Category: Sermon
Spreading the Word: Epiphany! ~ The Rt. Rev. Michael Beckett, OPI
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'”
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV)
Today we mark the end of the Christmas season – the Day of Epiphany. We celebrate this day to reflect on the visit of the Magi – the wise men – to Jesus and the giving of their gifts. We reflect on the meaning of this visit of those wise ones to see Jesus.
Epiphany is about Jesus and his message being available and relevant to people of every age and race. Jesus isn’t just a Jewish prophet with an exciting message, but God made present amongst us and available to all of us to worship and follow. God’s love reaches beyond the everyday barriers of race and class; something the Magi didn’t quite get at first.
So Who Were the Magi?
We don’t know much about the Magi from Scripture. All Saint Matthew tells us is that they were “Magi from the East”. Some translations have “Wise men from the East”. The word in Greek refers to priests of the Zoroastrian religion. They came from Persia, the countries now known as Iran and Iraq, and they saw meaning in the movement of the stars. Their visit fits an Eastern pattern of great births being accompanied by momentous events in the sky. Certainly we know of a comet in 11BCE in Gemini with its head towards Leo, seen by many as a symbol of Judah. We also know of planetary conjunctions in both 7 BCE and 6 BCE which would have added to a sense that momentous happenings were on the way. The Magi would have noticed these things and taken them seriously. But who were they?
One commentator, Brian Stoffregen puts it like this;
“Originally in Persia, Magi were dream- interpreters. By Jesus’ time, the term referred to astronomers, fortune-tellers, or star-gazers. They were horoscope fanatics – a practice condemned by Jewish standards. We might compare them to people in fortune – telling booths, or people on the “psychic hotline” or other “occupations” that foretell the future by stars, tea leaves, Tarot cards etc. They were magicians, astronomers, star-gazers, pseudo-scientists, fortune tellers…”
Another writer, Nathan Nettleton, puts it like this;
“They were the speakers of the sacred words at the pagan sacrifices. At worst, the term referred to a magician or sorcerer, or even a deceiver. Magi were people whose activities were repeatedly condemned and prohibited throughout the scriptures and were completely anathema to the people of Israel.”
Whilst in English we get the words “magic” and “magician” from Magi, the Zoroastrian religion forbade sorcery. They clearly were looking for a new king and had found meaning in the movement of the planets and stars which led them to come to Israel to greet the new-born king. They journeyed from their homes in Persia to Bethlehem in search of this baby. Instead of angels and visions, we have the image of the Magi following a sign in the skies – in nature – and for a long period of time. The magi see the intentions of God in the skies. This is not new: Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens themselves declare who God is, and that his handiwork is seen in created nature. “We observed his star at its rising”. The magi know that there is something significant happening.
When did they come?
The Gospel of Saint Luke doesn’t mention the Magi and holds that the Holy Family returned to Nazareth after the presentation of Jesus at the Temple where he was circumcised. It’s probable that Saint Luke didn’t know of this episode in Jesus’ early life. Saint Matthew seems to place the visit of the Magi some time after Jesus’ birth. The Holy Family are in a “house” not in the stable of the inn. Herod kills all the newborn boys under the age of two years. So it’s likely that the Holy Family had stayed for some time in Bethlehem and the Magi came some time after Jesus’ birth, perhaps as long as two years after.
WHY did they come?
Clearly, the Magi were searching. The Magi recognized much of the truth of Jesus, who he was and what he would become. The Magi had a general idea of this God and this King of the Jews, but they didn’t really know who or what they were looking for. Bono and U2 were criticized some years ago by some supposedly orthodox Christians when they produced a song entitled, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” which is about searching for fulfillment. You see, the example of the Magi was that they were searchers, not really knowing what or who they were looking for. They didn’t claim to have it all but they saw their lives as a journey of discovery. And in that they are an example to us. We don’t know it all. But if we, like them, are prepared to be diligent seekers, then, like them, we may be graced by God’s light, by our own Epiphany. When the wise men finally found Jesus, we are told that their first response was joy – “they were overwhelmed with joy”. That is what happens when we find Jesus. This is what awaits us at the end of the journey. Next, they paid him homage – they worshiped him and acknowledged Him as King. After the joy comes the worship. That means acknowledging Jesus as King. Jesus as the center. Jesus as Lord. And then, after joy and after worship, comes offering of their gifts. In response to who Jesus is and the joy He gives, we offer ourselves and our gifts to Him.
So my message for today is to dare, like them, to take the risk of seeking, and God may well bless us with our own Epiphanies which transform us, as doubtless the Magi were transformed by what must have been a surprising experience for them as they knelt before the infant Jesus.
So how do you find Jesus? Maybe you can start out like the Magi – with a general idea of God, and a general idea that He is guiding you. Like the Magi, we need to turn to the scriptures. If you don’t read them, you will never really get the specific directions that God is trying to give you. Approach them with the right spirit, the right purpose. Ask for help along the way – the church, we, God’s people, are meant to help you along that way. The wise men knew when they needed to ask someone else for help. And pray. Ask God. When you find Jesus, rejoice. After all, He is God. Put Him in the center of your life. Ask yourself whether what you are doing honors him a King. Offer to him what you have, who you are.
Where can this Jesus be found? He is with you now. Won’t you seek Him? Won’t you recognize Him? Won’t you let Him fill YOUR life with joy? Amen.
Shepherds-Another Christmas Sermon ~ The Rt. Rev. Michael Beckett, OPI
After 2000 years of Christmas sermons, in hundreds of languages, in different countries throughout the world, and by way of innumerable faith traditions, is there anything new or original left to be said about Christmas, and what it means, that hasn’t been said before? Perhaps not. However, like re-reading that favorite book for the 17th time, or watching that favorite movie or television show for the 358th time, even when you know exactly what comes next, what the very next word is going to be, often we find a new meaning or a new slant on something that is as tried and true as Christmas itself.
And so it is with me this year. This Gospel reading recalls the story of the angels bringing the news of Christ’s birth to the shepherds. Now, we all know that story. We’ve heard it many times over, and those of us who cherish “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will always, in some ways, hear Linus quoting from Luke, no matter who is reading that passage of the Bible to us. We know the story. We SEE the story in every Nativity scene we pass by. There is almost always a shepherd near the manger carrying a lamb on his shoulders and another lamb or sheep to be seen somewhere hanging around. It’s always seemed to me that the sheep and the shepherds were just THERE, minor players in a Christmas play, the “extras” assigned to the kids who didn’t quite measure up to the roles of Mary or Joseph; they enter stage left, ooh and aah over the baby, and exit stage right, singing “Go tell it on the mountain”, singularly unimportant and taking secondary roles to the more illustrious wise men (who in reality weren’t there at all) and most definitely playing supporting roles to the Holy Family, or just standing around as so much scenery, contributing to the mood and filling up the bare spots in the Nativity scene. I overheard a conversation recently that made me really think about the shepherds. While visiting some friends, their cat jumped into the midst of the family crèche and knocked over the obligatory shepherd. It was chipped. The younger daughter of the family was somewhat distressed, and to make the little girl feel better, the mother said to her, “Don’t worry about it, Honey. It’s just the shepherd. He’s not all that important.” I didn’t think much about it at the time, but when reading the Scripture appointed for today, it struck me. Not all that important? But weren’t they? Who WERE these shepherds? Why were they there in the first place? Why did THEY get the news of Christ’s birth in such a spectacular way? Who were they that they should be eyewitnesses of God’s glory and receive history’s greatest birth announcement?
In Christ’s day, shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same unenviable status as tax collectors and dung sweepers. Only Luke mentions them. When the twelve tribes of Israel migrated to Egypt, they encountered a lifestyle foreign to them. The Egyptians were agriculturalists. As farmers, they despised shepherding because sheep and goats meant death to crops. Battles between farmers and shepherds are as old as they are fierce. The first murder in history erupted from a farmer’s resentment of a shepherd. Smug religious leaders maintained a strict caste system at the expense of shepherds and other common folk. Shepherds were officially labeled “sinners”—a technical term for a class of despised people.
Into this social context of religious snobbery and class prejudice, God’s Son stepped forth. How surprising and significant that God the Father handpicked lowly, unpretentious shepherds to be the first to hear the joyous news: “It’s a boy, and He’s the Messiah!” What an affront to the religious leaders who were so conspicuously absent from the divine mailing list. Even from birth, Christ moved among the lowly. It was the sinners, not the self-righteous, He came to save. So is it really all that surprising that the first announcement of Christ’s birth was to the lowly shepherds on Bethlehem’s hillsides?
Consider the events leading up to Christ’s birth. Mary was barely 15. Christ was born to an unwed mother, Mary, a servant girl; Mary the young woman who delivered while only betrothed to Joseph. He was born in a stable, a cave! A holy God being born to a couple no different than immigrants, far from home and in a strange city, in a place where animals were kept. A couple who couldn’t even find a place to stay, turned out of every inn! It’s all too bizarre.
Yet this is the God we experience. This is our claim; This is the meaning of his very name: Immanuel, meaning “God with us” — with us not just in nice times, but most especially in the times of our lives when we are in the caves, and stables of our lives, when we are turned out of the places we’d like to be, when we are at the lowest of low points, when we are out in the dark, and in the cold like the shepherds.
Our God, the God who comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ, is the God of the oppressed, the repressed, the depressed; the God of the sad, the grieving, the sorrowful; the God of the lonely, the lowly, the poor, the God of the Shepherds; the God of the despised, the destitute, the dejected. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who stood with the enslaved Hebrews in Egypt, who led them out of Egypt to a promised land of freedom. Our God is the God of widows and orphans and stranded travelers. Our God is the God who doesn’t stay neat and tidy and spotless, but comes and stands beside us in our times of deepest need, who comes among us as the child in the dirty manger and the God of the shepherds on the hillside. The God we’re speaking of dares to join the unsuccessful, the failures, the dispossessed, and the downtrodden; the God of the Shepherds.
Wherever there is suffering, our God is there. He stands with Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector, and with Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. He is with us when we face cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. He is with us when we face amputations, operations, loneliness, the loss of a loved one, or even death itself. The God of the manger and the Shepherd is Immanuel, God with us. At our deepest times of loss and need, in the dirtiest and most embarrassing parts of our lives, God is with us, His rod and His staff, they comfort us. It is God who glues us back together when we become, like that figure in my friends’ Nativity scene, chipped, flawed, and much less than perfect.
And it is up to us, to demonstrate the love of God, the God of the lowly, the downtrodden, to the world. We, like the shepherds in the Christmas story, are to be the ones who are to proclaim the good news “which shall be to all people” to all the people of the world. It is our responsibility as Christians to be the instruments through which God can work in this world. As was most famously stated more than four centuries ago by Saint Theresa of Avila:
Christ has no body but yours,
no hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
My very favorite Christmas carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” includes the lines, “What, then, shall I bring him, empty as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man I would do my part. What can I give Him? I can give Him my heart.”
Won’t you, this Christmas, give Him your heart? Won’t you, like the shepherds in the children’s plays of the Christmas story, be one to “go tell it on the mountain, over the fields and everywhere” that Jesus Christ is born? Amen.
Christmas and Sacrifice ~ The Rev. Dcn. Scott Brown, OPI
What are you sacrificing for Christmas?
Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'”
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
When Christ came into the world as the baby born in Bethlehem there were shepherds watching over their flocks by night just outside of Bethlehem. Those shepherds raised sheep and lambs, some of which were no doubt used for sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem. Sacrifices that were commanded by God. Sacrifices that were offered to God as an atonement for sins. But those sacrifices themselves didn’t forgive the sins of God’s people. As a Lenten hymn tells us, “Not all the blood of beasts On Israel’s altars slain Could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain.” Those sacrifices themselves didn’t wash away the sins of God’s people, and yet God’s people went home with the assurance that their sins were forgiven, not because of the sacrifices themselves, but because of the One to whom those sacrifices pointed. They pointed to Jesus, the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” As that Lenten hymn goes on to tell us, “But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, takes all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they.” Sacrifice what you want for Lent, or even for Christmas, but keep in mind that your sacrifices can never make you right with God. Your sacrifices can never give you better standing with God. How often aren’t we tempted to think that they can? When it comes to how much we go to church? How much we put in the offering plate? How much we volunteer our time and talents? God’s people in the Old Testament often felt the same way. It often led them to go through the motions, worshipping God with their lips, while their hearts were far from him. They missed the point, and it even came to the point where God told them, “stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. I cannot bear your evil assemblies. They have become a burden to me; I am wearing of bearing them…I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.” Yet even in his anger, we see his love, telling his people, “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” It doesn’t matter how much you give of your time, talents, or treasures. It doesn’t matter how much you go to church or Bible class or even how much you volunteer. These are all good things, but if these things aren’t motivated by God’s love for you, you’ve missed the point. John makes the point when he writes, “we love because he first loved us.” Looking back on our lives, we can probably think of the many good things we’ve done for the wrong reasons. Serving because it was expected of us. Helping because no one else stepped up to do so. Volunteering because no one else seemed to care. Showing up because we were afraid of what people might think if we didn’t. We may have put a lot of time and effort into these things, but if these things weren’t motivated by God’s love for us, Paul tells us, “I am nothing and I gain nothing.” Isaiah tells us, “all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” No matter what we do, our sacrifices cannot save us, but thankfully Christ’s sacrifice alone saves us. He took the filthy rags of our righteous and unrighteous deeds and he carried them to the cross where he washed them and us, making us clean through his holy precious blood. The innocent one became the guilty one. The righteous one became the unrighteous one. Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted by God who, “made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Though his perfect life, his innocent death, and his glorious resurrection, our unrighteous garments have been removed and we’ve been clothed in the garment of Christ’s righteousness. Because of Jesus, we are at peace with God. Peace with God doesn’t begin with what you do for God, rather it begins with what God has done for you. On the night of His birth, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Glory to God in the highest that he sent his Son to be our Savior. The Savior who said, “Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.” Jesus came to do God’s will to forgive the many times we haven’t. As we learn in Catechism class, God’s will involve His Word being shared with all people. God’s will involve all people being saved. God’s will involves living a holy life. Loving God and our neighbor perfectly. How many times have we failed to do this? How many times have we spoken words that hurt others? How many times have we made sacrifices in life to the point where it hurt? If we’re honest with ourselves, we see how our sins are many and our sacrifices are few. For the times we went about life with the attitude of, “my will be done,” we can be thankful that Jesus always went about life with the attitude of “thy will be done.” Love God and His Word. “Thy will be done,” perfectly by Jesus. Even as a teenager, he never grumbled and complained when mom or dad said it was time to go to church. Love and serve your neighbor. “Thy will be done,” perfectly by Jesus. He never looked the other way or made excuses when the opportunities to help and serve were placed before him. He wasn’t afraid to tell people to repent and believe the good news of God’s forgiveness. In his active obedience, he kept the law perfectly for us. In his passive obedience, he willingly died for our sins against it. Out of love for us, he allowed himself to be led away in chains like a criminal. Out of love for us, he allowed soldiers to drive nails through his hands and feet. Out of love for us, he was led like a lamb to the slaughter. Whereas we are all like sheep that have gone astray, the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. As the perfect Lamb of God, he offered his life on the cross to take away your sins and mine and the sins of the world. He perfectly fulfilled the will of God, and “by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” No matter how much or how many, the end result of our sacrifices would have brought God’s wrath and punishment in hell. But the end result of Christ’s sacrifice brings us grace and every blessing here on earth and for all eternity in heaven. Through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, we have been made holy through the blood of Christ. Through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, our sacrifices take on a whole new meaning. They’re not done to earn heaven, but rather to thank God for His gift of heaven. Jesus is the reason why we make sacrifices to give God the very best in our time, talents, and treasures. To say thank you to God for the treasure of salvation that is ours in Jesus! Working through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit has given you the gift of faith and the realization that our greatest treasure in life is Jesus. The work we do together as individual Christians, as members of a Christian congregation. The sacrifices we make in our lives, our schedules, our home, our church, our school, our preschool, our Sunday School, and our youth group programs are done to connect people to Jesus and keep them connected for time and eternity. What are you sacrificing for Christmas? May any of the sacrifices we make be done out of thanks and praise to Jesus. Sacrifices that come from cheerful hearts praising God for all the wonderful things he has done. This Christmas will find people making sacrifices to give their loved ones a Merry Christmas. Companies competing for your time, attention, and money. Something we’re far too often too eager to give. But the sacrifices we make for the things of this world will last us for just that, if that. But the sacrifices we make for God’s Word and God’s Work will last for time and eternity. The sacrifices we make to share the sacrifice of Jesus with others will result in people enjoying the glories of heaven one day. With that kind of attitude and mindset, no matter what happens this Christmas, you will have a truly Merry Christmas indeed!
Repent! Rejoice! Gaudete! ~ The Rt. Rev. Jay Van Lieshout, OPI
Brothers and Sister: Blessings to you all on this 3rd Sunday in Advent! Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete! Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice! And how good it is in this penitential season of introspection and preparation for the coming of the Lord, to turn our hearts with anticipation to joyous prospects of the return of the bridegroom. What’s this you ask, joy in a season of repentance? Amen I say to you, how better to prepare ourselves for the coming of the bridegroom then to sing praises and thanksgiving for all the Creator has given us; after all, are we not to be the torch bearers of the light of Christ into the darkness of the world and preachers of the Good News? How good can the news be if its bearers trudge from place to place covered in ashes, donning sack cloth and and emanating an air of personal unworthiness?
Gaudete: iterum dico, gaudete, for the Lord has done great things for us! Our Creator knows of our imperfections and loves us just the same; when we, in our flawed nature, stray from the righteous path and commit transgressions, the Creator does not get mad or hold a grudge against us, but grieves with disappointment for our failings. Then, when we repent, are we not forgiven and joyfully welcomed into the kingdom with open arms? This is the Good News John the Baptist announced as a prelude to the coming of the and the Message Jesus Christ brought at His nativity, proclaimed in His ministry and sealed by His sacrifice on the cross.
As John preached repentance and prepared to baptize the faithful, they in turn asked what they should do so that they might be saved; his response surely must have bewildered them. Surely they expected to be told to make an offering and sacrifice at the temple; yet they were instructed to share their bounty with those in need, to use fair and honest business practices, and to not blackmail or falsely accuse the innocent. Would not offerings be better made at the temple to win the Lord’s favor than to give them to the poor or a stranger? As we are told in Hosea (6:6) the Creator desires “ mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” The Creator’s institution of sacrifice was to be a lesson in willingness to offer up what you have to the will of the Creator and an exercise against sins of hoarding and greediness. Initially, for the small nomadic families, the practice would have demonstrated that giving up a portion for God’ work would not be a detriment but a blessing to the family, therefore, altruism and hospitality to a wandering stranger as the fulfillment of God’s will also provide blessings. As populations grew and settled into cities, caring for the needy became centralized as a function of the temple and so communal sacrifice predominated with its many legal impediments and corruption flourished. The Creator sent John to “make straight” the righteous path and bring the people back to the concept of hospitality and altruistic sacrifice as an individualize responsibility. Jesus Christ made the final an ever lasting blood sacrifice by offering up Himself as the eternal and everlasting example of individual altruism, grace and the Creator’s love for humanity.
So on this 3rd Sunday in Advent, as the prophet Zephaniah has proclaimed: “Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love,” (Zep 3:15, 17). The Good News is we are all loved by our Creator and Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice so that those who repent their transgressions and share their bounty with those less fortunate,will receive forgiveness and everlasting salvation in God’s heavenly kingdom. Brothers and Sisters, shed that air of sack cloth and ashes, lift up your heads, hands and hearts, sing praises of joy and thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done. Radiate the hope, love and joy of the light of Christ as your carry the Good News to all you meet. Repent and share your bounty with the strangers in need among us so that they too may cry out: “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete!”
Is God Calling You? The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe ~ The Rev. Shawn Gisewhite, OPI
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Luke 1:26-38
December 12th, 2018
Fr. Shawn E. Gisewhite, OPI
Today we are here celebrating our Lady of Guadalupe, who has also been proclaimed the patroness of the Americas, the Empress of Latin America, and the Protector of Unborn Children. Around the world, and especially in Latin Communities, Christians will bring their best to this celebration with great music including Mariachis, dancing, roses and candles, inspiring and moving readings, and traditional Latin foods. What an appropriate time in the life of our Country for our Lady to come and remind us that she is not a mellow, mute virgin, but that she is a warrior, who from the very beginning has challenged the establishment, the dark forces of the world.
Not only she has been a symbol of unification, she has also been an active participant in the fight, “la lucha,” against oppression, unfairness, and social injustice. She was present, “presente” in The Mexican War of Independence, and the Mexican Revolution. Both wars were led with flags including an image of our Lady of Guadalupe.
Guadalupe also served as an icon and a symbol for farm-workers in their fight to gain union representation and recognition of their rights. A fight led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. Referring to Guadalupe, Dolores Huerta Said that “she is a symbol of faith, hope, and leadership.”
We have also seen the Guadalupe image in the marches in Los Angeles, advocating for fair immigration reform, and against deportation.
In what we consider to be very challenging times for women, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ, and for people with disabilities…Guadalupe is ready for action!
In the US, elected officials, both Left and Right, are leading our country down a dark path. Our political system if ripe with greed.
Greed is not a value of God’s world. God’s world is full of love and compassion. God’s economy is simply God’s plan to distribute itself into humanity.
In God’s intention to distribute itself to many people in mass production, and free of charge, God has also assembled its administration. The administration that God needs to bring itself into humanity.
I don’t know if you checked CNN or FOX News today, but God released a list of people in his Cabinet. God’s cabinet includes:
Chief Strategist: Jesus of Nazareth
Secretary of State: John the Baptist
Chief of Staff: Our Lady of Guadalupe
Secretary of Defense: Mahatma Gandhi
Secretary of the Department of health and human services: Desmond Tutu
Ambassador to the United Nations: Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Co-secretaries of Agriculture: Dolores Huerta and César Chavez
We are an integral part of God’s mass production system too, and to become active producers the qualifications that we need are two: Spiritual Poverty and Humility.
Today, both in the lesson and the Gospel, God gave us two examples of human beings like you and I who changed the world in response to God’s call.
God decides to incarnate, to become human among us in the person of Jesus, through this low-income teenager, who lived with her parents, and who was engaged to Jesus, and who was probably not that highly educated.
In the story of Guadalupe, we hear that Guadalupe chose Juan Diego- a farmer, native Indian, low-income, probably not that educated, to challenge the existing system of oppression represented by the conquerors, and the highly bureaucratic Church.
Were both of them expecting these calls? Apparently not from the way that they initially reacted.
The Gospel said that Mary was much perplexed by the words of the Angel, and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then she said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
And Juan Diego’s response to Guadalupe was “I earnestly beg you, my Queen, that it be one of the principle ones, those who are known, respected and esteemed, that you send to take your message, so it might be believed. Because I am a farmer from around there, I am rope, I am a ladder, I am the excrement of the people, I am a leaf.”
In this season of Advent, a season of expectancy, what is leaping inside you?
Is it is a desire to fight to overcome homelessness? To protect the rights of women and children, the disabled, the LGBTQ Community, of legal immigrants? A desire to give up what you have (fancy clothes, a comfy home, a luxury car, a prestigious job) to help those less fortunate?
If this is the kind of call that you are experiencing, like Mary and Juan Diego, you may ask ourselves, why Me? I can’t, these things are too big for me!
If you feel that desire to act, do not be afraid, I encourage you to answer like Mary and Juan Diego did:
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” “My dear Lady, I will not cause you affliction; I will go willingly to fulfill your will; in no way will I leave it aside nor will the task be difficult. I shall go to do your will, though I may not be listened to with a good Disposition. I will talk to them even if they don’t believe me”
Through Baptism we have all received the same Spirit that Jesus received to fulfill his mission, the same Spirit that moved Mary and Juan Diego to say yes to their call. So, we have what we need to accomplish our mission – the Spirit of God that was given to us by God’s grace.
Brothers and Sisters, if Mary and Juan Diego lived here in the USA now in December 2018, would they be fearful? Would they be fearful because of who they are as a woman, minority, colored, low-income, and uneducated? Sadly, I expect that the answer would be, “Yes.”
And today, not by chance, God has brought to us one of the key members of God’s cabinet, Chief of Staff Our Lady of Guadalupe, a warrior that through history has been at the forefront of the fight for social justice, for “la lucha.”
She does not want to be enclosed in an office. She is ready to walk with us in every march, and demonstration, resisting the dark forces that are threatening God’s economy of love and compassion.
Let us ask her to lead us in this difficult times in the life our country.
Amen
Fishers of Men: The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle ~ The Very Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPI
Liturgical Colour: Red.
Reading 1: ROM 10:9-18
Responsorial Psalm: PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Holy Gospel: MT 4:18-22
Today’s Holy Gospel Reading tells us this:
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
If you have ever been fishing, you will know how important it is to know the type of fish you are looking to catch, and how to attract it so that you can land it successfully. Before anyone goes fishing, it is a must to know which equipment to use, to have the knowledge of the surrounding habitat and the depth of the water of where you are intending to fish, It is also important to ensure you have the correct bait for the fish you are intending to catch, so that the fish will be interested in going after it. That is what is required if we go fishing in the usual sense of the word, but how do we relate this knowledge of going fishing, to us as Christian children of God being fishers of men?
God asks us to make disciples of all nations of the world (Matthew 28:18–20). Just as in preparation to go for an afternoon of fishing, we also need equipment to go fishing, we need the important equipment to be fishers of mankind. Putting on the armour of God is one way to be ready at all times with everything we need (Ephesians 6:10–18). Especially important are the shield of faith with which we ward off the opposition from the evil forces who don’t want to see mankind saved by the gospel of Christ (v. 16) and the sword of the Spirit, which of course, is the Word of God (v. 17). Without these two vital pieces of spiritual equipment, we will find fishing for the souls of mankind to be impossible.
Ok, so now we have the equipment, but just like in actual fishing, we must also know the fish we are trying to catch. Knowing the lost and needy condition of the people around us will help us to understand that, no matter how good we are at fishing, we will never “catch” the fish by ourselves. No reasoned argument will convert the soul of a darkened mind, because “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). But God can and frequently does penetrate the darkness with the glorious gospel, and He uses us to do it. He knows which “fish” are His; therefore, we are to seek out His wisdom and His guidance on all our fishing expeditions. Prayer is a must!!
Lastly we must offer the only effective net—the gospel of Jesus Christ. To us, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). The gospel message has the power to change people’s lives, to shine a light into the darkness, and deliver mankind from sin to eternal salvation. There is power in no other message than the Holy word of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and no other “net” which is able to catch the fish of God. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). This was Jesus’ message to Peter and Andrew—follow Me, learn of Me, know and understand My mission and My message. Only then will you be able to be fishers of men.
Let us pray:
Father, it is during times of discouragement, bewilderment, or delay that we find ourselves more attentive to godly instruction. It seems our hearts are more yielded and our minds more absorbing of the truths You want to convey when we’re no longer trying to take charge. Like the disciples who were fishing in the usual way expecting the usual results we also relate to such efforts. But You are extraordinary and You do extraordinary work in our lives as we yield our will to Yours and heed Your instruction. Shape us into the most useful and enduring vessel that brings glory to You while we cast our nets for the great catch of men and women, boys and girls for the kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Do You Know the King? ~ Fr. Brenden Humberdross, OPI
God Almighty bless us each with an open mind and an open heart to hear your word and to apply it in our daily walk through life.
I want to start today’s thoughts with a question; do you know the King?
Over the centuries many have tried to answer this question in a variety of ways. Some have sought out sages and mystics, some have run the desert to spend lives in prayer, whilst others have sought the King in the face of the poor and afflicted. The paths to knowledge of the King are many and varied but we are all called to tread them.
Before our reading today starts, Jesus is arrested by the leaders of the Jewish community and brought before the Roman Governor Pilate for trial and condemnation. Pilate, obviously having listened to the report of the Jewish authorities asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews. The response given is a rather cryptic one; “Do you say this of your own, or have others told you about me?”
When I first read this words I was a little puzzled by it, much like I imagine Pilate was. In Pilate’s mind, it should have been obvious to Jesus that he hadn’t ordered the arrest of Jesus. For this reason, it’s logical that Pilate would have spoken to the arresting authorities about what charges were being brought. So do these words of Jesus have another, deeper, meaning for those of us reading them?
To me, these words give us a clear indication of the only way that we can come to know Jesus, his role in our lives, and the place of his Kingdom. Jesus does not say to Pilate “you’ve been told all about me so you already know”. Instead, he asks Pilate if he has come to his own knowledge of Jesus, and this is the message to us. Have we taken what we have been told about Jesus and simply accepted it with a blind faith or have we walked the path as a seeker and come to a sure knowledge of who Jesus is, what he did, and what he continues to do for each and every one of us?
Jesus goes on to lay before Pilate some important teachings about himself, that he is a King but not of the world. And so it is for each of us, we are each called to come and listen to Christ as he unveils for us the mysteries of faith. I am sure that some of you are wondering what I mean by this, unlike Pilate we can’t stand physically before Christ so how are we to learn these mysteries.
The paths to understanding are many and varied but there are some key things that each and every one of us can do to progress on the path.
Firstly, each and every one of us has access to the Scriptures, here we can read the words of Christ and hear of the things that he did when walking upon the earth. In these pages we can learn much about Jesus and the mysteries that he taught his disciples. However, I know that often times when reading the scriptures things are not clear-cut and easy to understand, for this reason, prayer and meditation become another important key.
The life of the Church through the ages has been littered with mystics and saints called to a life of prayer and contemplation. These saints and sages have left us many methods of contemplating the word of God and calling the Spirit to work within us. Amongst these are Lectio Divina (a prayerful, meditative reading), Centering Prayer, the Daily Office, the Mass, and many others. Through these methods, the scriptures and the teachings of Christ within them can be opened up to us.
Throughout this coming week and through Advent I want to encourage each and every one of you to set some time aside to read the scriptures, and to pray and meditate to come to a deeper knowledge of Christ our Lord and King of the whole Universe.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, You have told us in Your word that if anyone lacks the knowledge and wisdom that we need we ought to ask You in faith because You have promised to give liberally to all who come to You trusting Your promises.
Lord, there are so many things that I do not understand and so much that is happening in our world that I come to You to ask for that precious gift of wisdom and knowledge. Your word says that Your people perish for lack of knowledge and I pray that You would supply me with all that I need to live the life that You would have me live – in spirit and truth –being as gentle as a dove but yet being as wise as a serpent.
Enlighten my understanding and provide me with the knowledge that I need each day so that I can step out into the future confident that I am in Your will. Lord I just ask that You provide what I need day by day, trusting You to oversee all my choices and praying that You would guide me along my life-path – to Your praise and glory.
As I search the scriptures daily I pray that You would teach me Your ways and empower me to stand firm in the evil day – knowing that Your grace is sufficient for ever eventuality that I may have to face – Thank You in Jesus name, Amen.
STOP! Give Thanks ~ Br. Chip Noon, Novice
Thanksgiving in my memory was always a wonderful holiday.
There was, of course, the food served around 2pm. Turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing (as we called the stuffing), cranberry sauce (the jellied kind and her own recipe with whole cranberries), celery, carrots, yams (or sweet potatoes), sometimes creamed corn, peas and pearl onions, and some other things that have escaped me. When we were little, she made elaborate dinners. Then she realized all we were eating was turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and dressing, so she simplified.
And then there were leftovers that night, including sandwiches of turkey, lettuce, dressing, and cranberry sauce.
Sometime in the next few days there was turkey noodle soup.
Along with all this eating there was as I remember it, the ceremony. Now that I recall, that wasn’t always so great because it involved slicing up the turkey, which I hated to do. But the rest of the day was the ceremony of doing the same thing year after year.
As we got older, somehow, Grace Before Meals, got left out most nights, but never on Thanksgiving.
In elementary school, the teachers made this a very special holiday. There was almost always some play or presentation involving the Pilgrims and the Indians, all sitting at a long table. The color of the classrooms changed from season to season, and at Thanksgiving they were orange, yellow, brown, some black, all mirroring the leaves and vegetation that had just disappeared.
And of course, we got Friday off…all through school and into my working days.
Those are my memories. And the routine has persisted up to the last few years. All except for the ceremonies and the meaning of the day.
It was just recently that I found out that Native Americans, especially the New England tribes of today, observe a day of sadness. Those wonderful stories that we were taught in school were mostly false and papered over the terrible wrongs inflicted on the Native Americans of that time.
Of course, it is still a national holiday. Great feasts are still held among families and friends. And mostly the story of the “Pilgrims” and the “Indians” is ignored, now to be celebrated by Black Friday.
But there remains the unsettling knowledge that the more we know, the more our world shifts from under us.
Jesus implied this in his message to the Pharisees and his disciples in today’s Gospel. We think we know the story. We want to find out when it’s going to happen and what we will see. We wait for the holiday, but that is a time in the future and really has no meaning. Because the holiday is already here. And those stories we’ve been telling each other may be completely wrong.
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
The Thanksgiving we are waiting for cannot be observed as well. It is here among us, but we are looking at it the wrong way.
But why would Jesus tell this lesson? I think today’s reading from Paul might hold an answer. Instead of ordering Philemon and the others of the Colossian church to take Onesimus, a slave converted by Paul, back among them not as a slave but as a brother, he asks them to do it of their own accord. Truly a revolutionary concept at that time. As Jesus does not demand obedience, but talks in parables, nor does Paul force his will upon his followers.
And maybe that’s what we are being called to do on this Thanksgiving. Yes, we have our memories. I hope yours are as positive as mine are. But also, we have the real teaching of Jesus to instruct and guide us.
Thanksgiving for us should not, and cannot, be a celebration of the past and of our conquering of the New World and conversion of the savages. But it can be a day for us to give thanks to God, as Native Americans do each day in their understanding of our existence.
Perhaps this day should be a day when we stop all our running in pursuit of…of what? Perhaps we should not be looking for…for what? Perhaps this day should really be a day to give thanks to God for the blessings that surround us each day and everywhere.
Lord, help us remember the Alleluia of today’s Mass:
I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
Amen.
Saying Yes to God: The Presentation of the Blessed virgin Mary ~ The Very Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPI
Liturgical colour: White.
Reading 1RV 4:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: PS 150:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6
Holy Gospel:LK 19:11-28
Today we commemorate the day, at only the tender age of 3 years old, when St. Joachim and St. Anne, out of thanks to God for their daughter, Mary, who they had late in life, dedicated their only child to the service of God, by presenting her to the temple in Jerusalem. Mary would live in the temple, she would pray, read the Holy word of God, and would assist the High priest in certain ways. It was usual in those days, for the first born son of a family to be presented to the temple, but as females were often then seen as being insignificant, or second class citizens, this was unique,it showed that Mary had already been ‘set apart by God, for her future role as the chosen one to be the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he was to be born and to live on earth amongst us. Mary served in the chapel always with a spirit of faithful rejoicing.
From such a tender age, the faith of Mary was evident. Even at such a young age as she was, Mary said yes to God, just as she did throughout her life, accepting the Will of God for her life, and joyfully becoming the earthly mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As we are adopted children of God our Father, and as such Jesus’ brothers and sisters, and co=heirs of Our Lord, Mary has also become our mother.
Mary is the perfect example of true devoted faithfulness, and we ought also to strive within our lives, to say yes to the Will of God in our lives. Like Mary, we should always strive to live our lives totally devoted to God and His will for us, and to say yes, with rejoicing, just as Mary did.
Here are some examples of how we can follow the example of Mary within our lives:
- Saying yes.
In Scripture, Mary’s story starts with her “yes” to God. It was an affirmative charged with plenty of questions, but she gave her assent to God.
What is God asking us to say “yes” to within our lives? What is that thing that seems difficult, scary, or even downright crazy to us that God keeps placing on our hearts? Is it a vocation in ministry perhaps, or maybe it’s a career change? Maybe we are being asked to move across the country, or even to changing countries all together?
We need to ask ourselves what God might be asking for us to do in our lives to fulfil his Will, and then to work on finding the courage to say “yes” to His will for our individual lives.
- Being humble.
Where is God asking us to be more humble in our lives? It might look like doing a terrible chore (cleaning the cooker, doing dishes, maybe doing laundry), that no one else will notice, without us mentioning it. It might be holding our tongues, when we want to defend ourselves by speaking up when we are hurt by others. It might simply just mean smiling when someone gives you a compliment and saying thank you.
Mary gave us an example of a perfect humility so we can turn to her as an excellent example to strive for, when we struggle in our lives.
- Sharing our love and joy with others.
Sometimes we can find it difficult to share in others’ joy when we’re hurting. Or we are hesitant to celebrate with others because we’re afraid they’ll think we are bragging about the good happening to us. Sometimes, we are less loving with othwe ought to be.
But to hide away our love and joy is to hide away the best parts of what makes us human. God made us to know love, sorrow and joy, and to experience these things in our community.
Mary is the perfect person to help us be courageous in sharing our love and joy.
- Being confident in prayer.
Are we that confident in our prayer? Do we bring our troubles to our Lord Jesus and then leave them at His feet, believing that He’ll take care of them? What about in all aspects of our lives? Do we hang back from asking for what we want at work, at home, or with our friends because we’re scared someone will say no or we’ll be disappointed?
Let us pray for Mary’s intercession to be bold with our prayers and with our hopes. Jesus never lets us down!!
Let us pray:
Father,
Give us a heart like the Mary’s, willing to agree with Your Word, Your promises, and Your intent for our life. With Mary there was no negotiating, no hemming or hawing, no 24 hours to think about it, no keeping her options open. You simply spoke, and she unhesitatingly responded with a Yes.
You have an intent for us. That purpose will have its challenges, its high points and low points, its joys and sorrows, but Your plan is far and above the best plan for our short earthly life. May our soul be transformed into one that instantly obeys you, comes when You call, follows your lead, and believes Your Word even when we can’t fully comprehend it, for Your Word is Truth.
In Jesus’ Name Amen
The Scourge of God! St. Leo the Great ~ Fr. Shawn Gisewhite, OPI
In the November 10th, 2014 edition of “Catholic Exchange,” Sean Fitzpatrick wrote the following article on St. Leo the Great.
He was called the Scourge of God—Attila the Hun.
He raged with his barbarian horde through Italy like fire, leaving devastation and death behind him. Cruel in torture, ravenous in plunder, and insatiable in effrontery, he razed and ravaged and rushed upon Rome in the year 452.
Out from the ancient gates of Rome passed a white-haired ancient in resplendent raiment. A harmless old man come to meet the savage; prepared to parley, and, God willing, to save his flock. The aged Pope of Rome himself hobbled forth to hold conference with the wild Hun while all the world watched; and this, according to legend, is what the Pope said:
“The people of Rome, once conquerors of the world, now kneel conquered. We pray for mercy and deliverance. O Attila, you could have no greater glory than to see suppliant at your feet this people before whom once all peoples and kings lay suppliant. You have subdued, O Attila, the whole circle of the lands granted to the Romans. Now we pray that you, who have conquered others, should conquer yourself. The people have felt your scourge. Now they would feel your mercy.”
So spoke the venerable bishop under the gaze of the vicious tyrant. Then suddenly, Attila’s disbelieving eyes beheld two towering giants flanking the pontiff, one on his right and the other on his left. The apostles Peter and Paul appeared, wielding swords of flame over the gray head of the pope, who knelt in an attitude of humble submission. Back flew the invader in terror, when he then caught sight of a gleaming, glorious army—ten thousand times greater than his own—ranked in rows of flashing fire against the night sky. The pope’s plea echoed in his ears like a command, and he raved as one gone mad. Attila the Hun raised the pope to his feet, swore to an enduring truce, and fled away with his legions across the Danube.
The title “Great” was not first given to Pope Leo for small reason.
Pope Leo the Great held the Chair of St. Peter from 440 to 461, and from it proclaimed and projected the elect holiness of Rome, calling it a royal city and, by virtue of the See of St. Peter, the head of the world, ruling by moral faith and religion rather than military force and dominion. The voice of Leo was the voice of the eternal city, and it was the roar of a lion and a king: “Though enlarged by many victories, you have spread the authority of your rule over land and sea. What your warlike labors have attained for you is less than what the Christian peace has brought you.” Rome was, and yet is, the heart of the Kingdom of God on earth, and Leo thundered its praises despite the riches and renown of the fallen Constantinople, defending it as the Supreme Pontiff of Christ’s Church—as a lion with its peaceful poise, confirmed in supremacy, in papal and Petrine primacy.
Though his might was manifested in meekness at his famous embassy with Attila the Hun, Pope Leo’s assertive strength as the Vicar of Christ was a theological force during his remarkable pontificate. In 451, he gathered the largest group of bishops in history for the Council of Chalcedon: a council to muster strength and strategy against an epidemic of heresies arising from the East. Leo took up the destiny of the Church with a will that evoked a rare and robust trust in God and with such broadness of vision—as a lion overlooking his golden realm—that he is remembered not only as a guardian of the Faith but also as a savior of Western civilization. At the Council of Chalcedon, the existence of Jesus Christ’s dual nature in one Divine Person was defined, and finally dogmatized in Pope Leo’s magnificent epistle, called the Tome, which was read aloud at the Council. Upon this inspired articulation of the hypostatic union, the bishops reported, “Behold, this is the Faith of the Fathers. This is the Faith of the Apostles. This we believe. Peter has spoken through Leo.”
The Council, though a solidifying of truth within the Church, poured fuel on the growling fires of the East, where many bishops were yet chafing under the rise of Rome over Constantinople and resisting orthodox teaching with persistent and even rebellious heresy and schism. Pope Leo rejected the attempts of the Eastern Church to affirm its errors upon the Universal Church. The subsequent rivalry between Constantinople and Rome led to violent uprisings and the persecution and martyrdom of holy bishops in Alexandria and Egypt. But mobs or militia could not drown out the roar of Leo. He ever proved an inflexible adversary of heresy. Pope Leo gave instruction and assistance to the reeling government in Constantinople to suppress religious rebels. In the end, the imperial battalions were fortified and the heretics were overthrown.
The word “leo” means “lion” in Latin and “king” in Greek. St. Leo was both, and that is why he is called Great. Leo’s indomitable spirit and profound mind has ever continued to influence and inform the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries after his death on November 10, 461, when he was buried, according to his wishes, as close to the bones of Peter as possible. His sermons and Christological writings have been read for well over a thousand and a half years on the most beautiful and signal feasts of the Faith: Christmas, Epiphany, Pentecost, and the Ascension. Leo was a regal saint, a doctor of the Roman Church, a kingly pope serving the King of kings, and a Lion of God who roared out the glory of God—and his roar still echoes through the grandeur of Rome to this day.
My friends, think about the last line of this article. St. Leo the Great was called “Great” because he was a Papal King who served the “King of Kings”, and a “Lion of God” who roared out the glory of God.
Less than a week ago, We, the American People voted to elect leaders to represent us as Citizens. To represent our needs, our rights, our beliefs and our morals. For thousands of years world leaders have been called “great.” But for what reasons? Americans speak of great men such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. In Europe they speak of great monarchs going back to Charlemagne or as recent as Queen Elizabeth II. Why are these men, and women, considered “great?” Mostly it is because of their accomplishments. How many battles they have won. How many peoples were subject to their rule. How many cathedrals, libraries, palaces or colleges they built. Or for their contribution to government and the freedoms that government ensures. These are indeed reasons to call one great, yet they are not the reasons in the case of St. Leo.
St. Leo is a model for us today as to how we should live our lives. How we too can be “great!” Leo was great NOT because he was a fierce ruler, but because he was a King who SERVED the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He was great not because of his ferocity on the battlefield, but for his mighty roar of evangelism. St. Leo was proud to be a Christian. He was proud to serve the Lord. He was proud to defend Christian beliefs and Orthodoxy. He was a servant who became a leader. These are the types of leaders we should elect in our time. Godly men and women who stand up for what is right, stand up for Orthodoxy, and are not afraid to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with a mighty roar!
Let us always look to the example made by St. Leo the Great, and strive to live our lives in that greatness.
O Champion of Orthodoxy, and teacher of holiness,
The enlightenment of the universe and the inspired glory of true believers.
O most wise Father Leo, your teachings are as music of the Holy Spirit for us!
Pray that Christ our God may save our souls!
Amen.
The Order of Preachers, Independent 
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