Collects for Sunday (Sept 19)

Trinity 16
O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual
pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and,
because it cannot continue in safety without thy
succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and
goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pentecost 17
Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth,
and ourselves in your image.
Teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and to serve you with reverence and thanksgiving;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Tired of ME

Do you not find that often prayer seems to be more about me and my wants than simply total surrender to the LORD? To the adoration of HIS love and grace? To the beauty of Jesus and the joy of simply knowing Him? I found this short but truthful quote by Hannah More:

All desire the gifts of God, but they do not desire God. If we profess to love Him, it is for our own sake; when shall we begin to love Him for Himself? From "The Spirit of Prayer"

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Faith vs Morality

It is difficult to break through the trap of thinking that Christianity and being a good person serves the same cause. Many people will say that it is not necessary to go to church to be a good person. Others, who go to church will say that going makes them a good person. Both sentiments are true but are in error for their focus regarding faith. If I were to say to you that I married my wife so that I could be a kinder person, more loyal, more compassionate, more gentle, etc, you would think that I missed the point of marriage, which is to GIVE yourself to love of another person. The pursuit of the marriage is the surrendered love to the other. How do I know that that is happening? because when one loves the other completely it is revealed in loyalty, kindness, gentleness, compassion, etc. The richness of virtues are the evidence of the love of the other, rather than the goal. The pursuit of the 'morals' misses the mark. Our pursuit in faith, must be the love of God. LORD, help me to love you more. The fruit of the Spirit will be the evidence of the love, not the goal of the love. This is why worship cannot be separated from the goal of pursuing God and His love. See my note of some time ago on Worship.

I can across this note from a site recently:

If you make morality an end in itself, rather than a means to an end, you’ll be worse off than if you hadn’t even tried to do the right thing.

Or, to quote C. S. Lewis (**):

Mere morality is not the end of life. You were made for something quite different from that. … The people who go on asking if they can’t lead a decent life without Christ don’t know what life is about; if they did they would know that ‘a decent life’ is mere machinery compared with the thing we men are really made for. Morality is indispensable; but the Divine Life, which gives itself to us and which calls us to be gods, intends for us something in which morality will be swallowed up. We are to be re-made.

If you know that the ‘Divine Life’ is the ultimate goal and act accordingly, you become more moral in the bargain. If you aim only at being moral, you become the caricature of Christianity that secularists rightly despise: self-righteous, legalistic, judgmental and hypocritical.
From This Side of Glory

LORD have mercy,

Brian+

Collects for Sunday (Sept 12)

From the BCP - 15th after Trinity

KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church
with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the
frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep
us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and
lead us to all things profitable to our salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the BAS - 16th after Pentecost

Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Turn your Eyes upon Jesus

I tried to learn to play the guitar many years ago. Unfortunately an old wrist injury came back upon me causing too much pain for me to continue. I did however get to learn the cords of "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." You may remember those simple, but profoundly true and beautiful words:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full into His wonderful face,
And the things of earth,
will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

I was reminded this morning of those simple and profound words when I came across this quote from a blog called Cost of Discipleship by a man who calls himself Romanos. His blog is found HERE.

Every weakness, every temptation, every sadness, every doubt, every sorrow, every sickness, every accident, are used by the Master to sculpt and mold us, and because He has won the victory over every adversary, they need not be feared. He has finished the work of recreating us on the Cross, and we just have to endure for a very, very little while, the pangs of our transformation into what He has made us.

Do not look at yourself, at your failings, at your virtues, at your failures, at your successes. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Faithful to Prayer

Any prayer is a gift from God. And we, the weakest, have prayer of the lips. For the time being, we fulfill this, my dear. The well is deep, but the rope is short and the bucket is small… Each one does what he can, just as the bee does not take all the nectar from the flower. But it is very good if you do a little prayer rule. I know this myself: if I get up and do a little of my rule, it seems as if I am a different man all day long. But if you get up in the morning and you whirl around the house – because you have this and that to do – then your whole day goes poorly. So do a little of your prayer rule every day, like the righteous Job, who offered sacrifice every day for his children in cast they had sinned in their thoughts (c.f. Job 1:5).

~Elder Paisius of Romania

An old priest once told me to at the very least pray the Morning and Evening Prayer office. I have been very good at the Morning Prayer: not so good with the evening. However, I find this to be true: the more you desire to draw nearer to the LORD, the more you will have to, if not desire to, be faithful to your rule of prayer. At first this may seem to be external form and mere cold ritual, but it is obedience and a willful attempt to abide in Christ through constant prayer. This seeking, knocking, asking, will slowly lead to greater communion with God, and each other. So let us be faithful to the habit of a prayer rule, AND if you do not have one talk to your priest about it.

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Gettin' tired of Academia

If we look back to the early days of the Church, we are astonished at its power, especially that of the newly-founded Churches. In spite of the fact that the people were simple and ignorant of the Bible- for manuscripts were only rarely possessed by individuals- and in spite of the newness of their faith in Christ and the deep influence of their old pagan customs, their spiritual life and their demonstrations of faith, love, and zeal were fine examples of a powerful life lived according to the precepts of the Gospel, a model for practical understanding of the meaning of eternal life, the Kingdom of God, living by faith, dying to the world, faithfulness to Christ, expectation of His second coming, and faith in the resurrection. Even up to the present time, we still draw on their faith and tradition, and understand only with difficulty the letters that were written to them, which they understood easily and lived out.

The secret of all this is that they lived by what they heard. Every commandment fell on faithful hearts prepared to act sincerely. All the words of Christ entered deeply into the fabric of daily life. The Gospel was translated into work and life.

Those simple people understood the Gospel. They understood the Gospel. They understood that it was a life to be lived, not principles to be discussed, and they refused to understand it on a purely academic level. Up to this day, faithful followers of Christ still draw life for themselves from the living spring of the understanding of those early Christians.
By: Fr. Matthew the Poor (Matta El-Maskeen)
Thanks to Milk and Honey

The pursuit of understanding is of no value if it does not serve to increase love. As St. Paul said, " Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Balanced Spirituality

Beware of these two thoughts, and fear them. The first suggests ‘You are a saint;’ the other, “You will not be saved.’ Both come from the enemy, and there is no truth in them. Instead, think to yourself, ‘I am a great sinner but the Lord is merciful. He loves man with a great love, and will forgive me my sins.’ Believe in this way, and, you will see, the Lord will forgive you.

~St. Silouan the Athonite. pg. 441,446. Hat tip: Orthodox Portal

Marriage: A Christian Vocation

If the purpose of all the Sacraments are to remind and point our lives towards the Glory of God, then it is fair to say that even marriage is to be an act of evangelism. A Christian marriage is one lived in such a way as to exalt Christ, and to proclaim Him. It is not about my personal happiness or fulfillment (Though that is the bi-product of living a life for Christ's Glory). It is about exalting Christ in all things. To do this we must be willing to die to ourselves, and both husband and wife need to be committed to this dying to the self. I think that is why St. Paul said that it was not good for a Christian to be yoked to a non-christian in marriage.

"...some of us are married and some of us are not. Some of us are called to be priests and ministers and some are not. But the sacraments of matrimony and priesthood concern all of us, because they concern our life as vocation. The meaning, the essence and end of all vocation is the mystery of Christ and the Church. It is through the Church that each one of us finds that the vocation of all vocations is to follow Christ in the fullness of His priesthood: in His love for man and the world, His love for their ultimate fulfillment in the abundant life of the Kingdom." Alexander Schmemann in For the Life of the World.

Collect for Trinity 14

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto
us the increase of faith, hope, and charity;
and, that we may obtain that which thou dost
promise, make us to love that which thou dost
command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Beatles of fading fame sang that all you need is love. It was refreshing to see in this week's collect the 'great three' abiding virtues: faith, hope, and charity (love). Love is not all we need. We need to take hold of a living, vibrant faith that is lived out in a personal and corporate manner through prayer, worship, and service. We need a firm commitment to hope which is based on the certainty of the resurrection of Jesus, and the life to come. And, of course, we need to live in love, which is revealed in the example of Jesus, and the Saints (and saints) who have left their legacies of love's humility and grace. So, as St. Paul said in the great chapter of love, "Now these three abide: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Never forget God

Distress reminds the wise of God, but crushes those who forget Him.

* This excerpt is from “The Philokalia: Volume One” translated by G.E.H Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Met. Kallistos Ware

Preaching Well

Here I say that I have preached a few good sermons lately, BUT, and this is an important but,

"Vainly does the preacher utter the Word of God exteriorly unless he listens to it interiorly."

--Saint Augustine, Sermon 179, I

LORD have Mercy, Brian+

Perserveance

‘Do not be surprised if you fall back into your old ways every day. Do not be disheartened, but resolve to do something positive about it; and, without question, the angel who stands guard over you will honour your perseverance.’

~St John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent

What to do about Sin

Whenever you sin, be careful not to despair but to run to the spiritual doctor to confess and seek a cure: the mercy of God. The Lord came into the world to save not the righteous, those who are healthy in soul, but the sinners, those who are ill. He will receive these with great love and mercy as He received the prodigal son, the prostitute, the thief, the publican, and millions of sinners who were saved by repentance and confession. I leave you this paternal counsel: never, never despair whenever you sin, but have confidence and hope in the immeasurable mercy of God. Repent and confess, and you will be saved.

* This excerpt is from “Father Philotheos Zervakos: Paternal Counsels, Volume I” translated by Fr. Nicholas Palis

I guess 'the followers of the Way" as the early Christians were know by, understood that the Christian Life was about a life of repentance, not an act of repentance. Count it all JOY. Also, if you are particularly beset by an echoing sin you might want to take it to a spiritual doctor: your parish priest, a spiritual director, or a trusted and wise Christian friend.

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Look up Always

I came across this image on the blogsite, Christ in our Midst. It reminded me of our need to constantly be looking to the LORD. This must remain true whether we a beset by struggle with temptation, despair, or sin, OR even false glories (which is sin afterall).

Do not direct your gaze towards the enemy. Never get into a controversy with him who you cannot possibly resist. With his millennia of experience he knows the very trick that can render you helpless at once. No, stand in the middle of your heart’s field and keep your gaze upward; then the heart is protected from all sides at once: the Lord Himself sends His angels to guard it both from right and left and from the rear at the same time.

~Tito Colliander: Way of the Ascetics

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Skills for Praying Continually

Psalm 19 tells us that the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament reveals his handiwork. I find that we can use the physical universe to remind us of God presence and thus prayer. St. Paul's use of the clothing of the Roman soldier to illustrate the putting on of the "armour of God," is such an example. (See Ephesians 6.11-20)

If you are making something you must call to mind the Creator of all things; if you see the light, remember the Giver of it. If you put on your clothes, recall whose gift they are and thank Him who provides for your life. In short, let every action be a cause of your remembering and praising God, and lo! you will be praying without ceasing and therein your soul will always rejoice.

~St. Peter of Damascus

Ambition

I've been praying the Prayer of St. Ephraim as of late...

O Lord and Master of my life

take from me the spirit of sloth
faint-heartedness,
lust of power (Ambition)
and idle talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience,
and love to thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King
grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother;
for Thou art blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen.


I have to admit that at times I become discontent because of ambition, or lust of power. I found this quote today about ambition leading to surrendering prayer.


"Rushing through the ecstasies of ambition, we only
awake when plunged into dread or grief. In darkness, then, we
grope for solace, for meaning, for prayer."

John Garvey (Ed), Modern Spirituality, an Anthology,
London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1985, p.9.

LORD have mercy, Brian

For John

ALMIGHTY and immortal God, the giver of
life and health: We beseech thee to hear our
prayers for thy servant John, for whom we implore
thy mercy, that by thy blessing upon him and
upon those who minister to him of thy healing
gifts, he may be restored, according to thy
gracious will, to health of body and mind, and
give thanks to thee in thy holy Church; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

His story HERE

The Art of Dying to the World

“The world is crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14)

Our fathers, having crucified the world to themselves by renouncing all in following Christ, gave themselves up to asceticism and crucified themselves to the world. And we think that we have crucified the world to ourselves just because we have come to the Church. But we do not want to crucify ourselves to the world, for we love its pleasures, we are attached to it, and are interested in its glory; we are attached to food and clothing. If we have any good working tools, we are attached to them too, and we allow some trifling tool to produce worldly attachment in us, as said Abba Zosimus. We think that by simply becoming Orthodox Christians we have magically left everything worldly. Yet for the sake of fiddling things we fill ourselves with attachments. This comes from our great stupidity in attaching ourselves to paltry and trivial things to gratify our passions…

… the passions are the following: love of riches, desire for possessions, bodily pleasure, love of honor which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain ornaments, the itch for human glory which is a source of rancor and resentment, and physical fear. See for which of these passions you are alive, then you will know how far you are alive and tied to the world, and how far you are dead and detached from it….

~St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

Thanks to CHRIST IN OUR MIDST!

Heaven on Earth

The Summer gives more time for me to drop over to the church for some quiet time. I have long believed that churches are holy places. I've admired the Roman Catholic custom of having their churches opened for people to drop in to say the rosary or a prayer: to be present with the saints, with God's angels, and especially the Holy Spirit. How about you?

"This place of ours also has its own heaven. It is this holy church. For every holy church is also a piece of heaven on earth. And whenever you are in a church, behold, you are already in heaven. When the world torments you with its hell, hasten into a church, enter it, and behold, you have entered paradise…Take refuge in church, fall down before God, and He will take you under His gentle and almighty protection."

~Saint Justin Popovich Of Chelija