Tag Archive for 'saints'

Exsultet

Published on April 10, 2010 in liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

The Exsultet (Exultet) can be a good source of reflection during the Easter Season. The Exsultet originates from some time between the fifth and seventh centuries and is the traditional Western Rite hymn of praise intoned by the deacon during the Easter Vigil after the procession with the Paschal Candle.

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,

that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

Deacon: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Deacon: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is the night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy.”

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church’s solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

(For it is fed by the melting wax,
which the mother bee brought forth
to make this precious candle.)

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

Exsúltet iam angélica turba cælórum:
exsúltent divína mystéria:
et pro tanti Regis victória tuba ínsonet salutáris.

Gáudeat et tellus, tantis irradiáta fulgóribus:
et ætérni Regis splendóre illustráta,
tótius orbis se séntiat amisísse calíginem.

Lætétur et mater Ecclésia,
tanti lúminis adornáta fulgóribus:
et magnis populórum vócibus hæc aula resúltet.

[Quaprópter astántes vos, fratres caríssimi,
ad tam miram huius sancti lúminis claritátem,
una mecum, quæso,
Dei omnipoténtis misericórdiam invocáte.
Ut, qui me non meis méritis
intra Levitárum númerum dignátus est aggregáre,
lúminis sui claritátem infúndens,
cérei huius laudem implére perfíciat.]

[Vers. Dóminus vobíscum.
Resp. Et cum spíritu tuo.]
Vers. Sursum corda.
Resp. Habémus ad Dóminum.
Vers. Grátias agámus Dómino Deo nostro.
Resp. Dignum et iustum est.

Vere dignum et iustum est,
invisíbilem Deum Patrem omnipoténtem
Filiúmque eius unigénitum,
Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum,
toto cordis ac mentis afféctu et vocis ministério personáre.

Qui pro nobis ætérno Patri Adæ débitum solvit,
et véteris piáculi cautiónem pio cruóre detérsit.

Hæc sunt enim festa paschália,
in quibus verus ille Agnus occíditur,
cuius sánguine postes fidélium consecrántur.

Hæc nox est,
in qua primum patres nostros, fílios Israel
edúctos de Ægypto,
Mare Rubrum sicco vestígio transíre fecísti.

Hæc ígitur nox est,
quæ peccatórum ténebras colúmnæ illuminatióne purgávit.

Hæc nox est,
quæ hódie per univérsum mundum in Christo credéntes,
a vítiis sæculi et calígine peccatórum segregátos,
reddit grátiæ, sóciat sanctitáti.

Hæc nox est,
in qua, destrúctis vínculis mortis,
Christus ab ínferis victor ascéndit.

Nihil enim nobis nasci prófuit,
nisi rédimi profuísset.
O mira circa nos tuæ pietátis dignátio!
O inæstimábilis diléctio caritátis:
ut servum redímeres, Fílium tradidísti!

O certe necessárium Adæ peccátum,
quod Christi morte delétum est!
O felix culpa,
quæ talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem!

O vere beáta nox,
quæ sola méruit scire tempus et horam,
in qua Christus ab ínferis resurréxit!

Hæc nox est, de qua scriptum est:
Et nox sicut dies illuminábitur:
et nox illuminátio mea in delíciis meis.

Huius ígitur sanctificátio noctis fugat scélera, culpas lavat:
et reddit innocéntiam lapsis
et mæstis lætítiam.
Fugat ódia, concórdiam parat
et curvat impéria.

O vere beáta nox,
in qua terrénis cæléstia, humánis divína iungúntur!¹

In huius ígitur noctis grátia, súscipe, sancte Pater,
laudis huius sacrifícium vespertínum,
quod tibi in hac cérei oblatióne solémni,
per ministrórum manus
de opéribus apum, sacrosáncta reddit Ecclésia.

Sed iam colúmnæ huius præcónia nóvimus,
quam in honórem Dei rútilans ignis accéndit.
Qui, lícet sit divísus in partes,
mutuáti tamen lúminis detrimenta non novit.

Alitur enim liquántibus ceris,
quas in substántiam pretiósæ huius lámpadis
apis mater edúxit.²

Orámus ergo te, Dómine,
ut céreus iste in honórem tui nóminis consecrátus,
ad noctis huius calíginem destruéndam,
indefíciens persevéret.
Et in odórem suavitátis accéptus,
supérnis lumináribus misceátur.

Flammas eius lúcifer matutínus invéniat:
ille, inquam, Lúcifer, qui nescit occásum.
Christus Fílius tuus,
qui, regréssus ab ínferis, humáno géneri serénus illúxit,
et vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.

Amen.


Easter Vigil Exultet (cathedral of Nice in France, 2008)

From Celebrating Eucharist

Rejoice, all creation!
Let the heavenly chorus sing!
Jesus Christ, our light, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendour, the light of Christ will warm our autumn night. Christ has conquered!
Glory fills you! Darkness will vanish for ever!
Rejoice, O church of God! Exult in glory! The risen Saviour shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy. Echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

The Lord is here.
God’s Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to offer thanks and praise.

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices we should praise you the eternal God, and your First-born, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
For Christ is the true passover lamb who at this feast has set your faithful people free.
This is the night when you saved the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.
This is the night, when the pillar of fire brought light to your wandering people.
This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from gloom, and are restored to grace, and grow together in fullness of life.
This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.
Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth and we are reconciled with God!
Therefore, Holy God, in the joy of this night, accept our evening sacrifice of praise, your church’s solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to your honour, O God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven and continue burning to lighten the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star find this flame still burning among us. Christ is that Morning Star, who rises to shed your peaceful light on all creation.
Christ is now alive and glorified with you for ever and ever. Amen.


BCP (TEC)

Either The minister sings the Introduction

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
O Universe, dance around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the victorious trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in glory, revealing the splendour of your creation,
radiant in the brightness of your triumphant King!
Christ has conquered! Now his life and glory fill you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice,O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Saviour, our Lord of life, shines upon you!
Let all God’s people sing and shout for joy.

Or Alternatively, the Introduction could be sung by the whole congregation to a tune of the metre 10.10.10.10 using the following form. Note: not all tunes of 10.10.10.10 metre are suitable.

All Sing, choirs of heaven! Let saints and angels sing!
Around God’s throne exult in harmony!
Now Jesus Christ is risen from the grave!
Salute your King in glorious symphony!
Sing, choirs of earth! Behold, your light has come!
The glory of the Lord shines radiantly!
Lift up your hearts, for Christ has conquered death!
The night is past, the day of life is here!
Sing, Church of God! Exult with joy outpoured!
The gospel trumpets tell of victory won!
Your Saviour lives; he’s with you evermore!
Let all God’s people sound the long Amen!

The minister continues

The Lord be with you
All and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give thanks and praise.

It is right and good that with hearts and minds and voices
we should praise you, Father almighty, the unseen God,
through your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who has saved us by his death,
paid the price of Adam’s sin,
and reconciled us once again to you.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
For this is the Passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb of God, is slain
whose blood consecrates the homes of all the faithful.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night when you first saved our ancestors,
freeing Israel from her slavery
and leading her safely through the sea.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night when Jesus Christ vanquished hell,
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night when all who believe in him are freed from sin,
restored to grace and holiness,
and share the victory of Christ.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
This is the night that gave us back what we had lost;
beyond our deepest dreams
you made even our sin a happy fault.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
Most blessed of all nights!
Evil and hatred are put to flight and sin is washed away,
lost innocence regained, and mourning turned to joy.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
Night truly blessed, when hatred is cast out,
peace and justice find a home, and heaven is joined to earth
and all creation reconciled to you.
All [Glory to you for ever.]
Therefore, heavenly Father, in this our Easter joy
accept our sacrifice of praise, your Church’s solemn offering.
Grant that this Easter Candle may make our darkness light.
For Christ the morning star has risen in glory;
Christ is risen from the dead and his flame of love still burns within us!
Christ sheds his peaceful light on all the world!
Christ lives and reigns for ever and ever!
All Amen.

From The Easter Liturgy material – Times and Seasons Common Worship (PDF Download)

Valentine’s Day

Published on February 14, 2010 in liturgy. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

This is a repost of earlier material found on this site.

In 1752 England and the British colonies in America upgraded from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar by removing 12 days from the year to bring it back to the way the seasons were in 325AD when Christians first agreed how to date Easter. There were riots in the streets: “give us our 12 days back!” Do the Maths: January 6 is now where December 25 used to be. January 6 is a much more likely date to have snow (Is “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know…” part of a folk-memory of times when snow at Christmas was more common?)

So why might Valentine’s Day be so popular, spreading especially from Britain and USA? Do the Maths: counting back 12 days from February 14…. February 2! Today is when one of the most significant festivals, Candlemas, used to be! Is the significance placed on today possibly, in part (he says tentatively) a folk-memory of when Candlemas was celebrated today? [If you write your doctorate on this - please don't forget to credit me - you read it here first!] … As well, of course, as the following:

Christian roots

There are a number of early church martyrs called Valentine or Valentinus. Hence, the origin of the celebration is confused and disputed.

One legend has it that Valentine was a third century priest in Rome. The Emperor Claudius II thought that single men made better soldiers than married ones who had their minds on their wives and children. So he outlawed marriage for young men from which he drew his army. Valentine, however, continued to marry young couples secretly. But Valentine was caught and ordered to be executed.

According to one legend, Valentine was the first to send a ‘valentine’ greeting. In prison he fell in love, maybe with the jailor’s daughter. Before his martyrdom he wrote her a letter, signing it ‘From your Valentine.’ As is so often the case, the most legendary saints end up being amongst the most popular – and Valentine is no exception. Because of the legendary nature of the saint, along with St Christopher, St Valentine was removed from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in 1969 after the Second Vatican Council.

In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine.

Pagan roots

In the pagan days of the Roman Empire, February 14th was a festival in honour of Juno, Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. She was also the Goddess of women and marriage. On February 15th the Feast of Lupercalia began. This was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and also to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

On the eve of Lupercalia the names of girls were written on paper and placed into an urn. The bachelors would draw a girl’s name from that jar. This lottery led them to being partners for Lupercalia. They might end up falling in love and later marrying.

Early Christianity often substituted Christian celebrations for pagan traditions. Around 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius fixed February 14 to be the feast day of St. Valentine. As with so many Christianisations of earlier festivals, it appears to have picked up traditions, understandings, and practices of its foundation.

In France and England there was the belief that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season. The earliest “valentine” we still have (now in the British Library in London ) is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans in 1415 to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.

Valentine’s Day became increasingly popular from the seventeenth century. Only at Christmas are more cards sent.

Thomas Merton

Published on December 10, 2009 in liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , .

6a00e008d75255883401116866de00970c-piThomas Merton died 41 years ago today. Some years back I moved a motion at our diocesan synod, the cogs of which have been slowly working – (ACANZP’s) General Synod is anticipated to have its second vote on this in 2010 and then, after a year “lying on the table” (for anyone to make a submission that this should not proceed) he will be added to the formal calendar of this church. Appropriately; he has strong connections to New Zealand. The Episcopal Church this year added Merton to their calendar at their General Convention. In their Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints they describe him:

Thomas Merton [1915-Dec. 10, 1968] Trappist author and poet. Merton’s Catholic  conversion is the subject of his best-selling The Seven Storey Mountain. He became a  contemplative monk at Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky, yet remained engaged with social justice and world affairs through reading and vast correspondence.

Gracious God,
you called your monk Thomas Merton to proclaim your justice out of silence,
and moved him in his contemplative writings to perceive and value Christ at work in the faiths of others:
Keep us, like him, steadfast in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ;
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion of the Departed – All Souls

Published on November 2, 2009 in liturgy. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Images of the grave in darkness are contrasted with the eternal light of Christ and underscored with the ancient Kiev chant, the Kontakion of the Departed, and the chimes and chant of the Orthodox monks in Ukraine.

Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints:
where sorrow and pain are no more;
neither sighing but life everlasting.
Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of man:
and we are mortal formed from the dust of the earth,
and unto earth shall we return:
for so thou didst ordain,
when thou created me saying:
“Dust thou art und unto dust shalt thou return.”
All we go down to the dust;
and weeping o’er the grave we make our song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

All Souls

Published on November 2, 2009 in liturgy. 4 Comments Tags: , .

O God,
the Maker and Redeemer of all believers:
Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son;
that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

source

We seem to give them back to you, dear God,
who gave them to us.
Yet as you did not lose them in giving, so we have not lost them by their returning.
Not as the world gives, do you give, O Lover of Souls!
What you give, you do not take away.
For what is yours is ours always, if we are yours.
Life is eternal; and love is immortal;
and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing but the limit of our sight.

Lift us up, strong Son of God,
that we may see further;
cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly;
draw us closer to yourself that we may know ourselves nearer to our beloved who are with you.
And while you prepare a place for us,
prepare us for that happy place, that where they are, and you are,
we too may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

source of the horizon prayer

History of All Souls Day

The origins of All Souls date to 1048 when Abbot Saint Odilo of the monastery of Cluny declared this celebration to commemorate departed Christians. In the course of several hundred years the feast spread across Europe to England and finally in the fourteenth century Rome made it an official feast on November 2.

“This millennium-old celebration is an expression of the Christian belief in the Communion of Saints, the mystical solidarity uniting all of the Body of Christ living on earth with those who have died and are now one with God. This web allows spiritual energy to flow between the living and the dead by way of prayer, various good works and especially Holy Communion, which unites the Head and all the Body of Christ.” (Edward Hayes, The Old Hermit’s Almanac, p. 312)

Various cultures have taken on this celebration and keep it with different observances. In many places, cemeteries are given special attention so that graves might be decorated with candles or flowers. In Latin America, this day is known as “Dia de los Muertos” or the “Day of the Dead” and is an occasion of great festivity. Bakeries sell sweets and cakes in the shapes of skulls, skeletons, and coffins. In Mediterranean cultures, children receive gifts of candy. It is also common to set up shrines to remember those who have died.

source

Prayers, readings, and litanies for the feast of All Souls

All Saints – Beatitudes

Published on November 1, 2009 in lectionary and liturgy. 3 Comments Tags: , , , .

Halloween – A Vigil for All Saints

Today on the feast of All Saints many read what are called the Beatitudes. They are probably one of the most famous passages in the Bible. We don’t use the word beatitude much – it comes from the Latin beatus meaning happy or blissful. More of that in a moment.

As with other famous, regularly repeated parts of the Bible – it is easily misunderstood. The Monty Python team in their film which is 30 years old this year, The Life of Brian, plays up the misunderstanding of Jesus teaching.

Blessed are the Meek, which means humble, patient, submissive, gentle; Blessed are the Meek – in the Life of Brian (M: language) a listener mishears it as: Blessed is the Greek – apparently he’s going to inherit the earth. When they finally get what Jesus actually says, a woman says “Oh it’s the Meek…blessed are the Meek! That’s nice, I’m glad they’re getting something, ’cause they have a hell of a time.” This is soon followed by the political activist and terrorist leader, Reg, saying “What Jesus blatantly fails to appreciate is that it’s the meek who are the problem.” This perfectly sums up the quickly growing annoyance of the violent with Jesus’ peaceful attitude.

Blessed are the peacemakers, is misunderstood in the Life of Brian as “Blessed are the cheesmakers” Gregory’s wife says, “what’s so special about the cheesemakers? To which Gregory replies: “Well, obviously it’s not meant to be taken literally; it refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.”

So the teachings of Jesus are quickly misunderstood. Even from the moment Jesus first gives them. Yet that ought not to be the case – we have a lived example of the teachings. Jesus is the embodiment of his teachings. Jesus is meek, a peacemaker, merciful, persecuted for righteousness’ sake. All Saints is a celebration of all who are like Jesus – the living and the dead.

The Beatitudes read today is the start of one of five long sermons that Jesus gives in Matthew’s Gospel. The people in Jesus day looked back to five scrolls they attributed to Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuternomy. So Matthew, in echoing these five scrolls in Jesus five sermons, reinforces the point he has already been making earlier in his Gospel, that Jesus is the new Moses. In Luke’s gospel Jesus gives this teaching on a plain, but Mathew wants to reinforce his point more. Just as Moses also goes up a mountain to receive a law; Jesus goes up a mountain to give a new law.

Jesus, Matthew says, sits down. We are used to teachers standing to teach – but that is relatively new. Traditionally a teacher would have sat to teach. Jesus disciples come to him. This is not, in Matthew, a message for the crowd – Jesus saw the crowd and left them going up the mountain. This is a message for Jesus’ close followers, for us his disciples.

Then the Greek text says three similar things: Jesus opened his mouth, he teaches them, he says.

We have left the crowd. We are privileged to be amongst his special disciples. He is clearly going to teach us authoritatively – and it is being reinforced we need to triply attend to what is going to be said.

But what Jesus says is shocking. The destitute, the sad, the meek, the merciful, and so on – these are blessed.

The Greek word is Makarios, translated here as blessed. Blessed is not a word we use a lot. It’s a very religious sounding word – and so it too easily flows over us. The Jerusalem Bible translated Makarios as “happy” – but that doesn’t really work does it: happy are the sad, happy are those who suffer, and so on. Yeah Right! So when they revised the Jerusalem Bible, the revision went back to “blessed” – Blessed are the merciful, and so on.

I recently found a translation for Makarios that I think fits much better without being the worn religious language we cannot hear any more. Makarios is “congratulations!”

As (in the Southern Hemisphere) students get close to exams and the congratulations inherent in our results, let us also remember the bigger picture of the examination that is our life:

Congratulations to the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Congratulations to those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Congratulations to the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Congratulations to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Congratulations to the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Congratulations to the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Congratulations to the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Congratulations to those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Congratulations to you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

God of the past,
on this feast of All Saints
we remember before you, with thanks,
the lives of those Christians who have gone before us:
the great leaders and thinkers,
those who have died for their faith,
those whose goodness transformed all they did;
Give us grace to follow their example and continue their work.

God of love
grant our prayer.

God of the present,
on this feast of All Saints
we remember before you
those who have more recently died,
giving thanks for their lives and example and for all that they have meant to us.
We pray for those who grieve
and for all who suffer throughout the world:
for the hungry, the sick, the victims of violence and persecution.

God of love
grant our prayer.

God of the future,
on this feast of All Saints
we remember before you the newest generation of your saints,
and pray for the future of the church
and for all who nurture and encourage faith.

God of love
grant our prayer.

We give you thanks
for the whole company of your saints
with whom in fellowship we join our prayers and praises
in the name of Jesus Christ
Amen.

Reflection All Saints – Halloween

Published on October 27, 2009 in lectionary and liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , .

All_Saints_of_Trier-Treves

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!

September 11 Cyprian

Published on September 11, 2009 in liturgy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .
St Cyprian

St Cyprian

Cyprian was martyred on 14 September 258. (September 14 is Holy Cross Day, so he is usually commemorated on a nearby open day – in USA RC that is today.)

Cyprian was born around 200 AD in North Africa. He was a prominent trial lawyer and teacher of rhetoric. Around 246 he became a Christian, and in 248 was chosen Bishop of Carthage. Early in the year 250 the Emperor Decius began strong measures against Christians. The first demand was that the bishops and officers of the church sacrifice to the emperor. The proconsul traveled to check the order was being carried out. Five commissioners for each town administered the edict.  When the proconsul reached Carthage he discovered that Bishop Cyprian had fled and gone into hiding.

The church was very divided about how to react to the persecution. Some Christians stood firm in civil disobedience – refusing to sacrifice. Others gave in, submitting in word or in deed to the order of sacrifice and receiving a certificate called a “libellus”. We still have some of these certificates.

Those who did not like or approve of Cyprian said that his secret fleeing from Carthage showed he was a coward and unfaithful. Cyprian replied that he thought fleeing in this case was God’s will for him and that he could lead the church from his hiding place.

Persecution was extremely severe in Carthage, and many Christians gave in and sacrificed to the emperor. These were called lapsi. When the persecution died down the church now had a new problem: how to deal with the lapsi – those who had given in and sacrificed – when these lapsi now wanted to come and be members of the church again.

One Christian leader, called Novatus, allowed these  lapsi who had sacrificed back into the church without any disciplining whatsoever. Another Christian leader called Novatian did the opposite. He would not allow them back into the church community at all.

A libellus

A libellus

Cyprian held to a middle way – but you can see the Christian community was deeply divided again. Cyprian allowed the lapsi back into the Christian community, the church, after a suitable period of probation and penance, depending on the gravity of the denial. The story of the divisions gets even more complicated – but you get the basic idea.

Later there were other Christian divisions. Jesus didn’t leave behind a rule book and each time that new issues arose Christians weren’t really sure – they disagreed about what the appropriate response should be. The next big issue for Cyprian was whether the baptism in heretical groups was valid or not. Should people from those heretical groups be rebaptised or not.

During the reign of the Emperor Valerian, Carthage suffered a severe plague epidemic. Cyprian organized a program of medical relief and nursing of the sick, available to all residents. But the majority of Carthage’s citizens were convinced that the epidemic was the result of the wrath of the gods at the spread of Christianity. So another persecution against Christians arose. This time Cyprian did not flee. He was arrested, tried, and finally beheaded on 14 September 258.

Cyprian was an extensive writer. We still have many of his writings. In his book called On the Unity of the Catholic Church Cyprian stresses the importance of visible, concrete unity among Christians. He argued for a position that the fullness of the church – what he and others called the catholic church, the universal church – is present in the people gathered around their local bishop. That position has stayed the approach to church of the Eastern Orthodox church and of the Anglican Church. The fullness of the church, the church catholic, is present in the people led by the bishop.

twin-towersWe live in divided times. Churches are divided one from another – within denominations there is division. There is disagreement between Christians. Some would have us attempt to agree on every last detail before we can see ourselves as a community – a common unity. Listing off a catalogue of agreed beliefs rather than unity in God. The opposite is those who say that none of our beliefs matter at all. Can we find a middle way? Can we learn to respect difference, learn from difference AND at the same time hold to our primary convictions. Being too rigid we will snap under pressure, being too loose and supple we will be no support.

This is not only true within Christianity – but also beyond it. We live in a multi-faith, multi-cultural community and world. The date, September 11, is itself a reminder that the need to respectfully listen to each other is one of the world’s greatest needs – as is the need to be sure of our own convictions. Reflecting on the times of Cyprian still, IMO, has much to teach us.

Almighty God, who gave to your servant Cyprian boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Episcopal Church liturgy resources

Published on July 29, 2009 in liturgy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

My good e-friend @scottagunn forwarded the URL of the draft liturgical material considered and now approved by the recent General Convention of The Episcopal Church (USA).

You can download the report’s 398 pages in PDF form from here.

This includes
Rachel’s Tears, Hannah’s Hopes Liturgies and Prayers for Healing from Loss Related to Childbearing and Childbirth starts on page 21 of the download
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints starts on page 82 of the download
Other holy persons worthy of consideration – page 379 of the download
Helpful information about those being commemorated starts on page 381 of the download

As soon as the final material is made available online I hope to place a link from this site.
The context of this site’s readers differs from place to place. I am sure there is much in this massive work that you can use or adapt usefully in your own context. Some of the material some may find particularly challenging. I am not prepared to debate that on this site. There are plenty of other sites which focus on debate about TEC’s life and direction including its liturgical life. This blog post is providing the service of making this substantial resource more widely available for you to choose and adapt material from as you find appropriate within your own particular context.

Saints Peter and Paul

Published on June 27, 2009 in liturgy. 1 Comment Tags: , .

245_0035162142_peter-and-paul-apostles

Monday June 29 is the feast of Sts Peter and Paul, apostles and martyrs. Here is a reflection on the collect for Sts Peter and Paul.

The Internet – faith and evangelisation

Published on April 28, 2009 in liturgy. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

A good e-friend of mine is making a presentation on the connection between social media, faith, and evangelisation. This friend emailed me for some ideas about this as well as some of the dangers of internet presence. I wrote:

1) I believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints
This means I stand in a tradition that values the local Christian community, and also the wider universal Christian community. In this we have included saints on earth and saints in heaven “…with all who stand before you in earth and heaven, we worship you…”
In this new context the universal church, the church catholic, includes the virtual world.
Just as previously our valuing of the universal church, and including those who have gone before us, did not lead to neglecting the local community, so the valuing of the church in the virtual world need not, and ought not to, lead to a neglect of the local community IRL (“in real life”)

2) As Christians discovered people living in the Americas, the Pacific, and so forth, they went there in mission, ministry, and evangelism. Now that so many people live in the virtual world it is enjoined upon us to be a presence in the virtual world in mission, ministry, and evangelism.

3) As Jesus says: “be in the Internet, but not of the Internet.”

Anglicans add Roman Catholic saints to calendar

Published on March 6, 2009 in liturgy and spirituality. 14 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

The latest edition of the newspaper The New Zealand Catholic has the following story:

CHRISTCHURCH – Blessed Mary MacKillop and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta could soon feature in Anglican liturgies in New Zealand.

In 2006, the Rev. Bosco Peters, Christ’s College chaplain and webmaster of the ecumenical liturgy site www.liturgy.co.nz, proposed a motion to that end at the Christchurch diocesan synod.

If the formal approval process is completed, these names would join other post-reformation Catholics in New Zealand’s Anglican calendar.

A New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa, published in 1989, has Sts John Vianney, Maximillian Kolbe, Rose of Lima, Teresa of Avila, Martin de Porres and Francis Xavier in its calendar, as well as Mother Suzanne Aubert, founder of New Zealand’s only religious order – the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion.

“There is no thought that holiness is limited to Anglicanism,” Rev. Peters said.

He also proposed C.S. Lewis and Taizé’s Br Roger be added to the calendar.

New Zealand’s Anglican church produced its first revised calendar in 1972, including post-Reformation Catholics.

Before then it used material from older Church of England calendars, which included pre-Reformation saints, but not the later Catholic figures.

The formal process for approval requires passing a bill at General Synod, positive votes at diocesan synods and equivalents, a confirmation by a newly-elected General Synod and a year’s wait to see if there are any appeals.

“After this is becomes part of our binding shared liturgical life,” he said.

The move has yet to go through General Synod a second time, but Rev. Peters said it is uncontroversial.

Readings and prayers for the relevant days are being prepared for the celebration of the Eucharist, he said.

by MICHAEL OTTO

Valentine’s Day

Published on February 14, 2009 in liturgy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

I have written about this previously, but for people newer to this site – some of this is worth repeating!

In 1752 England and the British colonies in America upgraded from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar by removing 12 days from the year to bring it back to the way the seasons were in 325AD when Christians first agreed how to date Easter. There were riots in the streets: “give us our 12 days back!” Do the Maths: January 6 is now where December 25 used to be. January 6 is a much more likely date to have snow (Is “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know…” part of a folk-memory of times when snow at Christmas was more common?)

So why might Valentine’s Day be so popular, spreading especially from Britain and USA? Do the Maths: counting back 12 days from February 14…. February 2! Today is when one of the most significant festivals, Candlemas, used to be! Is the significance placed on today possibly, in part (he says tentatively) a folk-memory of when Candlemas was celebrated today? [If you write your doctorate on this - please don't forget to credit me - you read it here first!] … As well, of course, as the following:

Christian roots

There are a number of early church martyrs called Valentine or Valentinus. Hence, the origin of the celebration is confused and disputed.

One legend has it that Valentine was a third century priest in Rome. The Emperor Claudius II thought that single men made better soldiers than married ones who had their minds on their wives and children. So he outlawed marriage for young men from which he drew his army. Valentine, however, continued to marry young couples secretly. But Valentine was caught and ordered to be executed.

According to one legend, Valentine was the first to send a ‘valentine’ greeting. In prison he fell in love, maybe with the jailor’s daughter. Before his martyrdom he wrote her a letter, signing it ‘From your Valentine.’ As is so often the case, the most legendary saints end up being amongst the most popular – and Valentine is no exception. Because of the legendary nature of the saint, along with St Christopher, St Valentine was removed from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in 1969 after the Second Vatican Council.

In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine.

Pagan roots

In the pagan days of the Roman Empire, February 14th was a festival in honour of Juno, Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. She was also the Goddess of women and marriage. On February 15th the Feast of Lupercalia began. This was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and also to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

On the eve of Lupercalia the names of girls were written on paper and placed into an urn. The bachelors would draw a girl’s name from that jar. This lottery led them to being partners for Lupercalia. They might end up falling in love and later marrying.

Early Christianity often substituted Christian celebrations for pagan traditions. Around 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius fixed February 14 to be the feast day of St. Valentine. As with so many Christianisations of earlier festivals, it appears to have picked up traditions, understandings, and practices of its foundation.

In France and England there was the belief that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season. The earliest “valentine” we still have (now in the British Library in London ) is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans in 1415 to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.

Valentine’s Day became increasingly popular from the seventeenth century. Only at Christmas are more cards sent.

Revising the February calendar

Published on February 11, 2009 in liturgy. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

I have been asked to provide suggestions towards revising our church calendar. The Common Life Liturgical Commission of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia received my motion to review the calendar. They set in motion adding five names to the calendar:

August 8 Mary MacKillop, Teacher, 1909
August 16 Brother Roger of Taize: Encourager of Youth, 2005
September 5 Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Missonary of Charity, 1997
November 22 C.S. Lewis, Apologist, 1963
December 10 Thomas Merton, Spiritual Writer, 1968

Now they have asked that I present a revision of the calendar. I suggest starting this month by month in consultation, starting, as the motion suggests, from our current calendar, and holding alongside that the Celebrating Eucharist additions (added a decade later), as well as the more recent Common Worship calendar (another decade later). Please send me any further additions and suggestions – they can be put in the comments box below. I will choose to publish from what is sent here. Do not send anonymous comments. You can follow comments (and posts) by the Entries Feed and Comments Feed at the bottom of the page. Clearly I am interested in any material, particularly Maori and Polynesian enrichment. Please add some information, dates, a possible “title” (eg. “Marty of Uganda”, 1977), and even some reason why you are submitting this name.

The Calendar for February in the New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa

1 Brigid of Ireland, Abbess, c.525
2 The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
3 Anskar, Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary to Denmark and Sweden, 865
4
5 The Martyrs of Japan, 1597
6 Waitangi Day
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 Cyril, 869, and Methodius, 885, Missionaries to the Slavs
15
16 Alternative date for The Holy Innocents (28 December)
17 Janani Luwum, Archbishop, Martyr of Uganda, 1977
18 Martin Luther, 1546, and other Reformers of the Church
19
20 The Saints and Martyrs of Africa
21
22 The Confession of St Peter
23 Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr, c.156
24 St Matthias the Apostle
25
26
27 George Herbert, 1633, and all saintly Parish Priests
28
29

The Calendar in Celebrating Eucharist has the following suggested additions for February:

4 Gilbert of Sempringham, Founder of the Gilbertine Order, 1189
10 Scholastica, Religious, Italy, 534
14 Valentine, Martyr at Rome, 269

The February Common Worship Calendar is:

(Principal Feasts and other Principal Holy Days are printed in bold; Festivals are printed in roman typeface; other Sundays and Lesser Festivals are printed in ordinary roman typeface, in black. Commemorations are printed in italics.)

1 Brigid, Abbess of Kildare, c.525
2 The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas)
3 Anskar, Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary in Denmark and Sweden, 865
4 Gilbert of Sempringham, Founder of the Gilbertine Order, 1189
6 The Martyrs of Japan, 1597
10 Scholastica, sister of Benedict, Abbess of Plombariola, c.543
14 Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs, 869 and 885
14 Valentine, Martyr at Rome, c.269
15 Sigfrid, Bishop, Apostle of Sweden, 1045
15 Thomas Bray, Priest, Founder of the SPCK and the SPG, 1730
17 Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, Martyr, 1977
23 Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr, c.155
27 George Herbert, Priest, Poet, 1633

Calendar confusion

Published on August 14, 2008 in liturgy. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

I am delighted that five names are being considered to be added to the calendar by the New Zealand Anglican Church (for non-Anglicans: that’s as close as we get to “canonising” them as saints). I initiated this process with a motion to our diocesan synod. But the motion was actually for a complete review of our calendar, including a suggestion to include far more significant names. The last bit of my motion was a clause: whilst you are thinking about this – don’t forget to consider adding the following. Somewhere in the labyrinthine communications of our church all the rest of the motion fell off. The post script part of the motion is, so far, the only part being actioned.

The five being added to the calendar (and the Liturgical Commission is so confident that there will be no controversy about them that it has already added them to its resources) are
August 8 Mary MacKillop, Teacher, 1909
Brother Roger of Taize: Encourager of Youth, 2005
September 5 Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Missonary of Charity, 1997
November 22 C.S. Lewis, Apologist, 1963
December 10 Thomas Merton, Spiritual Writer, 1968

Whilst I am delighted Thomas Merton will be acknowledged, because the process envisioned in my motion was not followed, I am sure he himself would be very disturbed to find himself on a liturgical calendar but not John of the Cross! It is lovely that an Australian Roman Catholic foundress, Mary MacKillop, will be on our New Zealand Anglican calendar, but why, then, not Mother Hannah, New Zealand Anglican foundress of the Order of the Good Shepherd in Auckland…

My motion was

Mover: the Rev. Bosco Peters
Seconder: the Rev. Dr. Geoff Haworth
That this Synod requests the Common Life Liturgical Commission to review the calendar so that it
a) continues and highlights the traditions that feasts, holy days, and other commemorations interrupt the systematic reading of scripture as little as possible, and do not detract from the primary focus in major liturgical seasons;
b) restores our celebrations to be in step with others in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia, and of the universal church by allowing for more than one option for celebration each day;
c) increases, refreshes, and enriches the offering of the example of people whose lives and work give special encouragement to others of all ages, and to those engaged in various aspects of the Church’s life and witness; and that in this review
d) reference be made to the recent calendar refreshment in the Church of England and the calendar in the New Zealand book Celebrating Eucharist
and that,
e) thought be given to including:
16 August Brother Roger of Taizé, Prophet of unity, Encourager of youth, 2005
5 September Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Foundress, Missionary of Charity, 1997
22 November C. S. Lewis, Apologist and Spiritual Writer, 1963
10 December Thomas Merton, Monk, Spiritual Writer, 1968

Most of the original motion vanished

My motion on the calendar is rooted in the concept of Liturgy as the church’s common prayer. It sought for the church to re-visit the calendar in the light of developments. My motion pointed to two resources amongst others that would help in this re-visit: the calendar in Celebrating Eucharist developed with local and international consultation about a decade on from the New Zealand Prayer Book, and the Common Worship (Church of England) Calendar, a further enrichment after much consultation, another decade later. The motion also had a final “and don’t forget to think about…” clause (e) listing other people after these suggestions to highlight some further possible celebrations. I continue to be at a loss how that motion resulted in the “don’t forget to think about about these other people” clause being the only one actioned.

I think it’s lovely that Thomas Merton may end up in our calendar – but imagine his confusion that he is there and John of the Cross is not! I think it is cool that Mary McKillop might end up on our calendar – but wonder why an Australian Roman Catholic foundress is there and a New Zealand Anglican, Mother Hannah, foundress in Auckland of the Order of the Good Shepherd is not. These are just two obvious examples.

Somewhere between our diocesan synod, diocesan manager, diocesan liturgical committee, Tikanga Pakeha Liturgical Working Group, provincial secretary, Common Life Liturgical Commission, chairs, bishops, secretaries, and General Synod – the substantive part of the motion was misplaced. My several attempts to correct the process prior to General Synod did not succeed. Nor my several attempts to find out where it was derailed. Thankfully I have now been promised that the rest of the motion will be discussed later this year.

New Zealand abandons one celebration per day

Of interest is that whilst until now New Zealand has kept to the principle of one celebration per date, moving ecumenically, internationally agreed celebrations to keep one option per date – even to the point of recently moving St Mark to make way for ANZAC Day, with this General Synod motion Mary MacKillop is on the same date as Dominic, Brother Roger is no the same date as Holy Women of the Old Testament, and CS Lewis is on the same date as Cecilia. Hence already any discussion of section b of my motion has become less urgent. New Zealand is deciding to have more than one celebration per day.

New Zealand Diocesan Synod Reps

1) Please support the addition of these celebrations into our calendar
2) Please highlight that this is only the ps. of a much more significant motion which seeks a much larger discussion of whom we celebrate together here
3) Please note and highlight that in passing these General Synod additions to our calendar we are accepting we have moved away from a principle of only one option per date and hence have no reason to not restore all celebrations to their international, ecumenical dates.