Worship that works – spirituality that connects
I first read about the Australian Fr Lazarus, living in the cave of St Anthony, in the book Desert Father: In the Desert with Saint Anthony
The monk mentioned at the end of the above clip is Fr Lazarus.
Now I fell over this youtube video of archaeological and restoration work at this ancient monastery, at one of the sources of Christian monasticism. Fr Maximous el-Antony describes the work and the possibility of discovering St Anthony’s tomb:
For all I know some readers of this post may wonder where I have been living all this time, or maybe that I move in far too small circles! Recently I was reading some comments of a woman who was taking for granted that all her readers knew what the “SOAP” Bible-reading method was. Well I had never heard of it. So I got in touch with her and she explained it stands for:
Scripture – pick your passage, follow a system, use a lectionary
Observation – what particularly touched you in the scripture passage?
Application – how can you apply your observation to your life?
Prayer
Recommendations are that all this be written in a journal – starting each section S, O, A, P
In my correspondence with her I mentioned how it has similarities to the great tradition of Lectio Divina, “Spiritual Reading”. She had never heard of that 
Lectio Divina has four movements
Lectio – read the passage
Meditatio – reflect on the passage
Oratio – respond in prayer
Contemplatio – rest in God
Previously I have written some more on Lectio Divina
There is also a good introduction to Lectio Divina here.
One comment I found suggested that the SOAP method started here.
A website for storing your SOAP is here.
A couple of final points: SOAP and Lectio Divina do not replace serious academic study of the scriptures – it prayerfully complements study. IMO the Christian spiritual life flourishes when there is a regular balance and variety of prayer styles: Eucharist, lectio divina, intercession, Daily Office, silent prayer,… There is a danger when only one or few from this list are present to nourish our spiritual life.
Comments below, as well as responding to this post, might include other ideas, websites, and resources.
The “Virtual Abbey” has been around for a bit, but with a different name. Now with a clearer name, and a website, this group prays some of the Daily Offices on twitter daily. For the rest of the planet things are a bit out of sync – it is USA based, and remember they celebrate the liturgy last on the planet.
Those who make New Year resolutions: have you thought about praying at least one Office daily? As well as the Virtual Abbey, there are lots of resources in the Virtual Chapel of this site. If you pray the office you might encourage others by placing a badge on your site or blog.
If you know any other quality resources like these, or have positive suggestions for New Year’s resolutions, you are welcome to share them below.
There is a wonderful new Daily Prayer resource, the St Bede’s Breviary online.
I will be adding this as a link to increase the usefulness of this site’s online chapel.
I do not know anything about who is putting this online – if anyone knows please add that in the comment – it would be great to contact them directly. I hope they will consider producing an iPhone/iPod Touch app.
Any other such useful resources not already in the online chapel, please add that in the comments below also.
Beautiful, moving, powerful video from the Beatitudes Valaam Monastery.
Biretta tip to Interrupting the Silence and Seven whole days and so on down the internet version of apostolic succession…
The Inspiration of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio
Collect from Common Worship
O Almighty God,
whose blessed Son called Matthew the tax collector
to be an apostle and evangelist:
give us grace to forsake the selfish pursuit of gain
and the possessive love of riches
that we may follow in the way of your Son Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
This is a contemporary reworking of the collect composed for the Book of Common Prayer (1549). That collect was based on the Gospel reading of the day:
ALMIGHTIE God, whiche by thy blessed sonne dyddest call Mathewe from the receipte of custome to be an Apostle and Evangelist; Graunt us grace to forsake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of riches, and to folowe thy sayed sonne Jesus Christ; who lyveth and reigneth, &c.
USA (TEC) BCP has replaced it with a collect composed by Rev. Dr. Massey H. Shepherd jr reminiscent of the one for the feast of Saint Andrew:
We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
The BCP Boys with their number one single, now for the first time in this delightful rap video.
Biretta tip to @philritchie
Straight outta compline!
Thinkin about goin to bed
Gotta say my prayers til the day I’m dead
I lead the boys instead down to the chapel and said:
“You gotta play the shepherd till the sheep are fed!”
I got street cred, eatin bread with the sinners on the block
Chillin in my civvies, representin in my cassock
I fast talk all around the clock
Bringin people to my parish like the rain to a mountain-top
Where’s my Saviour at?
Hangin with my enemies!
Where are the meek?
Yo, they’re just ahead o’ me
They’re enterin the kingdom
Praises? They sing dem
Where are my possessions?
Hey, I couldn’t bring dem
The bells of the tower?
It’s time to ring dem
You think you can dis me?
My bishop’s name is Ingham!
I caught the altar guild pinchin my maniple
Pulled out my crozier ’cause I’m an animal
I’m not a cannibal in communion
Transubstantiation fuels this confusion
Straight outta Compline!
Straight outta Compline!
I’m a young priest who is fightin the beast
The only way to do it’s when I’m facin the east
I’m from the west coast of PEI
And I wantcha to know that my church is fly
I teach the Word as a rector
And I wear a biretta
For I gotta long cope with black rope
And it gives Anglos hope
My bells and smells are so dope
I’m not Johnny Cash but I dress in black
I got thirty-nine buttons in front of my back
My collar is visible
With a Spirit formidable
And I’m kissable
Well Hiltz was his name
A bishop who rose to fame
Put me in the game
He got me talkin ’bout the trinity
So quick you get sick of me
Straight outta compline!
Straight outta compline!
Noddin to the speakers of Latin
Not combatin with the Romans, gettin ready for matins
A day stitched in prayer
A life sown in rhyme
Put your hands in the air and break it down like an enzyme
I genuflect to get the full effect
In front of my bishop elect
My knees are wrecked from kneelin down
I show respect to the office
I picked my shoes
I heard my call
I tell good news to the short and to the tall
Whether powerful or small, I tell em all
Despite the fall:
Humanity’s in the ring, but it doesn’t mean we hafta brawl!
I see ills that are curable
Amidst our stagnance our conscience is stirrable
Light up the incense
I’m swingin my thurible
Our apathy is turrible
Straight outta compline!
Once again, as well as today reading the same biblical readings, Episcopalians/Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and others will pray the same prayer. On Palm Sunday these pray slightly varying translations of:
Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui humano generi ad imitandum humilitatis exemplum salvatorem nostrum carnem sumere et crucem subire fecisti concede propitius ut et patientiae ipsius habere documenta et resurrectionis consortia mereatu.
This has been in constant use on this day since at least the Gelasian Sacramentary (628-715CE).
Almighty, ever-living God, you have given the human race Jesus Christ our Saviour as a model of humility. He fulfilled your will by becoming man and giving his life on the cross. Help us to bear witness to you by following his example of suffering, and make us worthy to share in his resurrection….
Roman Catholic (ICEL)
Almighty and everliving God,
in your tender love for the human race
you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ
to take upon him our nature,
and to suffer death upon the cross,
giving us the example of his great humility:
Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering,
and also share in his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
BCP (USA/TEC)
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Common Worship (CofE)
Further introduction and commentary is provided at this Palm Sunday reflection.
As well as the shared feasts of Epiphany and Christ the King, I have discovered four other days (and week following) that Anglicans and Catholics pray the same prayer:
St John Bosco
Today in the Church of England, the calendar has the commemoration of John Bosco, founder of the Salesian teaching order. You can read more about him here and here:
John Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet, John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that comes with talent and ability so he trained his students in the trade crafts, too.
John Bosco’s theory of education could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work, study and play.
Lord,
you called John Bosco to be a teacher and father to the young.
Fill us with love like his:
may we give ourselves completely to your service
and to the salvation of all.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Two months into the liturgical year, the PDF of the lectionary for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is now available. Thanks to Anglican Taonga online.
You can download the 1.32MB PDF here.
Once again Episcopalians (Anglicans) and Roman Catholics will pray the same prayer.
Deus, qui hodierna die Unigenitum tuum gentibus stella duce revelasti: concede propitius; ut, qui jam te ex fide cognovimus, usque ad contemplandam speciem tuae celsitudinis perducamur. Per eumdem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum; qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
This collect originates from the Gregorian Sacramentary (no. 87), and is translated as
Father,
you revealed your Son to the nations
by the guidance of a star.
Lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. Through…
Roman Catholic (ICEL)
O God, by the leading of a star
you revealed your Son Jesus Christ to the gentiles;
grant that your Church may be a light to the nations,
so that the whole world may come to see
the splendour of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.
NZPB p. 560
O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Common Worship (Church of England)
O God,
by the leading of a star
you 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.
BCP (USA) TEC p. 214
Epiphany, “Twelfth Day” – ie. the twelfth day from Christmas focuses on the Magi and the star. The three gifts led to the tradition that there were three wise men – although the text does not give a number. It is also possible that these were not gifts, but that Matthew is presenting these astrologers as giving up their inappropriate practices on encountering the Christ child, and hence leaving behind the tools of their craft.
Attempts at dating the “star” misses the story’s point that it moved in a quite un-astronomical way to indicate the birthplace precisely.
Epiphany means “manifestation” or “appearance” as we celebrate the manifestation of Christ in the world. We have this celebration at least from some Christian groups in the second century. January 6 was also the birthday of Osiris. Epiphany was associated with the wise men, the baptism of Christ (cf. the Nile’s significance in the Osiris cult), and the first miracle at Cana.
There we read”…that we who know you now by faith may be brought to the contemplation of your Majesty by sight.” an insight also in 2 Corinthians 5:7 and comparing the wise men’s leading by the sight of a star with our being led to seeing God by the gift of faith.
Some, particularly around Christmas and Epiphany, still follow a practice of several collects at the start of the Eucharist. This site advocates for a bidding, silent prayer of the community collected by a single collect prayed aloud by the presider and affirmed in the “Amen” of the gathered community.
As well as the shared feast of Christ the King, I have discovered four other days (and week following) that Anglicans and Catholics pray the same prayer:
O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, hope of the nations and their saviour: come and save us, O Lord our God.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
O Emmanuel,
Rex et legifer noster,
expectatio gentium,
et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos,
Domine, Deus noster.
Isaiah 7:14; 8:8; Matthew 1:23; Haggai 2:7
O come, o come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
that into exile drear is gone
far from the face of God’s dear Son.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, o come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
O Antiphons reflection 1
O Antiphons reflection 2
Visual reflection on these beautiful prayers from New Mellleray abbey in Iowa
From at least the eighth century the antiphon before and after the Magnificat at Vespers (Evening Prayer), for the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve, has greeted Christ with a title starting with “O”. These became the basis of the popular carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel”. The initials, when read backwards, form the Latin “Ero Cras” which means “Tomorrow I come.”
They are now also used , in shorted form, in the Alleluia verses before the days’ Gospel readings.
Each day an O Antiphon could be used for prayer and reflection. These could form the basis of an Advent service with readings, music, and singing. Or of art, banners, or other ways of enhancing the worship environment symbolically. The carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel” and the Magnificat could form significant features in this.
O king of the nations, you alone can fulfil their desires: cornerstone, binding all together: come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust of the earth.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
O Rex Gentium,
et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis,
qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.
Jeremiah 30.7-11a; Revelation 15:3; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; I Peter 2:6
O come, desire of nations! Show
thy kingly reign on earth below;
thou cornerstone, uniting all, restore the ruin of our fall.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
O Antiphons reflection 1
O Antiphons reflection 2
Visual reflection on these beautiful prayers from New Mellleray abbey in Iowa
From at least the eighth century the antiphon before and after the Magnificat at Vespers (Evening Prayer), for the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve, has greeted Christ with a title starting with “O”. These became the basis of the popular carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel”. The initials, when read backwards, form the Latin “Ero Cras” which means “Tomorrow I come.”
They are now also used , in shorted form, in the Alleluia verses before the days’ Gospel readings.
Each day an O Antiphon could be used for prayer and reflection. These could form the basis of an Advent service with readings, music, and singing. Or of art, banners, or other ways of enhancing the worship environment symbolically. The carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel” and the Magnificat could form significant features in this.
O morning star, splendour of the light eternal and bright sun of righteousness: come and bring light to those who dwell in darkness and walk in the shadow of death.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae,
et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.
Numbers 24.15b-17; Luke 1:78, 79; Malachi 4:2
O come, O come, thou dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light;
dispel the long night’s lingering gloom,
and pierce the shadows of the tomb.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O Antiphons reflection 1
O Antiphons reflection 2
Visual reflection on these beautiful prayers from New Mellleray abbey in Iowa
From at least the eighth century the antiphon before and after the Magnificat at Vespers (Evening Prayer), for the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve, has greeted Christ with a title starting with “O”. These became the basis of the popular carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel”. The initials, when read backwards, form the Latin “Ero Cras” which means “Tomorrow I come.”
They are now also used , in shorted form, in the Alleluia verses before the days’ Gospel readings.
Each day an O Antiphon could be used for prayer and reflection. These could form the basis of an Advent service with readings, music, and singing. Or of art, banners, or other ways of enhancing the worship environment symbolically. The carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel” and the Magnificat could form significant features in this.
O key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and none can shut; you shut and none can open: come and free the captives from prison, and break down the walls of death.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
[...come, and lead the prisoner
from jail.
seated in darkness
and in the shadow of death.]
O Clavis David,
et sceptrum domus Israël,
qui aperis, et nemo claudit,
claudis, et nemo aperuit:
veni, et educ vinctum
de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.
Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7
O come, thou Lord of David’s key!
The royal door fling wide and free;
safeguard for us the heavenward road,
and bar the way to death’s abode.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
O Antiphons reflection 1
O Antiphons reflection 2
From at least the eighth century the antiphon before and after the Magnificat at Vespers (Evening Prayer), for the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve, has greeted Christ with a title starting with “O”. These became the basis of the popular carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel”. The initials, when read backwards, form the Latin “Ero Cras” which means “Tomorrow I come.”
They are now also used , in shorted form, in the Alleluia verses before the days’ Gospel readings.
Each day an O Antiphon could be used for prayer and reflection. These could form the basis of an Advent service with readings, music, and singing. Or of art, banners, or other ways of enhancing the worship environment symbolically. The carol “O come, O come, Emmanuel” and the Magnificat could form significant features in this.
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