A video in which Fr. Matthew Moretz introduces Lectio Divina.
Click to find my take on Lectio Divina an ancient way of using scripture, the Bible, in prayer.
Monthly Archive for October, 2009
Prof. Barber introduces the readings for Sunday November 1
Sunday, November 1, 2009: Liturgy Reflection from JP Catholic University on Vimeo.
It is worth adding some further reflections to the Vatican’s recent announcement of Anglican Personal Ordinariates. You may wish to read my post the end of the Anglican Communion first.
Firstly I want to highlight that, in my opinion, denominational boundaries are far far less significant than previously. Increasingly, it appears to me, denominational boundaries are no longer the primary “partitioning”. If one visualises denominational boundaries, for example, as vertical lines, then it seems to me that the horizontal lines are far more significant – where people receive support and encouragement from “evangelical”, or justice-focused, or environmentally-conscious, or contemplative, or liturgical – etc. And one finds those perspectives, with which one resonates, across denominations. The internet, of course, fits in with this “cafeteria style” spirituality.
Let us also not forget that, to most people on this planet, discussions about different denominations are as esoteric as debates about different perforation gauges on postage stamps. And we need to remember that these are people to whom we are called to bring the good news, and the way we live and model our unity and disunity will affect our ability to bring that good news.
Many have highlighted that some people genuinely will benefit from moving denominations. They will flourish, they will grow in holiness and be better suited in their new context to further God’s reign of love. We need to wish them Godspeed and encourage them. But there will be others who will essentially be as little suited in their new denomination as they were in their old – because of temperament or an inability to live within any constraints, be they Anglican on the one hand, or Roman Catholic on the other. [To be fair, those who encourage people to move denominations, with the understanding that some people suit one rather than another, tend to be of an Anglican perspective. To Roman Catholics, Anglicanism formally cannot even be categorised as a "church" but rather is referred to as an Ecclesial community]
Also let us not forget that the Anglican tradition has always been open to receiving members of the Roman Catholic denomination. In our own New Zealand Anglican binding liturgical formularies there is the allowance for communities to celebrate the whole Roman Catholic English (ICEL) Novus Ordo Mass as it is without alteration. The only concrete personal experience I have had since the Vatican announcement last week has been of a Roman Catholic priest seeking information on how to become a priest serving within Anglicanism (Note: Anglicans accept the validity of Roman Catholic orders and all other sacraments).
Ecclesiology
Anglican ecclesiology is essentially identical to Eastern Orthodox and Old Catholic ecclesiology in seeing the local Church centered on the bishop as “the catholic Church”, the full manifestation of the Body of Christ. This Episcopal or “Eucharistic Ecclesiology” (as it is often now termed) stands in contrast to Roman Catholic ecclesiology in which the local Church is a “particular Church” manifesting the universal, worldwide Church. In this Roman Catholic ecclesiology, such a local Church can only be considered “catholic” if it is a member, part, or portion of the universal Church, ie. in communion with Rome. Whereas the former approach sees each bishop as successor of Peter (where the bishop is there the catholic church is – Ignatius of Antioch et. al.), the latter has a universal bishop for the universal Church. It will be very interesting to see the document “The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium” when it is finally produced. (Please let me know when it does come out where one can find it online). One co-president of the commission, Metropolitan Ioannis Zizioulas of Pergamum, is well known for his exposition of “Eucharistic Ecclesiology.” The other, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was notable by his absence in the multiple press-conferences last week.
Many Roman Catholics are totally unaware that the Catholic Church has a great number of different rites (see here and here). In many of these rites priests are married. Since the 1980s there has been an “Anglican Use” within the Roman Rite. The pope granted some former Anglican and Episcopal clergy and their parishes the faculty of celebrating the sacramental rites according to slightly-altered Anglican forms. The new Apostolic Constitution, as I said, extends Anglican Use in an analogous way similar to what the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum” did for the Latin Mass.
Within the Catholic Church anyone may attend any Catholic Church of any rite and receive the sacraments. It is no different than attending a different parish church in the same town. If you commit to a rite you can be married and ordained in that rite as a Catholic priest (if they have married priests). You would be “incardinated” in that rite. Eg. a Latin Catholic can join an Eastern rite, marry and be ordained. (Thanks for confirmation of this paragraph from Dr. William Ditewig).
The Vatican announcement came at the time the Church of England General Synod was working through issues about women bishops. It also came during the month-long meeting of Roman Catholic African bishops in Rome. Some Africans are seeking a relaxation of the Vatican’s celibacy rules. This is a no-go area for the current pope. While Anglican Use, with its non-celibate priests, is well-known in some countries, the African bishops were unaware of it. Its extension by the Apostolic Constitution caught them by surprise. Some suggest there was much muttering in the Vatican’s grand corridors. Others say that muttering is not only happening there.
It is my intention to continue this reflection in the future.
More on marriage and ordination
The festival of All Saints, November 1, this year falls on Sunday. The “Eve” (all major festivals have an “Eve” – eg. Christmas Eve) of All Saints (otherwise known as All Hallows) is on Saturday. Hallows Eve is generally abbreviated to Halloween.
Let us pray (in silence) [as we rejoice and keep festival in honour of all the saints]
pause
Almighty God,
your saints are one with you
in the mystical body of Christ:
give us grace to follow them
in all virtue and holiness
until we come to those inexpressible joys
which you have prepared for those
who truly love you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.
A reflection on this may be found at All Saints
PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE
By Bruce Prewer
Uniting Church of Australia
Living God, in whom there is no shadow or change, we thank you for the gift of life eternal, and for all those who having served you well, now rest from their labours.
We thank you for all the saints remembered and forgotten, for those dear souls most precious to us. Today we give thanks for those who during the last twelve months have died and entered into glory.
We bless you for their life and love, and rejoice for them “all is well, and all manner of things will be well.”
God of Jesus and our God, mindful of all those choice souls who have gone on ahead of us, teach us, and each twenty-first century disciple of every race and place,
* to follow their example to the best of our ability:
* to feed the poor in body or spirit,
* to support and comfort the mourners and the repentant,
* to encourage the meek and stand with them in crises,
* to affirm those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
* to cherish and learn from the merciful,
* to be humbled by, and stand with, the peacemakers.
Let us clearly recognize what it means to be called the children of God, and to know we are to be your saints neither by our own inclination nor in our own strength but simply by the call and the healing holiness of Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Amen!
Some clips from Morgan Atkinson’s documentary “Soul Searching: The Journey of Thomas Merton.”
Does the order matter?
In the Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox Church you can only get married before ordination. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox can not get married after ordination. If the wife of a married Roman Catholic deacon dies, he cannot marry again. If the wife of an Anglican priest, re-ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, dies – he cannot marry again.
I have been involved in some discussions about this. The contention is that there is no evidence in the Tradition of marriage after ordination. None! There is, according to that position, not a single example of marriage after ordination until the Reformation. I find this an astonishing and fascinating claim. I would be fascinated if any reader could come up with a refutation. Or, of course, references to this being correct.
When I ask – what is the theology around this? What reflection do you have about this? What is the point of this? Why is it any different to be married before or after ordination? I get little more than, “Do they require post hoc justification? Is Sacred Tradition not enough?” Well I cannot quickly think of anything within Sacred Tradition that is not followed by some reflection, interpretation, theology, or explanation. Does anyone have such a reflection in this case – what is the difference between marriage before and marriage after ordination?
For reference I have been pointed to Celibacy in the Early Church: The Beginnings of Obligatory Continence for Clerics in East and West
Please also tell me if there is an ongoing tradition of abstaining from sexual relations 24 hours prior to presiding at the Eucharist. (And one has also mentioned a tradition of abstaining after presiding – but no indication for how long).
And don’t tell me that as in the case of baptism, confirmation, eucharist – marriage and ordination are in that order because they are so alphabetically LOL
Prof. Barber introduces the readings for Sunday October 25
Sunday, October 25, 2009: Liturgy Reflection from JP Catholic University on Vimeo.
Fillipa Hamilton photoshopped
You may have seen the news last week that the American fashion label Ralph Lauren fired the model Filippa Hamilton because she was too heavy. Filippa Hamilton is 178cm tall (5 foot 10) and weighs 54 Kg. Recently Ralph Lauren photoshopped an advertisement with Filippa Hamilton in which she was made to look impossibly thin – in fact in the advertisement she looks absolutely gross. Her waist has been photoshopped to be the same size as her head. She looks like an alien. I cannot imagine any normal woman looking at those photographs and thinking – I’ll buy those clothes. Clearly most normal persons would not be able to fit into such clothes. Certainly Filippa Hamilton cannot.
What sort of people do we aspire to be like? What sort of role-models inspire you? Do you get inspired by people that are like you and have achieved more? Or do you think role-models should be unattainable, fantasy, impossibly unhuman.
Today we celebrate the feast of St James the brother of Jesus. A lot of Christians start to squirm when they hear “brother of Jesus”, it makes Jesus and his family and his background sound too normal. It must have been his cousin – some of them say. Well, unfortunately for you, Greek has a perfectly good word for cousin, and a perfectly good word for brother, and James was Jesus’ brother – as we hear in today’s reading.
In fact a lot of Christians, I would even go so far as to say most Christians cannot name Jesus’ brothers. And of course, what might be worse – is that no one can list off Jesus’ sisters – we know he had some, but the society of the time was so sexist that their names are not even recorded.
Jesus was the oldest in the family. And James was the next boy. When Jesus died, James took over running the movement Jesus had started and James stayed the boss in Jerusalem – we call him the first bishop of Jerusalem. He probably wrote the letter of James we find in the Bible. James is mentioned by the historian Josephus writing at the time. Josephus mentions James is the well-respected brother of Jesus. And that his enemies took advantage of an interval between Roman Governors in 62AD to have James executed.
So the reading today has Jesus growing up in an ordinary first century Mediterranean peasant family – of five boys: Jesus, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas, and at least a couple of girls.
In Christ, God became what we are so that we might become what Christ is.
Isn’t it funny how some people want our heroes to be different to us. Some people want models to look more glamorous than we will ever manage. And what’s the consequence of that? Well we will never be able to be like them – so we don’t even try. We won’t even need to try. We don’t even start out on the journey. We can give up before we start.
When models are a lot more like us, when heroes are a lot more like us, when spiritual leaders are a lot more like we are – then maybe we are challenged – scary eh! – to go on the same journey they went on. Or at least a similar one.
So in the reading, Jesus goes to his hometown and it says they “take offence at him.” Because this is the guy who grew up in their midst We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son– that’s his carpenter’s shop down there; We know his Mum, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?” They get their noses all out of joint.
In Christ, God became what we are so that we might become what Christ is.
Jesus said: “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house. A prophet is taken for granted, he is not accepted, in his hometown and his family.”
Look at the pictures we see of Jesus, the stained glass images. The Shroud of Turin notwithstanding – this is an image of Jesus pretty hard to live up to. But what if Jesus didn’t look like that.
We now know a lot more about Mediterranean peasant diet and lifestyle at the time of Jesus. We know more about their health, what they looked like. What if Jesus actually was short, and old looking, bald, and fat, with bad teeth and bad breath? That would not have been uncommon for a first century Mediterranean carpenter, a building-site labourer, a builder.
Jesus was essentially indistinguishable from the people of his day. He was one of them.
In Christ, God became what we are so that we might become what Christ is.
postscript: a useful alternative perspective on “brother of Jesus”
pps. untangle the different biblical James here
With Roman Catholic-Anglican relations currently so newsworthy, it is particularly appropriate to note that this Sunday and next week Roman Catholics and Episcopalians (Anglicans) again pray the same prayer. Catholics will pray:
Almighty and ever-living God,
strengthen our faith, hope, and love.
May we do with loving hearts what you ask of us and come to share the life you promise.
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.
Anglicans will pray:
Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity;
and, that we may obtain what you promise,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Both are translations of:
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, da nobis fidei, spei, et caritatis augmentum:
et ut mereamur assequi quod promittis, fac nos amare quod praecipis.
The reflection on this week’s collect/opening prayer is found here.
Not all Anglicans and not all Roman Catholics will be praying this prayer, certainly. But at this time I would encourage more to – and for others to join in.
Let us widen the circle that prays this prayer together this coming weekend and week.
Update: I am thrilled with the interest in this post, which is currently running about a reader every 8 seconds. It is also gratifying to see such helpful and positive comments. If there are any developments, rather than altering this post I think I would produce another – I already have some ideas in mind. So if you are interested, consider subscribing to the RSS feed or other ways of seeing what is new here.
Update: part 2 of this reflection is here
A few hours ago there was an absolute internet frenzy as people predicted and then reported, tweet by tweet, the announcement from the Vatican and the joint press conference by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Westminster.
Let me add my own initial thoughts to this confusing dust-cloud following the announcement that the pope will create “Personal Ordinariates” for Anglicans who wish to come home to Rome. Archbishop Rowan said that it would be a “serious mistake” to view the development as a response to the difficulties within the Anglican Communion. As we in New Zealand say: “Yeah right!”
To anyone who has been watching the direction that Pope Benedict has been moving, and those he has been welcoming into his fold, the commentary that this is “surprising” is itself surprising. Just to mention recent events that have been in the news: the reconciliation with Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson and his Society of St. Pius X, the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum” giving wider possibility to celebrate the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass, reconciliation with the traditionalist “Transalpine Redemptorists,” and so forth. I want to highlight some things I have not yet seen mentioned:
- married priests in Anglican Personal Ordinariates will have to marry prior to ordination to the diaconate
They will not be able to marry after ordination. Should his wife die, or he gets divorced (sorry – his marriage is annulled) he will not be able to marry. Roman Catholic deacons can be married, but in order to do so, must be married prior to ordination. In the tweeting frenzy Scott Richert wrote, “There is no warrant in tradition for marrying AFTER receiving Holy Orders. None.” He may very well be right. I am genuinely interested in this point, and hope that people in the comments box below might provide evidence for or against this. My reply to him for clarification has not yet been responded to.
- bishops in Anglican Personal Ordinariates are celibate
- there has been no rescinding of Apostolicae Curae.
Anglican orders are not accepted by the Vatican. Anglican “priests” joining Anglican Personal Ordinariates in order to function as priests will have to be ordained twice (or at least conditionally ordained twice). And they will have to be males. Anglican “bishops” joining Anglican Personal Ordinariates in order to function as bishops will have to be ordained thrice (or at least conditionally ordained thrice). And they will have to be males. And celibate.
From a church (New Zealand Anglican) that leads Christian history in having created a “Tikanga” structure (where there are parallel episcopal jurisdictions according to cultural streams) I am intrigued by the concept of “Personal Ordinariates.” These are described by John Allen as “non-territorial diocese” (which sounds like an oxymoron to me!) My comment to Scott Richert and anyone else is: There is no warrant in tradition for “Personal Ordinariates.” None. But, of course, as usual, I am very very comfortable to be demonstrated wrong on this also. Please… anyone?
The end of the Anglican Communion?
As Mark Twain would say, “The reports of the end of the Anglican Communion are greatly exaggerated.” Andrew Brown, a regular person lining up for the funeral of the Communion, highlights his own weak grasp on the issues by declaring that only homosexuals can be celibate! Clearly heterosexuals, it would appear according to him, are either too weak or too immoral to be able to control their urges (not to mention that Andrew Brown is unable to distinguish doctrine from discipline). Scott Richert may have a slightly better grasp on the consequences for Anglicanism. Whilst no one would want to impugn curate’s-egg motives to the Archbishop of Canterbury, one cannot help wondering if there is just the flicker of a smile under that beard. In one Roman gesture he may be rid of, at one estimate, up to 2,000 of his CofE priests who have been holding out against his strong conviction for women in all three orders. Rowan Williams is well-known for ordaining openly practising homosexuals. Traditionalist Anglicans around the globe have struggled with women and with gays in a committed relationship being ordained. Commentators are repeatedly highlighting that this is an invitation from Rome to misogynists and homophobes.
In North America some Anglicans formed a new denomination The Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). This brings together two extremes of the Anglican spectrum – Rome-facing and Geneva-facing. This marriage of convenience, like the 1977 followers of the Affirmation of St. Louis, cannot last, as, at its heart it is united around being against one thing. Rome’s declaration cannot but affect it. If the Rome-facing ACNA (married) bishops can stomach losing their purple, pectoral crosses, honorary doctoral gowns, and complex titles, they may yet lead their groups home to Rome. This will impact the attempt of some Anglicans to produce a “covenant”. Nigerian “Anglicans” have already formally removed the Archbishop of Canterbury from their constitution. Sydney Anglicans, leaders in GAFON/FOCA/Mainstream, are now not only struggling with theology, church history, and liturgical practice, but have recently realised they haven’t been that good at investments either (their $265 million assets are now worth $105 million). This Geneva-facing, congregationalist end of the Anglican spectrum does not need a Communion in the way that others see it. Rome’s announcement may help towards trimming off the extremes leaving an Anglican Communion that is certainly leaner but hopefully spending far less energy on peripherals and with a stronger focus on the end of the Communion, in the sense of the purpose of the church.
It is not the numbers inside the church that is ultimately significant IMO. It is the focus on service – in the two senses: our liturgical worship of God, and our service to God by our care of people and God’s world. Anglicanism may yet, through this, become more clearly a 21st century church episcopally led, synodically governed, and adapted for the particular context in which it finds itself, working “together with other Provinces and with our ecumenical and interfaith partners to promote God’s reign on earth.”
I always love light-hearted approaches that still strongly make a serious point!
Congratulations to Valiance Weaver and Brandon Watson
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 New Zealand Anglican Lectionary, an annual publication, has a habit of changing things without any explanation or introduction. This year, one of the changes is that the 2008 year Western tradition (well give or take a bit) of celebrating St Luke in Red has in this 2009th year been changed to White. No explanation. No introduction.
A priest friend rang me up about it last night, asking my explanation. He says one of our bishops read an article suggesting this – and we are now leading the world in this new development!
Colours are not mandatory in NZ Anglicanism. In fact this same Lectionary 2009 states “[Colours] are not mandatory but reflect common practice in most parishes.” Well, in this case: Yeah Right! If colours are descriptive not prescriptive, then the colour for Luke would be,…. should be,… Red. Because until this year – that is what EVERYBODY used.
When our 1989 Prayer Book was produced, Luke’s feast day took precedence over the Sunday propers. In other churches the Sunday takes precedence over the feast of St Luke, unless of course that is your patronal feast. Recent alterations, as is normal in our church, have increased flexibility. You can now choose yourself. So today you can wear Green (the Sunday), White (the suggested colour in the lectionary), or Red (as a liturgical rebel like me will do – following the 2008 or so years of Western tradition!). You are, in NZ, of course, permitted to wear Violet – particularly if it matches and enhances your complexion.
ps. Matthew and Mark’s colours have similarly been changed in the NZ Lectionary from Red to White.
pps. Luke’s martyrdom is disputed. Only John is traditionally White amongst the evangelists because of the four of them, his non-martyrdom is not disputed.
Don’t miss this awesome little 2 minute video. A simple idea with an anagram most, I suspect, had noticed previously – but this takes that so much further without belabouring it. Beautifully produced by Wendy Francisco.
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