Saint Thomas the Apostle, Dec 21

Saint Thomas the Apostle, Dec 21

The Apostle Thomas ( whose name signifieth a twin, for which reason in Greek he is called Didymus) was a Galilean. The historian Eusebius saith that after the descent of the Holy Ghost Thomas preached the Gospel to many different peoples, such as the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, and Bactrians. It is believed that he went last of all to India (for his ministry there is mentioned by holy Ephraem the Syrian, blessed Jerome, and others ) where, because of his holiness and wondrous works, he drew many after him, and brought them to Christ Jesus. For which reason he is said to have provoked the anger of the idolatrous king, who condemned him to be pierced with lances, whereby he crowned the dignity of his apostleship with the glory of martyrdom. Eight miles from Madras, on Big Hill in the Coromandel coast (called in the Martyrology Calamina), is a spot still pointed out as the place of his holy death. His relicks were reputed to have been translated to Edessa, thence to Chios in the Aegean, and later to Ortona in the Abruzzi, where they are to this day venerated with much devotion by the faithful.

A Homily by St. Gregory the Pope

Dearly beloved brethren, what do ye chiefly notice in this passage? Think ye that is was by accident that this chosen Apostle was not with them when Jesus came? Or that when he came, he heard? Or that when he heard, he doubted? Or that when he doubted, he touched? Or that when he touched, he believed? None of these things was accidental, but providential. It was a wonderful provision of divine mercy, that this incredulous disciple, by thrusting his fingers into the bodily wounds of His master, should apply a remedy to the spiritual wounds of unbelief in our souls. The doubts of Thomas have done us more good than the faith of all the disciples that believed. While he feeleth his way to faith by touching, our minds are freed from doubt, and settled in faith.

Antiphon on Magnificat:

O Thomas Didymus to whom it was given to touch the risen Christ, and who now with him art evermore on high, * we entreat thee to pray for us who suffer amidst the evils of this world, lest amongst the lost we receive the sentence of doom, when the Judge appeared.

Collect:

Almighty and everliving God, who for the more confirmation of the Faith didst suffer thy holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtful in thy Son’s resurrection, grant us so perfectly, and without all doubt, to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ; that our faith in thy sight may never be reproved, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Antiphon on the Benedictus:

Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, * blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.

The Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ


A Homily by St. Ambrose the Bishop
　
And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, hi Name was called JESUS : This is the Child of whom it is said ; Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given : or again : Made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law : or again : To present him to the Lord. (In my Commentary on Isaiah I have already explained what is meant by being presented to the Lord in Jerusalem, and therefore I will not enter into the subject again.) He that is circumcised in heart gaineth the protection of God, as it is written : The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. Ye will see that as all the ceremonies of the Old Law were types of realities in the New Law, so the circumcision of the body signified the cleansing of the heart from the guilt of sin.

But since the body and mind of man remain yet infected with a proneness to sin, the circumcision of the eighth day is meant to put us in mind of that complete cleansing from sin which we shall have at the resurrection. This is doubtless to be inferred from the words: Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy unto the Lord. That is, these words are literally true only of the delivery of the Blessed Virgin. Verily, he that opened her womb was holy, for he was altogether without spot. And we may gather that the Law hath this meaning because the Angel said almost the same words : That Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Among all them that are born of women the Lord Jesus Christ steed alone in holiness. He alone, because of his immaculate birth, felt no contagion from human corruption ; it came not near him because of his heavenly majesty. Otherwise ( that is, if we are to apply this passage of the Law literally ) we are obliged to say that without exception every male that openeth the womb is holy ; and how then shall we explain that so many were unrighteous? Was Ahab holy? Were thay holy on whom Elijah justly called down fire from heaven? But he to whom the sacred commandment of the Law of Ho9d is mystically directed is the Holy One of Israel. And he alone hath opened the secret womb of his holy virgin - bride the Church, filling her with a sinless fruitfulness whereby to bring forth the People of God.
　

Antiphon on the Magnificat:

God, for his great love… wherewith he loved us, * hath sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, alleluia.
　
　
　

Collect:

Almighty God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Antiphon on the Benedictus:

A great and wondrous mystery… is made known to us this day : in a new manner are natures united, for God is become incarnate * what he was, he still abode ; and what he was not, he took unto himself, suffering in his Person neither confusion nor division.

Saint Sylvester, Pope and Confessor

Saint Sylvester, Pope and Confessor

　
Sylvester, priest of the Church in the City of Rome, discharged his office with such praiseworthiness that in January, 314, he was chosen to succeed Saint Mechiades as Pope. Less than a year before this the Emperor Constantine had granted toleration to Christianity by the Edict of Milan. Sylvester established the Lateran Church, a gift to the Church in Rome from Constantine, as the Cathedral Church in that City. Several other great churches were founded during his pontificate, notably Saint Peter’s on Vatican Hill. It was also during his time that the Council of Arles was gathered out of divers provinces of Gaul, Italy, Africa, Spain, and Britain, to deal with the Donatist heresy. And, among other things, this Council ordered that Easter should be celebrated everywhere on one and the same day. In his time also was held the first Ecumenical Council, to wit, of Nicea in 325, to which he himself went not, but sent legates. Some three hundred and eighteen bishops were present, over whom Hosius of Cordova p0resided. And by these bishops, in the presence of Constantine, the Holy and Catholic Faith was declared, and Arius and his followers were condemned.
This Pope is reputed to have issued many useful ordinances for the Church of God : such as the reservation to bishops of the right of consecrating the holy Chrism and the custom of anointing the newly baptized therewith ; the wearing of a dalmatic and maniple by deacons; the consecration of the Sacrament of the Altar on a linen Corporal ; that all persons taking Holy Orders should remain a while in each grade before being promoted to a higher; that laymen should not go to law against clergy; and that clergy themselves were not to plead before civil tribunals.

To Sylvester is also ascribed the decrees that the first and seventh days of the week should be called respectively the Lord’s Day and the Sabbath; and the others, Second Feria, Third Feria, and so on, in accordance with the use of the word Feria for the week days which had already begun in the Church. This word signifieth an holy-day, and pointeth to the duty of the clergy to lay aside all worldly labour, and leave themselves free to do continually the work of the Lord. In 335 Sylvester went to God, and the date of his feast day is probably the anniversary of his burial, in the church which he built over the Catacombs of Saint Priscilla, on the Salerian Way. In 761 his relicks were translated to the Church of Saint Sylvester. His feast hath been general in the Latin Church since the thirteenth century, and is kept also in the East, because his pastoral concern for all Christians, everywhere, made him generally beloved. For he was Pope immediately after the Church came up out of the Catacombs into freedom. He reigned twenty-one years ten months, and one day.

Collect:

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that we on this day devoutly observing the feast of thy holy Confessor Saint Sylvester, may thereby increase in godliness to the attainment of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, Dec. 27

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, Dec. 27

　
EPISTLE . I St. John I.1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

　From the Commentary of St. Jerome on the Epistle to Galatians

The blessed Evangelist John lived at Ephesus down to such an extreme old age that he was with difficulty supported in the arms of his disciples and so was carried to the church. And being unable to articulate many words, he was wont to utter each time to the congregation the simple words: Little Children, love one another. At last his disciples and brethren were weary of hearing these words so often, and asked him : Master, wherefore ever sayest thou this only? Whereto he gave an answer worthy of John : It is the commandment of the Lord, and if this only be done, it is enough.
　
　
　
　 Antiphon on the Benedictus:This is the same John who leaned on the Lord’s bosom at the Last Supper, * the blessed Apostle, unto whom were revealed the secrets of heaven.

 Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to the light everlasting life, through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Antiphon on the Magnificat:

Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: * yet Jesus said not unto him : He shall not die, but: If I will that he tarry till I come.

Collect:

Lesson from the Divine Office Lectionary

The lectionary for the morning prayer office currently has as the second scripture lesson the Epistle of St. James. For today the passage was as follows…

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
It’s fun watching our Protestant friends, committed to the doctrine of “justification by faith alone,” twisting themselves into pretzels trying to make this passage not mean what it so obviously means. Some of their attempts are actually funny.

I have a grudging respect for how Martin Luther dealt with the plain teaching in the passage of St. James’s epistle. He didn’t try to make it say something it clearly wasn’t saying, he just more or less said, “it doesn’t fit with how I understand the rest of the New Testament, so it must not be truly inspired scripture.” Luther called James an “epistle of straw,” an illusion to St. Paul’s wood hay or stubble teaching in Corinthians, or maybe he was saying it was only good for the barn floor. At least he could tell what it really was saying and didn’t try to contort it into supporting a believe only doctrine of Justification, which since has become the typical Protestant strategy.

Protestants are in trouble beginning with verse 14. “
We certainly saved by grace, but not by believing only. As James tells us, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” In it’s context and given the flow of thought that follows, it is easy to see this is a rhetorical question, to which the expected conclusion is “no!” The following verses are not an excursion into instruction in Christian charity, they are an illustration of the point being made. When people are naked and hungry they can’t wear or eat your words, which words have no real effect, unless it’s to underscore the vanity of the platitude. In short, talk is cheap, it’s works that matter. The entire passage is like this, and our poor Protestant brothers go on trying to fit them somehow into the straightjacket of the solas.the devils also believe, and tremble.“

Lectionary for Evening

The First Lesson

Ecclesiasticus 34:18 - 35:3

He that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, his offering is ridiculous; and the gifts of unjust men are not accepted. The most High is not pleased with the offerings of the wicked; neither is he pacified for sin by the multitude of sacrifices. Whoso bringeth an offering of the goods of the poor doeth as one that killeth the son before his father's eyes. The bread of the needy is their life: he that defraudeth him thereof is a man of blood. He that taketh away his neighbour's living slayeth him; and he that defraudeth the labourer of his hire is a bloodshedder. When one buildeth, and another pulleth down, what profit have they then but labour? When one prayeth, and another curseth, whose voice will the Lord hear? He that washeth himself after the touching of a dead body, if he touch it again, what availeth his washing? So is it with a man that fasteth for his sins, and goeth again, and doeth the same: who will hear his prayer? or what doth his humbling profit him? He that keepeth the law bringeth offerings enough: he that taketh heed to the commandment offereth a peace offering. He that requiteth a goodturn offereth fine flour; and he that giveth alms sacrificeth praise. To depart from wickedness is a thing pleasing to the Lord; and to forsake unrighteousness is a propitiation.



                                                                 The Second Lesson

St. Matthew 7:1-12

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

     The Collect

             Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

KEEP, we beseech thee O Lord, thy church with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.