Advent's offertory Sentence

I couldn't help but to connect these two together when I heard the offertory sentence from the BCP at this morning's Eucharist.

Advent. As we have opportunity, let us do
good unto all men; and especially unto them that
are of the household of faith. Galatians 6. 10

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

~ Mother Teresa

Collect for First Sunday of Advent

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may
cast away the works of darkness, and put
upon us the armour of light, now in the time of
this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ
came to visit us in great humility; that in the
last day, when he shall come again in his glorious
Majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal; through him
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy
Spirit, now and ever. Amen.

Christ the king

"For God indeed is said to rule as King when nothing worldly meddles in the governing of our souls and when in every respect we live not of this world."
Blessed Theophylact

Collects for Sunday November 21

From the BCP - The Sunday next before Advent

STIR Up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills
of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously
bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of
thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the BAS - The Reign of Christ

Almighty and everlasting God,
whose will it is to restore all things
in your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King,
grant that the peoples of the earth,
now divided and enslaved by sin,
may be freed and brought together
under his gentle and loving rule;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Draw Close to God

Sin is always a crime against the Father’s love. Sin occurs when we distance ourselves from God and incline towards the passions. Repentance is always bound up with abstinence from sinful leanings. Humanism, too, involves overcoming various vices. But in so far as ignorance of the deep-rooted essence of sin -pride – persists, this evil source remains entrenched and the tragical-ness of history continues to increase. The holy Fathers tell us that humility alone can save mankind, and pride alone is enough to bring us to the darkness of hell…. A great many of us frequent churches erected by man but relatively few find the “narrow way” which leads to the heavenly tabernacle not made by hands (c.f. Matt 7:14).

The struggle to “cast off the works of darkness, and… put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12) is a painful one. The age-old experience of holy ascetics demonstrates irrefutably that pride is the principle obstacle to enlightenment by the Holy Spirit…. God is Light, God is Truth, Love, Mercy, and much else. I would make bold to add: God is Humility. Nothing that is unclean – which means proud – can draw near Him. Pride is abomination, the opposite of Divine goodness. Pride is the principle of evil, the root of all tragedy, the sower of enmity, the destroyer of peace, the adversary of divinely-established order. In pride lies the essence of hell. Pride is the “outer darkness” where man loses contact with the God of love. “Men loved darkness” (Jn. 3:19). Repentance alone can deliver us from this hell.

People make their own hell for themselves. Better to be killed than kill is the attitude of the humble man of love.

~Archimandrite Sophrony

Peace Within

According to Abba Isaac, we are to be a friend as were as a stranger to everyone. Express your opinion without imposing it. Listen to the others even when they sound boring or foolish. They, too, have their pain, their story to tell, and Christ has shed His Precious Blood for them as well. Abba Isaiah warns us not to compare ourselves with others; it is a dangerous game if you say you are better than another, you fall into pride. If you say you are worse, you fall into fatalism, inferiority, despair. Be vitally concerned with progress in your studies and your work, but also be aware that everyone -cobbler, a street cleaner – can be a hero and a saint. See to it that you are who you actually are, do not pretend to be good for it is a burdensome illness that leads to death. At the same time do not fall into cynicism where love is concerned. Do not hurry and do not delay. Be as gentle and polite with yourself as you are austere and demanding. Do not idle away your time and do not tire yourself with programmatic endeavors that cannot be sustained.
Weariness and loneliness can quickly destroy health. Be reconciled with God. Be reconciled with yourself. Be reconciled with others in your life, and no one will ever be able to take away the peace from your heart.

~Monk Moses of Athos

All Soul's Day

From the BCP

MOST merciful Father, who hast been pleased
to take unto thyself our brethren departed:
Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and
who walk as yet by faith, that having served thee
faithfully in this world, we may, with all faithful
Christian souls, be joined hereafter to the company
of thy blessed Saints in glory; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy
Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, world without
end. Amen.

From the BAS

Father of all,
we pray to you for those we love, but see no longer.
Grant them your peace,
let light perpetual shine upon them,
and in your loving wisdom and almighty power,
work in them the good purpose of your perfect will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Collect for All Saint's Day

From the BCP

O ALMIGHTY God, who hast knit together
thine elect in one communion and fellowship,
in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our
Lord: Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed
Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we
may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou
hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the BAS

Almighty God,
whose people are knit together in one holy Church,
the mystical Body of your Son,
grant us grace to follow your blessed saints
in lives of faith and commitment,
and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared
for those who love you;
through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Collects for Sunday, October 31

22nd after Trinity

LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy household
the Church in continual godliness; that
through thy protection it may be free from all
adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in
good works, to the glory of thy Name; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


23rd after Pentecost

Almighty God,
whose chosen servant Abraham obeyed your call,
rejoicing in your promise
that in him the family of the earth is blessed,
give us faith like his,
that in us your promises may be fulfilled;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Presumptuous Sins

In my foolishness, O God, I plead with Thee for many great things. Yet am I ever mindful of my wickedness, my baseness, my vileness. Have mercy upon me. Cast me not away from Thy presence because of my presumption. Do thou rather increase in me this presumption, and grant unto me, the worst of men, to love Thee as Thou has commanded, with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and with all my strength, with my whole being.

~Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov, “Prayer at Daybreak”

Note to Self!!

“Nothing is so helpful in the acquisition of interior peace as silence, and to keep conversations with others as short as possible.”

~St. Seraphim of Sarov

Godward

My good friend John once told me that it was a poor mans thanks to need another persons misery to compare yourself with. "I have alot to be thankful for: there are many far worse off than me," is how it would be expressed. This comparative thanksgiving is not really Godward. Likewise, the sin of the Pharisee in the Gospel story this past Sunday is that his righteousness was comparative rather than Godward, thus it was prideful. The Tax-collector on the other hand approached the Lord without pride or self-righteousness. I believe that Godwardness is the key to interior transformation. Our thanksgiving and our humility must find their source in the up-down, God-directed relationship. On the back-and-forth, human-directed relationship we are only to express love and mercy.

LORD Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner,

Brian+

Collects for Sunday, October 24

21st Sunday after Trinity

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to
thy faithful people pardon and peace; that
they .may be cleansed from all their sins, and
serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.

22nd Sunday after Pentecost

Lord God our redeemer,
who heard the cry of your people
and sent your servant Moses
to lead them out of slavery,
free us from the tyranny of sin and death,
and by the leading of your Spirit
bring us to our promised land;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

But Thou Art the same LORD

I was told by a dear old man of a conversation he had with his parish priest. He asked the reverend if it would be possible to have a Communion Service as part of he and his wife's fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrations. In particular he had asked for the service to be from the Book of Common Prayer. The reverend suggested the Book of Alternative Services, because why would he want to say, "we are unworthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table," as part of this celebration. The old gentleman replied, "Yes but reverend you must read on..'but Thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy.'"

This Sunday we shall be reading the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector where the tax collector says, "Lord have mercy upon me a sinner." And Jesus declares him more righteous. It is a spiritual tragedy, in my opinion, that modern spiritual efforts are directed towards enhancing self-esteem so that we feel, even believe, that somehow we are worthy in and of ourselves to receive God's love and mercy. This, quite simply is not the Gospel. We are not worthy, BUT God IS the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy, is merciful and loving. Knowing this releases the heart, soul, and body to rejoice in unbounded thanksgiving, and is the foundation of our hope and joy. Jesus has died for the ungodly. Hallelujah.

LORD have mercy, Brian

Tender Mercies

" and what is a merciful heart? It is the heart's burning for the sake of the entire creation, for men, for birds, for animals, for demons, and for every created thing; and by the recollection and the sight of them the eyes of a merciful man pour forth abundant tears. From the strong and vehement mercy which grips the heart and from his great compassion, his heart is humbled and he cannot bear to hear or see any injury or the slightest sorrow in creation. For this reason he offers up tearful prayer continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm him, that they be protected and receive mercy." (St. Isaac the Syrian)

Lord, help me to be a more merciful man towards my family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and all of creation. Bless you for your tender mercies towards me and all of your creation.

God sees the little sparrow fall,
It meets His tender view;
If God so loves the little birds,
I know He loves me, too.

He loves me, too, He loves me, too,
I know He loves me, too;
Because He loves the little things,
I know He loves me, too.


LORD have mercy, Brian+

Collects for Sunday, October 17th

The 20th Sunday after Trinity (BCP)
O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of
thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech
thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we,
being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully
accomplish those things that thou wouldest
have done; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The 21st after Pentecost (BAS)
Almighty and everliving God,
increase in us your gift of faith,
that forsaking what lies behind
and reaching out to what is before,
we may run the way of your commandments
and win the crown of everlasting joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

The Heavenly Sphere of Doxology

Those who have selfless, humble love, because they move within the heavenly sphere of doxology, joyfully accept their trials as well as their blessings, and glorify God for them. Thus, from everything they are continuously receiving God’s blessing and are melting internally out of gratitude towards God, which they express in every spiritual way possible, like children of God.
~Elder Paisios of Athos (Thanks to Christ is in our Midst)

Some Doxologies to move within:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Glory to God,
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen. (St Paul)

Through Jesus
Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom, in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory
be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without
end. AMEN

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”
“Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (St. Paul)

Make me Worthy

Make me worthy, O Lord, to know you so as also to love you, not with knowledge arising from study's exercise and joined to the intellect' dispersion; but make me worthy of that knowledge whereby the intellect, in beholding you, glorifies your nature in divine vision which steals the awareness of the world from the mind. Account me worthy to be lifted above the will's wandering eye which begets imaginings and to behold you in the constraint of the cross's bond in the second part of the intellect, whose liberty ceases from the activity of its thoughts by abiding in Your continuous vision which surpasses nature. (St. Isaac the Syrian)


I WANT TO KNOW YOU By Charlie Peacock

Lord teach me to pray.
Not what to say
Not how to get what I want
Lord you understand what I am
asking I know that you do
I want to know You not just about You
Teach me secrets such as these
Lord send them my way starting today
I want to know You
I want to know You

Lord, it scares me, like a holy fear, to ask you this morning that you might make me more aware of my soul's yearning love to be in union with you. Yet casting selfish fear aside, this is my prayer: May I be content with nothing less than You.

LORD have mercy, Brian+

Mother Mary - Let it Be

“Whatever has taken place in the history of salvation – whatever was done by Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit – must also take place within me. That’s what it means for me to participate in the life of God. For example, to the extent that I have emptied myself (cf. Phil. 2.7), I experience what the Mother of God felt when she said to the angel: Let it be done to me according to your word. I experience, in other words, her total self-surrender to that which was beyond her capacity to understand. How shall this be? she asked; How can I give birth, since I am a virgin and have not known a man? Was there anything she could understand? The angel replied: The Spirit will overshadow you and you will give birth (cf. Lk. 1.34-38). Did she understand anything? Nothing at all. That is what is meant by Let it be done to me according to your word, which means: ‘whatever you say, just as you said it. Even though I cannot understand it, let it happen just as you say.’”

- Elder Aimilianos, The Way of the Spirit, p. 36

O Theotokos and Virgin,
Rejoice, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee,
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
for thou hast born for us the Saviour of our souls.

Collects for Harvest Thanksgiving

From the BCP

O ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who
crownest the year with thy goodness, and
hast given unto us the fruits of the earth in their
season: Give us grateful hearts, that we may
unfeignedly thank thee for all thy loving-kindness,
and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the BAS

Creator of the fruitful earth,
you made us stewards of all things.
Give us grateful hearts for all your goodness,
and steadfast wills to use your bounty well,
that the whole human family,
today and in generations to come,
may with us give thanks for the riches of your creation.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen