by the 2000 years of Christian History that our church still holds onto. I was saddened by the way this person must have been taught. Not the fullness of doctrine but, only the doctrine cherry picked by her pastor.

How wrong it is to block people from approaching the fullness of scripture. Some do not want to engage in the Discourse on the Bread of Life (John 6) - one of the "unlesses" from the Lord that is swept under the rug. "Unless" you are born again, you cannot have everlasting life, "unless" you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink His blood, you will have no life in you.

Never mind the faith of the Apostles and saints who have shed their blood for preaching of the Gospel, whose life and tradition are exemplary imitation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They walked the scorching desert, rode the tempestuous waves and said " the love of Christ urges us". Unlike the preachers of our times perched in a air conditioned rooms and speaking about what is correct by today's standards. If only we pay heed to the saying "Priest/minister never goes to hell or heaven alone."

The shallowness or partiality with which belief in our Lord is taught, obscures people from reaching for the fullness of truth. Remember the Lord's saying: "When the Son of man comes back, will he find enough faith on this earth?"

April 2, 2012

Church is not just a building, it's a family. Being a pastor and Bishop I see all churches as extensions of our immediate families and we all form the Body of Christ. We are a family!

(Photo: Waltham Abbey Sanctuary by Bishop Leo Michael)

A saying is that some to church on three occasions: when they are hatched, matched or dispatched. But there is so much love and belongingness in between all these significant moments. Anytime, someone hurts, it hurts us too. At our church we care for one another, thank Goodness that we are not lost in the crowd nor are we targeted.  We worship, we pray, we sing, we fellowship.

The relationship that we build in church is just not earthy, it is eternal. Every joy we share, every tear we dry, every burden we bear, every cup of water we offer, we do it to the Lord Christ. If there is no Christ in it at all, there is no church. We are the people, the sheep of His flock. We are all fellow sojourners en route to heaven - in the meantime nourishing ourselves with God's Word and Sacraments. Someday, when He will come in all glory, we will join him to meet all our dear ones who have gone to heaven and worship God eternally. If my church can give me that faith and confidence, I'm on the right track!

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B for Book of Books A-Z Blog Challenge

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

B for the Book of Books-BIBLE:

Watch King James Bible 400th Anniversary on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

King James Version of the Bible 400th Anniversary

God spoke and everything came to be. God guided a nation out of bondage into His own marvelous light. God spoke through prophets and ultimately through His only Son. God loved us so much that He gave His only Son. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God continues to inspire us through His Word.

The Holy Bible inspired great world leaders as Abraham Lincoln and also Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu: Here's an excerpt of the conversation between Andrew Charles, an English Clergy man and Gandhi when they see two youth fighting on the street in the movie Gandhi.

GANDHI: Doesn't the New Testament say, "If your enemy strikes you on the right cheek, offer him the left"?

CHARLIE: I think perhaps the phrase was used metaphorically . . . I don't think our Lord meant -

GANDHI: I'm not so certain. I have thought about it a great deal. I suspect he meant you must show courage - be willing to take a blow - several blows - to show you will not strike back - nor will you be turned aside . . . And when when you do that it calls upon something in human nature - something that makes his hate for you diminish and his respect increase. I think Christ grasped that and I - I have seen it work.

Without a blow in retaliation, Gandhi won India its independence through non violence. The Power of Bible - Book of Books.

James attends our church and every time he sees me, he says: Jesus said 'Sin no more' 'and he meant it'.

At times when God's word is diluted to make it appealing to people, how sad and how dare we do such a thing in His name!

B for Book of Common Prayer: When praying of the Breviary (The Liturgy of the hours) only reserved for clergy, for the first time such a prayer book was made available for everyone, hence Common Prayer. Its first edition was in 1662 (Book of Common Prayer 1662). To this day, it addresses God in respectful language, the very language from King James Version. And its version of 1928 is what we follow in our worship, which is God centered and liturgical, with beautiful hymns and chants. God is worshipped in the beauty of holiness  in terms of "Thee" and "Thou" and not in familiar or street language.

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April 1, 2012

A is for Anglicanism

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

I accepted The A to Z Challenge to write a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during the month of April. Today is A.

A is for Anglicanism. Anglicanism is a branch of Christianity that was brought to England by St. Joseph of Arimathea, the one who loaned his tomb for the burial of our Lord Jesus Christ. Anglican means English and Anglicanism is the Christian Faith from England. At the time of American Independence, the Anglican Faith that was brought to the Colonies had to find its own identity and thus was born the Episcopal Church of USA. When ECUSA began shift course in terms of doctrine and liturgy in the 1970's, the Continuing Church movement was born with the Congress of St. Louis and drafted the Affirmation of St. Louis in 1977. The motive was to continue in the faith and tradition of the Faith, as the Lord taught, as the Apostles preached, as the early Fathers of the Church preserved. The Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite is part of that movement where it fosters traditional belief, traditional values and traditional worship, and continues in the unbroken line of Apostolic tradtion - that is its bishops date back directly to the times of the Apostles in the laying on of hands. Can read more in Koinonia, the official magazine of the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite.

The footsteps of the medieval pilgrims followed to the ancient Christian heritage, the first Christian community founded by Joseph of Arimathea in 63A.D. Glastonbury stands to attest to the beginnings of early Christianity in Britain.

Glastonbury Abbey is steeped in legend and history. Traditionally, Glastonbury Abbey is the earliest Christian sanctuary in Britain. The tradition is that Joseph of Arimathea is Mary's uncle, that he was a trader who travelled to Britain to buy tin from Cornwall and lead from Somerset, and that one or more of these voyages he brought the young Jesus with him. They built at Glastonbury a little, simple place of worship, a tiny church if you like, of interwoven willow branches plastered with mud: 'the wattle church' often subsequently called the "Old Church". History records it as standing in 600; and it burnt down when the entire Abbey church were destroyed by fire in 1184.

The Glastonbury Thorns planted by St. Joseph of Arimathea, in Glastonbury, England.

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March 29, 2012

Rejected Tags

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

Should deacon, priest, or bishop travel in clericals? What about when traveling on an airplane? I always travel in clericals, should occasion arise to minister. Sometimes it's appreciated. Sometimes not.

This time on my trip out of Kansas City, dressed in clericals, after the security check, I found a chair opposite to an elderly couple. The flight attendant was giving out tags for the carry-on bags that would be checked in at the entrance, as the plane was a small carrier. So I went to pick up my own tag and in the process picked up two more for this elderly couple. As I returned to the seat, they were getting into the line at the check in counter. I offered them the two tags. I suspect the lady thought I was selling something. She looked at me strangely and refused them, even after explaining that she'd need them, as they had two large carry-ons. Neither my willingness to help, nor my clerical dress impressed the lady. I stuck the tags in my pocket.

Musing on that in the plane beside my wife, I thought I should immortalize the tags before I tossed them in the trash. I set them on the Delta Airlines Sky Magazine and took a picture before the announcement to shut down electronic devices.

Later, I noticed the cover page: Jennifer Lawrence from the movie, Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence is poised for Hollywood superstardom with the role of Katniss Everdeen, the badass heroine of The Hunger Games, this spring's inevitable blockbuster. But while she may be beautiful, don't expect Lawrence to take it easy. This is a woman who can climb a tree with the best of the boy scouts.(Sky Magazine)

I will have a chance to watch the movie after Easter. In the meantime people tell me that it's a good movie, likening the heroine to Joan of Arc.

On the return flight to Kansas City, several US Army soldiers were aboard, returning from Afghanistan. I remembered them thankfully to the Lord and wondered if all of their fellow soldiers were safe. I shook hands with one of them and thanked him for his service. So did my wife. Before the take off we usually both pray for the safety of everyone: the pilot, the flight attendants, and passengers. Thanks be to God we have had so many safe travels.

 As an honor, the soldiers were allowed to deplane first. The gentleman sitting next to me said, "this is the safest flight I have ever been on, with soldiers and priests." It was funny, yet a good witnessing to the Lord.

As I stood to collect my bag at the gate, another pilot was returning to the plane and I was in the way. I apologized. He said: "Take your time Father. You do so much of the Lord's work." He waited patiently until I got my bags.

Whether praised, blamed, or looked at suspiciously, the clerical collar represents that we are servants for the Lord and that we are at their service always

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March 25, 2012

March 25: Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

Imagine the life of a young unwed mother, two thousand years ago--a different culture and society from today's accommodation of teenage pregnancy. Those days, the consequence for such an outcome was death by stoning.

It was against this background that a young teenage girl of Nazareth is told she will be the mother of the Savior of the world. What would one do with such an announcement from a total stranger?  Was it a dream, a brush with the extra-terrestrial, or for real? Would she be confused and reject it, rejoice and embrace it, or borrow some time and think about it?

She said YES and in the words of her cousin Elizabeth who addresses Mary as the "Mother of My Lord": ^"And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Lk1:45)

St. Leo the Great comments: "this event is the Feast of Annunciation: In Mary's Womb, God Becomes Man. Lowliness is assumed by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity. To pay the debt of our sinful state, a nature that was incapable of suffering was joined to one that could suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature, and unable to die in the other." (Epist. 28 ad Flavianum, 3-4)

Mary was visited by an Angel of the Lord:

²⁶And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  

²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

³⁰And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

³¹And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

³²He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

³³And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

³⁴Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

³⁵And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

³⁶And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

³⁷For with God nothing shall be impossible.

³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

That first fiat of the young virgin of Nazareth meant so much for the life of the world: she was indeed full of grace and the Lord was with her.

Several years ago, as a priest, I ran into a situation where a parishioner questioned the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Anglican Tradition. I was told, "Mary has no place in Anglicanism period." I turned to the 1928 Book of Common Prayer to the Feast of the Annunciation and said, "then why is this here?" Unable to embrace Mary's role in Anglicanism, that member left the church.

Anglicanism, while embracing the high and low and broad churchmanship, has also been impacted by the evangelical repudiation of the Roman Catholic excesses. In the process, during reformation, the reformers threw out the baby with the bath water. Of course the message of the Great commission is centered on the Redemptive Gospel of Christ - Christocentric.

But how does the Blessed Virgin feature in this Christ-centered Incarnation? Scripture shows that she has her place and role in the unfolding of the salvific events. She is the first one to say yes to the Plan of Salvation - that the Savior of the World be born through her. She treasured all these things and pondered these things in her heart, we are told by St. Luke.

A premonition was given to her by Simon the Prophet: "A sword shall pierce your heart." And at Cana, she intercedes on behalf of the wedding party: "son they have no wine."  When our Lord was complimented by people: "Blessed is the womb that bore thee; and blessed is the breasts that suckled thee." Jesus responds: "Nay blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it." That is the best compliment given to his mother who was also his disciple.

At the Cross, Jesus says: "Woman behold thy son: Son behold your mother."

Yet still, the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been sidelined or reduced, either because of ignorance or because of partial truths which have been repeated time and again. The Angel appeared to Mary and greeted her: "Hail Mary full of Grace, The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women." Some commentators discounted this greeting as nothing exceptional and that Moses and David alike received such a salutation.

Let us pause for a moment. We agree that both were great men who were greeted in the same way. One was asked by God to lead the people out of bondage and the other to lead the nation, but neither was asked to be the Mother of our Savior. And therefore, the greeting was unique and exceptional with Mary who found favor with God and hence was chosen to be the theotokos (God bearer).

John Henry Blunt (1884) said it succinctly: "This sanctity of the Blessed Virgin Mary through her association with her Divine Son has always been kept vividly in view by the Church: but, while excess of sentiment on the one hand has led to an irreverent dishonor of her name by associating it with attributes of Deity, so want of faith in the principle of the Incarnation has led, on the other hand, to an irreverent depreciation of her sanctity. Our two principal and three minor festivals in honour of the Virgin and her work in the Incarnation point out the true course; to esteem her very highly above all other saints; but yet so that her honor may be to the glory of God."

If we believe in Heaven, and we do, we will be greeted by the Blessed Virgin Mary at its portal - where else would the Mother of Jesus be?  In all likelihood we will meet her. You won't go wrong to follow her words of advice to those servants standing by the empty jars at the wedding feast - "Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you."

We get carried away with televangelists, following them, asking them to pray for us. Much more can be accomplished by those who are before the throne of The Almighty, when we seek their intercession. They have lived and died as best Disciples of Christ. I can assure you that Mary is better than most evangelist people pin their hopes on. If they tell you to ignore her, then consider the source.

The Feast of the Annunciation reminds us of Mary's place in the unfolding of the divine redemptive plan, when she accepted to be the mother of our Blessed Lord. Her life as a mother and disciple of Christ surpasses any human being that ever walked this earth. May our "Yes" to God be also like hers and that surely will lead us to our eternal destination - Heaven. She has a place in all of Christendom, especially in Anglicanism.

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March 23, 2012

Capt Walt Swindells RIP

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN WALT SWINDELLS

WALTER ROBERT SWINDELLS

BORN: 2 NOVEMBER 1919

ENTERED ETERNAL LIFE: 23 MARCH 2012

I AM the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.
I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.
We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

I learned of the passing away of Capt Walt Swindells, the Trustees Warden of HILLSPEAK, ANGLICAN DIGEST, OPERATION PASS ALONG today. Our heartfelt condolences to his family and all at Hillspeak. I remember and miss him as a friend, former parishioner and strong defender of the Continuing Church Movement. He was the doyen of the movement in his own right, while firmly believing in the orthodoxy of the movement and reaching across the globe to help out missions with needs - books, vestments etc. HILLSPEAK became the hub for the publication of The Certain Trumpet, a news bulletin of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen. We had the fortune of hearing from Captain Walt on the 30th anniversary of the Congress of St. Louis of the effort of the movement to preserve the faith once delivered unto the saints. Bishop James McNeley who had known him since the Congress of St. Louis, remembers him as a dedicated person for the cause of the Continuing Church Movement.

In an effort to remember our beginnings with gratitude, my wife Holly Michael interviewed him for Koinonia, the news organ of the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite for the Advent 2010 of Koinonia.

An ecumenical service by the river in San Antonio, Texas drew Captain Walt Swindells into the Episcopal Church in 1959. The service, though ecumenical, used the 1928 Book of Common Prayer as its basis, Swindells said.

"I fell in love with the book and the service," Swindells, then a Methodist, said. He soon joined the Episcopal Church and was confirmed by Bishop Charles James Kinsolving III.

When a new prayer book was being introduced in the 1970's, Swindells said it was primarily Fr. Foland who had pushed him to attend the Congress of St. Louis. "Fr. Foland was unhappy with what was being done with the prayer book and vehemently opposed to the ordination of women," Swindells said. "He wanted me to go and see what the Congress of St. Louis was all about."

"My own convictions were not so strong," Swindells said, "but I felt very strongly about the revisions in the Prayer Book and was saddened by the loss of the real language in it."

Swindells found himself on the committee to draft the affirmation along with Fr. George Clendenin, a priest from California, Fr. Simcox, Perry Laukhuff, Fr. James Parker and others. Before the Congress, the group met in Albany, Georgia at Fr. James Parker's church to draft the affirmatio

"When we got to St. Louis everyone had a different idea of what should be in it," Swindells said. "We met until two in the morning and then I gave up, telling them I couldn't think of anything else. By daylight, they had what essentially became the affirmation.

Swindells said that most were still pretty optimistic about the Episcopal Church turning around.

"I thought I would remain in the church and it would change," Swindells said. He said that the Congress was largely a lay movement and when it became evident they couldn't turn the Episcopal Church around they decided to remain a church grounded on Biblical framework using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer as the guide. Swindells resigned as Bishop's Warden upon his return from the congress.

Swindells said that most of the work of the movement after the congress was from the Fellowship of Concerned Christian (FCC). He served on board as secretary and treasurer at different times and also as Editor of the organization's newsletter. After the Congress of St. Louis, the FCC had organized the meeting in Denver, where they were to select the new Bishops.

"Albert Chambers, who was an Episcopal Bishop was going to do the consecrations with Bishop Boynton but Boynton had a heart condition and could not go," Swindells said. "Chambers wanted it to be done right and so someone got a hold of Pagtakhan of the Philippine Independent Church who agreed to be a consecrator. Bp. Mark Pae, a Korean Bishop had volunteered to go. Someone, we assumed the Archbishop of Canterbury, told him not to go so he deputized Fr. Doren to act in his stead. When they did the consecrations, Doren was first, then he took part in consecrating Morse, Mote, and Watterson.

Swindells said that immediately after the consecrations each Bishop took off in his own direction.

"The focus on the Congress of St. Louis was to provide a place for people who didn't or couldn't follow in the footsteps the Episcopal Church was taking," Swindells said. "And the plan of the FCC was to cease to exist once it accomplished what it set out to do. He said that he thought that would happen when the bishops were consecrated in Denver.

"At the time of the Denver consecration, I thought that our purpose had been accomplished but was disappointed when the church immediately broke off into little segments," he said. "Each bishop had an interest to protect their turf and there really wasn't enough turf to protect. They lost focus. Problems often arise with the "human element."

"In the early English church and in the continuing church--the foibles and failures of some parts of that human element that have kept the church from becoming what I hoped it would become, a single strong church," said Swindells. "Now, it's important that the continuing church focus on what had already been built and renew what was working, using the three houses of governance and relying on Scripture, tradition and reason."

Captain Walt Swindells at the time of the interview the Trustees Warden for Hillspeak and resides in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Hillspeak is the Society for Promoting and Encouraging Arts and Knowledge [of the Church] at Hillspeak, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Hillspeak publishes the Anglican Digest, an independent voice reflecting the ministry of the faithful throughout the Anglican Communion since 1958. Captain Walt served in the US Marine Corps.

 

REMEMBER thy servant, Walt O Lord, according to the favour which thou bearest unto thy people, and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength, in the life of perfect service, in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection we commit you. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

Rest eternal grant unto thy servant Walt Swindells O Lord

And let thine light perpetual shine upon him.

May he and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, REST IN PEACE, AMEN.

 

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March 20, 2012

REBLOGGING: Writingstraight Holly Michael's blog

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

I thought this brings everyone to appreciate the gift of life, whatever package it may come from the Creator. We are still loved by our maker: as we say, "We come from God, we belong to God and we go back to God"- God who is love itself. The following blog made my day!

"My Emily wasn't born perfect - or so one might think. She was born with Down Syndrome and many would jump to the immediate conclusion that she would have very little hope for a life with any significance. Two years later came the devastating diagnosis of leukemia. What little hope remaining turned to no hope whatsoever - or so one might think." Matt Patterson, author of My Emily

Holly Michael's Review of My Emily: The Apostle John, at the end of John 21:25 writes: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."

You can almost hear John's sigh because he realizes his inadequacy as a writer to put down the words that could possibly tell the whole story of Christ, His miracles, and His love for humanity. I feel like John, after reading My Emily, written by Emily's father, Matt Patterson. Words are inadequate to give this book a review it deserves.

So I say this: Read it. Next to the Bible, it will be one of the most powerful books you will ever read.

After I read My Emily, I imagined a scene in Heaven, before Emily came to earth. It goes like this: God's new creation, an adorable golden-haired little beauty, stands before her Heavenly Father with the light and love of The Creator reflecting in her almond-shaped blue eyes. She's one of the special beings He's created with a heart that has the highest capacity to love, and a heartwarming never-ending smile. I imagine Emily giving her yes, her fiat, to a mission to leave Heaven for just a little while, to be born into a particular family, to touch their hearts and lives and forever change them, as well as leave behind a legacy that will bless humanity.

Then I imagine Emily says, "But how will I reach so many people in such a short time? How will so many come to know about this truth, wisdom, and love that you want me to carry to them?"

Then I imagine God says, "I've already sent one ahead of you and blessed him with a special gift for writing. I've been preparing him."

"Who is this one?" Emily asks.

"He is your father on earth and he will love you as I love you."

At this time, only God and Emily know the whole story. We creatures on earth are jaded, confused, selfish creatures, having lost the innocence of childhood and knowledge of Heaven and of truth and God. We forget once we arrive on this treacherous planet. Life deals us tough blows. We fail to understand God's mercy and grace. We are no longer tuned into the wisdom of God, as a child like Emily is. That's why the Bible says you must be like little children to enter into the Kingdom of God. God and Emily know the truth.

And then brave Emily, knowing, like Jesus, she will also suffer pain on earth, comes to a special family: The Pattersons.

This is the story I imagine; the story before the story that Matt Patterson so eloquently shares about his daughter, Emily, diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Though the world may not see her as a blessing, the Pattersons embrace her as a gift from Heaven. The story doesn't stop there. Matt (a newspaper editor in the Air Force) and his family, two years later, must courageously endure a battle with Emily's diagnosis of Leukemia, a disease that threatens to steal her from them.

Matt Patterson, in My Emily, says, "He perhaps sent this little, unassuming angel to instruct me and many others about what's truly important in life."

I, too, believe that Emily was sent by God to teach us about hope and love. My baby sister, Amy, also diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was loved and she loved back in greater measure. Like Emily, she left our family too soon. But, oh, the lessons she left behind.

Like the lessons Amy taught me, the lessons in this little book are deep and meaningful. My Emily is a story about joy and sadness, hope and courage, and above all, about love.

You fall in love with Emily. You weep with Matt and his family through their grief. You get out your highlighter, and highlight nearly every line in the book. And as soon as you finish reading this little book you will want to read it all over again. And you will.

Matt, shares this, near the end of the book: "Now that I have had time to look back, I realize that God was kind to patiently wait for me to see the full blessing of Emily's life just as He planned it. And while I slandered Him, He led me toward healing."

So who is this book for?

To begin with, it's for:

Those who have lost a child or loved one.

A parent of a Down Syndrome child, or parent of any special needs child.

Anyone suffering grief or dealing with a child who is suffering.

Those who want to know how to pray in the midst of suffering, and how to draw closer to the Heart of God, through all things.

Those who raise their fists toward Heaven and cry, "Why?"

 

This list is just a beginning. Not only is My Emily for suffering souls, it's for everyone, especially those who ask questions; the seekers of truth and knowledge of the meaning of life.

This book will change your life. It's filled with lessons of love, brought by Emily, given by our Creator, our Father in Heaven, who is Love.

*A portion of the proceeds of the book, My Emily, will be donated to the My Emily Foundation which partners with organizations and individuals to assist extraordinary families with special needs children, those who are battling pediatric cancers, as well as parents who are grieving the loss of a little one. You can learn more about The My Emily Foundation and contribute at www.myemily.org.

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March 19, 2012

Feast of Saint. Joseph

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

  Above "Adoration of the Magi"captured on my iphone from Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City.

March 19 the Feast of Saint Joseph.

This saint went about his duties of a husband in providing for the holy family of Nazareth. His focus was on the son of God incarnate.  When the angel

 announced his birth to his already betrothed wife to be, Mary, no questions asked.He accepted God's  will and moved on. When warned in a dream of Herod's evil plot to kill the child Jesus, he takes flight. One of the recent movies the Nativity Story. captures the struggle of this Godly parents in

Saint Joseph by Guido Reni, c. 1640. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

nurturing and protecting the Son of God before, during and after his birth and his later childhood until his public ministry, where Jesus grew in favor with God and man. He is the patron saint of all workers,

 an exemplary husband who perceives the need of the family and acts in accordance to God's holy will. There are other reasons also that I'm fond of him: my father shared the name of this great saint, the school where I began my early education was named after this great saint. 

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March 18, 2012

Statement of the College of Bishops - HCCAR on Conscience and Religious Freedom

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

Today, there rages in our nation a debate about the role of conscience, and the authority on which it rests. We wonder at how anybody outside the religious sphere is competent to determine what is conscionable, and what is not. The state does not have the right to arrogate to itself the power to determine what constitutes one's moral obligation, as it pertains to conscience. Let us never forget that the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights guarantees no prohibition against the free exercise of religion.

When, in the nineteen-seventies, the winds of change began to sweep through the ranks of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America, over two thousands of the faithful, including Bishops, Priests, and Laity, gathered at St. Louis, Missouri. From that gathering, there emerged the significant declaration known as the Affirmation of St. Louis. This document asserted that the duty-and authority-to witness to conscience belongs to the Church, and Her members. We continue to stand on this most fundamental of principles.

The Affirmation addressed the essential role of conscience, and the role of the Church in bearing witness to Christian morality: teaching Her faithful to follow it in their lives, and to reject those false standards set by the secular world. Today, we reiterate those principles of morality which the Affirmation emphasized. We fully and firmly believe that matters of conscience and morality belong to God alone, and His Church, which continues to assert Her office of Custodian of faith and morals.

From the Affirmation of St. Louis:

Principles of Morality

The conscience, as the inherent knowledge of right and wrong, cannot stand alone as a sovereign arbiter of morals. Every Christian is obligated to form his conscience by the Divine Moral Law and the Mind of Christ as revealed in Holy Scriptures, and by the teaching and Tradition of the Church. We hold that when the Christian conscience is thus properly informed and ruled, it must affirm the following moral principles:

Individual Responsibility

All people, individually and collectively, are responsible to their Creator for their acts, motives, thoughts and words, since "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . ."

Sanctity of Human Life

Every human being, from the time of his conception, is a creature and child of God, made in His image and likeness, an infinitely precious soul; and that the unjustifiable or inexcusable taking of life is always sinful.

Man's Duty to God

All people are bound by the dictates of the Natural Law and by the revealed Will of God, insofar as they can discern them.

Family Life

The God-given sacramental bond in marriage between one man and one woman is God's loving provision for procreation and family life, and sexual activity is to be practiced only within the bonds of Holy Matrimony.

Man as Sinner

We recognize that man, as inheritor of original sin, is "very far gone from original righteousness," and as a rebel against God's authority is liable to His righteous judgment.

Man and God's Grace

We recognize, too, that God loves His children and particularly has shown it forth in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that man cannot be saved by any effort of his own, but by the Grace of God, through repentance and acceptance of God's forgiveness.

Christian's Duty to be Moral

We believe, therefore, it is the duty of the Church and her members to bear witness to Christian Morality, to follow it in their lives, and to reject the false standards of the world.

In Christ our Savior,

The Rt. Rev'd Kenneth Kinner

The Rt. Rev'd Edmund Jayaraj

The Rt. Rev'd Leo Michael

The Rt. Rev'd James McNeley

The Rt. Rev'd Ronald Greeson

Bishops of the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite

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March 17, 2012

Saint Patrick's Day

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

As the world revels in Saint Patrick’s Day, named after the Apostle of Ireland, we honor him, not so much for green beer, as for his undaunted faith and courage in taking God’s word to his very captors. Taken a slave, he learned the art of winning the hearts and minds of his captors and won their hearts for Christ the Lord as His bishop – the shepherd of His flock.

The Shamrock – a tell-tale of the Divine mystery of God – The One in Three and Three in One – Eternal Father, Word and Spirit,

The Lorica – (breastplate – a mystical garment that would protect from illness and dangers, a guarantee for entry into heaven – the eternal perspective that will surely guide us along heaven’s way). Yes we sing his hymn in our church – it’s a beautiful prayer for protection to shroud ourselves with Divine Protection.

Lest we remember St. Patrick for just for revelry alone, his hymn reminds us of eternity – the Sweet well done in judgment hour.

Binding ourselves to the strong Name of the Trinity is a wonderful way to begin each day- “The Power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need.”

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.
I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom

I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.
Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility

I bind to me these holy powers.
Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

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February 28, 2012

Christian Persecution

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

The recent news of Pastor Yucef in Iran and the Damocles’ sword of death hanging over his head in this day and age is very troubling indeed. We think of his family and loved ones and his ardent love for Christ, our Lord and Master and pray the Lord that this and other Christian families be protected by the Mighty hand of God. And where is it happening? In a theocratic state where the religious majority is thrusting its dictates down the throats of its people and choking everyone’s free speech. The Voice of the Martyrs will tell the untold sufferings of Christians across the globe and their daring witness to their faith in Christ.

It’s not uncommon that Christianity suffers at the hands of the majority whose religious belief views others as infidels to be conquered or annihilated. When fundamentalism is backed by state run command it does apparently and literally threaten the minority’s existence and belief.

Martyrdom or dying for the faith is not strange to Christianity. The Blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church – wrote Tertullian, one of the early fathers of the Church. The zeal to preach Christ crucified was aglow in the mind of every believer. Most of the Apostles endured this and so did the early Christians. While humanly we empathize with the Christian pastor in Iran and see that such an attitude is unthinkable in this day and age in God’s name, and wish that such a heinous crime will not take place, in His name, Christ did not rule out these sufferings for his followers: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake..” Matthew 5:11

Thanks be to God in USA, we do not have such a threat to religious following as Pastor Yusuf and other Christians that are persecuted elsewhere. This great nation of ours was founded on Judeo- Christian principles and acknowledges that all men are "... endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, "We the people". While it is a declaration of Independence it was also a declaration of dependence on God, the Creator. The very same constitutions reassure every citizen the freedom of religion in the First Amendment of Bill of Rights.

That being said, we also have been witnessing subtle war against Christianity even within this great nation of ours. We have been seeing great accommodations and benevolence towards all other religions in our country, while Christianity is under attack. Look around you and you will find persecutions and road blocks to Christian expression of faith: replacing the word "Christmas" with "Holiday" under the pretext of political correctness, barring prayer in school, removal of crosses at the memorials or shrine’s erected, disallowing chaplains to pray in the name of Jesus, threatening the traditional concept of marriage, coercing the conscience of people to go contrary to their religious beliefs in the name of right. We have been seeing a lot of it for some years now.

When our nation gives a red carpet welcome to other faiths, it is perceived as decency. When people mess with our faith, and we Christians stand up for our religious rights, it is bigotry. How long can we be silent and witness the subtle war against Christianity?

It’s time that we Christians stood up and defend our fundamental rights, not because we are subscribing to any party or ideology, but because we don't want anyone to mess with our faith and practice. We say, don’t mess with God and our deep religious convictions. It is the duty of the church to be the guardian of faith and morals, whether you like it or not.

I commend this football team for their unabashed moment of thanksgiving prayer after their game:

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February 23, 2012

Friday Stations of the Cross

Posted by Bp. Leo Michael Permalink

With the smearing of the ashes, fast and abstinence, we have begun the Holy Season of Lent to remember His gracious mercy in our miserable sinfulness. We focus on the Cross of Christ, on which our Savior died for our sins, purchasing us with His precious blood and redeeming us from death and sin. Yes, He has done it once and for all, that we may be beneficieries of His mercy: "By His stripes we are healed" as we look on Him whom we have pierced by our sins.

Especially each Friday during Lent, we ponder on the way of the Cross - the way through which our savior carried our sin and shame and was crucified for us on Calvary. This is a beautiful Stations of the Cross produced by Karen Pac from Internet Archive. Let us grab afew minutes, whether we are at home or at work this Friday to ponder on the Passion and Death of Christ for us as these children lead us through the Stations of the Cross:

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