On the Memorial of the Martyrs (Charles Stuart)

I refer gentle readers to a post I made some time ago.


The Collect reads:

King of kings and Lord of lords, whose faithful servant Charles prayed for those who persecuted him and died in the living hope of your eternal kingdom: grant us by your grace so to follow his example that we may love and bless our enemies, through the intercession of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

On the Question of Authority

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

A New Prophet Like Moses

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die." Then the Lord replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak that prophet shall die."

I Corinthians 7:32-35

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.

Mark 1:21-28

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, throwing him into convulsions and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching, with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

The readings today are about authority, where it comes from and who has it.

The Lord says to/through Moses that He will hold accountable the man who does not heed the message that He has given the prophet. In the Gospel passage Jesus teaches with authority and casts out an unclean spirit--exercising/revealing his authority as a prophet.

The psalm response is, If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts -- a not so subliminal encouragement to submission to authority.

The first and last readings are terribly significant for the ecclesial reflection on the existence and use of authority within the community of the faith and I welcome the opportunity to reflect on them in this context.

What I find so puzzling about these choices for today is that sandwiched between these powerful texts that clearly set forth the claims/warrants of high prophetic authority, the Church has chosen to highlight this particular snippet of Paul's teaching on marriage. Paul's attitude in the seventh chapter of this letter to the Corinthians is that it would be best if Christians could remain unmarried so that they can devote all their time to the Lord and the needs of the community of the faith. BUT, he relents, it is better to marry than to burn.

Is Paul's teaching on marriage the most significant of his contributions to the Christian life? Does this particular passage reflect Paul's greatest insight? Remember, the teaching for today is not that it is a good thing to be married, or that husbands and wives have equal responsibilities toward one another, but that Paul feels that Christians should remain unmarried. Is this a teaching to which we should not harden our hearts?

Perhaps we should read Paul through the lens provided by the last sentence from the first reading: But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak, that prophet shall die. Is it possible that Paul, though an Apostle, is not speaking with the authority of God, here? Are we free to say to Paul, Thanks, but no thanks, and yet remain faithful to the Gospel?

On the Celebration of the Saints

The Universal Church celebrates today the feast of her Doctor, Thomas Aquinas. But in parts of France and one or two dioceses of Germany, Charlemagne is rememberd today.

It can't hurt to ask his prayers. I'm sure that Thomas won't mind. He said, himself, My works are like straw, after all.

Almighty God, who set your servant Charles upon the throne of an earthly empire and inspired him with zeal for the kingdom of heaven: Mercifully grant that we, supported by his prayer and example, may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

On the Conversion of Saint Paul

From the Acts of the Apostles 22:3-16

Paul addressed the people in these words:

‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.

‘While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered, “Who are you, Lord?” Then he said to me, “I am Jesus of Nazareth the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.” Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked, “What am I to do, Lord?” The Lord said to me, “Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.” Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.

‘A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there, came to me; and standing beside me, he said, “Brother Saul, regain your sight!” In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.”

Readers will know that I am not the most enthusiastic fan of St. Paul. But, were it not for his preaching and his steadfast fidelity to the mission to the Gentiles, how few of us would have heard the Good News?

St. Paul might be a pain in the ass, but however difficult he is, his message is worth the botheration.

On the Feast of Anthony the Hermit

From the Golden Legend

He had overmany temptations of the devil. Then on a time when he had overcome the spirit of fornication which tempted him therein by the virtue of his faith, the devil came to him in the form of a little child all black, and fell down at his feet and confessed that he was the devil of fornication, which St. Anthony had desired and prayed to see him, for to know him that so tempted young people. Then said St. Anthony: Sith I have perceived that thou art so foul a thing I shall never doubt thee.

After, he went into a hole or cave to hide him, and anon he found there a great multitude of devils, that so much beat him that his servant bare him upon his shoulders in to his house as he had been dead. When the other hermits were assembled and wept his death, and would have done his service, suddenly St. Anthony revived and made his servant to bear him into the pit again where the devils had so evil beaten him, and began to summon the devils again, which had beaten him, to battles.

And anon they came in form of divers beasts wild and savage, of whom that one howled, another siffled, and another cried, and another brayed and assailed St. Anthony, that one with the horns, the others with their teeth, and the others with their paws and ongles, and disturned, and all to-rent his body that he supposed well to die.

Then came a clear brightness, and all the beasts fled away, and St. Anthony understood that in this great light our Lord came, and he said twice: Who art thou?
The good Jesu answered: I am here, Anthony.

Then said St. Anthony: O good Jesu! where hast thou been so long? why wert thou not here with me at the beginning to help me and to heal my wounds?

Then our Lord said: I was here but I would see and abide to see thy battle, and because thou hast manly fought and well maintained thy battle, I shall make thy name to be spread through all the world.

St. Anthony was of so great fervour and burning love to God, that when Maximus, the emperor, slew and martyred Christian men, he followed the martyrs that he might be a martyr with them and deserve it, and was sorry that martyrdom was not given to him.

After this, as St. Anthony went in desert he found a platter of silver in his way; then he thought whence this platter should come, seeing it was in no way for any man to pass, and also if it had fallen from any man he should have heard it sound in the falling. Then said he well that the devil had laid it there for to tempt him, and said: Ha! devil, thou weenest to tempt me and deceive me, but it shall not be in thy power. Then the platter vanished away as a little smoke.

And in likewise it happed him of a mass of gold that he found in this way, which the devil had cast for to deceive him, which he took and cast it into the fire and anon it vanished away.

After, it happed that St. Anthony on a time was in prayer, and saw in a vision all the world full of snares and gins. Then cried St. Anthony and said: O good Lord, who may escape from these snares? And a voice said to him: Very humility shall escape them without more.

When St. Anthony on a time was left in the air, the devils came against him and laid to him all the evils that he had done from his childhood, tofore the angels. Then said the angels: Thou oughtest not to tell the evils that have been defeated, but say if thou know any evil sith he was made a monk, then the devils contrived many evils, and when they might not prove them, the angels bare him higher than tofore, and after set him again in his place.

St. Anthony recordeth of himself that he had seen a man so great and so high that he vaunted himself to be the virtue and the providence of God, and said to me: Demand of me what thou wilt and I shall give it to thee. And I spit in the midst of his visage, and anon I armed me with the sign of the cross, and ran upon him, and anon he vanished away.

And after this the devil appeared to him in so great a stature that he touched the heaven, and when St. Anthony had demanded him what he was, he answered: I am the devil and demand thee why these monks and these cursed Christian men do me thus much shame?

St. Anthony said: They do it by good right, for thou dost to them the worst thou canst.

And the devil answered: I do to them none harm, but they trouble each other, I am destroyed and come to naught because that Jesu Christ reigneth over all.

On Super heroes

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 85% Superman 75% Robin 65% Catwoman 60% Supergirl 50% Batman 50% Wonder Woman 20% The Flash 20% Iron Man 20% Green Lantern 15%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

I have to say that I was very happy with the results, Who wouldn't want to be Spiderman--he has one great theme song!

I would probably prefer to be his boyfriend, but one can't have everything in this life.

I'd also be perfectly happy to be Robin.

On the Epiphany

From first Vespers:
2 Timothy 1:8-13

Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace.
This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

On the Octave of Christmas (and a Happy New Year!)

The Octave day of Christmas has borne several titles over the centuries, especially in Western Christendom: The Feast of the Circumcision; The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus; and now The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

The former feasts are intended to underscore the humanity of the child Jesus. The earliest strata for the liturgical observance of the octave, the Circumcision serves to situate the child in his / our historical matrix as a son of David, of Abraham, an observant Son of the Promise--eight days old and Jesus is already busy with the work of perfect observance of the Law. Later generations would develop a spirituality that celebrates the circumcision as the first of seven bloodsheddings that Jesus suffered in his great work of Salvation. A more recent effort at the observance, the Feast of the Most Holy Name, provides the more sensitive Christian an opportunity to celebrate the birth/naming of the Saviour, bypassing most of the blood. Both Feasts strongly assert that Jesus is a real human child, born into a real human family, in a real time and place. It is this Jesus that we await.

Paul VI, fearing that twentieth century folk put too much thought to the human aspect of the baby Jesus during the Advent / Christmas seasons, sought to remind us that while Mary is the mother of the human infant, that infant is also Very God of Very God. The Jesus that we worship and await is not a child, but a grown man, a martyr, a priest, a king, a sacrifice. When Jesus returns, with salvation in his hand, he will not be an infant, but a grown man, wounded but whole. Mary is the mother of the infant, but also of that grown man, the Son of God, our Saviour and brother.

At the end of the day, the Church still uses the mass readings for the Circumcision / Holy Name, so, go figure.

Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God

for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.