Sunday November 15th. to Saturday November 21st.
Sunday November 15th. to Saturday November 21st. Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings.
Sunday November 15th. Thirty Third
Sunday in Year One.
Readings
Proverbs 31/1013, 19-20, 30-31 :
First Letter to the Thessalonians 5/1-6
: Matthew 25/14-30
On this penultimate Sunday of the Year before
we begin the season of Advent we have readings which, at first sight, do not
seem very inspiring. The Gospel reading is, about the final end of all things
but it is easy to misinterpret it.
In the story that Jesus tells, the fact that
the Master is away for a long time makes it more relevant for us as it was for
those first followers of Jesus for whom Matthew was writing his Gospel. Like
them, we are living in the ‘end times’, the ‘in-between’ time of waiting. The
hope that the Lord would return imminently was no longer realistic and for us,
the consummation of all things seems distant and unreal though the situation of
our world today does make the possibility of a cataclysmic ending something
which does not seem beyond the realms of possibility.
The point of the Gospel reading is to emphasise
the wise use of those gifts that we have been given . In the parable Jesus
tells, each of the slaves is given talents ‘according to their ability’ so that
the way in which they use them will differ. The Master gave only one talent to
the last slave because, presumably, he would not be able to manage more. His
condemnation by the Master seems harsh though. One possible understanding of
the story is that in the Master we are meant to see an image of God who is able
to bring all things out of nothing in the work of creation. The slave is
reproached for failing to make any profit from his talent and is condemned to
darkness and misery but the slaves with two and five talents respectively are
rewarded for their astuteness in making a profit.
What can we make of this story of Jesus? The
first thing to remember is that parables, like so much of Scripture, are given
to us to make us think and not to provide easy answers to our problems.
One interpretation of the parable is that the
man who keeps his talent hidden away represents the Jewish communities who,
after the year 70 C.E. with the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem
itself, sought to preserve their Jewish heritage. They built a wall, as it
were, around the Torah, the Law and defended it against those other communities
like Matthew’s community of Jewish Christians, who saw change as necessary.
Instead of burying the treasures of Judaism, the aim of these Jewish Christians
was to build upon their Jewish heritage and to see Jesus as the fulfilment of
all that had gone before. They had, as their aim, to make that heritage more
fruitful and, eventually, they hoped to share in the eternal joy of the Son of
Man.
This is not inappropriate for us at this time
because there are those in our church who seek desperately to return to things
as they were and to keep them wrapped and unchanging. The Church is not like
that, however. It is not a set of unchangeable rules and doctrines but a living
body that must always move forward under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, using
the gifts that it has been given and always seeking the truth, as Jesus
promised.
This is the conflict which we are witnessing in
our church at this time. There are those who believe that things have gone too
far under the authority of Pope Francis. They want, not only to call a halt but
to put the clock back so that things can be what they imagine they were in some
idyllic past. This is not going to happen and with what people have experienced
during the present pandemic the Holy Spirit is at work leading us forward to a
new understanding of what the Church truly is and how we can be the Church for
the future. Our job is to proclaim the living Gospel of love in ways that
people can understand and grasp. To be changing proves that we are alive.
The Gospel reading invites us, above all, to
use our gifts in the service of the Kingdom of God whenever and wherever we
can, seeking to establish the Reign of God’s love in our world today.
How can I help to bring about this change and
to make my community more a sign and sacrament of the coming Reign of God?
In the reading from Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonian
Christians, he also speaks about being ready. He warns his readers that ‘the
Day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night’ and so they must be ready.
He uses the analogy of a pregnant woman who suddenly becomes aware of her
labour pains and knows the time has come to give birth but she will need to be
ready with the midwife on hand and all that is needed for a safe delivery. So
we must be ready to encounter the Lord at any moment and anywhere. When the
signs appear that the time is ripe we must be ready to bring forth a new Church
for our times. If we are living in the light with our eyes wide open, as it
were, we shall not miss the moment.
The first reading from the Proverbs seems to
have been pulled out of nowhere and may appear as no more than an echo of the
patriarchal society of the time. The
wife, however, is praised for using her gifts wisely and for her generosity and this is applicable
to men just as much as to women.
Finally, the warning about being deceived by
outwards appearances is always relevant because we know how easily we can be
taken in not just by physical beauty but by the many temptations with which we
are surrounded and which all seek to deceive us by their false promises and the
attractions of what they offer. As for
the woman in this reading, it is wisdom that counts and we must be wise in
seeing deeper that the superficial and not allowing ourselves to be deceived.
Relating this to the Church this is very
relevant because it is tempting to think that if everything could return to how
it was then all would be well. The false beauty of a well organised Church with
a beautiful liturgy, firmly ruled from the top and sure of itself in all
matters is a great temptation. But the Church is not meant to be like that as
Pope Francis constantly insists. It is meant to be a messy affair made up of
sinful people like ourselves whose one aim is to love one another and to be a
sign to the world of what human life is all about and to work with all those of
goodwill of every faith and none to bring about the Reign of God’s justice and
love here among us.
This is why reading the accounts of the early
Christian communities in the New Testament is so important and helps to realise
that the Church was always a mess and will always be so because it is the
continuation of the Incarnation, made up of real human beings with real faults
and failings as well as real gifts. Just as it was in real human person that
God dwelt among us in Jesus, so it is now that he dwells among us in real human
beings and not in some idealised and beautiful structure made up of ‘saints’.
Monday November 16th. Solemnity of Edmund of Canterbury, patron of
Portsmouth diocese.
For those who do not live in the diocese of
Portsmouth, Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude will be remembered and there is a
note about them and the readings for today after the account of Edmund and the
special readings for his feast.
Today is a great feast for the diocese of
Portsmouth because Edmund, who was born about 1175 C.E. at Abingdon, which is
within this diocese, was declared the patron of the diocese together with Mary,
the mother of God, when the diocese was first formed in the nineteenth century.
Edmund, whose family name was Rich, was born
into a family of merchants, but became a student at Oxford and then in Paris.
At Oxford he became Professor of Philosophy and then taught in the Cathedral
school at Salisbury where he became the Treasurer of the Cathedral.
In spite of being attracted to the monastic
life, Edmund was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1223 C.E. and became a
notable and reforming bishop. Edmund led
a disciplined life and he had a great love of justice and, as a result, was
frequently in dispute with the King. One of these disputes ended in Edmund
journeying to Rome to appeal against the King and to ask the Pope’s support in
his cause. It was during that journey that Edmund became ill and died at Soissy
on this day in 1240 C.E.
Edmund was buried at the Cistercian monastery
of Pontigny nearby and his remains are still there, enshrined above the High
Altar. Besides being a vigourous and reforming bishop, Edmund was also renowned
as a peacemaker. He was also a distinguished commentator on the Scriptures and
an effective spiritual writer.
Edmund’s goodness was so well known that he was
canonised only six years after his death in 1246 C.E. and his shrine at
Pontigny became a place of pilgrimage. Although the pilgrimage gradually
disappeared Edmund is still venerated at Pontigny and in the surrounding
district where he is known as Saint Edme. Devotion to Edmund spread all over
England but was found especially at Abingdon and at Catesby in Northamptonshire
where two of his sisters were Nuns.
Being the first Oxford Master to be canonised, he is remembered by Saint Edmund
Hall which is still part of the University of Oxford.
We pray today for the diocese of Portsmouth,
its people and all those called to serve them together with Bishop Philip Egan.
We remember too Edmund’s successor, Justin
Welby at Canterbury and we pray for a greater understanding and co-operation
between our church and the Anglican Communion.
Readings
Jeremiah ¼-9
: Paul Second Letter to the
Corinthians 3/1-6 : John 21/15-17
The readings for Edmund’s feast emphasise his
life and ministry. The first from the prophet Jeremiah not only speaks of his
calling by God but also of his courage in speaking out in the face of the opposition
that he found even within the Church and, of course, from the King. God assures
the prophet and Edmund and, indeed, every one of us that, in spite of our
inadequacy, he will be with us and put words into our mouths when the time
comes for us to speak up for what is right and good.
The reading from the Letter to the Corinthians
reminds us of Edmund’s love of his people whose well-being was always his first
concern.
The Gospel reading is the famous dialogue
between Jesus and Peter on the love that Peter had for his Master. Edmund’s
devotion to and love of Jesus was very obvious and he lived it out in the
service of those with whom he had been entrusted. He truly fed the flock placed
in his care.
We pray the for all those who have the care of
the flock, not only in our diocese but throughout the Church, that they may, as
Pope Francis famously said, ‘smell of the sheep’ In other words, that they live
so closely to their people that they know and understand them and what it is
that makes up their lives, their joys and their sorrows.
For those of us who live outside the diocese of
Portsmouth it will be the Monday in Week Thirty Three in Year Two with a memory
of saint Margaret of Scotland and Saint Gertrude.
Readings
Apocalypse 1/1-4, 2/1-5 :
Luke 18/35-43
During these final weeks before Advent we read
from the book of the Revelation to John or the Apocalypse as it is more often
known these days, a word which means ‘unveiling’.
This is the only writing in the New Testament
of this kind, a type of writing widespread in first century Judaism and named
apocalyptic. Such writings are normally attributed to great figures of the
past, for example Enoch and reassure those who are undergoing persecution that
their sufferings will soon be rewarded. Characteristically, these writings move
easily between earth and heaven and employ colourful biblical imagery, animal
and number symbolism.
Characteristically, these writings move easily
between earth and heaven and employ colourful biblical imagery, animal and
number symbolism.
The purpose of Revelation is to reassure
Christians suffering persecution that Christ will gloriously triumph over the
evil pressures of Roman Imperial rule and especially of the idolatrous Roman
Imperial cult. The evil empire of the whore of Babylon will crumble and be
superseded by the heavenly Jerusalem, the pure bride of Christ where those who
remain faithful will share the triumph of Christ and God.
Revelation, however, transcends this and any
other historical context and it is not to be read as pointing exclusively to
any historical set of circumstances. It must be read rather as a confident
assertion of the triumph of persevering Christianity over the transitory
allurements and power of evil.
Traditionally this writing is held to stem from the time of the persecution of
the Emperor Domitian (81-96 C.E.) though
some recent scholars opt for a date in the late sixties. There are several
cryptic references to the Emperor Nero (54-68 C.E.) but these are best explained by the recurrent
legend that Nero would reappear and reclaim the rule, and on at least two
occasions between 69 and 88 C.E. a Nero ‘redevivus’ did make such claims.
Although attributed to John, presumably the
Apostle, it is unlikely to have been written by the author of the Gospel.
Characteristic turns of phrase are quite different, the bizarre imagery of
Revelation is a far cry from the rather sober writing of the Gospel. Most
significantly, the Gospel concentrates on the presence of the Spirit dwelling
now in the Christian, while Revelation looks ardently towards a liberation in
the future.
The arrangement of the book has suggested to
some scholars that it went through several
editions or, at least, that the material has been imperfectly integrated. There
are several series of scourges, each of which ends with the judgement of evil
and the triumph of God’s people, seven seals (5/1 – 6/17), seven trumpets
(8/2-11/19) , the Woman, the Dragon and the Beast (12-13), seven bowls
915-16), even before the great climactic
destruction of the whore of Babylon (17/1-20/15) and the descent of the new
Jerusalem (21/1-22/5). Prefaced to all this are the letters to the seven
churches of Asia (1/9-3/22) which may have been added last of all.
This introduction is taken from the Revised New
Jerusalem Bible.
Today the reading consists of the opening
section of the book in which the writer tells the reader or hearer that it is
the revelation given by Christ about the divine meaning of the author’s own
times and how God’s people will soon be delivered. Sadly, however, we skip a
large section of chapter 1. In the verses that we don’t read though it would be
worth our reading them, we discover that that writer is on the small island of
Patmos in the Aegean Sea, some sixty miles south west of Ephesus. This location
may have affected some of the imagery that the author uses. He also tells us
that he is on Patmos ‘because of the Word of God’ which would seem to indicate
that is either imprisoned or exiled to this small island. The vision happens on
the ‘Lord’s Day’ which may account for the echoes of Christian worship which we
find in the book, since the author would have been very conscious of what would
have been happening in the Christian communities on that day.
The way in which the letters to the seven
churches are introduced would seem to suggest that they were intended to be
read publicly in the course of the local church’s meeting for worship.
The introduction might even indicate that the
seven letters were meant to be read as a whole. In the first message to the church in
Ephesus the vision of Christ is resplendent with rich symbolism. The seven
stars were symbolic of regal and imperial power and the imagery derives from
the book of Daniel in the Hebrew Scriptures using words applied to God, the
‘Ancient of Days’. The seven candlesticks refer back to the great lampstand in
the Jerusalem Temple where God was seen in glory by the prophet Isaiah.
In the first letter to the church in Ephesus
the writer congratulates the church on how its members have suffered and how
they have resisted false teaching brought to them by other preachers and how
they have endured patiently. But he reproaches them that they have less love
than they had formerly. He encourages them to repent and to return to how they
used to be.
The message is just as real for us as it was
for the Ephesian Christians. We can become complacent and in following Christ
we can just jog along. Where has our first fervour gone? Each and every day we
must turn back to the Lord and commit ourselves to following him with renewed
love, love that is shown, above all, by the love we have for others both in and
outside of the Christian community.
In the Gospel reading Jesus is till on his way
to Jerusalem. We have seen how the rich man was unable to enter the kingdom
because of his continuing dependence on his wealth and his inability give up
his riches. The blind beggar in today’s Gospel reading his nothing and is
helpless, shouting out to Jesus as he passes by. Some of the crowd scold him
and tell him not to bother the prophet but he insists and Jesus notices him and
tells those around the man to bring him to him. In response to Jesus’ question
as to what he wants, the blind man says simply and heartbreakingly, in the old
translation ‘Lord, that I may see’ and Jesus tells him that his faith has given
him sight. The man follows Jesus praising God for what has happened to
him. This beautiful story
is one that we can immediately apply to ourselves. How blind we often are? how
often we fail to see things aright? How often we allow others to blind us to
what is painfully obvious? To follow Jesus is to begin to see things in the
right way and today our prayer can only be one of gratitude that the Lord has
already opened our eyes to see things as they truly are but of sorrow because
we allow them to be clouded over again by the false values around us and our
selfishness and sin. We can make our own the prayer of the blind man and repeat
it slowly and thoughtfully ‘Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me’ and simply
‘Lord, that I may see’.
Memory of Margaret of Scotland (c.1046-1093)
Margaret was a member of the English royal
family and came to Scotland when England
was conquered by the Norman French. Her family lived in exile for most of
Margaret’s early life. Uncertainty about her future and even her safety had
taught her a humility that was unusual in royalty. She placed her trust in God and treated
everyone with great courtesy.
Malcolm , the king of Scotland, fell in love
with Margaret and she agreed to marry him. The new queen encouraged her husband
to rebuild churches and monasteries and provide new ones. She imported builders and stone masons to
bring beauty to a country where worship spaces had always been bare and cold.
The royal couple prayed together and, during Advent and Lent they filled their
dining hall with three hundred poor people each evening. Malcolm would serve
those on one side, Margaret those on the other.
Margaret and Malcolm had eight children. Among
them were three future kings of Scotland and a future queen of England.
Margaret ensured their religious education herself and encouraged them to love
and care for the poor.
Margaret made charity fashionable. When out
riding she would give away her shoes and cloaks to the poor. Then the knights
accompanying her would compete among themselves to be first to give away their
cloaks, so legend has it.
The poor of the nation loved Margaret and
clustered around her wherever she appeared. Near the town of Dundermline still
sits a rock called St. Margaret’s stone. It is said that she sat there while
hearing the cases of people treated unjustly by the courts.
Because of the affection that Margaret had for
her family and the entire kingdom she was named one of the patron saints of
Scotland in 1673. She was buried beside her husband at Dunfermline. At the
Reformation the bodies of both Margaret and Malcolm were taken to specially
built chapel in the Escorial in Madrid where they still remain.
We pray today especially for the people of
Scotland and the churches of Scotland.
There are proper readings for Margaret but
almost certainly those of the day will be used.
Those for Margaret are:
Isaiah 58/6-11
which reminds us of Margaret’s great love of
the poor and the needy, her integrity and her ability to reconcile people one
to another and to bring about peace.
John 15/9-17
Which is about the love that we must have one for
another, love that Margaret demonstrated throughout her life.
Memory of Gertrude the Great (c.1256-1302)
We know nothing of Gertrude’s parents but they
must have realised what a gifted child she was
because, when she was only five years old, they brought her to the
Benedictine Nuns of Helfta for her to be educated. She proved to be an excellent student and
became a member of the Convent, probably never leaving it for the rest of her
life.
Another saint, Mechtilde took Gertrude under
her wing and the two women worked together as writers. By the age of twenty six
Gertrude was taken seriously as a scholar and she thought this would be her
life’s work until one day in prayer she had an experience of the presence of
Christ which she had not had before and for the first time Jesus became real to
her as a person and as her friend. She later said that it was as though Jesus picked
her up and lifted her over a wide hedge of thorns, placing her close to his
side.
From then on Gertrude abandoned all other studies
and gave herself to Scripture, the Fathers of the Church and theology. She lived
only to the age of forty five but in the later years of her life she continued
to experience the reality of Jesus’ love . Her most famous work is ‘The Herald
of God’s loving kindness’. However we may understand her visions her way of
seeing things gave others new images to help them to speak of the mystery of
and the love of God. Her devotion to the humanity of Jesus and, especially to
his heart, is thought of as the beginning of devotion to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus.
We pray for all Benedictine Nuns and for
ourselves that, even though we may have no mystical experiences, yet we remain
firm in our belief in the love of God that has been revealed to us in Christ.Although
she was never canonised, Pope Innocent XIth. added her name to the list of
saints in 1637and her feast was extended to the whole Western Church in 1738.
There are special readings for Gertrude though,
almost certainly those for the day will be used. Those for Gertrude are :
Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 3/14-19
which speaks of the love of God that has been
made known to us in Jesus and how he, the Lord, dwells in us, which is so much
part of Gertrude’s teaching.
John 15/1-8
Which is part of Jesus’ teaching about our
being grafted into him, the true vine so that we may live by his life, which
again was so much part of Gertrude’s teaching.
Tuesday November 17th. Tuesday in Week Thirty Three in Year Two.
Memory
of Elizabeth of Hungary, Hilda of Whitby and Hugh of Lincoln.
Readings
Revelation 3/1-6, 14-22 :
Luke 19/1-10
For those who were keeping the Solemnity of
Saint Edmund yesterday, you will find that there is an introduction to the book
of the Apocalypse or Revelation after the readings for Saint Edmund’s day which
it is necessary to read before reading
today’s extract. It would be good also to read the reading appointed for
yesterday.
As we saw the writer of the Apocalypse included
in his firstchapters, letters to the seven churches. We skip over those to the
churches of Smyrna, Pergamum and Thyatira to read those to the churches of
Sardis and Laodicea.
The writer has nothing good to say about the
church in Sardis and rebukes its members for their complacency. The warning
about coming like a thief in the night may reflect the history of Sardis itself
since the city was twice captured by surprise. For us at this time the warning
seems very relevant. Complacency is a sin of which we may always be guilty. Our
church is in dire straits and we seem to be doing little to get to the root of
the problem though Pope Francis is always trying to help us understand. We
cannot leave it to our bishops to solve our problems nor can we hope that
things may go back to being as they were before the present time of pandemic.
We are the Church and so what can we do to help revive our communities? This is
not just so that we find them more pleasant places to be. It is about becoming
more loving and welcoming, less judgemental and more an example of living
according to the Gospel. It is only in this way that we may attract others to
join us and to be with us, a sign to the world around us.
This is something that we can start now, being
in touch with others from our community and trying to build up small groups who
can search and pray together and support one another. In this is the future of
our church.
The church in Laodicea is also rebuked for
complacency. The writer calls it lukewarm, like lukewarm water that is spat out
of Jesus’ mouth. This may be an allusion to the hot spring baths at nearby
Hierapolis and the cold drinking water of Colossae. Is my Christian
discipleship lukewarm and is the life of my Christian community lukewarm,
neither hot nor cold? The
church in Laodicea is urged to repent and to stop deceiving itself. Only the
Lord can renew us if we turn back to him. He can clothe us once again with the
garments of salvation, opening our eyes so that we may see more truly and not
be deceived and misled by the values of the world around us.
The lines following gave rise to the famous
picture by the artist Holman Hunt which depicts Jesus standing at the door of
the heart and knocking. As the artist paints it, there is no handle on the
outside of the door and it can only be opened from the inside. So it is with
each of us and with the Church itself. We must open the door to the Spirit of
the Lord who is seeking to enter and to renew us. The image of the meal which
the Lord wants to share with us reminds us that it must be the meal that is at
the heart of any true renewal which the Lord can bring about in us. That meal
is, of course, the Eucharist! Everything must spring from that central act of
fellowship. It is the meal to which all are invited to come in and to share and
to be strengthened by the Lord for the life to which he calls us.
Sadly, the Eucharist as we celebrate it is a
very poor representation of that meal to which Jesus calls us. It has lost, for
the most part, any sense of being a true banquet and even the signs of bread
and wine are so rarified that the idea of breaking a common loaf and drinking
from a common cup is almost totally obscured. Added to that, while we invite
people to come in and join us, we also tell some that they cannot share in the
food offered!
When the Eucharist becomes once again a meal in
which all are invited to share, a true meal of fellowship and not a ritual
observed by the people ( and that is even more true since Masses have been
streamed so that people may ‘watch’ them), when it becomes the time for the
whole Christian community to offer itself with the Lord to be the his body in
the world, then the Church will begin to be what it is meant to be, a sign of
the Kingdom of God which is to come.
The Gospel reading today shows us Jesus, not
just being invited but inviting himself to have supper with Zacchaeus. Again
this is an image of what the Eucharist is meant to be. Jesus invites himself to
our common table even though, like Zacchaeus, we are all sinners. His presence
among us invites us to conversion as it did Zacchaeus. Jesus’ acceptance of
Zacchaeus changes his whole life and makes him want to be like the Lord. He
impoverishes himself by giving away his property and making up for his past
acts of dishonesty. The recognition of the love Jesus has for him changes him
and saves him, saves him from himself and his own selfishness and sin and makes
him a person of love, like the Lord.
It is by our love that others are changed and
by our allowing ourselves to be loved that we are changed and wherever there is
love, God is there. How can we work towards being this sort of community? We
can start now, especially when we are not allowed to meet together physically.
Let’s do all we can to strengthen those bonds of love between us and to show
our love for all who come our way.
Memory of Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231)
We remember Elizabeth today. She was born in
1231 and betrothed almost immediately to her future husband, Louis. From the
age of four she was raised in the castle of Warburg by Louis’ family who were
not always kind to her and despised her for her piety. By the time that Louis and
Elizabeth were married, he had become ruler of three of Germany’s provinces. In
spite of their unusual union, their marriage was a happy one and Louis
supported Elizabeth in her generosity towards the poor and the needy. Besides
giving them food and the necessities of life Elizabeth also tried to find work
for them when they had none and she respected their dignity.
Louis died in an epidemic and Elizabeth, who
had just given birth to their fourth son, was so overcome with grief that those
who despised her were able to turn her out of the castle. After providing for
her childrens’ welfare, Elizabeth built herself a little hospice where she
continued to care for the poor and the sick, even fishing to earn money for
their upkeep.
Elizabeth died in 1231 C.E. at the early age of
twenty four and her early death may well have been due to the austerity of her
life which was made worse by the ill advice of her confessor, Conrad of
Marburg, whose direction seems almost sadistic. Elizabeth was canonised in 125
and her remains are in the church of Saint Elizabeth in Marburg.
Elizabeth reminds us of our duty to pray for
those who are in positions of power and authority and, like Elizabeth to always
put the needs of the poor first.
There are special readings for Elizabeth but,
almost certainly, those of the day will be used.
The readings for Elizabeth are :
First Letter of John 1/14-18
which speaks powerfully of our obligation to
love one another and to care for those in need.
Luke 6/27-38
which reminds us of Elizabeth’s reaction to her
bad treatment by others and the need for us to be always compassionate as is
God, something which was characteristic of Elizabeth.
Memory of Hilda of Whitby (614-680)
In this country, Hilda of Whitby may also be
remembered. She was born in Northumbria in 614 C.E. ,related to the royal
families of both Northumbria and East Anglia and she was baptised by Paulinus
(+644). Hilda continued to live the life of her rank and station until she was
thirty three when she decided to join her sister who was a nun at Chelles in
France. However, she was called by Aidan (+651) to become a Nun and,
eventually, to become abbess of the monastery of Hartlepool.
In 657 C.E. she founded or re-founded the
double monastery of Whitby which became famous for its training, producing no
less than five bishops out of the community.
The famous Synod of Whitby was held in Hilda’s
monastery in 663-4 C.E. and the house became renowned for its learning and
scholarship and the encouragement of the arts. It was Hilda who supported and
encouraged the Anglo-Saxon cowherd, Caedmon who became the first to compose
poerty in the Anglo-Saxon language. Though brought up I the Celtic tradition,
Hilad accepted the decision of the Synod of Whitby that the Church in England
should follow Roman customs. She died on this day in the year 680 C.E.
Hilda is remembered for her patronage of
learning and the arts and for her leadership in the English church at a
formative time in its history.
Today then we pray for the unity of the
churches in this land and for a greater appreciation of
the role of women in the Church.
Though the readings of the day will almost
certainly be used, there are proper readings for Hilda though these are not
available in the Lectionary since this is a feast for this country only.
Memory of Hugh of Lincoln (c.1140-1200)
Finally, today, in the English Calendar we
remember another English saint, Hugh. Hugh was born near Grenoble in France
about 1140 C.E. and when he was twenty five he joined the Carthusian monastery
at the Grande Chartreuse. In 1175 C.E. he was asked by King Henry IInd. of
England to become prior of the Carthusian monastery at Witham in Somerset which
Henry had founded in reparation for the murder of Thomas of Canterbury. The
house had been failing and had had two unsuitable priors but, under Hugh, it
began to flourish again. In 1186 Henry chose Hugh to be bishop of Lincoln but
Hugh would only accept this appointment if ordered to do so by the Prior of the
Grande Chartreuse. On receiving that order he began to work tirelessly in his diocese which was the largest in the
country. Wisely he delegated a lot of the pastoral work of the diocese to
others and, although the friend and critic of successive kings, he still worked
even with his own hands to bring about the extension of his cathedral church.
Hugh gained a great reputation for justice, for
the care of the sick and for the support of the oppressed including the Jewish
community for whom he risked his life. He died in London on the 16th.
November 1200 and he was canonised in 1220 C.E. His remains were moved to the
Angel choir in Lincoln Cathedral in 1280 but were lost at the Reformation.
The Carthusians have never been numerous since
they live an austere life as hermits, each with their own hermitage. There
were, however, several monasteries in England
before the Reformation and the Prior and monks of the London
Charterhouse, as their monasteries were called here, were the first to be
executed under Henry VIIIth.
There are also a few monasteries of Carthusian
Nuns in Europe and in England there is now the one Charterhouse which is Saint
Hugh’s monastery at Parkminster, West Sussex. We pray today for Carthusian
monks and nuns throughout the world and especially the Charterhouse in
Susses. We remember too Hugh’s
successor, the present bishop of Lincoln, the cathedral and the diocese.
Though there are special readings for Hugh
these are not available in the Lectionary since today’s feast is for this
country only. In any case the readings of the day will almost certainly be
used.
Wednesday November 18th. Wednesday in Week Thirty Three in Year Two.
Memory
of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Rome.
Readings
Apocalypse 4/1-11 :
Luke 19/11-28
While the visionary in the Apocalypse knows the
situation of the local churches in Asia Minor as we have seen from the letters
to them , in today’s extract he sees what is happening Heaven.
This is part of his understanding of ‘what
takes place after this’ and it interweaves earth and heaven. The writer draws
on the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1.26-38)
to describe the heavenly court with precious stones and strange figures.
The Lord God is described as seated on the heavenly throne and the lightning
and the four living creatures echo the vision of the Cherubim in Ezekiel
(Ezekiel 1/4-14, 10/18-29). The twenty four Elders or Presbyters seem to have a
different background. The number twenty four is not found anywhere else in this
type of literature and it may consist of two groups of twelve, representing the
old and the new Israel.
The hymn of worship to God, enthroned by the
living creatures and Elders/Presbyters reproduces the threefold ‘Holy’ of the
Seraphim in Isaiah (Isaiah 6/3) and centres on the creation.
We see in this vision of the heavenly court a
frequent reference to the Hebrew prophets and their vision of the court in
which God reigns supreme with all creation adoring. This may not be very
helpful for us since we are unable to see the earth as the ancients did but it
may serve to remind us of the all-otherness of God before whom we can only
throw ourselves down in worship and in union with the whole of creation and the
whole of humanity, past and future.
It is, perhaps, significant that there is song
in the presence of God which emphasise the importance of music in our
worship. Saint Augustine says ‘whoever
sings prays twice’ and our worship ought always to involve music and singing
and, especially, the Sanctus , the ‘Holy, holy, holy’ which ought never to b
said but always sung as it was in the Apocalyptic vision,
There are different ways of understanding the
parable which Jesus tells in today’s Gospel reading but the best way would seem
to be to see it as Luke’s commentary on what is happening in the story that he
is telling and the unfolding of events in the story.
Who is the nobleman who would be king and who,
in fact, gets the royal power which he not only exercises but shares with his
followers? It is obviously Jesus himself who will immediately be hailed king in
the next chapter of the story (Luke 19/28-48). He will dispose of royal power
to his followers, grant entrance to the thief and, as risen Lord, continue to
exercise authority through his emissaries’ words and deeds. Who are the fellow citizens who do not wish
to have this man as their ruler, who protest it and are then ‘cut off’? They
are the leaders of the people who will decry the proclamation of Jesus as king,
accuse him of royal pretensions in his trial, mock him as king on the cross,
reject his mission as prophet, persecute his apostles and find themselves at
the last, because of all this, ‘cut off from the people’.
Who are the servants whose faithful use of
possessions is rewarded by authority within the realm of this king? These are
the Twelve whom we shall see in the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles,
exercising just such authority over the restored people of God. When will all this occur? In the course of
the story Luke is telling, it begins ‘immediately’ (Luke 19/11) with the kingly
proclamation of Jesus (Luke 19/38). In fact, this parable confirms the
expectation expressed in Luke 19/11. This is, pre-eminently, Luke’s ‘Kingship’
parable, the authors own reliable guide to all that will follow in his second
volume of the Acts of the Apostles. For us today it is perhaps a good time to
reflect on the mystery of the Church through the ages, the Church into which we
have been called to continue Jesus# presence in our world today.
Memory of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saint
Peter and Saint Paul in Rome.
Again today we celebrate two buildings but they
are very special buildings. Afterthe Emperor Constantine had made Christianity
the religion of the Roman Empire great churches were built in Rome and in other
cities.
The sites of the martyrdom of Peter and of Paul
during the persecution of the Emperor Nero were of great importance and
Basilicas were built over them. Legend has it that Constantine himself dug the
first twelve basketfuls of earth to prepare the foundations of Saint Peter’s
Basilica and it was opened and dedicated in the year 324 C.E. The Basilica in honour of Saint Paul was
opened in 390 C.E. Since then both churches have been rebuilt several times but
since they are places built where the Apostles Peter and Paul are said to have
been martyred, these churches are remembered throughout the Western Church.
We pray today for for those who serve in these
great centres of pilgrimage and all who visit them.
We pray too for Pope Francis, the successor of
these two Apostles who is struggling to reform the Western Church against great
odds from within.
There are proper readings for today but, almost
certainly those of the day will be used. Those for Dedication of the Basilicas
are :
Acts of the Apostles 28/11-16, 30-31
recounts the arrival of Paul in the city of
Rome where he began his ministry to the Roman Christian communities in spite of
being under what was, in fact, house arrest.
Matthew14/22-33
which tells the story of Peter’s doubts and
fears during the storm on the lake and his lack of faith as the Lord called him
to himself. Jesus rebukes him for being a ‘man of little faith’ and so this is
an occasion to pray that the Lord may strengthen the faith of Peter’ successor
Francis and to make our own Peter’s prayer, ‘Lord, save me’ not only for
ourselves but for the whole Church.
Thursday November 19th. Thursday in
Week Thirty Three in Year Two.
Readings
Apocalypse 5/1-10 :
Luke 19/41-44
Continuing the vision of the heavenly court of
which we were reading yesterday the writer of the Apocalypse sees the One who
is God and the angel who cries out for one who can open the scroll with the
seven seals. No one seems forthcoming but the angel reassures the writer, who
is saddened by this, that the seals will be opened by the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David which are both terms for the Messiah. The Lamb is
identified with this personage and is seen as the One who has been sacrificed
and who is, therefore, the Messiah who has suffered and triumphed and it is he
who carries the seven spirits which God has sent out to the whole world. This
episode ends with a hymn which is sung by the Elders to both God and the Lamb
thus putting the Lamb on the same level as God and making him the one who will
gather together all humankind, bringing them back to God.
This language and style of writing is very
difficult, obscure and impossible to visualise but we must see in it the
writer’s way of expressing the reality of Jesus’ return to the Father bringing
with him all those for whom he has died.
This whole vision is soaked through with
imagery derived from the great Jerusalem Temple and how that was, as it were, a
mirror of the eternal reality of God. Jesus is seen as the One who gathers
together to God the whole of humanity, all those in heaven and on earth
together with the incense of the prayers of the saints in one great hymn of praise.
It may help if we see this as a picture of what
is the eternal reality of God, through Jesus the Word and the power of his
Spirit, at work in the world bringing about the Kingdom in a hidden way but,
gradually, bringing all humankind and all creation back to Godself in one great
act of ingathering. We, the Church, are called to be the image of that,
communities of those who give praise and thanks to God for all that God is
doing in the world and, of which, we are called to be the sign.
In the Gospel reading Jesus is drawing near to
Jerusalem and he weeps over the city. We have omitted from our readings the
episode where Jesus arrives triumphantly in Jerusalem (Luke 19/21-40) and this then is the tragic moment where he
realises that the whole city has refused
to recognise their opportunity to welcome the Kingdom of God so that they are
doomed. Jesus would not have known, of
course, how the city would be finally destroyed together with the great Temple
but because they had rejected his message which would have brought peace, he
knew that they were doomed
By the time that Luke came to write his Gospel
all this had already happened and, indeed, not one stone of the Temple was left
standing on another.
The dreadful fate of the Temple and the people
brought tears to Jesus’ eyes but this should make us remember the holy city
today. Rather than the city of peace and unity it is a place of division and
conflict.
Today then we must pray for greater
understanding between Jewish, Arab and Christian people both in the city and
throughout the world. As the psalmist says, ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
…I say ‘peace upon you’ for love of the house of the Lord, I will ask for your good’. (Psalm 122) These are
words that should often be on lips in these tragic days for the whole people of
Israel-Palestine.
Friady November 20th. Friday in Week Thirty Three isn Year Two.
Readings
Apocalypse 10/8-11 :
Luke 19/45-48
Today’s short extract from the Revelation to
John is a reminder of the beginning of Ezekiel’s ministry (Ezekiel 2/8-33/3)
with the instruction to the writer to eat the scroll which is sweet in the
mouth but bitter in the stomach. This indicates what the writer has to
announce, the sweetness of the Good News that the faithful are victorious but
the bitterness of the bad news of the painful disaster that will come upon the
world.
We must not lose sight of the fact that this
whole work is being written to encourage those who are suffering for their
faith and this vision reassures them that they will triumph and those who are
persecuting them will suffer for it. It is important never to try to see in any
of this book references to our present times. This was not in the author’s mind
and can lead to the most dreadful misunderstandings as we see in so many of the
bizarre and, often frightening, theories that are drawn out from the book.
What we must see in this is the assurance that
god’s love will eventually conquer and evil will be overcome but only God knows
how.
In the short extract from Luke’s Gospel we see
the authorities more and more intent on getting rid of Jesus but unable to do
so because he was still popular among the people. Luke passes over the episode
of the Temple buyers and sellers and the money changers and uses this moment to
lead into the gathering animosity among the scribes and the ruling classes.
What is striking is that Jesus does not hide
away but continues teaching the people boldly right under the noses, as it
were, of those who want to destroy him.
We often shirk our obligation to proclaim the
Gospel of God’s love when it is difficult or embarrassing. Jesus’ fearless
attitude ought to put us to shame and make us more courageous in not hiding
what we believe to be right and true.
Saturday November 21st. Presentation of Our Lady. Saturday in Week Thirty Three Year Two.
The Presentation of Mary in the Temple is one
of those celebrations for which there is no historical or Scriptural evidence
at all. The legend of Mary being presented in the Temple to join the young
girls who served is totally fictional and is largely taken from one of the
later Scritural writings which found no place in the agreed Canon of Sacred
Scripture, the Protoevangelion of James which dates from the second century
C.E.
This feast has, however, been celebrated in the
Eastern Church since the eighth century and came to the West, it would seem,
through an envoy of the King of Cyprus, staying at the court of the Pope while
the latter was at Avignon in 1371 C.E. It was extended to the whole of the
Western Church in fifteenth century.
Although the event may be fictional, what the
feast celebrates is Mary’s total giving of herself to the service of God. The
details of the story are of no real importance and, in fact, there were no
young girls looking after the Temple. The legend depicts the parents of Mary,
Joachim and Anne, bringing her at a very young age to be offered to this
imagined service of the Temple and the child running up the steps of the Temple
with great eagerness.
What is important is that Mary, at some point
in her life, probably when she was quite young, in her prayer to God, gave
herself to his service. This was not a public act insofar as public acts were
limited to boys and men but this was an inner giving perhaps even a gradual
process.
What we celebrate for Mary is what we celebrate
for ourselves. At some point or probably in a gradual way we have given
ourselves to the service of God as followers of Christ. For some of us who were fortunate enough to
be baptised when we were already old enough to understand what was happening
that would have been the moment but for most of us who have the misfortune to
be baptised when we are babies, this will have been a gradual process, perhaps
with high moments like our Confirmation or our first receiving the Eucharist.
This feast has special significance for many
members of religious Orders and Congregations who are reminded of their own
commitment today and often they renew that commitment and their vows on this
day. In the tradition of the seminaries of Saint Sulpice this feast has always
had a great importance as a day to remember one’s commitment to God in the
ministry. We pray today for all those for whom this day has a special
significance.
Readings
Apocalypse 11/4-12 :
Luke 20/27-40
The reading from the Revelation to John today
is an amazingly obscure piece of imagery but it is possible that it reflects
the contemporary history of the time.
The first four verses of chapter 11 which we
don’t read deal with the measurements of Sanctuary of God making a distinction
between the Sanctuary which belongs to God alone and the outer court which was
given over to non-Jews. The Sanctuary may represent the spiritual temple or the
Christian community, protected amid the destruction which is to come and the
outer court may represent the earthly Jerusalem Temple destroyed by the Romans
in the year 70 C.E.
The two prophetic witnesses, the two live trees
and the two lampstands who will preach
with prophetic power until they are killed by the beast from the pit may
represent figures of Jewish history such as Moses and Elijah or even Joshua and
Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4/1-14) but it is equally possible that they are meant to
be contemporary figures, even Peter and Paul who were martyred in the sixties.
They were taken up to heaven in a cloud which is meant to show that they are
victorious.
It is difficult to see what relevance this
passage might have for us today except to remind us of the dangers of reading
the Apocalypse as having meaning for our time. It is because of the verse ‘the
people of the world will be glad about it
and celebrate the event by giving presents to each other’ that Jehovah’s Witnesses will not observe
Christmas and the giving of presents which illustrates how dangerous it is to
try to use the Apocalypse as a guide for us today.
Above all this book tells us about the early
Christians who were being persecuted. There is, the book tells us, a struggle
between good and evil which still goes on but God will, in the end, be
victorious and evil will be overcome.
The Gospel extract today tells us how the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection of
the dead, tried to catch Jesus out with their rather foolish story. Jesus again
proves himself more clever than they are. The Sadducees quote the Jewish Law
that a man must marry his deceased brother’s wife if she has had no children by him. The whole
story reveals how the questioners thought of a wife as property. ‘Whose would
she be?’ they ask. Jesus replies by reminding them that life with God will be
different since there will be no need of children. Relationships will be transformed
and all will be children (not ‘sons’!) of God.
Jesus then quotes Scripture back at the
Sadducees to show them that the Scriptures teach that there is life with God
after death. God was spoken of frequently as the God of Abraham, of Isaac and
of Jacob but how could that be true , Jesus says, if they were no more. If they are living still so will all those
who die.
Once again Jesus does not explain what that
life will be like. The reference to the angels is purely to remind the
questioners that those who die will not die again. Angels were part of the normal way that most
Jews of Jesus’ time saw things but the Sadducees did not believe in them so
that the reference was another swipe at them. Jesus’ great message is not about
life after death but about life here and now. We are called to love one another
and to build up the Reign of God in our world today but what the future holds
only God knows. We must have faith and trust in the God who loves us and that
must be enough.
There are proper readings for the Memory of the
Presentation of Mary in the Temple which may be used though probably those of
the day will be preferred. Those for the Presentation are: Zechariah 2/14-17
which is really about the Lord’s coming which,
of course, will be through Mary who is ready to be the mother of the Messiah
having given herself to God’s service.
Matthew 12/46-50
where we read of Jesus extending his family to
include more than his mother and his brothers but also all those wh do the will
of the Father. Mary, of course, is the first of Jesus’ disciples and the first
to give herself totally to God in the family of the Church.
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