Category: Sermon

Babbling? ~ Fr. Terry Elkington

The Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9 is one of those Bible stories that we tend to learn as children and rarely revisit. We remember the unsuccessful effort of the people to build a tower to heaven so they could get to God. Perhaps we were even given the chance to color this tower or build one with Popsicle sticks and glue. The lesson I remember learning from this as a child is that God punished the tower builders by making life more difficult for them. What is your memory from your first hearing of the Tower of Babel?

I am very grateful for the spiritual discipline of daily Bible reading which gives me the opportunity to return to stories like the Tower of Babel and bring my adult sense to bear on its meaning. The lesson I draw from it now is different from my Sunday school days.

What I find now in Genesis is an endearing depiction of both people and God as we figure out how life in community is going to work.

When the story starts, all people share one language with the same words. The people set about building a city and conceive the idea of building a tower by which they will “make a name for” themselves. Their fear is, if they don’t do this, then they “shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth” (Genesis 11:4). However, this tower building provokes exactly that response from God.

Seeing the city and the tower, God concludes, “This is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible to them.” God’s solution to limiting possibility is to “confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech” and to scatter them abroad over the face of all the earth.

What are we to make of this encounter between God and us?

I find in the Tower of Babel an encouraging indication of how God holds together our unity and our diversity as God’s creation — God’s children. In order to keep us humble — that is, knowing that we are human beings and not God — God ends the period of one language. God then establishes within humanity the same diversity that was given to all creation in the opening chapters of Genesis, a wealth of variety that remains throughout Scripture.

In a nutshell – the key to humility is diversity. Wow!

Of course, God provides unity for human beings after restoring the covenant with us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit brings one understanding even as the people from different nations across the world continue to speak and hear their own language. Here is an amazing moment of both unity and diversity held together by God’s loving Spirit at work in us.

Of course, language is not the only thing that is different about people. We have come to understand that God has endowed human beings with diversity in race, gender identity, sexual orientation, culture and perspective. Future generations may discover other realms of diversity still not revealed to us. And the Holy Spirit gives us the means by which we find unity even as we delight, as God does, in such variety.

This is how the parable of the Tower of Babel informs my faith.

I look forward to hearing about how it informs yours.

 

Meditation on Psalm 116 ~ Br. Scott Brown, Postulant

Psalms 116:1-8 (ESV)

I love the Lord, because he has heard

my voice and my pleas for mercy.

2 Because he inclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The snares of death encompassed me;

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

I suffered distress and anguish.

4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

our God is merciful.

6 The Lord preserves the simple;

when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

This Psalm is one of the Psalms that Jesus and His 12 disciples sang during the Passover meal. It was sung following the eating of the Passover lamb. The author of this Psalm (possibly David) describes his deliverance from a near death experience. As a result of God’s rescue he breaks forth with the phrase “I love the LORD”. He is expressing his thanksgiving for God’s response to his call. He paints a picture of God’s gracious character and righteous purposes. He shuns self-reliance and invites total trust in God.

We don’t typically face near death experiences in our daily lives, but we do face daily trials and tribulations, stumbling blocks, road blocks, and hurdles. We should give thanks to God every day for helping us overcome these obstacles in our lives, for keeping us safe from harm when that person cuts us off in traffic, or that person on the phone runs a light that was obviously red but they just weren’t paying attention.  Because God listens to us, we should call on him in every aspect of our daily lives, when that one co-worker gets on your nerves, or the boss is being a real jerk for some reason. We should keep this Psalm in mind and know that God listens to us, cares for us, loves us, wants us to be happy people, and will give us the strength to get through whatever trial or tribulation is troubling us.

Later in this Psalm we hear the author say that the Lord preserves (protects) the simple, and when he was brought low, god saved him. God saves us every day of our lives. Each day that we are given is a gift from God. A gift that we don’t deserve, that we are not really worthy of receiving, a gift that God bestows on us out of his love for us and his abundant graciousness. Enjoy each day, thank the Lord for what we receive and what he has given us, don’t moan and complain about what we don’t have and what we think we are missing in our lives.

In verse 8 the author says that God has delivered his soul from death, his eyes from tears, and his feet from stumbling. God will lift us up and carry us through the trials and tribulations of our daily lives if we ask him for help and guidance. He supports us and keeps us from stumbling, he picks us up and dusts us off when we do fall, he heals our wounds, scrapes and bruises, he puts a Band-Aid on the wounds that are bleeding, dries the tears from our eyes and send us on our way to serve him again. We can not fail in the eyes of the Lord unless we refuse to accept him and his love for us. So the next time you fall or stumble, remember that God loves you, God protects you, God keeps you wrapped in his arms for comfort and safety. He will not fail you, and all he asks of you is your love.

Jesus, I Trust in You!~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf

Today is the Second Sunday after Easter, or as was designated by Pope John Paul II- Divine Mercy Sunday. This designation was made on April 30,2000  the same day that Pope John Paul II Canonized Sister Faustina Kowalska.

Saint Faustina was born in Poland in 1905.  At the of 20 she became and nun and died just thirteen years later from tuberculosis.  During her brief yet influential life, Sister Faustina became known as a mystic and visionary.  In a handwritten diary she kept during the last four years of her life (which when converted to print exceeds 700 pages), Sister Faustina recorded the many visions and encounters she had with our Lord, Jesus Christ. At first discounted and banned by the Vatican, her diary and writings are now held as divinely inspired.

Sister Faustina wrote of her first visit from Christ- as she lies reposed in her room at the convent, on a Sunday evening in February 1931.  Appearing to her in a luminous white garment, with brilliant rays of white and red light emanating from his heart, Jesus instructs her- “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature:  ‘Jesus, I trust in you.”   In this first visitation Jesus tells Sister Faustina:  “The first Sunday after the celebration of my Resurrection, is to be solemnly blessed as the Feast of my Divine Mercy.”  (Diary of Sister Faustina. 1-49)  Not knowing how to paint, it was nearly three years before the image was completed and hung in the convent chapel.

After completion of the painting, and as her health declined over the next four years, Sister Faustina documents in her diary a myriad of visitations she received from Jesus.  She writes that Jesus implores the veneration of this painted image and calls upon us to delight in his unlimited mercy.  “You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.  I am giving  you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor; the first- by deeds, the second- by word, the third- by your prayers.”  (Diary of Sister Faustina. 742)

Christ teaches us this valuable lesson in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  A traveler is beaten and robbed, being left for dead on the side of the road.  Both a priest and a Levite, two of the most respected personalities of the time, see the victim and cross to the other side of the road.  But a Samaritan, a despised second class citizen, “is moved with compassion”; approaches and tends to the victim. Going so far as to place the victim upon his animal and transports him to an inn.  Leaving the next day he over pays the innkeeper, instructing him to take care of them man- adivsing he will pay whatever else is owed when he comes this way again.  Jesus asks those gathered, who has treated the man rightly. He is told by the crowd- those who showed mercy. “Jesus told them, ‘Go and do likewise.” [paragraph paraphrased Luke 10:30-37]

Sister Faustina records in her diary an inspired prayer- a chaplet, that Christ “begs be prayed for threefold benefit: to obtain mercy, to trust in the mercy of Christ and to show mercy toward others.”  Sister Faustina demonstrates how the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is to be prayed using a simple Rosary and “at the direction of our Lord, prayed at three o’clock- his hour of greatest suffering and most complete mercy.”

“Oh Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, as a fount of mercy for us- I trust in you. Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.  For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One- have mercy on us and on the whole world. Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair, nor become despondent- but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is love and mercy itself. Amen.”

Before her death, Sister Faustina writes, “There will be a war- a terrible, terrible war. The nuns of Poland, indeed the peoples of the world- must pray for mercy.  For no matter how great our sins, Christ’s mercy is greater. Trust in Christ and receive His mercy and let His mercy flow through you.” [Diary of Sister Faustina. 786]

So, we are to trust in Christ. To accomplish works of mercy- forgive, encourage, comfort and pray. Be patient. Clothe that naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned and infirmed, and with compassion bury the dead.

Sometimes it is difficult to trust- even in our friends, let alone in Christ who remains unseen.  As in our Lectionary for today, we can be like doubting Thomas- unless we see the nail marks in Christ’s hands and put our fingers into them, or put our hands into His side- we may not believe, we may not trust. [paraphrased John 20:25]  But do not forget, “Jesus said to Thomas- ‘Because you have seen me, you believe- so blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe!” [John 20:29]

“In His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope- through the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” [1 Peter 1:3]

This is the Second Sunday after Easter. This is the Feast of His Divine Mercy. Christ lives! Christ is merciful!  Jesus, I trust in you!

Day and Night ~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf

I am often asked by friends,  as if I am a theological scholar,  which day is more important… which day is to be celebrated with more vigor, Easter or Christmas?  I do not know if this is a legitimate question to ask,  or one that may be just appropriate for the “everyday” Christians- who tend to view the church calendar in that way- Easter time or Christmas time. But if we reflect on the question, we can find an answer.  Indeed a profound answer, that may even summarize what can become- a great theological statement.

We all know that, “in the beginning… God said, ‘Let there be light.’ and there was light. God saw the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night’. And there was an evening and there was a morning- the first day.” [Genesis 1:2-5]

Since that very first day, our lives revolve around day and night.  Light and darkness.  As children, we always feared the darkness.  We would ask our mothers to leave a night light on.  We enjoyed playing with our friends and even going to school, but we learned that when the street lights came on- night and its accompanying darkness were coming.

Night and darkness have always seemed unsettling to most of us, if not down right evil.  Things become dark and uncertain. We do not see as clearly as we do “by the light of day”.  The Bible even supports this theory. Genesis refers to “dreadful darkness” and a “plague of darkness”.  Job warns us of  “gloom and utter darkness”-  a “darkness that cannot be escaped.”  Indeed there are nearly thirty references to “darkness” alone in the Book of Job.

And when the world was filled with it’s great despair- in it’s darkest night, the Christ child is born.  Christmas Day!  The beginning of  the story. 

Then we have the Easter story, which is actually an end to the story– but yet a beginning.  Christ suffers his passion. Unlike Christmas with it’s Advent- Eastertide come to us through Lent. A time of fasting and vigils. A time, that unlike Christmas, is somber.  In Easter,  Christ gives to us the gift of his Last Supper and goes with his disciples to pray- at night, in a place called Gethsemane.  So late and dark was the hour that his disciples could not even stay awake.  Christ is arrested and led to trial.  Peter waits through a dark night, but fearfully denies knowing Jesus.  Crucified, though day “a great darkness came across the land”. The world waits in darkness.  Easter morning, by the glow of the predawn light, Mary Magdalene makes her way through the garden to discover the tomb empty.  The glory of Easter morning-  and the Resurrection of the Risen Christ!

We know bad things happen at night, in darkness.  When we are uncertain.  When we are afraid.  Jesus even tells us, “People do not light a lamp and place it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on a stand,  so that it gives light to everyone that is in the house.” [Matthew 5:15]  Indeed Christ knows our fear and comforts us;  “I have come into the world as a light- so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” [John 12:46]

So this then is the promise of Easter.  Indeed the promise of Christmas.  That though we fear the darkness, the uncertainty of life- we have the promise of the Resurrection!  “The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear!” [Psalm 27:1]  Christ has fulfilled his promise of everlasting life and given to us the proof.  His Resurrection on Easter morning is what makes us Christians!  We can happily and boldly face our lives, and the unexpected bumps we will hit along the road- because we know that Christ has conquered death.  He offers to us the same, if we take up his cross and follow him!

And we can do that.  Without stumbling. Without falling. Without fear.  Because unlike those who live in darkness, we have been saved!  For Christ tells us, “Whoever follows me, will never walk in darkness! ” [John 8:12]

So the darkness is behind us. Before is the light of morning. The glorious light of Easter morning!  “For God is light, in him there is no darkness at all! ” [1 John 1:5]  Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen today!

“Oh God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.”  [OCACNA Sacramentary (c) 2012 p.179]

Commentary on John 13:21-32 ~ Fr. Terry Elkington

John 13:21-32

21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[a] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

Notice first that Jesus was troubled in spirit. Perhaps pausing to think about the betrayal He was about to experience was like a penetrating arrow into His soul. Perhaps knowing the love He had for His disciples – including Judas – caused Him pain to know that it wasn’t reciprocated, even if only partially, by Judas. Perhaps this event on the timeline leading to His crucifixion was particularly painful, because it stepped up the pace of everything. There was no turning back.

Jesus has already prepared His true disciples for this event; now, He brings it about in actuality. First, in deep distress of spirit, Jesus tells all the disciples plainly, so that there could be no more room for doubt, that one of them would indeed betray Him (v21). The depth of the eleven disciples’ love and dedication to Jesus may be seen in their response: stunned silence and amazement (v22). How could it be that one of them, who had seen the goodness and greatness of this Messiah, the true Son of God and Man, ever betray Him? Even impetuous Peter is so taken aback at this revelation that he does not dare to speak openly, but motions for John, reclining beside Jesus, to “Ask Him which one He means” (v23-24). John asked Jesus (v25), and Jesus’ answer once again shows the depth of His mercy; for as Calvin says, He would reveal the traitor to John alone and not to all the disciples, and not by giving some sign of condemnation or curse, but by displaying to this impostor the honor of a dignified guest – He selected a piece of bread, dipped it in the oil, and “gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon” (v26). This gentle display, as we’ll see is why John’s gospel points out Judas’ treachery more frequently than the others, and also why, as we’ll see in v28, why none of the other disciples understand why Jesus said what He said in v27. Let’s look at it now.

So far in this chapter, we’ve seen the commencement of the greatest act of love, and we sadly note that it is met with the most malicious act of treachery ever committed. Having taken the piece of bread from Jesus, but having despised the love that extended it, Judas, fully and finally persuaded by Satan (v27) to betray God Incarnate, obeys the sorrowful command not to delay in that which he had already planned to do. This exhortation is not of such a nature that Jesus can be regarded as exciting Judas to do the action; rather it is the language of one who views the crime with horror and detestation. It’s as if He is saying, “Since you’ve given yourself to destruction, go to destruction.” And we get explanations of the misunderstanding that the other disciples had regarding this command in v28-29. Of course, they’d understand it all quite clearly with the passage of time. But in v30, we see Judas depart from the presence of the Lord forever; John adds, “And it was night.”

Maybe “And it was night” is just a casual comment by John that it was now dark outside; but maybe John is saying something more significant than that. One commentator said, “These are some of the most pregnant words in the whole of literature.” It was dark, but not only outside, not only because the sun had gone down, but it was dark in Judas’
heart. No light shone there, because no love for Jesus shone there, because Satan had entered into him, because sin had taken hold of Him, and because worldly pleasures had captivated him. The Trinity of evil was choking the very life out of him. “And it was night.”

At this point (v31-32), Jesus begins His final instructions and teachings before He goes to the cross. From here to the end of chapter 17 compose one great block of instructional material which Jesus gives to His disciples, so that they might understand exactly what His death would mean, and why it must come about. Immediately, He brings out the one foundational principle that He will continue to develop and elaborate upon: His impending death is for the glory of God. This must have been unthinkable to His disciples. If there was one thing that did not conjure up thoughts of glory, it was death on a Roman cross.  That was the most shameful, despised, and humiliating process the world of fallen men could possible devise. Yet here Jesus was, saying that it would be for the glorification of Himself, the Son of Man, and likewise of the Father. Such is the wonder and the foolishness of the gospel!

The greatest act of humility and condescension in all history is at the same time the greatest act of self-glorification that God would ever perform. It’s accomplishment was the one great design of God from before time began, a design which brought all three members of the Godhead into a marvelous and mutually-glorifying work, the Father planning, the Son purchasing, and the Spirit applying the redemption of man the rebel! There we see God’s glorious character revealed more clearly than at any other time and place. We see His wrath against sin in the crushing of His own dear Son because of it. We see His free, redemptive love in the lengths He goes to be able to have mercy on those for whom He has decreed mercy. We see His grace, His justice, His sovereignty, and His inter-triune relationships of love and mutual glorification all displayed on the cross, as we could never have seen them in any other way. Truly, in this horrible act of injustice, the Father glorified the Son, and the Son glorified the Father.

Choosing Love ~ Bishop Gregory Godsey

It is easy for us as clergy and religious to become entangled in putting on a show for those who follow us. It is easy to take advantage of those who look up to us as spiritual guides. And if it is easy for us to fall prey to those feelings and behaviors, imagine the struggle our Lord had.

Here was Jesus, a man like us in all things but sin, who also had the fullness of the Godhead within him. While he was 100% man, he was also 100% God! He could speak a word and the whole of creation would cease to exist. He could stretch out his hand and thousands of Angels would have sprung to his aid. Yet, as today’s readings tell us, he did not call on that power to save himself.

Saint Paul reminds us that Jesus did not view equality with God as something to be grasped. He instead emptied himself, become humble to the will of the Father and became man to save us from our sins. Jesus knew that his path would ultimately lead to the cross. However, he did not allow fear or ego to keep him from that painful moment. He suffered the most painful, most horrifying death imaginable in order that we would not have to spend an eternity in punishment for our sins.

Humility was but one trait that led Christ to follow the path laid out for him. Love also led him to the cross and kept him there despite the pain and despite the suffering. His love for mankind, his love for those who would ultimately reject his saving grace, kept him on the cross. And that love is seen in the tender moment when Jesus says to the Good Thief that he will see him again in Paradise. You see, the thief was there because of his transgressions and he was aware that he was paying for his sins. But he also saw that Jesus was not guilty of any sin. He saw that love for humanity had led him to this moment and the thief wanted that kind of love. And in that moment, he found it. Jesus, suffering and in agony, showed the thief compassion, maybe for the first time in the thief’s life! And the thief was given the grace of a holy death, freed from his sins and looking on the Savior of the world.

Oh that we would find such grace and love in our final suffering! Oh that we could approach each moment of our lives with humility and love!

As the Lenten season draws to a close, we will celebrate Jesus’ last supper, his crucifixion and his resurrection. But before we do, let us ask God the Father to grant us the grace of a humble and holy death. Let us pray that His Son, Jesus Christ, will direct our hearts and actions to show the love he had on the cross to everyone we meet. And let us ask God the Holy Spirit to form us in the humility that Christ practiced when he came to this earth to save us.

By doing so, we will find ourselves transformed into mirrors of Christ and Him crucified for the entire world to see.

God Bless.

 

A Humble Servant.

While watching the news and reflecting on the election of the new Pope, I cannot help but be struck with curiosity about a picture of the newest Papal leader washing someone’s feet. At  first I thought this was a recent photograph, but it seems this occurred many years ago. So who is this new leader of the Roman Catholic Church? It seems he is a humble man whose promotion has sparked hope among many individuals and groups who did not feel they had a voice within the Catholic Church in years past

Francis, the first Jesuit pope and first non-European since the Middle Ages, decided to call himself Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, the humble friar who dedicated his life to helping the poor.  On his first day on the job, Pope Francis not only returned to the Vatican-owned residence to pick up his luggage and pay the bill himself, he thanked every worker there, each by name. The new pontiff brings a common touch. The son of middle-class Italian immigrants, he denied himself the luxuries that previous cardinals in Buenos Aires enjoyed. He lived in a simple apartment, often rode the bus to work, cooked his own meals and regularly visited the slums that ring Argentina’s capital.

As Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he showed compassion for the victims of HIV-AIDS and in 2001, visited a hospice to kiss and wash the feet of 12 AIDS patients. In 2008, he also washed the feet of 12 recovering drug addicts at a rehabilitation center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It is these vivid images of humility and service which remind me of the Bible reading for today:

John 12:1-8

12:1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 12:2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 12:3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 12:5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 12:6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 12:7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 12:8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The new Pope, in his humble actions as the new leader of an often troubled Church, reminds me of Mary. Though she was considered no one special, and her introduction is far less publicized than the election of Pope Francis, her role in the recognition of Jesus, as Savior, is no less crucial to our salvation.

Introducing Mary, Extravagant Anointer of Jesus 

Today, Mary is the one whose role it is to introduce Jesus, our special guest. Who is she, the introducer? She is the sister of Martha and Lazarus. We read this John text with Luke 10:38-42 in our minds. There we are told that Jesus stopped “at a certain village” (Bethany?) and was served a meal in the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha bustled around serving in a worried, distracted manner. Mary sat at his feet listening to what he was saying. Jesus praises Mary for choosing “the better part which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

There are several accounts of women who anointed Jesus in the gospels. There is the “sinful woman” in Luke 7:36-50 who crashes a dinner at the home of one of the Pharisees. She brings an alabaster jar of ointment and anoints Jesus’ feet with ointment, tears, and kisses. Mark 14:3-9 and Matthew 26:6-13 tell the identical story of an unnamed woman who brings an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment and pours the ointment on Jesus’ head as he dines at the home of Simon the leper in Bethany. Both the accounts in Mark and Matthew, like this one, are sandwiched between the plotting of Jesus’ enemies to kill him (Mark 14:1-2) and Judas Iscariot leaving the dinner to go to the chief priests to betray Jesus (Mark 14:10-11).

Who is this Mary who introduces Jesus in John 12? She is Mary, the sister of Lazarus. The meal is held at the home of Lazarus whom John specifies was the man Jesus had raised from the dead (John 12:1). She has sat at his feet and now anoints his feet. She hasn’t misunderstood his title or misread his résumé. She knows exactly who he is and the kind of honor he is due. He deserves an act of extravagant holiness. The smell of perfume amid the stench of betrayal, jealousy, and looming violence. A sweet moment of stillness amid a gathering storm. An outpouring of homage amid the onslaught of hatred.

Will the new Pope continue with a humble heart, just like Mary, and let his actions honor our Holy Father?  No one but Him who guides us, truly knows. But if by choosing to begin his Papal legacy with actions that mirror, and honor, our Heavenly Father, then I hope this will be a wiser, more honest and humble, leader for the Roman Catholic church, and for Catholics worldwide.

THE PRIESTHOOD by REV. WILHELM STOCKUMS, D.D. ~ A Review by Fr. Terry Elkington

The Priesthood  by The Rev. Wilhelm Stockums, D.D. was  very informative.  As a former Roman Catholic and now a progressive Catholic I have had the great opportunity to explore, learn and examine the basic principals of the priesthood.  While this book is written specifically for the male Roman Catholic, there is much wisdom in its pages, and anyone who is considering the priesthood in the ISM should certainly read it.

“What is the Catholic priesthood?” Stockums asks.  He then answers his own question:   The Catholic priesthood is that institution which is absolutely necessary for Christianity. The Catholic priesthood is absolutely necessary for the Church. Without it there would be no Christianity left on earth. Remove the priesthood and you remove the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist from the world. Without the priesthood you remove the sacrifice of the Mass, Holy Communion, the sacrament of anointing of the Sick, and the sacrament of reconciliation so needed by a sinful world. Remove the priesthood and you take away the divinely assured teaching of God’s revealed Truth from the universe. In a word, without the priesthood, Christianity would be a memory but no longer a reality. It would cease to exist on earth.

Rev. Stockums reveals how the priest has a special kind of service to the faithful as the preacher of the Word, as the one who celebrates the sacraments and also, perhaps in a more hidden way, in his day-to-day actions: the quiet way he lives his own Christian life, for example, by being kind, loving and charitable. In all this he serves the faithful, and so serves God and the Church by being a servant leader. We see that role of service clearly when we consider that priests in the Catholic Church are first ordained as deacons. The word deacon, as most of us know, comes from the Greek word diakonos, which means “servant.” Service is a key element of priesthood.

Becoming a Catholic priest is a serious decision. Rev. Stockums gives us a general background on preparation:   Pray about your vocation. Take any feelings or advice that have led you to consider the priesthood and give them to God, then wait patiently and openly for a response.  Realize that everyone has a vocation and if a person is truly open to theirs, God will reveal it to him or her.

As one of the most recently ordained members of the priesthood of the OCACNA, I feel humbled by the task of expressing my understanding of the priest today. I have thus far been privileged to work with and learn from other priests in my area. At the foundation and source of a priest’s life and ministry is his grounding in personal prayer. I remember a priest who once said to me, not long after my ordination, that you need two balancing factors in your life – prayer and close friends .He said that you could remain a priest without friends, but you might go insane. On the other hand though, without prayer you will not survive as a priest!
We are called upon to pray often, at various occasions, and usually with little or no time to prepare. Such ability should flow naturally, confidently and sincerely from a priest’s own prayer life. With a heartfelt desire to deepen in relationship with Christ through prayer, a priest is then better equipped to pray with and for people, particularly the sick and dying. I have found I am better equipped to celebrate the sacraments with passion and solemnity, guide people in their spiritual lives, and foster communities of faith, fellowship and fidelity. The priest’s prayer life must have at its centre the Scriptures and an intimacy with the Lord. All of which Rev. Stockums explains as the essential keystone to a priest’s life and work, he then is able to fulfil two other dimensions of his role. As a person of private prayer, the priest is then able to lead others in their lives of prayer and discernment. A priest is called to be open to the Spirit of God, and help others discern the movement of this Spirit in their lives.
So many people in our society are yearning for something deeper, something real and true, something authentic and transformative. Rev.Stockums touches on the fact that we are surrounded by a world that values what we can achieve and experience here and now, with greed and self-interest at its heart.
However his book allows me to understand what I as a priest represents and embodies a way of life and view of the world that is counter-cultural, Christ centered and a life-giving challenge to relativism, individualism, secularism and materialism. Not only does he lead others by the example of his life and the energy of his preaching, but he walks with them in their life’s journey, accompanying their highs and lows.

Ultimately though,we are one man not a messiah, with personal limitations, growing responsibilities and challenges. Sometimes amidst the stress and demands of ministry, a priest’s focus or energy for prayer or pastoring may waiver. Rev. Stockums engages us in his own experience, with a life that requires a conscientious balancing between the ‘doing’ and ‘being’ of pastoral ministry.

From the simple calling by God, through personal and spiritual development this book as outlined by Rev. Stockums, approaches the priesthood with a positive embrace.  I found some of the antiquated Latin references to be somewhat of a struggle, but as I continued to read the definitions became clear. By all means write down these phrases and attempt to learn them in the modern sense. In closing the purpose of “The Priesthood” is to not only make us think of the priesthood, but to appreciate and love the journey we are taking as ministers of God. I think sharing ones thoughts on this book from different points of views can only shed light on our diverse community.

 

Got Bucks??? ~ Fr. Terry Elkington

Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever
and not see decay.
10 For all can see that the wise die,
that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses[b] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had[c] named lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die;
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding   are like the beasts that perish.

In reflecting on Psalm 49, We must look within ourselves and realize that wealth won’t last: How should we think about the wealth of the wicked i.e. banks and money lenders of all types?  Should their power and prosperity cause us to worry? Yes absolutely! How should we feel when we have great abundance or lack of resources? Should these circumstances cause us to be either confident or afraid? This psalm answers these questions by reminding us that wealth won’t last. Wisdom teaches us that our financial situations are never an appropriate cause of fear or self-reliance. Let us look at Psalm 49’s clear-headed recognition that wealth won’t last.

Psalm 49:1-4 Explains that the following instructions carry wisdom for absolutely everyone—“both low and high, rich and poor alike”

(Psalm 49:2). The relevance of this psalm’s instruction about wealth is significant. It indicates that everyone needs to be taught how to view wealth wisely. “All who live in this world” (Psalm 49:1) are susceptible to temptation in this area. Money is the leading contender against faith in God!

Psalm 49:5- These passages ask, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Wealth may give us a false sense of immortality, but in the end it cannot save us from death. The ultimate futility of worldly wealth is worthless in the day of wrath. Turning our attention from this world to the next, we must realize that as a part of God’s creation, material resources such as money and wealth are good and not evil in themselves. Wealth has a limited capacity to insulate us from many of life’s dangers and difficulties. We should not despise wealth or deny its practical utility, but we must recognize how incredibly limited worldly wealth is from an eternal perspective (Psalm 49:7-9). Wealth is transient. Cars rust. Houses fall apart. Bank accounts dwindle. Sooner or later it all disappears.

For these very reasons, Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven.  Please remember “It’s not just because wealth might be lost; it’s because wealth will always be lost” Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions. Whether we are rich or poor, God can demand our lives of us at any moment. When that happens, the money we have will be of no use, but righteousness expressed by the right use of wealth will endure forever. (Psalm 49:16-20)  In closing when we see how our minds have been reoriented according to this “eternal perspective”, we will find wealth to be far less impressive and important.

Ashes and Dirty Faces

Fine, powdery, dark gray and black ashes, smudged onto our foreheads in the shape of a cross, for all the world to imagine what we’ve been doing, looking like we bumped our heads while cleaning out the fireplace, and forgot to wash that part of our faces…

Just a few ashes…symbolizing more than most of us realize as we go through the motions of Ash Wednesday.  What do we say to people who ask us the obvious question:  What IS that on your head?  Why do you have black stuff on your face?

Why WILL we participate in this strange custom this evening?  What DOES it mean?  The spiritual practice of applying ashes on oneself as a sign of sincere repentance goes back thousands of years. Frequently in the days of the Old and the New Testament, when someone had sinned, he clothed his body with sackcloth and covered himself with ashes. [Jer. 6:26]  The sacramental that we are observing today arises from that custom, the spiritual practice of observing public penitence.  Church history tells us that the liturgical practice of applying ashes on one’s forehead during the Lenten Season goes back as far as the eighth century. This was accompanied by different forms of fasting, prayer, sacrifices, charity towards others, etc… The writings of St. Leo, around 461 A.D., tell us that during the Lenten Season, he exhorted the faithful to abstain from certain food to fulfill with their fasts the Apostolic institution of forty days.  In the days of the Old Testament, many tore their clothing as a sign of repentance.

Today, we use the ashes as a reminder of who we are.  The Bible tells us

that we came from the dust and to the dust we shall return.  The first

human was formed out of the dust of the earth by God and then God breathed

life into that dust.  That is a powerful image.  One that is meant to

remind us that without the breath or Spirit of God moving in us, we are

just like these ashes: lifeless – worthless.

The ashes that many of us will wear tonight are meant to be for us symbols of our repentance and signs that we truly seek to follow in God’s path.

The people in the Biblical stories probably put the ashes on top of their

heads – so why do we, instead of putting these ashes on our heads, put them

in the sign of the cross on our foreheads?

We do so because it is a reminder of how we are sealed for Christ.  In most

churches when a baby is baptized the minister or priest uses oil to mark

the child with the sign of the cross.  The mark of the cross is a mark of ownership.  These ashes tonight remind us that we are Christ’s – that he died so that we might live.  These may be just a few ashes but they mean a lot.  They are a symbol of our need for God.  We are nothing but dust and ashes apart from God.

But what about Lent itself?  What is it?  Why do we have this season?  Most of us were taught that the lengthy period of Lent was one of penitence and fasting, a time provided for those who were separated from the church by their sins, so they could be reconciled by acts of penitence and forgiveness.

For most of us, Lent is the time of sometimes painful self-examination, during which we scrutinize our habits, our spiritual practice, and our very lives – hoping to make ourselves better, trying to make ourselves worthy of the love of God.  We “step up” our prayer, fasting, and self-denial in order to remove worldly distractions from our lives. And we take on Bible study, classes, and service projects in order to add meaning and depth to our existence.  For some children, Lent means no sweets, for teenagers, less time on Facebook. For adults, it may be consuming less meat or alcohol, or attending that Lenten course offered by the Church.

However we go about it, the goal is pretty much the same: Lent makes us ready for Easter. Quite simply put, we are better able to appreciate Resurrection joys come Easter Day by enduring these Lenten disciplines now.

The Old Testament Lessons, the Psalm appointed for today, and today’s Gospel Reading all tell us the “how” and “why” of Lent.  But then, there is Paul.  Saint Paul tells is, right off the bat, in the very first verse of the Epistle for today, to “BE RECONCILED TO GOD.”  Nowhere does he say, “Observe a Holy Lent, THEN be reconciled to God.”  Not after enduring a forty-day fast. Not after lengthy Bible study. Not even after prayer, but now, here, today: Be reconciled to God.  Paul not only invites us to be reconciled to God, he actually beseeches us. That is, he pleads, implores, presses, begs, and demands. “We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. … Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.”

If we but recognize this, if we are but reconciled to our God NOW, and THEN work toward our Lenten goals of fasting, of prayer, and of penitence, if we seek to discipline ourselves during Lent, and make those disciplines into daily habits, we will not only most assuredly have the Holy Lent we all desire, but will come to live a more holy life in general.  And isn’t that, really, what Lent is all about in the first place?  Amen.