Saint Alban's Day

Carving of Saint Alban

Last Wednesday, June 22nd was the Feast of S. Alban, protomartyr of Britain and patron of my parish church. We celebrated our titular feast with a beautiful Solemn High Mass that evening and had delicious food and fellowship in the parish hall to continue the celebration. We were blessed to have the first Rector of S. Alban's in Arlington, Fr. Walter Harrison Beste with us as a guest preacher. Thank you to everyone who attended and everyone who helped out in making the event so wonderful.

Almighty God, by whose grace and power thy holy martyr Alban triumphed over suffering and was faithful even unto death: Grant to us, who now remember him with thanksgiving, to be so faithful in our witness to thee in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Whooda thunk it?

In preparing a homily for the past Sunday that described the call of Matthew, my attention turned to the theme of unlikey converts (that is, unexpected by us). Matthew was looked down upon in his society as a tax collector (even more so than IRS agents today). Other's might not have expected this lowly sinner to be called to the highest of God's work, but Jesus had other plans. Matthew is not the only unlikely convert in the New Testament. We could put that label on most of the Twelve disciples. But certainly none of them were as unlikely as Saul of Tarsus--on his way to persecute the church when our Lord called him.

There is something inspiring about unlikely converts. Perhaps they show us that no one is beyond God's mercy and that no one is beyond being a part of his will for the world. What about modern-day unlikely converts can you think of? Three came to my mind. Perhaps you can add to the list.

One unlikely person to be a convert in modern times was C.S. Lewis. As a professor of literature at Oxford, Jack Lewis was a man of great intellect and also a convinced atheist. He would often argue about God with his friend Tolkien. Soon enough, God broke through Jack’s thick skin. He became an adult convert, with a convert’s heart. Lewis remained a devout Anglican churchman till his death. His novels and his devotional books like Mere Christianity have nurtured and given birth to faith in millions around the world to this day.

Another unlikely person God used was Norma McCorvey, once known as Jane Roe of "Roe v. Wade" Supreme Court decision. This was the last person we might have expected to join the Pro-Life Movement. And yet, God had other plans for Norma. In 1995, she found Christ as a part of her life, and in 1998, she was confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church. Since then she has spoken out publicly against the tragedy of abortion and started a pro-life ministry in Dallas. And Norma has visited churches all across the nation, talking to women and girls, sharing her own story, and urging them to choose life in that desperate situation.

Another unlikely person God used was Chuck Colson. He was a tough guy in the Nixon Whitehouse, a chief counsel known as the president’s "Hatchet Man." You might recall that he was famous for saying "I’d run over my own grandmother to re-elect Richard Nixon as president." He announced that he had converted to Christianity in 1974--just before he was sentenced to two years in prison for obstruction of justice. No one in the press took him seriously . . . but God did. After his release from prison, Colson founded a ministry called Prison Fellowship. He has since worked to promote faith-based prisoner rehabilitation and reform of the prison system in the United States. He also is a regular commentator discussing contemporary issues in the public eye from an Christian worldview. Colson is the author of over twenty books, and all the royalties from those books are donated to Prison Fellowship. No one is doubting his conversion anymore.

Sometimes, God does choose the most unlikely people to serve him. Sometimes he even calls people like you and me to serve him. Perhaps he calls those whom we least expect just to show us once and a while that no one is beyond God’s mercy. And sometimes, it is precisely those who are most in need of mercy who are the most humble and willing to accept it.

Memorial Day

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

"Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead: We give thee thanks for all thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence; and give us such a lively sense of thy righteous will, that the work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." The Book of Common Prayer, p 488

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let light perpetual shine upon them.

May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Corpus Christi

Let us forever adore the most Holy Sacrament. Alleluia.

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi (celebrated on the following Sunday in the Roman Catholic USA). The commemoration was established by Pope Urban VI in 1264 and S. Thomas Aquinas composed the Mass and Office propers for the feast. I give thanks that the Lord brought me to appreciate the fact of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ under the forms of bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist. A love for the Lord in his Sacrament is what led me to embrace the gospel in all its fullness.

The simple truth of the Real Presence is recorded in the holy Bible and has been handed down to us from Christian antiquity. It was the firm teaching of the early Church and the Church Fathers. S. Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch following S. Peter in the heart of the New Testament era, described the Eucharist as “the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which suffered on behalf of our sins” (Ad Smyrn., 7, 1). Later in the second century, S. Justin Martyr wrote at Rome that it was taught that “the food [the Eucharist] over which thanks has been given by the prayer of his word . . . is both the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus” (Apology 1, 66, 2).

When we consider eucharistic doctrine of the New Testament, the Bread of Life discourse in John 6 is the fullest exposition. Jesus spoke to the people about the need for faith in him and his words for salvation after the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes the previous day. He then told them, “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

This caused the Jews to start arguing amongst themselves. Could it be correct that Jesus actually said that they would have to eat his flesh to gain eternal life? How could His followers engaged in a literal act of eating their Lord? “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked themselves. What could this mean? Surely Jesus could not have spoken literally.

Instead of revising his statement, Jesus affirmed the literalness of his meaning, saying, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” This shocked the crowd and not all of them believed, nor understood. Jesus continued, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:48-58).

Not everyone could find it in their hearts to trust the Lord this far. The disciples were even torn, and they said to Jesus, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” Jesus realized that there were some who could not accept his teaching, and he said to them, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe” (Jn 6:60, 63).

Many no longer followed Jesus because of his words that day. They could not find it in their heart to accept what they did not understand. The Lord’s Twelve did not reject him, however. Jesus asked them if they could not accept his teaching and no longer follow him. Simon Peter, answering for the group, responded in sincere faith, saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). And the Twelve remained with Jesus, and followed him as the Holy One of God.

Even in our day, this same Jesus, who was born of the Virgin and walked with his disciples, comes to earth in the central mystery of the Holy Eucharist. There, our risen Lord comes again among his people and is made known to them in the breaking of the Bread, saying "peace be with you." There, we may sing to him, “Humbly I adore thee, verity unseen, who thy glory hidest ’neath these shadows mean; lo, to thee surrendered, my whole heart is bowed, tranced as it beholds thee, shrined within the cloud.”

Let us pray.
O God our Father, whose Son Jesus Christ in a wonderful Sacrament, hath left unto us a memorial his passion: Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of thy redemption; who livest and reighnest, world without end. Amen.

Sermon for Trinity Sunday

Homily on the Most Holy Trinity
by The Rev’d Timothy M. Matkin, SSC
Given at S. Alban’s Church, Arlington, TX on 22 May 2005

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

The year was AD 325 and Christian bishops from all over the known world were gathered to take council for the church in the resort town of Nicaea. They were called together by Constantine, the first Christian Emperor. Constantine’s aim was to unite the empire and a key part of that strategy was to have a united church—which was not a problem, until . . . a priest in Alexandria, Egypt named Arius started making a pronouncement from the pulpit that “there once was a time when Christ was not.”

Arius taught that there was not always a co-eternal Son of God. His teaching was that Jesus was the most exalted of all God’s creatures, whom God anointed with the Spirit at baptism and adopted as a son. He said Jesus is inferior to God, that he is not “God the Son.” Jesus is of a different substance, not fully divine.

The bishops had come to Nicaea to sort out the matter. At one point, the conversation got so heated that the saintly bishop of Myra in Turkey, named Nicholas (of Santa Claus fame), who was known for his kindness and generosity, walked over to Arius and punched him out. The story goes that Nicholas was immediately deposed for such unruly conduct, but the council restored him the next day when several of the bishops had a dream about Nicholas being returned to his episcopal throne.

What would bring such indignation out of such a gentle man as Nicholas? What made old Saint Nick loose his cool? Why was he so upset? Did it really matter what Arius was saying? Indeed, it does matter, for sometimes even words can destroy souls. The Apostle Paul wrote to S. Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Keep doing this, for by doing so, you save both yourself and those who listen to you” (1 Tm 4:16-17).

Today is the feast we call Trinity Sunday. At the end of the incarnation (Christmas) and redemption (Easter) cycles of the Church kalendar, we pause to give thanks and embrace our heritage of faith, our faith in and worship of the one true God—the Holy and undivided Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

In the older prayer books, there was a creed called the Quincunque vult, proscribed to be read on Trinity Sunday and at one of the minor offices called Prime. In some places, they sing this creed in procession today. It was named after S. Athanasius, one of the great defenders of the orthodox trinitarian faith, who fought for the truth even through great personal hardship.

This “Athanasian Creed” is found on p. 864 of the current Book of Common Prayer. It is a creed of that mainly speaks about the Trinity—and in great detail. Like the indignant Nicholas at the council, it is very serious-minded. In the first line, we read: “Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt, he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.”

Why is it so important to keep the Catholic Faith whole, pure, and undefiled. Why is this so serious? First, understand that we know and identify God by his attributes. God has revealed to us certain things about himself. From the record of the Scriptures, we know that God is a personal God, that he is almighty and just, that he is also merciful, and that in the truest sense, God is love. There we also read that God revealed himself as Father, that he used his Word and Spirit in the act of creation. In the Scriptures, we see God has revealed to us his name—YHWH. God names his only Son Jesus, which means “YHWH is salvation.”

In the New Testament, we learn that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son for us and to us. The Word was incarnate and dwelt among us. Jesus is the perfect ikon of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus fulfilled the law and bore our sins on the cross. He rose victorious from the dead and Jesus offers us the same blessing by sacramentally joining us to himself as his mystical Body through the new birth of Baptism and the Eucharistic feast. When Jesus rose into heaven, taking our humanity into God, he did not leave us comfortless, but sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts crying, “Abba, Father.”

The one God exists in three Persons who are co-equal and co-eternal. From this we learn that in his deepest mystery, God is not a solitude, but a family. He is a family of infinite intimacy. It is in his nature to create, to go out of himself, and to make that creation a gift to himself in return. Such is the action of worship in the Holy Eucharist. It is at the Altar that we share most directly in the divine life of the Holy Trinity.

We know who God is and what he has done by his own self-revelation. That’s why we can be confident that we are not worshipping a false god, an idol, or a god that is simply the projection of our own selves. A god other than the Holy Trinity is simply no god at all. Such a god has no power to create, no power to forgive, no power to heal, no power to restore, and should never be worshipped. To distinguish YHWH from foreign idols, the Israelites sometimes referred to him as the “living God,” which is to say, he is the only God who exists.

It is only through this one, true, and living God that we find salvation. Stressing that point, S. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you into the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. . . . Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel which is different from the one we have been preaching, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be anathema” (Gal 1:6-9).

S. Paul goes so far as to give them back-to-back warnings that some false doctrine can be soul-destroying. Arius was not merely tearing at the unity of the Church with his preaching, he was also destroying souls. In the creedal affirmation put forth at the end of the first Ecumenical Council, the Nicene Fathers rejected Arius’ idea that Jesus was an exalted creature, merely our ethical example, an earthly messiah, inferior to the Father. A Jesus that is not divine has no ability to be our Savior.

Drawing from the scriptures and relying on the promise of Jesus that the Spirit would lead the apostles as a body and guide them into all truth, they affirmed, “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, only-begotten of the Substance of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, being of one Substance with the Father.”

At the end of their doctrinal affirmation, the Fathers went on to say, And those who say, “There was a time when he was not,” and, “Before he was begotten he was not,” and that, “He came into being from what is not,” or those who allege, that the son of God is “of another substance or essence”, or that he is “created” or “changeable,” these the Catholic and Apostolic Church declares anathema.

They didn’t have the political concern that Constantine did. But when the bishops in council saw the damage to souls from not being clear about those preaching a different gospel and proclaiming a different God, not the holy Trinity—they were all just as indignant as Nicholas.

What is the lesson to us today from the councils of the church that defined and defended the Christian concept of God as Trinity? I see two.

First, as the Apostle Paul said, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Keep doing this, for by doing so, you save both yourself and those who listen to you” (1 Tm 4:16-17). Let us become so familiar with who God is and what he is like, that we instantly recognize when someone tries to pass us a counterfeit.

When we hear someone talk about the persons of the Trinity as different “aspects of God,” when we hear that “the Father came down to be one of us,” or “Jesus is simply God the Father with skin on,” or that Jesus was merely a human being, or that he only appeared to be human, or that Jesus became God at his birth or his baptism, or stopped being God on the cross, or that diversity is what makes God a trinity, or that the Holy Spirit is an “it” —a thing, or that you and I are little gods or “gods-in-embryo,” then we should not pay attention to anything else they have to say. For these are the beginning of errors, not the end. And sometimes words can destroy souls.

Second, let us have faith that God will preserve the Faith "once delivered to the saints" in his holy Church. Arianism was the most destructive heresy to ever rise in the Church. The bishops thought it was all over at Nicaea, only to see the heresy morph into other forms. Just when they thought it was over, an Arian would become emperor and Arian bishops would be appointed. It is said that at one point, over 80% of the Church was Arian and the orthodox bishops and others Christians were persecuted as enemies of both Church and state.

But Christ built his Church on a rock, the gates of hell never to prevail against it. They would not prevail then, and they will not prevail now. Why? Christ promised that the spirit would lead us into all truth. Deception, confusion, and misunderstanding are overcome by the Truth of God as revealed in his holy Word.

At times, it may seem that confusion and false teaching have won the day. Theological and moral truths seem to be perpetually eroding in our society and even within the Church. But the Faith is still with us. God’s light will never be snuffed out. The Lord has always made provision for a faithful remnant of his people. It is our responsibility to remain faithful to him who has remained so faithful to us. Draw close to the Lord and he will draw near to you. In the hour of trial, turn to him for strength, and you will find the victory that overcomes the world.

Let us pray.
Almighty God, keep your people faithful in all our teaching and practice: faithful to the Fatherhood of God, faithful to the brotherhood of Christ, and faithful to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship. For yours is the majesty, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Happy Anniversary

I want to wish my wife Melisa a happy third wedding anniversary. I look forward to many years together. She is the best thing to ever happen to me. I'd like to share two favorite quotes to mark the occasion.

"Two souls united in this way have nothing to fear. With harmony, peace, and mutual love, husband and wife possess every possible wealth. They can live in peace behind the impregnable wall which protects them, which is love in accordance with God's will. Thanks to love, they are harder than a diamond, harder than iron, they have everything they need to as they steer their course towards eternal glory, and enter more and more fully into God's grace."
--St. John Chrysostom

"With all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
--The Book of Common Prayer, pg. 427

The more things change . . .

the more they stay the same.

As I turned thirty years of age last Thursday, this picture from twenty or so years ago came to mind. I was a Southern Baptist at the time, so I didn't even know what words like "altar" or "priest" meant. But I did have my make-shift pulpit, blue blazer, and picture bible.

The gift of discernment

One of the supernatural gifts is discernment. And it looks like it almost may take supernatural powers to discern whether this is a holy water stoup or a toilet bowl. What do you think? Would you dip your fingers in there?

Insert joke here

I'm sure there's some kind of church lady joke waiting to be told with this picture. I just haven't figured it out yet. Perhaps you can.

How can we know the way?

Homily for John 14:1-14
by The Rev'd Timothy M. Matkin, SSC
Given at S. Alban’s, Arlington, TX, on 24 April 2005

Perhaps you have also had a similar experience. I was driving home from work a few weeks ago and traffic was backed up because it was just about that time of day. Of course, stop and go traffic can be very tedious and boring. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but an old Honda civic, covered in reading material. Especially in these circumstances, it becomes almost a personal quest, an unwritten social contract. I have to read those bumper stickers.

After a few blocks, I had gotten close enough to slip in behind the car. The first of three came into view for a moment. "I’m not as dumb as you look," said the first one. It sped away as I remained motionless in momentary shock. At the stoplight ahead, I got close enough to read the second. This time I was ready for something sarcastic, with a dash of attitude. Squinting slightly I read, "The future is not what it used to be."

By the time I finished that one, the car sped away at a green light. My turn was coming up soon, and I was faced with the fear that I would not be exposed to one more dose of meaningless drivel. Even though I knew it was risky, I hit the gas and eased up into viewing range. Before I had to slow to make my turn off, I caught a glimpse of the last bumper sticker, which stated in bold type, "You have to understand . . . It’s all about me!" I veered away and headed home, annoyed.

Today’s reading from John gospel is an excerpt from Jesus’ lengthy farewell to his disciples in the Upper Room, before he is betrayed and crucified. Although John doesn’t give the Supper narrative familiar to us from the other gospels, John spends over half his gospel on this farewell message. The cold wind of abandonment has just swept over the disciples. For the first time they begin to sense the coming isolation and grief. Jesus says, "I am only with you for a little longer, and where I am going, you cannot follow. But let not your hearts be troubled, neither be afraid. You trusted in God, now trust also in me."

Most people do not want to hear talk of tragedy and conflict, neither did the disciples in the Upper Room, but at the same time Jesus reassures them that these things need to happen--it is a part of the plan. At the Last Supper Jesus tries to prepare his disciples for his departure, meaning his tragic death, by telling them that he goes to prepare a place for them and will return to take them there. The "place" Jesus refers to is his Father’s "house." Don’t worry, you already know the way to get there.

Thomas is a bit confused at this point--"If we don’t know where you’re going, how can we know the way?" Jesus gives him a little three point sermon that has been a source of consolation to many during trying and confusing circumstances. Jesus said, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life." That little message to the troubled in heart touches on all the major themes that we find throughout the Gospel of John. "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, but by me."

Part of our hope as Christians lies in the fact that Jesus Christ is utterly unique. It has been said, there are many religions, but there is only one Gospel. There are many teachers, but there is only one Savior. Jesus Christ has no peer. Among religious leaders down through history, we might say that Jesus stands as an Everest, towering above the foothills.
One of the central ways that Jesus is unique is hinted at in today’s gospel. Unlike other religions of the world, Jesus founded the Christian religion not upon his teachings, but upon himself. Christianity is essentially not based upon the sayings or teachings of Jesus, as important as those are.

For example, Leo-Tse, was the founder of the ancient Chinese religion called Taoism (Tao means "the way" or "the right way"). Leo-Tse stressed that the proper way of living was in to live in harmony with nature, and he developed a wisdom tradition that shaped Chinese culture. Leo-Tse taught his disciples, "This is the way, follow in it." Jesus simply said to his disciples, "I am the way." With full awareness and seriousness, Jesus says, "You have to understand . . . It’s all about me."

Christ is unique in the way that he build his whole religion upon himself. Consider for a moment the creeds of the Church. The Apostles’ Creed is a summary of all the essential beliefs of the Christian faith by those offering themselves for baptism. The Nicene Creed is a defense of the core teachings of Christianity, reaffirmed at each Sunday Mass. What do the creeds say about the teachings of Jesus? Absolutely nothing. All the teachings of Christ are passed over in total silence. "Conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried." They pass directly from the day of his birth to the day of his death.

It is Christ’s reminder to us through his Church, I have not come to teach you a way; "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life." You can follow the way of Taoism without knowing much about Leo-Tse. However, you cannot be a Christian without knowing about Christ, or perhaps more accurately, knowing Christ himself.

Jesus is the only person that we have record of every being crucified, not because of something that he had done, but rather because of who he was. Before Jesus was crucified, Pilate asked Christ, "What is truth?" Little did he know, there it was--Incarnate Truth standing before him. In the prologue of his gospel, John describes Jesus filled with truth. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn 1:14).

Truth is perhaps a more rare and precious commodity than gold. We are so often confused and misguided and overcome by deception. But there is one thing in this life that is unmistakable fact: in Jesus, we find the truth about who we are and who God is. In Jesus, we see that God is love, that he first loved us, and that God so loved the world that he gave his Son.

Jesus is the one rock of certainty and security in our uncertain and insecure lives. That certainty becomes clear for the disciples after the resurrection, when we see the truth of Jesus’ words to Martha of Bethany validated: "I am the resurrection and the life." There is no life apart from Jesus, and in Jesus, we find life in all its fullness.

In this Easter season we especially commemorate and celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ is now alive--even more alive than you and I. And he is now reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is active interceding for us at this very moment. He stands as our great high priest at the Altar in the sanctuary of heaven, always pleading the sacrifice of his own self on our behalf. The founder of every religion in the world is dead and buried, but only Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Because of that fact, by virtue of being joined to Jesus himself, we have forgiveness of sins and supernatural newness of life.

Jesus followed his little three point sermon with one of his boldest statements, "No one comes to the Father except through me." If anyone else had said it, we would dismiss them as a liar or lunatic. But we find comfort in his words because they are true. The Father is present in Jesus. The one who sees Jesus has seen the Father; the one who hears Jesus has heard the Father’s words; to know Jesus is to know the Father. To abide with Jesus, is to dwell in the Father’s house.

S. Peter says those who believe in him are stones built into a spiritual temple. Christ is the cornerstone, and his temple rests on a sure foundation. But for those who do not believe in him, Jesus is a stumbling stone. Perhaps that is a good thing. Maybe you’ve stumbled over Christ for the first time or in a new way today.

If you feel like you lack assurance and security in your life, you can find it in Jesus himself--the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is your safe hiding place. He is your secure resting place. If you feel lost, turn to Jesus and follow him. He is the Way. If you face uncertainty and fear in your life, look upon Jesus, and see; he is the Truth that God is love and that God loves you. If your life feels lifeless and empty, cling to Jesus, the source of Life in all its fullness.

Let us pray.
Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

We have a pope!

Josef Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany was elected by the College of Cardinals today to be the new Bishop of Rome. He has chosen the name Benedict XVI.

Ratzinger was a liberal theological advisor at the Second Vatican Council whose later experience as a bishop grounded him more in the Church's rich tradition, and moved him toward the center. He is a profound thinker who brings great gifts to the petrine ministry. He is a man of great faith who has also expressed concern for the reform and renewal of the liturgical life. It is interesting in light of my last post that he chose the olivetan name of a peacemaking predecessor, Pope Benedict XV.

As Pope Benedict XVI, his traditonal titles are: "His Holiness the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ, Successor to S. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff (Pontifex Maximus), Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Primate of Italy, Patriarch of the West, Soverign of the Vatican City State, Pastor of Pastors (Pastor Pastorum), and Servant of the Servants of God (Servus Servorum Dei)." As a curious sidenote, there are other titles that have fallen out of use. According to Charles Noonan, one such title is "Rector of the World."

Here is an excerpt from one of his books, The Meaning of Christian Brotherhood:

"The local community realizes itself as the Church in the religious assembly, that is, above all in the celebration of the Eucharist. Consequently, Christian brotherhood demands concretely the brotherhood of the individual parish community. This brotherhood has its source and center in the celebration of the eucharistic mysteries. In fact, in the classical theology of the Church, the Eucharist has been seen not so much as the soul's meeting with Christ, but rather as the concorporatio cum Christo--as the Christians' becoming one in the one body of the Lord" (p. 68).

Who is the Gloria Olivae?

According to the prophecies of St. Malachy (Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland from 1132 to 1138), the next pope is described by the motto Gloria Olivae ("The Glory of the Olive"). Malachy's prophecies indicate some noticeable trait of all future popes from Celestine II (elected in 1130) until the end of the world.

The prevailing view today is that they are elaborate forgeries, probably perpretrated by a school of Jesuits in the 1600s. This suspicion is based on the relation of the mottos to the various popes until that period, and the need to find oblique references (such as the motto of the Pope's home diocese) to make a particular motto fit a particular pope. Still, the prophecies get minor attention at every conclave. Apparently, in 1958, before the conclave that would elect Pope John XXIII, Cardinal Spellman of New York hired a boat, filled it with sheep and sailed up and down the Tiber River, to show that he was Pastor et Nautor ("Shepherd and Mariner"), the motto attibuted to the next Pope in the Malachy's prophecies.

In 1139 Malachy went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to the pope, Innocent II, who promised him two palliums for the metropolitan Sees of Armagh and Cashel. While at Rome, he received (according to the Abbé Cucherat) the strange vision of the future wherein was unfolded before his mind the long list of illustrious pontiffs who were to rule the Church until the end of time. The same author tells us that St. Malachy gave his manuscript to Pope Innocent II to console him in the midst of his tribulations, and that the document remained unknown in the Roman Archives until its discovery in 1590.

The Benedictines (Olivetans) traditionally held that Gloria Olivae would come from their order. The problem with that idea is there is currently only one Benedictine cardinal, the inelligible 93-year-old Augustine Cardinal Mayer. Another idea is that Malachy could be describing this pope as a great peacemaker.

How many popes does Malachy describe after Gloria Olivae? Only one. "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End."

Another dark horse?

This is the man who caught everyone by surprise back in 1978. Are we in store for another dark horse candidate? As they say in Rome, "He who goes into the conclave a papabili, comes out a cardinal."

For all generations

This is one of my favorite pictures of John Paul II, embracing the youth of the Church.

Finding Peace

I've been a fan of Dietrich von Hildebrand for a number of years now. Sophia Institute Press took excerpts from his book Transformation in Christ and published it as a charming little paperback called Making Christ's Peace a Part of Your Life. I share these two quotes:

"The true actual peace of the soul depends, finally, on that superactual, habitual, constant attention to God, that sustained conciousness of having our roots in God, which allows our interior world to be penetrated by a ray of his infinite peace. This coveys to us a foretaste of ultimate harmony and protects us against inward distaste and unrest" (p. 95).

"It is the Holy Spirit--'rest for the weary, refreshment for the pining, solace in the midst of woe'--who imparts to the soul an imperturbable poise and a serene calm, the character of recollectedness, the soaring lightness of a full inner freedom. He, whom the Church calls 'light of the heart, sweet guest of the soul,' fills us with that supernatural light which takes away the poison of enmity, dispels the gloom of depression, and dissolves the spasm of agitation" (pp. 102-3).

On the road to Emmaus

Homily for Luke 24:13-35
by The Rev'd Timothy M. Matkin, SSC
Given at S. Alban’s, Arlington, TX, on 10 April 2005

It seems like a lot of interesting things happen on road trips . It was the same road that they had walked many times before. But this it would be different--much different. Josephus tells us it was a four or five mile road from Jerusalem back to Emmaus. Luke tells us that one of the pilgrims was Cleopas, tradition later names the other as his son Simeon.

Cleopas and his son were in Jerusalem for the festivals and now they were on the slow walk back to their home. There were believers in Jesus—they were, but perhaps not as sure now. It had seemed so promising when Jesus entered Jerusalem. They cheered with the crowds and hailed him as king. Jesus had walked with them for three years, and it seemed like the glorious part of the journey was just beginning, but it had all too quickly turned to tragedy, and now it was time for them to walk alone.

They believed Jesus was a prophet, and with many others, they hoped he might be the one to reestablish the kingdom of Israel, dominated for so long by the Roman Empire. Maybe he was the one to restore Israel to its greatness. But Jesus had been rejected by key leaders of the nation--shouted down, buried in false accusations, arrested, mistreated, and finally brutally executed on a cross outside the city walls. Earlier in day a few of the women said they found his tomb empty. They said they saw angels who told them Jesus was alive. Perhaps something miraculous has happened. Perhaps someone stole his body--one more insult for his dejected followers.

On the way to Emmaus, they experienced sadness, disappointment and hopelessness. The two disciples still grieved the loss of their friend and leader, Jesus. Even with the women’s testimony, it was hard to be hopeful after the agony and shame of the cross. Perhaps now it was simply time to get back to life as usual. So two disheartened disciples headed down the old road to Emmaus. The road never seemed so long.

Yet, they didn’t stay in Emmaus; they went back to Jerusalem. The two pilgrims felt it was urgent. There was no time to waste. They were determined to tell others what they had experienced. Going back to Jerusalem, they were filled with joy and hope. The road never seemed so short.

What happened on the road to Emmaus? Clearly, whatever it was, it had changed their lives forever. As they were walking toward Emmaus, an apparent stranger comes along side and joins them. As the three walk together, they are talking about the events in Jerusalem. The stranger seems unaware of recent goings on. Very odd for another pilgrim coming from the city.

An interesting thing Luke tells us is that "they were kept from recognizing him." Perhaps they were too dejected to be open to Jesus being alive, perhaps they were spiritually blinded to the new reality of the resurrected Lord. They had been unprepared to witness his death, they were certainly unprepared to witness his resurrection. We too are often blinded by our expectations.

Cleopas asks , "Are you the only pilgrim in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have been going on?" The stranger begs the question, "What things?" Cleopas tells him all about what has happened to Jesus. The stranger can tell there are walking home dejected. The stranger gently chides them. He says, "No you’ve got it all wrong. Nothing has been lost here, everything has been gained. It was part of God’s will all along that the Christ should suffer and die, and then after his Sabbath rest, be raised from the dead."

Luke tells us he conducted an informal bible study as they walked and talked. "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them all the things about himself in the scriptures" (Lk 24:27). As they got to Emmaus, the stranger started to continue on. They said, "No, please don’t go. Stay with us. Evening is at hand. The day is past. Please stay with us. Maybe we can talk some more."

So the stranger went into their home to stay the night. He ate dinner with them--and Luke uses the same language we find at two other miracles: multiplying the loves and fishes, and the Last Supper. When the stranger was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to his disciples.

The written Word had prepared their hearts to see the Word made flesh. Their hope had returned and their spiritual blindness was gone. Perhaps it was when the stranger reached out to give them bread, that for the first time they noticed the wounds in his hands--the stranger was Jesus--and when they looked up, he was gone. The two pilgrims turned to each other and said, "It was the Lord! Did you feel it too? Didn’t your heart burn within you as did mine when he was speaking to us along the road?"

I find it interesting how the Sacred Heart of Jesus--the symbol of his love--is always depicted as burning with fire and crowned with thorns. Jesus gave these two disheartened people "burning hearts." Burning hearts are hearts ablaze with the good news of the gospel. They energize people to witness to the hope of Jesus’ resurrection. Burning hearts pump new life into people--life to share with others.

The Word of God had burned away the dejection and sadness in the disciples’ hearts, leaving them enflamed with hopefulness and joy. Their grief and confusion into exploded into excitement to share their experience with the other disciples in Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 20:9, the prophet, speaking about the Word that the Lord has given him to proclaim, says, "There is in my heart, as it were, a burning fire shut up in my bones. I am weary from holding it in, and I cannot any longer."

Have you had that moment in your life before? When you have had a close encounter with a stranger along the way--the stranger is Christ himself, who opens your mind to understand the written Word of God and to behold the incarnate Word--has the good news, the gospel, burned within your heart like it did for these two disciples? Has it burned so intensely, you say with Jeremiah, "I am weary from holding it in, and I cannot any longer"? The knowledge gained along the road ignites into hope at the supper.

Perhaps more clearly than with any other gospel narrative, we can see that this is a story about us. We are the disciples, walking along the road through life, our hearts dampened by fear and doubt and grief. Jesus walks along with us, unrecognized at the time. In the beginning, he is a stranger. But he is there to guide, to give understanding, and to reveal God’s will. He inflames our hearts with the love of God, a love that cannot help but be shared with others.

At the meal, the two disciples discovered that Jesus really is alive; death has no power over the Lord of life. They discovered that the Lord Jesus was still there to walk with them, only now he would not be leading from without, Jesus would lead them from within. Without hesitation, the two ran back to Jerusalem to tell the others that they too had experienced the risen Christ. When the opportunity arises, never hesitate to share the good news. Share with others how you have experienced him for yourself. Tell them how the love of God burns in your heart.

Tell them how you were once sad and lonely along the road, but Jesus transformed your life and turned you around. And invite them to some experience Jesus here for themselves. Invite them to come hear the Word read and preached. Invite them to know Jesus as he is revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread.

May that kind of love and excitement burn within our parish family. May we race back to Jerusalem like those disciples and share the good news. May we be a people ignited by the hope that comes from the presence of Christ among us.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, stay with us; when evening is at hand and the day is past, be our companion in the way. Kindle our hearts and awaken hope, that we may know thee as thou art revealed in Scripture and the breaking of Bread. Grant this for the sake of thy love. Amen

The Grass is greener

I have a theological dilemma taking shape in my front yard. I am keenly aware that S. Paul says we should not boast about ourselves or anything that belongs to us. But I also know that S. Paul has never seen my lawn . . . except, perhaps . . . from above.

A Papacy Remembered

After many years of faithful ministry, Pope John Paul II has crossed "the threshold of hope." May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

He will leave behind many words and deeds worth remembering. I often use the following quote from his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope:

"At the end of the second millenium, we need, perhaps more than ever, the words of the Risen Christ: 'Be not afraid!' . . . [Our] conscience needs to grow in the certainty that Someone exists who holds in His hands the destiny of this passing world; Someone who holds the keys to death and the netherworld; Someone who is the Alpha and the Omega of human history—be it the individual or collective history. And this Someone is Love—Love that became man, Love crucified and risen, Love unceasingly present among men. It is Eucharistic Love. It is the infinite source of communion. He alone can give the ultimate assurance when He says ‘Be not afraid!’"


Please join us on Sunday, April 10th at 9:15 am, when I will present a special Adult Forum in the Parish Hall at S. Alban's on the Papacy. We will look at the history of that institution and the legacy of this particular pope. We'll also examine the hot and cold history between the papacy and the Ecclesia Anglicana.

"O God, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant Karol Wojtyla to be a bishop and pastor in thy Church and to feed thy flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of thy Holy Spirit, that they may minister in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." [Book of Common Prayer, p. 197]

Sermon for Low Sunday

Homily on Doubt and Faith
by The Rev'd Timothy M. Matkin, SSC
Given at S. Alban's Church, Arlington, TX on 3 April 2005

Something extraordinary has happened. Of all people on earth, we as Anglicans, as Catholics, as Christians, as people of faith, should appreciate the vital significance of Jesus of Nazareth. We know that his life, and death, and resurrection has a crucial meaning for us here and now.

In our Lenten journey, the theme of refreshing waters came up time and again. The goal of our pilgrimage was to walk with Jesus through the dry wilderness of our hearts; to look at the barrenness in our lives and turn to Jesus, the wellspring of eternal life and grace and goodness—to thirst for that living water that is Christ himself. In Holy Week we watched and waited with our Lord in his final days of life. And in the end he chose the Father’s will—to go where we could not follow. It looked very bleak for the disciples that Friday, but the tough times didn’t last.

In the Act of the Apostles we read that S. Peter, standing with the other apostles, proclaims the resurrection of Jesus Christ in a magnificent sermon to the Jewish people (Acts 2:22-32). He goes further than that. Listen to what Peter says: "God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." What an amazing thought—that it was possible for Jesus to die, but not possible for him to stay dead.

S. Paul adds in that Easter hymn of the early church we call the Pascha Nostrum: "Christ being raised from the dead can never die again; death has no more power over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he lives, he lives unto God" (Rom 6:9-10). It was impossible that the Author of Life could fail to triumph over death. Death was the gloom that hung over man’s head since the beginning, when it was said of the forbidden fruit: "The day you eat of if, you shall die" (Gen 2:17).

We often hear it said that Jesus died to save us, but that sentiment can only be true if he also rose from the dead to save us. The mystery of the Incarnation is that in the union of God and man in Christ Jesus a marvelous and miraculous exchange has taken place. He died in sharing in our human life and rose that we might share in his divine life. Christ takes away our sting of death and replaces it with the joy of eternal life.

There are many events of history that are interesting to study, but many have little relevance on our lives. For example, did Alexander the Great, after the last of his military campaigns actaully stop and weep because there were no more worlds to conquer? We don’t know for sure, but it really doesn’t matter. Did George Washington actually chop down that famous cherry tree? We don’t really know, but it really doesn’t matter. But did Jesus Christ, body and soul, rise from the dead and walk out of his own grave? With confidence, let us say yes, we do know and it does matter.

S. Paul stresses this point greatly in his epistle to the Corinthians. Some of them were saying there is no resurrection of the dead. Paul points out, "If Christ is not raised, your faith is futile; and are you are still trapped in your sins. And we are found to be lying about God, because we testified that he did raise Christ . . . Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ are perished." Think of it; it staggers the mind. All of our loved ones are perished, lost, gone forever, if Jesus Christ is not risen from the dead.

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ," Paul adds, "we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of those who sleep in death" (1 Cor 15:12-20). The apostle points out that Jesus’ resurrection is the promise and preview of our own.

Our guilt from sin, our loved ones, and our own lives in this world and the next all hinge on the resurrection of our Lord. But we can rest assured; our faith is not in not in vain. It stands on a sure foundation. We are no longer trapped in our sins, without hope. Those who have fallen asleep in Christ have not perished. The power of the resurrection is the power of ultimate transformation.

It is the power that transforms death into life. It transforms sin into holiness and moral purity. It transforms doubt into belief and belief into faith and faith into hope. And hope does not disappoint because of the love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5).

There are some very interesting details in our Gospel reading. Did you notice them? We are told that last Sunday evening, disciples were in hiding in a secret place with all the doors locked shut—perhaps in the Upper Room where they had shared the Last Supper. Is your life running into closed doors? Does every turn seem to be an obstacle that looks impossible to overcome? Has you’re door to hope been closed by disappointment? No disappointment could match that of the disciples who fled from Jesus at the crucifixion. Their hopes had been dashed to pieces.

The disciples were hiding in fear behind closed doors. And yet, all of the sudden, Jesus stands in the midst of them. They feared it might be a ghost, but he shows them his wounds and greets them saying, "Peace be with you." He was a real solid human being, but not the same as before. After the resurrection, those old bodily limitations no longer seem to apply. Closed doors where the disciples were gathered are now open pathways. He shows his anguished followers a man that has also suffered. But now his wounds are marks of identity, not of pain.

The exchange of peace is a very personal kind of sharing. And in sharing his peace, Jesus beacons the disciples to share in his work. "As the Father has sent me," he says, "so now I send you." Their mission will be accomplished through this power of the resurrection. He breathes on them to symbolize a giving of his own essence, the breath of life that conquered death, and says "Receive the Holy Spirit," and gives them authority to forgive sins.

Notice that it is only after the resurrection that this power of absolving sins is given. Since sacramental absolution is a sacrament of renewed life, it is accomplished through God’s transforming resurrection power. Therefore, after rising from the dead, Jesus gave to the ministers of the Church authority to act in his name in healing sinful souls to share with them his new life.

One disciple, Thomas, was not there when these events occurred. The others came to him to share the news that the Lord is risen. But he only had their testimony to rely upon, and he feared this news might only be the result of wishful thinking. Thomas was in the position that we often find ourselves in, at least at some point in our life.

In one sense, we could say that Thomas was somewhat open-minded about the story. After all, he did seem to say that he wants to believe them, and would, if he could only have been there to see it for himself. Yet, we could also say that Thomas was a bit too skeptical and non-committal. Unless he could see it for himself, and touch those wounds with his own hands, he would not believe it, whatever they told him. We see in Thomas, not so much a lack of belief as a lack of willingness to trust. And this is where so many souls hang in the balance. Many are lost in the chasm between doubt and faith.

A real key to faith is that element of trustworthiness. Coming to faith involves the assumption of truthfulness based upon the integrity of the source of information. Thomas’ hopes had been dashed—it was hard even to find his closest friends trustworthy at this moment in his life. Now there is a certain amount of skepticism that is healthy. Without it, we would have no curiosity. It is our drive to understand and prove things that leads us to discovery and new knowledge. But skepticism can also keep hope and faith at arm’s length, as it did for Thomas.

The eighth day after Easter Sunday—today—the disciples are again gathered in the house with the doors shut. This time Thomas is with them. But he is still trapped in that gulf between doubt and trust. If you are trapped between doubt and trust, pray that another witness may come to offer you testimony. That’s what happened to Thomas. This time the Lord himself came to offer testimony of his own resurrection. Jesus appears again, saying, "Peace be with you." Immediately Jesus goes to Thomas, who must have been overwhelmed. He asks Thomas to touch his wounds for himself, and have faith in God.

It is the power of Jesus’ resurrection that transforms Thomas. It transforms his doubt to faith, and Thomas responds in words brimming over with confidence and love, "My Lord, and my God." Jesus tells him, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." We ought to note here that Jesus does not say that Thomas is cursed for having seen it for himself. But Jesus does say the blessings are wondrous for those who trust in the Lord.

How often we think to ourselves, If I had been there I could really know. Or, If I could look ahead and see heaven, I could really know. And we miss the blessings of God that are available to us right now in knowing the Lord by faith. Faith is what brings hope through the closed doors of doubt. We can never know this joy until we begin to love Jesus Christ. Divine comfort can elude us until we start to love Jesus Christ. A certain hope begins when we decide to love Jesus Christ.

What is the great blessing for those who cannot see, and yet believe? S. Peter wrote in today’s epistle, "Without having seen him you love him, though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Pet 1:8-9).

In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The unanswered question

I was greatly saddened by the death of Terri Schiavo last week and the suffering and grief of [part of] her family in the matter. In the whole story, there is a big unanswered question I just can't figure out: How is this legal?

Many of the commentary about the case centered on the issue of "What are Terri's wishes?" Suppose for a moment that she had expressly stated in a living will prior to her condition that she wished to be starved and dehidrated to death exactly as has happened. Why whould that make it possible, from a legal standpoint? Suicide is not legal. Homicide requested by the victim is not legal. "She was asking for it" has never been a legal defense I am aware of.

If any of you are in the know about this legal issue, please leave a post addressing the unanswered question.