Monastic Mumblings, a Friar's Journey

Preparation for Lent

I know many of you that read this blog do not practice the time of introspection known as Lent  that the more Ancient Churches, do but I would like to invite you, to consider it.  Many emergents and others are considering adding certain disciplines or removing certian impediments to God that is in their lives.

Soon it will be Ash Wednesday, and I am working on my Lenten discipline now, opening my heart to what the Spirit would guide me in this year. I know that part of my Lenten journey this year will be praying for seven friends who are Pastors or Teachers in the Church.   

The big question will be, how can I follow Jesus, as He spends forty days in the desert? He invites us to walk along side, to look into our hearts, into the desert we find there. This isn't something I like to do, but like getting in shape physically, I feel better after it is done.

Does anyone reading this feel that taking a special set time for self-examination and repentance; for prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and for reading and meditating on God's holy Word is something valuable for today's Christian?

This is a time for me to remember that He has created me out of the dust of the earth. I pray that I may remember also, that the ashes of Wednesday may be to me a sign of my mortality and penitence that I may remember that it is only by His gracious gift that I am given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Confession of St. Peter the Apostle

The holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 16:13-19

Today, the Church remembers how the Apostle Peter was, by God's grace drawn to the inescapable conclusion that in fact,  Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, "the Messiah, the Son of the living God".  The whole Body of the faithful joins with Peter today, asking God to keep the Church firm on the "rock" of Peter's confession and to continue to empower the Church to proclaim the Gospel and follow one Lord.

We have to realize and always remember that the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, was given to an unworthy human being -  Peter, a regular person, just like you, and me. That reality is the rock on which Jesus has built His Church.  When we confess that Jesus, true God and true man, is our Lord, the power of God Himself is with us.  All of our sin, our failures, the wrongs we have done, the things we have left undone no longer have power to condemn us. Jesus has blessed us with the sure and certain hope of resurrection where the gates of death can never prevail against us. He, Jesus, the Messiah has entered the world, once for all.

Jesus is Lord, God, and Savior.

Almighty Father, Who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the Living God: Keep Your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, that in unity and peace we may proclaim the Gospel, and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Antony of Egypt 17 Jan 356

It is interesting and informing to remember that before Constantine, being a Christian was dangerous, unpopular, and joining the Church was difficult and only for those most committed.  Constantine made becoming a Christian popular, politically astute, and being part of the culture you were born in, it no longer carried the risk it once did. 

Maybe like being an American, we are born here, and this particular area of the world SHOULD be Christian. After all we don’t want Muslim or Buddhist members of Congress, now do we? We don't want being a Christian to mean anything, or cost us anything at all, I suppose. I know it doesn't cost ME anything; in fact, it is a bonus for me. Ask the Sunni guy i work with, how does he like the looks, the whispered conversation.

Anyway after the Emperor had changed Christianity from a despised, persecuted sect into the main State Religion, many sincere Christians felt the need to make more of a commitment to the service of Christ, than the State Church offered, and their longing resulted in the beginnings of the Monastic tradition. This trend had begun before the conversion of Constantine and the changes in Church life that came with   it, and was strongly reinforced by the new reality. Men chose seek Christian commitment by leaving their homes and the society they knew, going into the desert, and becoming hermits, devoting themselves to solitude, fasting, and prayer.  Antony of Egypt, often mentioned as the founder of Christian monasticism is one of the great examples.

What we know of the life of St. Antony of Egypt comes to us from St. Athanasius. He tells us that Antony was born of wealthy Christian parents at Comus, Egypt in the year 250. His well to do parents died when he was around eighteen or twenty, leaving him with a younger sister to care for.

As Athanasius tells us, about six months after his parents death, Antony stopped in a Church and heard the Gospel of   Matthew 19:21 being read, "If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you   will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."  It just so happened that on the way to Church that day, Antony had been mediating on this very verse and after hearing it    again, he felt this was directed at him personally. So Antony did what so few of us do, he provided for the care of   his sister, he gave his land to the tenants who lived on it, gave his other wealth to the poor, and became a hermit  (Monk).  Antony lived alone for twenty years in the desert, praying and reading, and doing manual labor. Somewhere around 305, he gave up his solitude to become the head of a group of monks, living in a small cluster of huts or cells, devoting themselves to communal singing and worship, to prayer and study. All of this was done under Antony’s direction and guidance. They did not totally abandon those they left behind, being very careful to pray for their fellow Christians, and working with their hands to earn money so that they could give it to the poor.

Antony also came to the aid of the Church outside of his desert community. When the Roman Emperor Diocletian began persecuting Egyptian Christians in 303, word reached Antony out in the desert, and he with several other monks traveled to Alexandria to minister to those persecuted. He was so respected that even the Roman authorities left him alone to evangelize, and ease the suffering of the prisoners. In fact, in 321, under Emperor Maximinus (the rule of Constantine wasn't fully established over the whole Roman world) he offered himself as a martyr but was refused.

Antony lived to the age of 105, never ceasing to deepen his relationship with God. Near the end of Antony's long life, Arius (a former deacon in Alexandria) began to spread his heresy that Christ was created, thereby not co-equal with God, the Father.  Many Egyptian Christians were swayed by Arian teachings and fell away from the Church. Athanasius, Bishop of the Church in Alexandria and a famous defender of orthodoxy, called Antony to the Alexandria fight against the Arian heresy.  After this, he returned to the desert, never to leave it again.

Antony expended great effort in teaching others about God   and encouraging their total commitment to the teachings and values taught by Jesus in the Gospels. His biography was written by St. Athanasius, who said of him: "Who ever met him grieving and failed to go away rejoicing?"

*Many of the words and ideas above are from various sources around the web, not all my own.

O God, Who by Your Holy Spirit enabled Your servant Antony to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil: Give us grace, with pure hearts and minds, to follow You, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Aelred 12 January 1167

Aelred was born in 1109 or 1110 in the north of England, probably in Hexam. Since he was both the son of a Priest (some were married in those days) and of noble descent, he was sent to Durham to be educated. After his time there, David, King of Scotland invited him to his court to continue his education and be a companion to the young Prince Henry. King David and many members of the court highly esteemed Aelred, and felt his meekness was one of his most visible virtues. After some time, he was made Master of the Household of the King of Scotland, quite a post for such a young  man. Success in the court of a king of this world did not satisfy Aelred's heart, and at the age of 24 he entered the Cistercian monastery at Rievaulx in Yorkshire.

In spite of the weakness of his physical body, Aelred determined to bear cheerfully greatest disciplines of the Cistercian Order. He spent much of his time in prayer, reading, and studying. His heart was so focused on the love of God that he said that it made him feel tha all the Cistercian austerities were sweetness and light.

His abbot, William, was a disciple of St. Bernard, encouraged him to write his first work, The Mirror of Charity, which deals with seeking to follow the example of Christ in all things. In 1147 he was elected Abbot of Rievaulx, a post which he held until his death of kidney disease some twenty years later at the age of about 57.  Some Monks still take Aelred as a religious name, in fact I know one, Prior Aelred of St. Gregory's in Three Rivers, MI.

His most famous work is called Spiritual Friendship. At this time many Christians felt that since Jesus had said that "All who do the will of my Father are my family."  then the only kind of love permissible to a Christian is a type of universal love, no one attachment could be more important than any other. This was carried to the extent that in some Monasteries and Convents, where the monks or nuns walk two by two into chapel or the dining hall or while enjoying their daily hour of recreation, the Abbot keeps changing partners to stop anyone from forming a liking for one partner over another. Even food and drink was to be treated equally, with no preferences.  Aelred wrote against this view, saying that it is quite compatible with the highest degree of Christian perfection to take special pleasure in the company of particular friends. He points out that in the Gospels, we are told that Jesus loved John, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and some Apostles seemed to be part of an inner circle. This seems to point out that Jesus enjoyed their company more than that of others.

Towards the end of his life, ill-health forced Aelred to live in a small hut near the infirmary at Rievaulx. He could hardly travel anymore but once in a while was able to visit his friend, St. Godric, while he was traveling north to oversee the Scottish foundations of his Order. Aelred died on 12th January 1167 and was buried in the Chapter House at Rievaulx. Although, he was never formally canonized, a local following, approved by the Cistercians grew up around him, and he remains a popular English Saint.

*Many of the words and ideas above are from various sources around the web, not all my own.

Pour into our hearts, O God, the Holy Spirit's gift of love, that we, clasping each the other's hand, may share the joy of friendship, human and divine, and with Your servant Aelred draw many to Your community of love; through Jesus Christ the Righteous, Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Epiphany

Today is January 6th, Christmas is now past and Christians turn to a new season, the feast of the Epiphany. It won't end until just before Lent. Some of us know that this season is concerned with the three Magi, but there is more to it than that. The central theme is the showing forth of Christ to the world, when His presence was revealed to the three Magi, the Messiah was thereby shown to the Gentiles for the first time. But there are at least two other events associated with Epiphany. They are the Baptism of Christ (Luke 3:21), and the Wedding at Cana, when Christ first turned water into wine (John 2: 1-10). These events are ones that celebrate the manifestation of Christ to the world and His power to perform miracles.

For me, the meaning of the annual repetition of Epiphany is a participation in the historical events in the life of Jesus. Epiphany has a great spiritual significance far beyond just the dry facts of the matter, because in the Christian faith everything is present, here and now. Our Lord Jesus Christ is with us here and now, our inseparable Companion and Comforter. The historical event is just a motive and remembrance, because the Person of Christ is ever present, and His Grace is not just some historical memory. In this season, He was shown to the Magi, shown as a miracle worker at Cana, and at His Baptism. I am pretty sure that the Baptism of Christ is the the only united appearance of the Father and the Holy Spirit along with Jesus, quite an event in and of itself!

I like to think of this season as one of the Witness of the Son of God, when His Gift became evident to the entire world, and even to a sinner like me.

How can we respond to this time?

We can:
Remember Christ's baptism and our own, Remember the ways in which Christ was revealed to humankind, and most of all think about ways that we are called to bring Christ and to model Christ to the world.

O God, Who by the leading of a star manifested Your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, Who know You now by faith, to Your presence, where we may see Your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Today is January 6th, Christmas is now past and Christians turn to a new season, the feast of the Epiphany. It won't end until just before Lent. Some of us know that this season is concerned with the three Magi, but there is more to it than that. The central theme is the showing forth of Christ to the world, when His presence was revealed to the three Magi, the Messiah was thereby shown to the Gentiles for the first time. But there are at least two other events associated with Epiphany. They are the Baptism of Christ (Luke 3:21), and the Wedding at Cana, when Christ first turned water into wine (John 2: 1-10). These events are ones that celebrate the manifestation of Christ to the world and His power to perform miracles.

For me, the meaning of the annual repetition of Epiphany is a participation in the historical events in the life of Jesus. Epiphany has a great spiritual significance far beyond just the dry facts of the matter, because in the Christian faith everything is present, here and now. Our Lord Jesus Christ is with us here and now, our inseparable Companion and Comforter. The historical event is just a motive and remembrance, because the Person of Christ is ever present, and His Grace is not just some historical memory. In this season, He was shown to the Magi, shown as a miracle worker at Cana, and at His Baptism. I am pretty sure that the Baptism of Christ is the the only united appearance of the Father and the Holy Spirit along with Jesus, quite an event in and of itself!

I like to think of this season as one of the Witness of the Son of God, when His Gift became evident to the entire world, and even to a sinner like me.

How can we respond to this time?

We can:
Remember Christ's baptism and our own, Remember the ways in which Christ was revealed to humankind, and most of all think about ways that we are called to bring Christ and to model Christ to the world.

O God, Who by the leading of a star manifested Your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, Who know You now by faith, to Your presence, where we may see Your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

10th Day of Christmas-Fully God, Fully Man

It really is amazing how Who Jesus is has been such an issue over the centuries. The early Church had many debates about His Nature and eventually settled the issue with the Definition of Chalcedon.

Clearly the Scriptures teach us that He is the fullness of God, they also teach He was a Man, born in this world of Mary of whose human flesh He was Incarnated by the power of the Spirit. This act was done for us and for our salvation as the ancient Creeds tell us.

I believe that Jesus took on His Human nature to tell us the same thing that God said in Genesis, creation is good, and humanity is good. Yes, we are fallen, and separated from God, but His love and desire for us is beyond all measure.

The Gnostics denied that flesh was good, that anything in this world could be acceptable to God. I think we do that some today. We don't see God's love for us; we are too focused on our own imperfections to love others or ourselves in Christ's name. Br. Thomas Merton tells us that:

"The root of Christian love is not the will to love but the faith that one is loved, the faith that one is loved by God. The faith that one is loved by God although unworthy - or, rather, irrespective of one's worth.  In the true Christian version of God's love, the idea of worthiness loses its significance."

The Incarnation of Jesus in Human Flesh opened the gate of Salvation to me, that makes me worthy, not any thing I do.

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to You, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly Yours, utterly dedicated unto You; and then use us, we pray You, as You will, and always to Your glory and the welfare of Your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

9th Day of Christmas - God Unexpected

This Christmas season, I have been deeply considering the Incarnation, and it's continuing ramification. These words of Presiding Bp. Schori spoke to me, perhaps they will speak to you.

God loved us so much that he came to dwell among us, to tent among us in human flesh... There is a wonderful echo there of God’s presence in the tent while Israel wandered in the wilderness. The gift of the Incarnation says that God is willing to take on the human tent of flesh and be one with and among us.

That frail tent of flesh proves capable of holding divinity, but also capable of yielding up its spirit. Irenaeus and Athanasius insisted that the gift of Incarnation was that “God became human, that we might become divine.” You and I are bearers of the image of God, and you and I share in Incarnation, for Jesus has walked this way before
us. God is born in us as well.

The vulnerability of being born in obscurity, to a peasant refugee couple, in an out of the way place, says to us that God is with us in the smallest parts of life — perhaps a reminder that we, too, may discover God in those humble and unexpected places if we are willing to go in search.

Where are we looking for God today? In the halls of power, on a suburban Church "campus", or in an "unexpected place"? Where have you unexpectedly found God?

8th Day of Christmas - Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord

Today we celebrate the moment when the new born Christ Child first shed His blood for us. Every Jewish male was formally named and circumcised on the 8th day after his birth. God the Word, Incarnate submitted Himself fully to the Law to fulfill that Law for us.  This first blood shedding is a time to remember martyrs and others who have died for us.

And so, on this occasion, He was formally given the name Jesus, which the Archangel Gabriel had announced to the Virgin Mary. On this day where we remember the first incidence of God bleeding for us, we might consider all who have died, defending the Faith. 

Eternal Father, Who gave to Your Incarnate Son the holy Name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of Him Who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.