Bryan Sherwood

Lectio: Advent 1 - Tuesday

 
Today's readings are listed here.

2 Peter 1:13-14

I think it is right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

I couldn't help but think about Peter's statement here. There seems to be two certainties that Peter talks about in this passage. Peter was quite aware of his own impending death. And we know that like Peter, there is the certainty of our own death when we too will put off this tent, our body. In the Rule of Saint Benedict, Benedict writes "Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die." This kind of remembering helps us to have a sense of urgency about our own salvation as well as the salvation of the world.

The other certainty that Peter writes about is the certainty of the Lord's Second Coming.

2 Peter 1:16

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

If we had to face death without the hope of Christ's Second Coming and our own resurrection, life would be full of darkness and despair. Yet, Advent reminds us that His return is certain as is our resurrection.

Lectio: Advent 1 - Monday

A few thoughts on today's appointed readings from our church's Advent blog.

Collect for the First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Thanksgiving Day

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

I pray that on Thanksgiving Day we can all be mindful of those who lack the daily necessities of life (food, shelter, clean water, etc.).  How easy it is for us who have plenty to forget those who are in need.  This prayer sums it up well:  "Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need . . . "  Join me in praying that prayer this Thursday.

Pax.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom is a beautiful prayer.  It's taken from the Eastern liturgy of St. Chrysostom and was translated into English for use in the Prayer Book by Thomas Cranmer.  In other words, this prayer has been around for a while.  It's been prayed by the church down through the centuries.  Today, it comes at the end of both Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.

I particularly like the last sentence of the prayer:  "Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting.  Amen." (emphasis mine)  I'm quite happy to pray those words.  Many times our desires and petitions may not be the best thing for us.  We may not recognize that now but it's often true.  And so, as the divine office begins to come to a close, those words are very fitting.  

I'm glad this prayer remains with us.  It's beautifully written and is full of good stuff.  

Happy All Saints Day!

Tomorrow the church remembers the saints who have gone before us.  I particularly like this rendition of the Litany of the Saints sung by Brother Loarne and Ronan from the Pantasaph Friary in North Wales. 

The collect from The Book of Common Prayer for All Saints Day:

Almighty God, 
who hast knit together thine elect
in one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body of Your Son, Christ our Lord:
Give us grace so to follow Your blessed saints
in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come
to those ineffable joys
that thou hast prepared for those
who unfeignedly love thee;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth,
one God, in glory everlasting. Amen

Feast of Saint Luke - Today's Collect

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of  your Son:  Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and the glory of your Name; 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.

John 6 - The Bread of Heaven

It struck me last night while reading John 6 and 7: Jesus talks a lot about bread. Bread is mentioned some twenty times in the Gospel of John and over half of those instances occur in chapter 6.

Jesus first feeds the thousands who have gathered around him with five loaves of bread and two fish A true miracle. Not only does everyone have something to eat, “they all ate as much as they wanted.” (v. 11). This miracle should remind us of Numbers 11 where the Israelites were fed with manna from heaven. Through Moses, the Father fed his children with manna. Now, Jesus is “the true bread from heaven.” This bread from heaven “gives life to the world.” (v. 33). The manna only met physical, temporal needs; the bread of life nourishes people spiritually and eternally.

Just like in the days of Moses, the people grumbled.

(John 6:41) So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." (John 6:42) They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?"

Jesus rebukes them and not only calls himself the bread of life but Jesus explains that he is “the living bread that came down from heaven.” He goes on to say “Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” I wonder if these words rang in the minds of those who heard them when Jesus is later crucified?

Now, we move to the section of Scripture that is regularly discussed and debated.

John 6:53-59 (NLT) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (54) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. (55) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. (56) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. (58) This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." (59) Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

What does Jesus mean when he says “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you?” Some would say that Jesus is asking for people to fully “consume” him by believing in him. Others would say that Jesus is speaking specifically of the Eucharist: this bread is Christ's literal flesh broken for us and the wine is his literal blood shed for us.

Perhaps it's both? At this point, those who heard this teaching cannot literally partake of the Eucharist but they can believe in this bread of life. The message is clear: there is life in Jesus. Eternal life. We see it played out each time we gather for the Eurcharist. As the liturgy instructs us:

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our
Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks
to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take,
eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the
remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given
thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you:
This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you
and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink
it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Celebrant and People

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

The Celebrant continues

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in
this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death,
resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the
Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new
and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully
receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy,
and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints
into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and
with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor
and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

What we find in John 6 is very good news. Jesus brings life to those who would believe in him. He meets our greatest need by his own sacrifice. We eat his body and drink his blood and recall the sheer wonder of his grace and love toward us.

Today's Collect (Ordinary Time 22; Trinity 12

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things:  Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Collect for This Week - Ordinary Time 20/Trinity 10

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of this redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.