Report: Homily outlining prelude to Lent for San Francisco Roman Catholics by Archbishop George H. Niederauer
by Peter Menkin

In a neat Homily given as a prelude to Lent on the World Day of Prayer for the Sick at St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco, a theme of “…we need each other…” was knit, offering a statement about Christ about, “Many Americans pride themselves on being rugged individualists, on being able to ‘go it alone.’”


Archbishop George H. Niederauer is commenting about the condition of humanity and specifically Americans and their relationships with one another, especially with the sick, in how we as human beings whether sick or well, “…need to be needed.”

Setting out on what this writer has called a neat Homily (as in compact and well said), the Lenten Season which began Ash Wednesday (February 17, 2010), is applied to the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. Quoting the Gospel of the Bible, the Archbishop gives his listener Jesus Christ’s words that speak on relationships, a Roman Catholic and Christian concern: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”

What have these words of Jesus’ to do with us, how does the Archbishop say these words are relevant in their counterculture way to the St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco event of February where a congregation of 300 showed up where the Archbishop was principal celebrant at Holy Communion? For this is how the Roman Catholic Church began Lent in prelude this year, this is how the newspaper Catholic San Francisco” presented on its front page the full text of the Homily that celebrated, “…as a special occasion for growth, with an attitude of listening, reflection, and effective commitment in the face of the great mystery of pain and illness…” this religious season of the year.

The explanation is based on a concern with the Gospel messages found in the Magnificat this year 2010 for the Lenten season, so the Church offers as emphasis for the season of Christian penitence.

Apparently, mindfulness and caring for others in relationship is nuanced as part of the Lenten journey, traditionally noted for abstinence solely. So how does all of this come to Lent and its prelude day celebration the World Day of Prayer to the sick? “Jesus Christ comes to us in the hungry, the stranger, the sick person, so that we can love and serve him in them.” Archbishop Niederauer goes on to tell his pastoral message:

…Christ comes to those in need through us; he loves them and serves them through us, if we let him do so…

In its compact way, spare in word but powerful in Christian message for Roman Catholics and likely as well Christians in general or even citizens of San Francisco’s Bay Area who may not be religious or Roman Catholic, the Homily preaches a clear if startling social message. Speaking rhetorically, Archbishop George H. Niederauer as Homilist, seems to reflect in his message a preaching like St. Paul’s: “I preach nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” His rhetorical question is posed to the fallen Roman Catholic, the believer, and mankind in general, for his is an appeal as well as admonition in this revolution of values proclamation set by Jesus Christ:

“Is this not merely a vague, spiritually romantic thought? No, to make it very real and down to earth, the Church sets before us, front and center, the life, suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ…”

More so, this Homily for the sick is meant as comfort and comforting.

For the sake of clarity, the Archbishop says in the Cathedral Mass, “…in honor of our Lady of Lourdes…hosted by the Order of Malta Western Association, USA, based in San Francisco,” a doctrinal statement understood easily, and tells those who will listen to him the reality of Christ in the life of Roman Catholics and the Roman Catholic Church:

Make no mistake: Christians are not in love with suffering—we do not glamorize, romanticize it or seek it out. However, neither do we run from it, nor do we interpret it as a sign of God’s anger or rejection. Because the Son of God became human with us in Jesus Christ, and embraced everything about being human, including suffering and death, and through his very suffering, death and resurrection merited forgiveness of sins and eternal life for us—because of his saving action, every human experience except sin has meaning and purpose and value in Christ.

Calling the Gospel reading of the day a “moral revolution.” He says, “Consider the social revolution in values as Mary prays: “God has thrown down the rulers from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly.” The Magnificat goes on with Mary saying: The hungry God has filled with good things, the rich he has sent empty away.”

“The Golden Mouth Chrysostom”
A great preacher of the Church
John Chrysostom
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB

Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
January 27, 2010
Wednesday morning Eucharist
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 1994

Jeremiah 1: 4-10
Luke 21: 12-15
Psalm 49: 1-8

In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The priestly office was defined in John Chrysostom’s “classic manual” as one of awesome demands. The priest, he wrote in his treatise, “Six Books on the Priesthood,” must be “dignified, but not haughty; awe-inspiring, but kind; affable in his authority; impartial, but courteous; humble, but not servile; strong but gentle…” Ordained a priest in a time when one needed to be at least 30 years old, John Chrysostom was a great saint of the Eastern Church.

In the year 407 he was Archbishop of Constantinople. He was born about 354 in Antioch, Syria and studied under the pagan Libanius who said of him on his deathbed, that John would have been his successor "if the Christians had not taken him from us.” Libanius was a great teacher of his time, and John a great student of Libanius’.

Chrysostom is English for the Greek expression, “Golden Mouth.” As a preacher, John is noted as one of history’s great ones.

One encyclopedia text says of him:

Over the course of twelve years, he gained popularity because of the eloquence of his public speaking, especially his insightful expositions of Bible passages and moral teaching. The most valuable of his works from this period are his Homilies on various books of the Bible. He emphasized charitable giving and was concerned with the spiritual and temporal needs of the poor. He also spoke out against abuse of wealth and personal property. He said:

Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not ignore him when he is naked. Do not pay him homage in the temple clad in silk, only then to neglect him outside where he is cold and ill-clad. He who said: "This is my body" is the same who said: "You saw me hungry and you gave me no food", and "Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to me"... What good is it if the Eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices when your brother is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying his hunger and then with what is left you may adorn the altar as well.

His Homilies were straightforwardly given. He was not given to allegory. As an Archbishop he founded hospitals for the poor in Constantinople and said in this famous quote:

"In the matter of piety, poverty serves us better than wealth, and work better than idleness, especially since wealth becomes an obstacle even for those who do not devote themselves to it. Yet, when we must put aside our wrath, quench our envy, soften our anger, offer our prayers, and show a disposition which is reasonable, mild, kindly, and loving, how could poverty stand in our way? For we accomplish these things not by spending money but by making the correct choice. Almsgiving above all else requires money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms are given from our poverty. The widow who paid in the two mites was poorer than any human, but she outdid them all."

As a Homilist, the Archbishop believed the classic advantages of the homily were as the form of promised preaching used from the very beginning of Christianity. Simple and easily understood, the homily gives better opportunity for interweaving sacred scripture. So it is said. The early Mass is the best time for the homily, called the appropriate time, and it affords a less formal sermon than that of the principal Mass.

Not of a speculative mind, yet a fine theologian, John Chrysostom spoke the higher form of homily known as the fourth kind. The fourth kind is that which first paraphrases and explains the entire Gospel, and then makes an application of it.

Our reading from Jeremiah tells of the great orator the prophet Jeremiah was, and we attribute similarly to John Chrysostom:

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
“Now I have put my words in your mouth…

And in our Gospel it reads:

For I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.

This homilist likes this quote from John Chrysostom’s homily “In Praise of Saint Paul:”


The most important thing of all to Paul, however, was that he knew himself to be loved by Christ. Enjoying this love, he considered himself happier than anyone else; were he without it, it would be no satisfaction to be the friend of principalities and powers. He preferred to be loved and be the least of all, or even to be among the damned, than be without that love and be among the great and honored.

John Chrysostom could almost be speaking of himself. And note, how straightforward the preacher John Chrysostom is in his remarks on Saint Paul.

Eloquent, yes. Here he gives the homily preached in Constantinople before he went into exile:

The waves have risen and the surging sea is dangerous, but we do not fear drowning for we stand upon the rock. Let the sea surge! It cannot destroy the rock. Let the waves rise! They cannot sink the boat of Jesus. Tell me, what are we to fear? Is it death? But “for me life is Christ, and death is gain.” So tell me, is it exile? “The earth is the Lord’s and all that it contains.” Is it the confiscation of property? “We brought nothing into the world and it is certain we can take nothing out of it.” I have nothing but contempt for the threats of this world; its treasures I ridicule. I am not afraid of poverty. I do not crave after wealth, I am not afraid of death, and I do not seek to live except to be of help to you. So I simply mention my present circumstances and call on you, my dear people, to remain steadfast in your love.

Eloquent, yes. Straightforward, yes.

Let us remember that John Chrysostom set about reforming the church and exposing corruption among the clergy and in the Imperial Administration. “Mules bear fortunes and Christ dies of hunger at your gate,” he is reputed to have cried out. His dying words were, when dying of exhaustion and starvation in September 407, “Glory be to God for everything.”


So we pray with John Chrysostom, and this Homily is a form of prayerful statement for it is “Glory be to God for everything.”

As our prayer book offers, let us end with “A Prayer of Saint 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.


Audio of Homily as given at Church (live recording) is here:

The October days are here,
We reflect on two Apostles
“…he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off…”

Homily
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
(North of San Francisco)
Wednesday Eucharist, October 28, 2009

Deuteronomy 32: 1-4
Ephesians 2: 13-22
John 15: 17-27
Psalm 119: 89-96


In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Words from Deuteronomy, and they well describe the words an Apostle speaks. An introduction to this Homily about Apostles:

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak
Let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
May my teaching drop like the rain,
My speech condense like the dew;
Like gentle rain on grass,
Like showers on new growth.
For I will proclaim the name of the LORD;
Ascribe greatness to our God!

The Rock, his work is perfect,
And all his ways are just.
A faithful God, without deceit,
Just and upright is he…


The October days are here, Fall is here, the season of change--for winter is coming and at this time we look to see the light change. Days grow shorter. The weather is cooler here north of San Francisco in Mill Valley, and it is sometimes necessary to turn the heat on in the evening.

Last night was like that, colder, and as I thought of God and reflected on what it meant to be an Apostle, my mind was infected with the change of weather and light, even the darkness that now has gathered at this early yet still into the evening hour of the day.

I thought… and my heart said they are Apostles who spoke of God, spoke to and into the world, and gave us hope, having been commissioned by Christ himself when alive. Almost mythical in dimension, they are separate from the special yet regular disciple. When sent out into the world to speak the Good News Apostles had that wonderful and special spirit upon them: The Holy Spirit. They are the special disciples of Christ, extraordinary and unique in the history of the world.

Today I speak of Saint Simon, the Zealot, and Saint Jude. Lesser known Apostles, but still of that special group so filled with the Spirit of God and willing to bring their holiness and message, as messengers, out to the world itself:

Mankind was waiting to hear, though they knew them not, they knew the Lord Christ not, they knew the Good News not.

Heralds is what they were, and their spirit lives still, renewed through generations and remembered generation by generation.

Let us speak briefly of these two men on their special day when we celebrate them.

Here we are on this day remembering Simon.
Here we are on this day remembering Jude.


Jude is the only Apostle I can remember who has a special place in the world of print, for you can find him in the classified section of newspapers. Albeit a small place, a small advertisement, but the heart that placed the ad offers a public message bringing the word vibrantly if almost unknown in its content to the greater world. It is a message of last hope, a message of Gospel dimension in 6 point type, so is a prayer to Jude.

First, what are these small prayers, these pleas for help in the last moments and days of hope, directed in plea to Jude for aid.

In that 6 point type are even there building blocks of the Church?

As Origen writes in a homily on the Book of Joshua, “Like living stones, let ourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

So his quote from the Bible goes in his message, “…in this building of the Church there must also be an altar. From this I conclude that those of you who are ready and prepared to give up your time to prayer, to offer petitions and sacrifices of supplication to God day and night, such people I say will be the living stones out of which Jesus will build his altar.”


Jude is little known, but famous too as last to be noticed, for in history he was confused with Judas, so as overlooked and almost forgotten, he became the Saint for those of lost causes and final hope appealed to in time of (needed) prayer, prayers given in their offering petitions and sacrifices of supplication to God.

It is a quiet and not so directly proactive an Evangelical way of Apostleship for which Jude is best known, but he is in this way of the Lord building the Church.

Jude: known as patron saint of lost causes.

As for Simon the Zealot, the book, “Celebrating the Saints,” says:

There is no indication in the Gospels whether Simon moved from the Zealot party to be a follower of Christ or, on the other hand, if after the resurrection he became a supporter of that group seeing it as a response to God’s call to proclaim the Kingdom.

Again, Origen urges us to be stones as were the Apostles, stones for God…

…united in belief and purpose, let us hope that God may find us stones fit for his altar.

Simon the Zealot, not to be confused with Simon Peter, was an Apostle who built the Church. As we move towards the end of the Church year and a remembrance of All Souls and All Saints, as we see the light change and remember soon those who have died, the words of Psalm 119 commemorating this day are a reminder of Simon the Zealot’s devotion and the will of God:

The LORD exists forever;
Your word is firmly fixed in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all
Generations;
You have established the earth, and
It stands fast.
By your appointment they stand today,
For all things are your servants.

Is it not a comfort, these words of the Psalm?

The Church lives.

The LORD exists forever.


This is where the power of that word spoken by Simon the Zealot and Jude came from. Their words came from Christ in a commissioning:
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself so that they also may be sanctified in truth.
That beautiful section of John is worth a look, it is John 1: 17-27. It concludes:
“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these known that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

The Apostles are a glorious group, and they were faithful and zealous in their mission. As the Collect of the day says, let us pray,

…so we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…

These lovely words from Ephesians make a better ending to this Homily than anything I could write. Do these words not say what the Apostles did for all of us:

So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God…

• The Lord bless us and keep us. Amen.

• The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious to us. Amen.

• The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen.



Audio of Homily as given at Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley, CA USA:

Peacemaker blessed, may he banish
From us striving and hatred:
Archangel Michael (Hymn 282)
“The Hymnal 1982,” Episcopal Church USA

Homily
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
Wednesday Eucharist, September 30, 2009
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 1994

Genesis 28: 10-17
Revelation 12: 7-12
John 1: 47-51
Psalm 103



In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.


Let us speak of angels, one in particular with who all are familiar as they are familiar with their Bible: Michael… Holy Archangel Michael: Prince of Angels, Prince of Light, Defeater of Satan, Helper of Mankind, Leader of Armies of Angels.


One prayer regarding Angels said for evening time reads:

That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill
…we entreat you, O Lord.

Angels are higher than man in the order of celestial beings, supernatural these spirits of God fight evil, for it is said Michael defeated Satan himself. Thank God.

One Episcopal sermon states of Angels: Angel, of course, means messenger, and Archangel means first or highest messenger. The angels deliver messages and do God's bidding. According to Tradition, Michael is the archangel who battled Lucifer, the fifth archangel who began the first war in Heaven…

[Grace Church in Providence, 14 September, 2008,
Preached by: The Rev. Rich Bardusch]

My Homily is a list of the wonderful attributes of Michael and angels in general. For example, Pope Leo XII prayed this prayer:

Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Those devoted to angels offer to God in Christ a form of Christian life characterized by:

• Gratitude to God for having these heavenly spirits of sanctity and dignity aid man;
• A devotional attitude that lives in the constant presence of God’s Holy Angels;
• That there is serenity and confidence granted us by this knowledge of angels when facing difficult situations;
• That the Lord guides and protects the faithful through the ministry of Holy Angels.

Who is so brave, noble, and mighty a warrior in heavenly things as Michael?

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
-- Revelation 12:7-9 [RSV]

In matters celestial, who aids us as does Michael? It is said that at the time of death, Michael helps each of us cross over to the afterlife. He is a minister of God.

At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be delivered, every one whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

--Daniel 12:1-3 [RSV]

Just speaking these wonderful words of promise is worthwhile.

Many people believe there is healing in angels, and when a stressful or negative experience causes pain, either physical or emotional pain, it's wonderful to call on the Archangel Michael. He is supreme helper in any experience that brings up fear. If you need an additional convincer of his ability to lead and give courage, know he was one of Joan of Arc’s voices.


Great and heroic is Michael.

Tradition declares that Michael entered upon his role of defender at the time of the biblical patriarchs. The wonderful historic Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob tells us, it was Michael who rescued Abraham from the furnace into which he had been thrown by Nimrod Michael, the told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive, and Michael protected Sarah from being defiled by Abimelech. He also announced to Sarah that she would bear a son, and he rescued Lot at the destruction of Sodom.

An amazing and mythical angel of power and might, we know that as messenger and helper of mankind, there are forces of good led by God’s goodness. These celestial creatures of spirit have been in places of Biblical history Midrash of Hebrew scholarship says. Angels and Michael in particular are known to the Old Testament, as we see.

It is said that Michael prevented Isaac from being sacrificed by his father by substituting a ram in his place. Later Michael prevented Laban from harming Jacob According to one source, it was Michael who wrestled with Jacob and who afterward blessed him.

The midrash Exodus Rabbah holds that Michael exercised his function of advocate of Israel at the time of the Exodus also, when Satan (as an adversary) accused the Israelites of idolatry and declared that they were consequently deserving of death.

A wonderful statue of Archangel Michael stands at an entrance of England’s Coventry Cathedral. Dramatic and bold, magnificent, this statue proclaims the victory of the Church, the victory of good over evil, the vanquishing of Satan. Coventry Cathedral was ruined in the Second World War, and it is fitting that the Archangel Michael as bold leader of Heaven’s Angels did aid in the defeat of the Axis Powers by the Allies. That he is helpfully responsible for the rebuilding of the Cathedral and instrumental in the preservation of the Church.

My favorite quote from the Bible about Michael is this one:

Once when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?’ He replied, ‘neither; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and he said to him, ‘What do you command your servant, my lord?’ The commander of the army of the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.
--Joshua 5:13-15 [NRSV]

But of course, our Gospel tells us from John there is an angel quality to the Apostles, but more that at the end angels will appear.

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you,” you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
--John 1: 47-51

I believe Angels help us to believe, not because we believe in angels, but because angels believe in us. It is angelic to have faith. It is celestial to hold the heavens and God in Christ in ones heart. It is angelic to turn towards the good, to have mercy, to believe. It is angelic to hold as spirit the awesome magnificence of life and our creator.

Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever…

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Amen.



Audio of Homily is here:

Let us Speak of Holiness this morning:
Bernard of Clairvaux
A homily
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
Wednesday Eucharist,
August 19, 2009
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 1994

Ecclesiasticus 39: 1-10
John 15: 7-11
Psalm 139: 1-9

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us speak of Holiness this morning, God’s Holiness, as we learn of Bernard of Clairvaux. This is his Feast Day in our Episcopal Church.

From a hymn attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot, born in 1090, at Fontaines, near Dijon, France:

My Shepherd, now receive me;
my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.


This is a request of God in Christ by a man who founded 162 monasteries, was a man who deeply admired Mary, Mother of God, and is considered a man of God’s wisdom and holiness.
Herewith this is a remark, a statement, part of Psalm 139…

You search out my path and my lying down, /and are acquainted with all
my ways. /Even before a word is on my tongue,/ O Lord, you know it completely… /Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; /is is so high that I cannot attain it.

Friend of God, yes. Man of God’s wisdom, yes. Man of Holiness, yes.

Regarding Mary, history tells of Bernard:

He considered and admired the feminine in the holy, in the divine story, as Bernard played the leading role in the development of the Mary cult. One of the most important manifestations of the popular piety of the twelfth century, the Virgin Mary had played a minor role and it was only with the rise of emotional Christianity in the eleventh century that she became the prime intercessor for humanity with the deity. She is sometimes referred to as the “fourth part of the Trinity,” for Mary is a feminine figure much admired and even referred to in prayer to this day. We pray,

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our
death…”

A Cistercian Monk, Bernard, is considered in this manner by our readings today, reflecting the three-fold manner of his character and relationship with God and man. He died at Clairvaux, 21 August, 1153:

· Bernard is wise, with the wisdom of God.
· Bernard is Holy, with a Holiness of God.
· Bernard is friend of God, as the New Testament tells us of friendship with God. This is the way to abide in God.

Our Gospel, says:

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept
my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you
so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

So part of our reading from John for today, tells us of Bernard’s love in Christ, and his friendship with God in Christ.

In this way is Bernard found wise, so another of our readings tells us:

If the great Lord is willing,/ he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; /he will pour forth words of wisdom of his own/ and give thanks
to the Lord in prayer./ The Lord will direct his counsel and knowledge, /as he
meditates on his mysteries.

So goes part of our reading from Ecclesiasticus (the Apocrypha) for today, tell us of Bernard’s wisdom.

It is as a holy man we remember Bernard of Clairvaux today.

An internet search on Answer.com received this definition of holiness: “The New Testament Greek word that translates KADOSH is HAGIOS. In the New Testament it is everywhere used of Christians. Christians are said to be HAGIOI (plural.) All the English translations here read ‘saints’. Paul writes letters to congregations in a dozen different cities, always beginning his letter, "To the saints in...( Corinth , Philippi , wherever.) To be holy, a saint, is simply to be different.”

Holiness is that which allows us to be separate --as we are closer to and with God. It is that of separation as seen in hagios from hagos, which denotes "any matter of religious awe" (the Latin sacer); and that of sanctioned (sancitus). That which is hosios has received God’s seal.

Thomas Aquinas says, "All who worship God may be called 'religious', but they are specially called so, who dedicate their whole lives to the Divine worship, and withdraw themselves from worldly concerns, just as those are not termed 'contemplatives' who merely contemplate, but those who devote their whole lives to contemplation". The saint adds: "And such men subject themselves to other men not for man’s sake but for God's sake," words which afford us the keynote of religious life--so it is called.

What we are speaking of is the inner dynamic within and between God and man. And it has the most dramatic effects, bringing uprightness, happiness, yearning, treasuring, and delight.

The late Anglican Reverend Professor Daniel Hardy, defines Holiness.

So holiness is not to be seen, but it is found in those whose hearts are formed by the inward laws given to Moses by the Lord. Moreover, it is found again in those whose hearts are formed by the consistent faithfulness of the
Lord in the crucified and risen Christ. And the benefits go beyond what we saw
in the passage from Nehemiah. Then there was uprightness, happiness, yearning,
treasuring, delight, and their lives were filled with the unfathomable presence
of the Lord, whose holiness and joy flooded their hearts. But now there is a
'spiriting' of human hearts that makes them responsive and responsible, a people
affirmed by the Lord and marked by inner peace, meaning and purpose, faith, hope
and love. All these rest on what we might call the three I’s.

Daniel Hardy explains more:

All these rest on what we might call three 'I's':

(1) That the Lord is 'I am, always with you' -- ever faithful and loving to us;
(2) That this Lord gives and 'spirits' another 'I', responsive to the 'I am' and responsible for us, who abides with us;
(3) That this 'I am, always with you' gives and 'spirits' the 'I' that each of us is, to be responsive and responsible.

Reverend Professor Daniel Hardy explains, also: When the 'I' that I am, or you are, is within the 'I' that Jesus is, and thereby with the 'I' that the Lord is, our hearts will burn within us as we remember him. There we will know holiness and peace, and give faith, hope and love to each other.


Bernard of Clairvaux writes in his paper on the Song of Songs:

… (M)etaphor shows that we cannot of ourselves come to Christ in our Lord,
unless he draws us by his grace, which is laid up in his storerooms: that is, in
the mysteries of Faith, which God in his goodness and love for mankind hath
revealed, first by his servant Moses in the Old Law in figure only, and
afterwards in reality by his only begotten Son Jesus
Christ...

A Prayer attributed to Bernard goes:

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast;But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than
Thy blessed Name,O Savior of mankind!

We know that Bernard of Clairvaux, the historic figure of the Middle Ages, was a defender of the twelfth century Church, known for his ardor he preached love of God, “without measure.”
A Holy Man, we thank God on this day for his life.

Bernard is wise, with the wisdom of God. Bernard is Holy, with a Holiness of God. Bernard is friend of God, as the Gospel tells us of friendship with God.

· May the lord bless us and keep us. Amen.
· May the Lord make his face to shine up us and be gracious to us. Amen.
· May the Lord life up his countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen.

Recording of Homily is here:

She has always spoken to my heart:
Mary Magdalene
A homily,
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
Wednesday Eucharist, July 22, 2009
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 1994

Judith 9:1, 11-14
2 Corinthians 5: 14-18
John 20: 11-18
Psalm 42: 1-7


In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So many have said of Mary Magdalene, of her story with Jesus and her transformation through faith: “She has always spoken to my heart.”

So frequently, the merit and worth of Mary Magdalene has been her controversy in the Church. That is the popular conception. After all, how widely spread is the belief she was married to Jesus. An unlikely reality, by most Biblical and Gospel measure: One sermon writer says:


“Books have appeared which suggest Jesus and Mary were lovers or even married. This is easily disproved: if Jesus and Mary had been married, then St Luke would have mentioned the fact…"

A note on Jesus' celibacy: I doubt he was interested in marrying and raising children. Though Jesus did have sexual feelings, he was celibate. The love between the two was of the kind that brings a woman, who is friend of Jesus Christ, to wait with his mother Mary at the foot of the Cross. This is the love of a woman. This is a deep, abiding love for the person and divine person of Jesus Christ. This is Holy love.

My sense of Mary is based on her courage, her independence, her willingness to love passionately. One result I admire and believe of this sainted woman, disciple of Christ, is how transformation and redemption, reconciliation and renewal came to this woman of the Bible.

The Apostle to the Apostles is Mary in spirit as was Mary Magdalene in life. She took a journey, went the Way of Jesus.

This is miraculous and telling of the Way of Jesus, her experience and faith: The fact that seven devils had been cast out of her gives us all hope. Hers is one of transformation and freedom in relationship to faith and Jesus Christ.

For I, too, have experienced transformation in my life. I, too, have been released in a freedom of spirit through Jesus. Her life is a fascination and inspiration regarding the power of the Christian faith, the illuminating power of the Gospel, and simply that of a life of miscast values or even that of a lost person reformed. Re-formed meaning one has been formed in a spiritual and psychic sense through faith-- through Faith that is a healing balm.

History really tells us little of Mary Magdalene. The Gospel of John in its first chapter says: "The Word (God's living self-utterance and self-bestowal) became flesh, and dwelt among us."

This is a woman of courage, for she went to his tomb alone.

There she received a call, a vocation as disciple to bring the word of Jesus’ resurrection to mankind, to follow in the Way. It is liberation of the heart. It is liberation in history of man and woman kind. May I say liberation of the world and cosmos? The Christ event.

The passage where Mary is commissioned reads:

Jesus said to her, “Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away? Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Following this commissioning, Mary Magdalene rushed to the disciples, saying, “I have seen the Lord”, and she told them that he had said these things to her.

I present the Psalm portion of our reading this Feast Day of Saint Mary Magdalene. This part of Psalm 42 speaks of her passion, and need for Jesus. This part of Psalm 42 speaks of her holiness. Mostly, it speaks to all of us of the human yearning for God. Is it not part of the light and spirit of the Lord that graces humankind with this capacity?


In a moment, I’ll quote it. I am sure it will resonate with you. Mary, a reputedly wealthy woman of business and travel somehow met Jesus on her trips. It was something that stirred her. Call this the mystical call.

From the Psalm:
As a deer longs for the flowing streams, /so my soul longs for you, O God, /for the living God. /When shall I come and behold /the face of God? /My tears have been my food and drink /day and night…

Her passion shows again in tears and love when she washes Jesus’ feet with her hair. This same powerful force within her led her to the tomb. There Mary was “graced with a visitation and ignited with a vocation. The visitation occurred at the bleakest period of her life. Bereaved of her Lord and grief-soaked as well, she had planned only to care for a corpse -- when it happened: a visitation from the One who called her by name and then commissioned her to a service—service from which she would never shrink and of which she would never be ashamed.” That’s how one writer puts it. How eloquent and elegant Mary Magdalene is and are these words I’ve borrowed from Victor Shepherd, noted preacher.


Why Mary, a wealthy woman of worldly sophistication to receive this vocation?

Mary was a poor woman in spirit. She had need of Jesus, and Jesus cares for such and calls them. Our reading in the Apocrypha tells us:

“For your strength does not depend on numbers, nor your might on the powerful. But you are the God of the lowly, helper of the oppressed, upholder of the weak, protector of the forsaken, savior of those without hope.”
That says it.

And this, too, says it… as Jesus said of Mary Magdalene:


She hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head…this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet…

Do we not love Mary Magdalene? She is so alive and real. It is Gospel, so alive and real:


The love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

Mary Magdalene became “the righteousness of God.”


As today’s Collect for this major Feast Day reads in part of this personal and community Christ event for Mary Magdalene:

Almighty God, whose blessed son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life…


Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Amen.


Audio of Homily as given at Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley, CA USA:

That God is Love,
Commentary on John 15: 1-8
“Me in thee, and thee in me…”

Homily
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
(North of San Francisco)
Fifth week of Easter
Wednesday Eucharist, May 13, 2009

Acts 15: 1-6
John 15: 1-8
Psalm 122



In the name of God: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It is in Love, through the Church, Worship, and prayer; it is in Love, through acts of mercy, charity, and deeds for others; it is in Love, through following the poor and chaste Christ through the Church year—where we come to know and live in the way of Christ. This is called the Christian life. What this life entails is narrated through the Bible, in specific The New Testament. On this day we are reminded again that God seeks us in Love.

Our reading from John 15:1-8 says directly:

“I am the true vine, and my father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me…”

My life as an Oblate, received by the Camaldolese monastic order of St. Benedict 15 years ago, has opened to me a life lived as offering to God. Sometimes I think of it as Samson in the Bible who lived under a vow, and think that called by God I’ve responded and may hold a special fervor for Christ and Church, to abide in God and continue the Divine Call that brought me to live in the world as the Oblate does, rather than in a monastery, as does the Monk. This is a life of abiding in Christ, abiding in God, and a radical giving over to a more religious life.

One preached retreat at Immaculate Heart Hermitage in Big Sur, California where Brother Bede spoke of The Rule of Saint Benedict, I realized that this Holy Book was an excellence direction and resource for living life in a full. It is a directed way that is common to the monastic community of which I am a part. Having chosen to center my life around the daily office and worship and prayer, my interest is in living with the Parish as a centerpiece for life. With its many Biblical references and references to the Psalm in The Rule, I am helped in my direction for abiding in a manner consistent with John’s, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me…”


Living with others in community, as I live the Parish life, and the monastic life in the world, I, like you, follow the poor, chaste Christ through the year.

“Me in thee, thee in me.”



Love binds us.
We are friends in Christ.

That Christ invites us: it is an enormous hospitality of God that is extended anew through Christ. We are invited, and this is Grace--for we are accepted.

Like Dame Julian of Norwich, we learn the Lord’s meaning that is brought to us through divine longing.

Love is his meaning.

Who shows it to us: Love.
What is shown: Love.
Why was it shown: Love.
We learn that Love is our Lord’s meaning.

Christ in the Bible, Christ in the Church Fathers, Christ in the Church guides us. Though we may have different approaches and needs, we are united in Christ. For example, as a contemplative, I seek Union with God. This is an unknowing knowing. One lives with the contradictions, lives with the questions of Christ and those of the Church. This includes those mysteries that we find in the Bible.

The invitation to God is the result of God’s love, not our love of God. Humans cannot be so perfect as to regard God in a manner as He regards humans. Though we bless God “for our creation, preservation, / and all the blessing of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love/ in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ…” and may do this daily, it is God’s grace that gives us these freedoms. This gift of Christ is a result of God’s love for woman and mankind.

A relationship has many dimensions, as any love affair.
Being angry with God is not failing to love God. Asking why did this happen; having doubts, is a way of reaching and moving towards love. These are points of starting that enables us to enter into love. Otherwise the stumbling block becomes our own emotional failure. One must be true to our own feelings and thoughts. Emotional honesty is required. It is not one who is angry who is a failure, but when one is denying dishonest self-awareness in the relationship with God. This honesty, and knowing oneself in Christ is a job itself, and all of us as Christians work at this task. It is part of the vineyard work.

Abiding as resting in Christ, in the spirit of the Church—is balm. It is comfort. As Archbishop Rowan Williams says, “Church is something that happens, a verb before it is a noun.” Church is a vineyard of Christ, and the Church asks, even tells us, that the world is Christ’s vineyard, as our lives are engaged and lived in the vineyard. We labor in God, who is Love.

Love is a verb before it is a noun. Love acts upon us, as we live in the history of God in our lives, and within our nation and community. It is common for us to offer guidance and moral community in Christ, and we do this personally and corporately. Each member helps the other along the way. We express this help and caring each Sunday. One example is: Each Sunday we offer each other “…the peace of the Lord…” This offer is our desire that each of us experience Christ’s peace.

As an Oblate, I enjoyed meeting acceptance and understanding of the requests made of an Oblate in one’s life. This is called Postulancy. Postulancy lasts at the least a year.

The Oblate Introduction says:

Long before the coming of Christ, humanity's quest for the Absolute gave rise (and bears) throughout the centuries … witness to the divine destiny of the human person and to the presence of the Spirit in the hearts of all who seek to know what is true and ultimately real. … [E]very Christian call witnesses to that dimension present interiorly in every other Christian.

For as our reading says, and as we live and learn as Christians we recognize in each other Christ, and our faith in heart, deed, and word. We believe in the seen and unseen:

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” So we learn to “…feed the poor, and homeless,” as we do through our work in providing a meal to them, so we learn to “…worship regularly in Church, as we do on Sundays and other days, so we learn to “…introduce others to Christ, as we do by being a light to the world.

We seek God together as we abide in God in Christ together.

More from the Rule for Camaldoli Oblates:

As sincere seekers of God (RB 58, 7) we approach God as sons and daughters. We center our lives on the encounter with God, which finds expression in forms of prayer handed down in early Christian, patristic and monastic traditions. Ultimately, our prayer seeks to become the very prayer of the Holy Spirit within our hearts.

This statement of the Rule for Oblates is genuine for me. I believe it will resonate with you, for we experience prayer in Church together this day. I find that my own yearnings are fulfilled in my divine search, as I rest in the prayers. This form of abiding in Christ is one of many we may practice or know. It is within the Church that means of offering from generation to generation life in Christ, that we find meaning and direction.

Through the centuries mankind and womankind have experienced the divine search, and the words of John have been revelation, comfort and instruction: “I am the true vine, and my father is the vine grower…Abide in me as I abide in you.”
Let me end with this blessing: The Lord bless us and keep us. Amen. The Lord Make his face to shine upon us and be gracious to us. Amen. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen.



Audio of the Homily is here:

In Celebration & Praise of The Annunciation
of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
“Hail, thou that art highly favored…”

A reflection,
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
(North of San Francisco)
Wednesday Eucharist, March 25, 2009
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 1994

Isaiah 7: 10-14
Hebrews 10: 5-10
Luke 1:26-38
Psalm 40: 1-11

In the name of God: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The word of David is fulfilled this day as we celebrate Mary, who says “Yes,” to the Lord. The obedient young woman, the virgin Mary, Mother of God, says “Yes,” to the Lord after the Angel Gabriel greets her: “Hail, you that are highly favored…”

Let us add our voices and hearts with others, as we consider: Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad. The fields shall be joyful, and all the trees of the wood before the Lord, because He cometh. And in what way, what special way, did God give his only Son to mankind? Born of a virgin, bringing into the history of God and man a new life with God in Christ, a new period in the history of the divine-human relationship that will be for ever and ever. For Gabriel said in greeting: “Hail, you that are highly favored…”

The pure Virgin Mary cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. And the Angel immediately proceeded to say, The Lord is with thee: fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God. Behold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call him Jesus.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever: and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Shall I still remain a virgin?

And while she was yet in perplexity as to these things, the angel placed before her the summary of his whole message, and said to Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Meekly, then, did grace make election of the pure Mary alone out of all generations.

Mary was obedient, and holy. She was pure. It was goodness that brought Jesus Christ into the world, and specifically the goodness of God who loves us that brought the Saviour of the world and mankind. Listen to these words in celebration of Mary by a woman poet:

Virgin
by Luci Shaw

As if until that moment
nothing real
had happened since Creation

As if outside the world were empty
so that she and he were all
there was--he mover, she moved upon

As if her submission were the most
dynamic of all works: as if
no one had ever said Yes like that

As if one day the sun had no place
in all the universe to pour its gold
but her small room

Let us imagine together this event, so awesome and holy, so large and cosmic as to create in us the need to recognize that God’s ways are not our ways.
The Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary is the beginning of Jesus in His human nature. It is through His mother that He is a member of the human race. So the story tells us: The virginity of Mary before, during, and after the conception of her Divine Son was always considered part of the deposit of faith. The Incarnation of the Son of God did not in itself necessitate this exception from the laws of nature. Through Mary a new generation begins of the children of God.

We recite words like these that make the miracle real: “…[M] aker of heaven and earth, /of all that is, seen and unseen…God from God, Light from Light, /true God from true God, /begotten not made…”

The Redeemer does not arrive in the way of earthly generations: the power of the Holy Spirit enters the chaste womb of the Virgin, forming the humanity of Christ.
This Holy Spirit, which enters Mary in its creation, creates an incarnate God, a man to be born of woman, in Mary’s womb. But the spirit of Christ Jesus is so large, so immense, so cosmic a spirit that He is in reality begotten into the world. In the words of the Hymn by Third Century Syrian Poet Ephrem:

He dwelt in the vast wombs of all creation.
They were too small to contain the greatness of the Firstborn.
How indeed did that small womb of Mary suffice for Him?
It is a wonder if (anything) sufficed for Him.
Of all the wombs that contained Him, one womb sufficed:
[the womb] of the Great One Who begot Him.

The womb that contained Him, if it contained all of Him,
Is equal to the wonderful womb
That is greater than [the womb] of His birth.

As we celebrate and remember Mary and the Annunciation, her obedience to God, let us thank God for this cosmic act in love of humankind. Let us be grateful for Christ Jesus and his life. Again, the poet Ephrem may with his voice, help us--we join him when he writes:

Glory to Your coming that restored humankind to life.
Glory to that One Who came to us by His First-born.
Glory to that Silent One Who spoke by means of His Voice.
Glory to that Sublime One Who was seen by means of His Dawn.
Glory to the Spiritual One Who was well-pleased…

…Glory to that Hidden One Whose Child was revealed.
Glory to that Living One Whose Son became mortal…
…Glory to that One Power Who fashioned Him.
The Image of His greatness and Form for His hiddenness…
…Glory to that Hidden One Who even to the mind
Is utterly imperceptible to those who investigate Him.

Of what became of Mary in her life with Christ--we know this of the Lenten season from the Lenten story and text “The Way of the Cross.” In the hymn “Stabat Mater,” we are reminded that she kept her station at the Cross: how sad and “sore distressed / Now as she, that mother blessed /Of the sole-begotten-One.”

At the end, the body of Jesus is placed in the arms of His mother. She tells us to behold and see if there is any sorrow like hers…”for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” Our hearts go out to Mary. We are moved by her life, and mostly by her faith and obedience.

For His tender mercies sake, let us say together:

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

You have redeemed the world. Amen.

Martin Luther: Reformer, Hymnist
A Homily
By Peter Menkin
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
Wednesday Eucharist, 10:30 a.m.
February 18, 2009

Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 1994
Isaiah 55: 6-11
John 15: 1-11
Psalm 46


In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Our readings today are rich, and so is the life of Martin Luther. This remarkable and great man of history did, as God’s instrument, reform the Christian Church throughout the world. Who does not know the name? Those of the Christian faith, certainly do.
If you come away with any good news from this Homily, let it be that God works in history. That Martin Luther, a man of God, was a man of God in history. That God still speaks. He speaks to us in many ways. As Luther so ardently said 500 years, ago, the Bible speaks to us. As we know, the Holy Spirit is a guide.

Martin Luther, man of history, was a writer of hymns, famous for music that we sing today. He is a reminder of a Christ-inspired, a Christ-filled life, and a Christ-gifted man of faith. His most notable and memorable hymn is, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” Here is a part of the hymn played for us. (Some of the hymn is played on a musical instrument, no voice.)

These are some words from the hymn:

"A mighty fortress is our God
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe –
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal."

One commentary says: “Luther’s hymn was sung boldly as an affirmation of God’s power over forces that sought to disrupt the truth of God.”

Martin Luther was born November 10, 1483, at Eisleben, Germany. He studied at Mansfeld, Magdeburg and Eisenach, Germany. At the age of 18, he entered the University of Erfurt intending a career in law. But dropped out almost immediately, believing that law represented uncertainty. Almost at the same time he received his Master’s degree, he became a monk. This was 1505. He had entered the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt to prepare for the priesthood.
He was appointed professor at the University of Wittenberg in 1508. After his ordination, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity and attracted large congregations by his preaching.

In 1511 he visited Rome, became critical over the corruptions in the church and agonized over the problem of salvation--that it was not won by indulgences, but was a gift of God's grace.

On October 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 theses of denunciation in Wittenberg with a view to begin a public debate. This started a quarrel between Luther and the church.

These are the first three theses:
1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

3. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.

During 1521, Luther maintained his stand before the Diet of Worms that led to his excommunication. German princes and followers among churchmen and the people supported him. At this time he began translating the Bible into German. He completed the whole translation in 1531.

The translation of the Bible into German, invention of the printing press, and hymn writing all brought the spirit of God to common men, gave Martin Luther, the great preacher, another venue that moved the Christian world towards the new way--Protestantism.

History of man and of creation, which means our earth and the universe, is God’s field. He acts so greatly. Yet God acts with and in mankind. He as friendly maker brought so much to one man, Martin Luther, who in Christ remarkably added and was an instrument of movement in human life. So we know that Christ acts in man, for in our reading today from John, the reading offers: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit…” Martin Luther did this in accord with his understanding of the Bible. He was a prophet.

Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish Calvinist and Essayist of the 19th Century, says:
As a participant and dispenser of divine influence, he shows himself among human affairs a true connecting medium and visible messenger between heaven and earth, a man, therefore, not only permitted to enter the sphere of poetry, but to dwell in the purest centre thereof, perhaps the most inspired of all teachers since the Apostles.

Martin Luther’s teachings went this way, as Luther the reformer had become Luther the revolutionary:
· The Bible is the only source of faith; it contains the inspiration of God.
· Faith alone can work justification; man is saved by confidently believing that God will pardon him. This faith not only includes a full pardon of sin, but also an unconditional release from its penalties.
· The hierarchy and priesthood are not Divinely instituted or necessary, and ceremonial or exterior worship is not essential or useful. Ecclesiastical vestments, pilgrimages, mortifications, monastic vows, prayers for the dead, intercession of saints, avail the soul nothing.
· All sacraments, with the exception of baptism, Holy Eucharist, and penance, are rejected. A powerful theological concept and attitude, Luther’s influence of reformation remains with Protestants and Catholics today. The Reformation is an ongoing movement, even this more than 500 years later. The Anglican Church, with its middle way of Protestant/catholicism, emphasizes in focus the sacraments of baptism and Holy Eucharist. In the case of Eucharist, since the Anglican of today and since 1979 has emphasized it (in specific, the Protestant Episcopal Church USA)—Holy Eucharist every week! Baptism as a celebration and important emphasis for the “Priesthood of All Believers,” as well! No wonder we have a Feast day celebrating Martin Luther in our Church lives.
· The priesthood is universal; every Christian may assume it. A body of specially trained and ordained men to dispense the mysteries of God is needless and a usurpation.
· There is no visible Church or one specially established by God whereby men may work out their salvation.

Whether you believe all or part of Martin Luther’s statements, his influence and thought, his ideas and faith, his life of believing changed the world.
We remember Martin Luther in hymn. He always wrote the words, sometimes the music itself, and often took the music from popular songs of his day. His most well known hymns:

· Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice
· Saviour of the Nations, Come
· From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
· Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands
· Come, Spirit of God, Holy Lord
· Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word

God in history is enacted by the story of Martin Luther, as are his hymns.

Amen.

He is with us even after the end of our days

Homily for Aldersly Garden Retirement Community
outreach Church, skilled and acute ward (ECHMM)
Sunday, August 8, 1999
Matthew 14:22-33

Homily by Peter Menkin


Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. Matthew 14:22

What is most amazing to me in this reading of the Gospel is the presence of the Holy Spirit. When I read Matthew, and that is our reading today, I find that it contains a dismissal of the crowds by our Lord. The joy of the message of this part of the life of Jesus Christ is that he has in his great love left us with a promise to be with us, and to know him as the Lord. We are fortunate that we may allow ourselves the pleasure to continue in prayer with the understanding that the disciple's, too, were many times in doubt and confusion. Even Peter, who failed so many times in his faith, was heartened by the willing hand that Jesus reaches out to us in those times when we are alone. This aloneness that is experienced from time to time is described in a poem by the present Pope, John Paul II. His book of poetry called The Place Within is part of my summer reading program.

Like the disciples, and like many of us experience, these times when the Lord has left us are moments, seemingly hollow without hope. In fact, as we live them we live them as they are hollow and without hope.

Let us seek the Lord. The Good News is Christ gives of himself to us to know him as a way in our journey to Easter, and the life to come. It is by the very "sparks" of His [as capital "H" for God the Father] mouth that we are saved. When we are alone, or seem to be dismissed by God, and are hollow so that there is so little for us, the reality is that the Holy Spirit is available.

And this too: The Spirit of Christ, a living presence that clearly declares he is with us even after the end of our days, or the end of Church today, or the hollowness that we experience at times in our lives. Christ is for us in our lives and in the time of our death. This is how we get to know Him as Lord, through these passages and ways, these venues, and sparks, these even "empty shores" when the slightest weight is too much for any of us. Like Peter, we walk on the water with Christ for he is with us and reaches out his hand to us to help us along the ways we must go as we hasten to our heavenly home.

The Place Within: The Poetry of Pope John Paul II, translated by Jerzy Peterkiewicz, "Schizotymik: the Polish title refers to a term in Ernst Kretschmer's typology, denoting a person immersed in himself and isolated." Pg. 79.
The Place Within: The Poetry of Pope John Paul II, translated by Jerzy Peterkiewicz "There are moments, hollow without hope;/ will ever light up a thought,/ ever strike warm sparks from my heart?" pg. 79.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha . Jesus… "Was far from the land, Greek literally 'was many stadia from the land'… 'in the fourth watch of the night' (the fourth watch was from 3 to 6 a.m.)" from the notes pg. 22 NT Matthew 14:22-36.

Photographs by Henry Worthy, Camaldoli Oblate, London.

--Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB