Mary Had a Little Lamb

In our childhoods, most of us learned the little song entitled, “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” It went something like this,

“Mary had a little lamb.

Its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went.

That lamb was sure to go.”

As we sang that song while we were children, we had no idea that something like that had actually happened. It never dawned on our childish minds that the Bible told the same story. That a young girl named Mary did indeed have a little Lamb.

Matthew 1:18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”  When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;”

Well, that’s what is happening in these verses in Matthew. It seems that Joseph is engaged to a young maiden named Mary. They were betrothed, which means that they were legally married, but were not yet living together. During this time, word comes to Joseph that Mary is pregnant. Joseph knows that he isn’t the father, but he is sure someone is! He believes that Mary has been unfaithful to him and he decides to get a divorce. Yet, because he loves Mary, he wants to do this thing quietly because the penalty for committing Mary’s crime was death by stoning. However, before he can put his plan into action, God sends an angel to tell Joseph that things aren’t at all like he thinks they are. He tells Mary’s husband that she is carrying a child that was miraculously fathered by the Holy Spirit of God. He is told that this child will be a special child with a special mission. That, in fact, this child is to be the Savior.

Joseph’s reaction is to take Mary into his home and wait with her until the day the baby is born. What they didn’t realize is that this baby, who was growing in Mary’s body was none other than the Lamb of God who would one day die for the sins of all men. Verse 25 tells us that Mary eventually delivered this child. When she did, the Lamb of God was born. In one of the greatest stories in all of Scripture, we learn the truth that Mary Had A Little Lamb. It is that Lamb, that special baby boy, that saves us all.

But what makes this little child, this Lamb so special:

1. Jesus Christ had no human father! His Father is God Himself! What makes the conception of the Lord Jesus so fantastic is the fact that He was born to a virgin! Now we all know the traditional method by which babies are conceived and brought into this world. However, the conception of Jesus was different! His mother was a virgin.

2. From the day Jesus came into this world until the day He ascended back into Heaven, He was a very special person indeed!  He could feed multitudes, open blinded eyes, heal the sick and even raise the dead. Walking on water posed no problem for the Lord Jesus, neither did stilling a violent storm. Everything He did marked Him as being special. These activities were merely proof that He was indeed who He claimed to be.

3. Jesus was never shy about telling people who He was. Jesus claimed that He was the Son of God in Heaven. All the people supposed Him to be the son of Joseph, Mark 6:3. However, Jesus claimed a special relationship with the Father in Heaven. It was these very claims that ultimately lead to His death, and resurrction.

As we can see, Mary’s little Lamb came into this world for one purpose. It was not to walk on water, it was not to heal sick folks, it was not to open blinded eyes, it was not to calm storms. Jesus came for the sole purpose of dying! He was a special Lamb, because He came to be a sacrificial Lamb. You see, Jesus came to die for the sins of humanity. Luke tells us that His mission in this world was “to seek and to save that which was lost“, Luke 19:10. If He was going to accomplish this, then a price had to be paid, and He paid that price when He went to the cross and died for our sins.

If the story ended here, with Jesus dead on a cross, this would be a sad story to tell. There would be no reason to celebrate Christmas and no need to come to church. There would be no salivation and no hope for our souls. If He died and that was the end of Him, that would be the end of us as well. But, thank God, the story doesn’t end there! Three days after Jesus died on that cross, He emerged, alive and well, from the tomb, Matt. 28:1-6.

In conclusion, when you think about Christmas this year, rushing around trying to buy that last minute gift, or attend yet another boring office party, try to keep things in perspective. Christmas is about that special day when God sent His Son into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins. Christmas is about more than presents, brightly-lit Christmsas trees, endless parties, and long to-do lists. Its about us all stopping for a moment, and asking ourselves-Yes, Mary had a little Lamb, do you?

Christmas Recipes, Life’s Recipe

Christmas is coming! Christmas is the centre of our Christian lives and is very important to us as we celebrate together the birth on Earth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was born to give us salvation. Part of these wonderful and joyous celebrations is Christmas cooking and baking. Cookies!  Cakes!  Fudge!  Pies!  Remember the beautiful aroma of Grandma baking for Christmas in the kitchen? The heart-warming aroma of mince pies fresh from the oven, that wafted around all the rooms giving everywhere that very homely feeling?  Or the freshly baked cookies or just roasted and mouth watering turkey?  These delectable foods turned out so well because Grandma knew what she was dong, and she followed her recipes to the letter.

Let me tell you about when my father used to do his baking.  My poor father was not much of a cook.  He would pour all the ingredients into the mixing bowl, only guessing how much of each ingredient should be used for the correct mixture, because he thought it was much easier and quicker than studying the recipe requirements first. There were a couple of times when his baking turned out to be edible, however on the majority of occasions he’d plainly not been anywhere near correct. NOT GOOD!  On one of these occasions, he had been making pastry for a mince pie. The pastry crust was so hard that when he threw it in temper because it had tuned out badly, the crust hit the window and smashed it!  He used this same slap dash method when doing any baking whether pies, cookies, or even roasting turkey for Christmas Day dinner.

If we think about these examples, we can see that the ingredients for the correct turnout of the pastry, and other things, had been there for him if only he had studied, understood and followed the recipe, as it had been written down in the cookery book, therefore ensuring his Christmas mince pies would’ve tasted delicious.. When it comes to having true faith and Trust in our Lord Jesus and the correct recipe by which we should live our lives, do we as read, understand, and follow the guidance he has set out for us?  Or do we merely guess because we think we know better?  Or worse still, feel that it does not matter about doing it the correct way? It is easy to read the Holy word of God, but are we actually following all of his guidance in all areas of our lives?

There have been many times that man has rebelled against God, not followed God’s recipe.  Let us look at the example of Jonah….

Jonah rebelled against God, he was rather foolish and selfish. He mistakenly thought that he could, in fact,  run away from God. He ignored what God was asking of him and decided he wanted to follow his own desires instead. Jonah had, and indulged in, prejudice against the people of Nineveh, Israel’s greatest enemy.  When it came to the fate of the Ninevites, Jonah decided that it was he, not God, who knew best.  Not until Jonah had been thrown overboard a ship, nearly drowned, and had been swallowed by a whale, and remained inside its stomach for a full three days, did  the reluctant Jonah finally recognised the power of God and to repented and to thanked God for his life. Eventually Jonah,  even though he had resented it, did his duty, followed God’s recipe, and delivered God’s message to Nineveh with skill and accuracy.

While it may appear that we can run or hide from God, we’re only fooling ourselves.  While it may appear that our recipes are better than Gods, our pastry crust will be hard and our turkeys inedible.  We have a duty to God and to carry it out to the best of our ability.

God is in control of things, not us. When we choose to disobey him, we should expect bad consequences God sets the agenda and timetable. Our job is to follow his instructions, to follow his recipes.  Amen!

 

Blessed Sebastian Maggi

Sebastian Maggi lived in a colorful and troubled age, the time of Savonarola; he was, in fact, a friend of the friar of Ferrara and always staunchly defended him.

Sebastian entered the Dominican Order as Brescia as soon as he was old enough. His early years were remarkable only for his devotion to the rule, for the purity of his life, and the zeal with which he enforced religious observance. He was superior of several houses of the order, and finally was made vicar of the reformed congregation of Lombardy, which made him the superior of Jerome Savonarola, the dynamic reformer around whom such a tragic storm was brewing.

Perhaps, if Sebastian Maggi had lived, he might have saved Savonarola from the political entanglements that sent him to his death. Sebastian was his confessor for a long time, and always testified in his favor when anyone attacked the reformer’s personal life. It is hard to say just where he stood politically in the long and complex series of events concerning the separation of Lombard province from the province of Italy. But all that has been written of him conveys the same impression: he was a kind and just superior, who kept the rule with rigid care, but was prudent in exacting it of others.

Several times Sebastian Maggi was sent on missions of reform, and he died on one of these. On his way to a convent for visitation, he became ill at Genoa and died there in 1496. His body is incorrupt at the present time (1963) (Benedictines, Dorcy).

Born: 1414 at Brescia, Italy

Died: 1496 at Genoa, Italy of natural causes; body was still incorrupt in 1963

Beatified: April 15,1760 by Pope Clement XIII (cultus confirmed)

Waiting With Patience ~ The Very Rev. Lady S.T. Sherwood

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

December 15, 2013

Based on: James 5:7-10

5:7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.  5:8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.  5:9 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!  5:10 As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

All of God’s children who dearly love, serve and obey the Heavenly Father yearn so much in their hearts for his return in Glory. The time IS coming.  He WILL return with all of his heavenly hosts in a blaze of Glory, but it will be at a time not when we  feel it to be the correct time, but when God our eternal and ever loving Father, who knows everything well before our birth decides the time is right. Sometimes we as humans want everything in a rush, and in this day and age especially, we tend to live our lives in one huge hurry.  We forget that all the plans for the Lord’s return were laid even before our creation. We have to learn to be patient, and learn to wait quietly, just as the farmer has to wait patiently for his crops to grow and ripen before he can harvest them. In the Holy Words of God in James 5:7-10 we are clearly told that to have patience is the only way, and that we must wait quietly without any fighting or hatred towards our earthly brothers and sisters. And while waiting show them the love and kindness because they are children of God.  This this pleases our Father in heaven.  If we love, care for, and respect each other, then we shall not be judged harshly, as we are each judged by our thoughts, words and deeds towards each other.  Meaning if we treat each other otherwise, we will therefore be judged by the same token.  And we are treating God in the same manner.  Also if our Father God is to love and have mercy and forgiveness towards our sins  and iniquities,  which he does tirelessly and eternally, then we most show these same qualities to our brothers and sisters in the same manner. We are taught to be as the prophets were in their lives

and we must be prepared to suffer and have vast patience and to follow their examples in the same way.  We are to live our lives s He would have us live them, until the Lord decides the time is right to return in Glory!!

Let us pray:  As we joyfully await the glorious coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray for the needs of the church,  of our community, and of the world. May we give Love where there is hate or hurt, and may we all learn to live in patience, with tolerance and forgiveness towards each other as Our Heavenly Father has taught us and  live our lives  by following the examples that the Saints and Prophets before us have shown us by the way they lived and served you to your Glory. God of joy and exultation,you strengthen what is weak; you enrich the poor, and you give hope to those who live in fear. Look upon all of our needs this day. Make us grateful for the Good news of your Salvation and keep us faithful in your service until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives with You in the presence of The Holy Spirit for ever and ever.   Amen.

 

XXX Observations

Contracts:  Sign at the X          Treasure maps:  X marks the spot             Algebra:   Solve for X.

X is the 3rd least used letter in the English language.  There are no words that begin with X in the list of the 500 most commonly used words in the English language.   X seems to be a pretty special and unique letter.  BUT, what about that pesky “Xmas” that annoys so many people?  How can people simply substitute a letter of the alphabet for the name of Our Lord?  Where did this abomination originate?  What evil mind decided to do away with Christ and substitute it with an X?  How did this happen?  Should we avoid, shun, boycott people and places that use Xmas instead of Christmas?

We are going to look at this today, so here we go:

To begin:  Look around in your churches, my friends, especially those of you from a liturgical background, and see how many X’s you can find.   Do some Googling of “Xmas” and this is what you get:

“Xmas” is a common abbreviation of the word “Christmas“.  The “-mas” part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “Mass“, while the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ“.  There is a common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the “Christ” out of “Christmas”.  While “Xmas” is considered to be an informal abbreviation, it should never be used in formal writing, but it is historically correct.

The word “Christ” and its compounds, including “Christmas”, have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern “Xmas” was commonly used. “Christ” was often written as “XP” or “Xt”; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as AD 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for “Christ”), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The labarum, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as ☧, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the OED Supplement have cited usages of “X-” or “Xp-” for “Christ-” as early as 1485. The terms “Xpian” and “Xtian” have also been used for “Christian”. The dictionary further cites usage of “Xtianity” for “Christianity” from 1634. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, most of the evidence for these words comes from “educated Englishmen who knew their Greek”.

In ancient Christian art, χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ’s name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, Χ is an abbreviation for Χριστος, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek.

Thus, really and truly, the use of the “X” isn’t taking Christ out of Christmas at all.  And instead of protesting the use of “X” during the  Christmas season, wouldn’t we ALL be better people, the world be a better place, and Christ be better served,  if we kept that “X” in our words and deeds every day of the year?  Should we not celebrate Him always, 24/7/365?

So, having said all of the above,  may you keep Christ, not only in Christmas, but also in your hearts and minds and lives, every day and always.  Amen.

Ready? Set. WAIT! ~ The Very Rev. Terry Elkington, OPoc

On this the second Sunday of Advent we learn of how our preparation, or lack of preparation, for the coming of Jesus is reflected in our daily lives. Advent is a pretty special time for me.  Today, 2 Advent, marks the first year of my ordination to the priesthood. My birthday is also during our Advent season.  Growing up I always prepared myself for my birthday and Christmas, but as I matured the Advent season became even more important to me.

We must always remember that as we enter the busy Christmas season, it remains Advent inside the church. Outside, the decorative colors have been red and green since before Thanksgiving. Inside the church, the color of the Advent season is a deep and rich purple and we are preparing for the birth of Christ. We will hear hauntingly beautiful Advent hymns with the themes of getting ready, preparing, and waiting.  Outside Christmas music is playing already, and at full blast everywhere you go. But that’s a very different mood from the Advent tone of quiet meditative worship.  Out at the malls you are supposed to be preparing for Christmas by shopping. In the church you are supposed to be preparing spiritually so that when we celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas Eve, God can really do something, because your heart will be ready.  I’m not saying that the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparation is awful. After all, I love Christmas and all the fun of preparing for it, from the cookies to the music. I even like doing a little Christmas shopping. But the key is to balance all that cultural Christmas hoopla with the quiet spirituality of Advent.  This is why  regular worship in this season is so vitally important. We need to be reminded that the real preparation for Christmas is not all about cooking, or shopping or wrapping gifts. The real preparation for Christmas is the challenge of Advent,  about asking the hard questions of our spirits.

Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there someone you need to apologize to? Is God calling you into service or into a new work in his name? Is there someone you should invite to church in a season when many people are searching? Is there someone in your life who needs you to pray for them?  What about your relationship with God?  Are you the Christian you are called to be?

You don’t have to choose between Christmas and Advent. Just make sure you pay attention to both.  This is what happens to us, not only when one becomes ordained, but also to all of us when we become Christians….As a priest I relate to Matthew 11:2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

I have no fear of the LORD, but understand that  Advent calls us to fill our December days with – prayer, attention to the state of our souls, and acts of kindness, mercy and justice.

We say these things in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Pax et Bonum

Msgr Terry E Elkington OPoc

Hating Bing Crosby: Merry Christmas OR Happy Holidays?????

It’s that time of year again. We hear Christmas Carols on the radio, and in stores, and in shopping malls. And there is that ONE carol that virtually ALL good Christians should hate, Bing Crosby’s “Happy Holidays.” THAT song is the origin of the greatest Christian controversy since the Reformation, and begins the time for all and sundry to argue the finer points of holiday greetings:  Merry Christmas versus Happy Holidays.  At the risk of being seen as a non-Christian priest, or a politically correct one, and abandoning or at least not defending my faith and my Lord, I feel compelled for some odd reason, to offer a treatise on the use of Happy Holidays.  So here goes….

“Happy Holidays.”  Now really, what’s wrong with that?  It’s a pleasant wish that encompasses good wishes for an entire month and a half long season.  Granted, that “season” is usually meant to be the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, and is usually understood to include only Christmas and New Year’s Day.   However, in that time period, what other holidays are there?  “Happy Holidays” is a collective and inclusive wish for the period encompassing Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Winter solstice, Christmas Day (The Nativity of the Lord), Boxing Day, and St. Stephen’s Day, St. John’s Day, the Epiphany, and it would take me forever to get through the list, if I could remember the list at all, just to give a pleasant hello to someone!  “Happy Holidays” is just easier!  Most of the aforementioned holidays ARE Christian holidays, though, so what’s wrong with “Happy Holidays?”

Leaving those “Happy Holidays” that are in the Christian calendar for a few minutes; let’s look at the ones that aren’t Christian holidays.  Granted, I don’t really consider the Winter solstice a holiday and don’t think I know any Wiccans personally, so I can omit that one altogether and not feel too bad about it.  Kwanzaa is celebrated by our African American brothers and sisters and is not a substitute for Christmas, nor is it a religious holiday.  Wishing someone a happy Kwanzaa does nothing to deny Christianity, but it’s a holiday that I personally don’t celebrate, since I’m not African American.  I DO have many African American friends, however, and most certainly wish them all a happy and joyous Kwanzaa, as well as Merry Christmas!

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival, celebrating a miracle that occurred way back in the 2nd century BCE.  Also known as the Festival of Lights, it is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt.   The story of Hanukkah is alluded to in the book of  1 Maccabees, but Hanukkah is not specially mentioned; rather, a story similar in character, and obviously older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabees 1:18,  according to which the relighting of the altar fire by a miracle which occurred on the 25th of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for the selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabee.  Now, 1 and 2 Maccabees are not considered canonical books by most Protestants, but are included in the Apocrypha, which IS in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.  So while Hanukkah is not a Christian holiday, per se, it can be considered Biblical.  And since it celebrates the lighting of the rededication of the Temple and is celebrated with lights, and Christ is “the Light of the World,” and the fact that Christianity has its roots in Judaism, Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends!

The day after Christmas is Boxing Day, which is celebrated in the Commonwealth countries.  The tradition of Boxing Day has long included giving money and other gifts to those who are needy and in service positions, and this European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages.  Shouldn’t we, as Christians, do this year round, and not just during the “holidays”?

New Years Day:  Now, there’s a pagan holiday for you!  The Romans dedicated this day to honor Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward.  It is from this Roman custom that we get the making of New Year’s resolutions:  looking backward, we resolve to not do something or other, and looking forward, we resolve TO do something or other.  Among the 7th century pagans, it was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year.  So, I guess I’m asking, should we as Christians NOT celebrate the new year and not wish everyone a “Happy New Year”?  If this is the case, then we should certainly avoid making New Year’s resolutions, too. (Especially those that include diets and exercise!)

And then, there are the religious holidays that most Christians don’t really celebrate, and some don’t even know about.  The Feast of Saint Stephen, who was the first Christian martyr on 26 December, the Feast of St. John who was the “Beloved Disciple” on 27 December, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on 12 December have already been mentioned.

Finally, there is Epiphany, which is perhaps one of the most important holidays of the liturgical or church year.  It is the last day of the Twelve Days of Christmas of which we sing in the (often-denigrated) Christmas carol, and which is overlooked by most non-liturgical churches.  Epiphany, which falls on January 6, is a Christian Feast day that celebrates the revelation of “God the Son” as a human being.  Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus’ physical manifestation to the Gentiles.  The early Christian Fathers fixed the date of the feast on January 6.  Ancient litergies noted Matthew 3:13–17, Luke 3:22, and John 2:1–11; where the Baptism and the Marriage at Cana were dwelt upon. Western Christians have traditionally emphasized the “Revelation to the Gentiles” mentioned in Luke, where the term “Gentile” means all non-Jewish peoples. The , who represented the non-Jewish peoples of the world, paid homage to the infant Jesus in stark contrast to Herod the Great, a King of Judea, who sought to kill him.  In this event, Christian writers also inferred a revelation to the Children of Israel. Saint John Chrysostom identified the significance of the meeting between the Magi and Herod’s court: “The star had been hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative but to consult the Jews. In this way, the birth of Jesus would be made known to all.”  The earliest surviving, recorded reference to Epiphany as a Christian feast was made in A.D. 361, by Ammianus Marcellinus. Epiphanius of Salamis says that January 6 is Christ’s “Birthday; that is, His Epiphany”.  He also asserts that the Miracle at Cana occurred on the same calendar day, and it was on this day, too, that John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.  So on 6 January, after all the Christmas trimmings have been put away, the gifts exchanged, New Years resolutions have been made (and some broken already), and the kids are back in school, we can still say, with all feeling, “Happy Holidays.”

Honestly, don’t you think “Happy Holidays” is so much easier?  And besides, I really like Bing Crosby’s Christmas carol, “Happy Holidays!”

Blessed John of Vercelli, COP

Blessed John of Vercelli, C.O.P.

1 December   John Garbella was born early in the 13th century, somewhere near Vercelli. He studied at Paris and was ordained priest before 1229. He taught canon law at the University of Paris. While he was professor there, Jordan of Saxony (who was a friend of Saint Albert the Great) came to Paris, and John saw one after another of his best pupils desert their careers to join the Dominicans. He seems to have considered them quite objectively, without reference to himself, until one day he had an interior voice that spoke to him that it was God’s will for him to join the Dominicans. No one can say that John did not respond with alacrity; he dropped everything and ran down the street. (“Let me go; I am on my way to God!”) Jordan received him happily and gave him the habit.

In 1232, John was sent to Vercelli to establish a convent there. He built this and several other convents in Lombardy as houses of regular observance. While provincial of Lombardy, he also became inquisitor. It was a particularly difficult moment. His brother in religion, Peter of Verona, had just been killed by the heretics in Como. The entire countryside was in a state of war, with roving bands of heretics and robbers. It was the task of the new inquisitor to try to bring order out of this chaos, and what John did was remarkable, considering the situation. In spite of his heavy labors, which included the supervision of 600 friars in 28 different cities (he reached them only by walking), John of Vercelli established the ideals of study and regular observance in all of his houses.

It was the good fortune of John of Vercelli to live in an age that was well peopled by saints. He formed a close friendship with Saint Louis, the king of France. Several of his tasks in the order, particularly the Commission on the Program of Studies, he shared with Saint Albert the Great, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Peter of Tarentaise (the future Pope Innocent V). In such company one would need to have a superior set of talents; John did.

In 1264 the chapter of the order met at Paris. Blessed Humbert had resigned as master general of the order. John went to the chapter hoping that he could resign as provincial of Lombardy. Instead of escaping one office, he fell heir to a still more difficult one. He was elected master general in 1264 and served in that capacity until 1283. John was then a man in his sixties and was, moreover, handicapped by a crippled leg. However, he accepted the office which would require him to walk, not only all over Lombardy, but all over Europe. It took a brand of courage and obedience that was little short of heroic.

During the generalate of John of Vercelli, the relics of Saint Dominic were transferred to the new tomb that had been prepared for it by Nicholas of Pisa. When the transfer was made, John of Vercelli fixed his seal on the tomb; the seals were still intact on their examination in 1946. During the translation of the relics, according to the account in the Vitae Fratrum, when the body of Saint Dominic was exposed to view, the head was seen to turn towards John of Vercelli. John, embarrassed, moved to another part of the church and gave his place to a cardinal. Whereupon, the head of Saint Dominic was seen by all to turn again in John’s direction.

On the death of Clement IV, John of Vercelli was very nearly elected pope. Being warned of the possibility, he fled in fright. However, his good friend Cardinal Visconti, was elected and took the name Gregory X. He appointed John as legate on several different missions.

He was commissioned by the pope to draw up the Schema for the second ecumenical council of Lyons in 1274–that council to which Saint Thomas Aquinas was hurrying when death found him on the road. At the council John distinguished himself for his assistance by offering to the council the talents of his best men. At the council, he accepted for the Dominican Order the special commission of promoting reverence for the Holy Name of Jesus and fighting blasphemy, which was, in that day as in ours, a prevalent vice. He can thus be considered the founder of the Holy Name Society, even though the Confraternity was not formed until 1432.

Several precious relics were suitably enshrined by John of Vercelli. These included several thorns from the Crown of Our Lord, which had been given him by Saint Louis of France. The cord of Saint Thomas, with which he had been guided by the angels and which he had worn until death, was given into the care of the master general, who gave it to the convent of Vercelli for safe keeping.

John’s career was rapidly reaching its end. In 1279, he presided over the famous chapter of Paris at which the order made the doctrine of Saint Thomas officially its own. The following year he laid the foundations of the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. One of his last official acts was to provide for a work on the instruction of novices (Benedictines, Dorcy).

Born: 1205 at Mosso Santa Maria, Italy as John Garbella

Died: September 1283 at Montpelier, France of natural causes; buried at the Dominican convent at Montpelier; his tomb was desecrated by Calvinists in 1562, and his body disappeared.

Beatified: 1903 by Pope Pius X (cultus confirmed), 1909 elevated him to the honors of the altar

 

Advent ~ Father Michael Beckett, OPoc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh98X_XlKdk&feature=youtube_gdata

Within the calendar year, there is another year:  the  great cycle of the liturgical year, revolving around the life and ministry Christ.  Each season of the liturgical year has its own particular focus, feasts, words, and colors, giving us an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the coming of Jesus, his life, and his commission to His people to be a light to the world. Since the 900s, Advent has marked the beginning of the church year, and is a season of great anticipation, preparation, and excitement, traditionally focusing on the Nativity of the Christ Child, when Jesus came as our Savior.  During Advent, we as Christians also direct our thoughts to His second coming as judge.

The word Advent is from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming,” and is celebrated during the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains four Sundays, beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, (November 30) and continuing until December 24. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.  Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we  participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture readings for Advent  reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment of sin, and the hope of eternal life.

In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for holy living, arising from a profound sense that we live “between the times” and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s    people.     As the church celebrates God’s  Incarnation in the physical presence of Jesus Christ, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which “all creation is groaning , awaiting its redemption,” it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” and to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

We celebrate with gladness the great promise of Advent, yet knowing that there is also a somber tone as the theme of final judgment is added to the theme of promise. This is reflected in some of the Scripture readings for Advent, in which there is a strong prophetic tone of accountability and judgment of sin. This is also faithful to the role of the Coming King who comes to rule, save, and judge, the world.

Because of the dual themes of judgment and promise, Advent is a time of preparation that is marked by prayer. While Lent is characterized by fasting and a spirit of penitence, Advent’s   prayers are prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers of submission, prayers for deliverance, prayers from those walking in darkness who are awaiting and anticipating a great light (Isaiah 9).

Historically, the primary color of Advent is Purple. This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus’ birth and death. The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion. The purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world, of the “Word made flesh” and dwelling among us, is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus’ life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection. To reflect this emphasis, originally Advent was a time of penitence and fasting, much as the Season of Lent, and so shared the color of Lent.

In the four weeks of Advent ,the third Sunday came to be a time of rejoicing that the fasting was almost over (in some traditions it is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for “rejoice”). The shift from the purple of the Season to pink or rose for the third Sunday reflected this lessening emphasis on penitence as attention turned more to celebration of the season.

In recent times, however, Advent has undergone a shift in emphasis, reflected in a change of colors used in many  churches. The penitential aspect of the Season has been almost totally replaced by an emphasis on hope and anticipation.  Many churches now use blue to distinguish the Season of Advent from Lent. Royal Blue is sometimes used as a symbol of royalty. Some churches use Bright Blue to symbolize the night sky, the anticipation of the impending announcement of the King’s coming, or to symbolize the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation. Some churches, including some Catholic churches, use bluish violet to preserve the traditional use of purple while providing a visual distinction between the purple or red violet of Lent.

The Advent wreath is a popular symbol of the beginning of the Church year in many churches. It is a circular evergreen wreath with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. The circle of the wreath itself reminds us of God, His eternal being and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.

The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ.   The center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is traditionally lighted on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.

The light of the candles becomes an important symbol of the season. The light reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others (Isa 42:6). The progression in the lighting of the candles symbolizes the various aspects of our waiting experience. As the candles are lighted over the four week period, it also symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and the shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. The flame of each new candle reminds the worshippers that something is happening, and that more is yet to come. Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas, and worshippers rejoice over the fact that the promise of long ago has been realized.

As we enter this holy time of the year, we ask you to join with us in preparing for the coming  of the Christ with joy, with anticipation, with prayer, and with love for all mankind.  Amen.

We wish you a blessed and holy Advent.

The Order of Preachers, International Old Catholic Churches