Feast of The Baptism of Our Lord.
Almighty, eternal God, when the Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan, you revealed him as your own beloved Son. Keep us, your children born of water and the Spirit, faithful to our calling. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I apologize for the laxity of my posting...time is at a premium lately as I have returned to work full time.
I have been of late fielding emails from various Evangelical friends; one who is hurt and insulted because he thinks I consider him "outside the Church", and another who is extraordinarily encouraging and who is asking many questions about what the Church actually teaches-- always a good thing. God grant that I continue to dialogue with them all with charity and grace.
Hopefully more later in the week.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Feast of the Epiphany :
The manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.
Alleluia, alleluia.
We have seen His star in the East
and have come with gifts to worship the Lord. ( Matt. 2:2)
Alleluia.
This is one of my favorite feast days, and thank God this year it's on a Sunday, so we can actually celebrate it on its proper date. Personally, I can't stand the practice of moving major feasts like All Saints and Epiphany to the following Sunday. To me that just de-emphasises the importance of the day.
The Mass today (High English) at noon was lovely, with Bishop Aymond as the only celebrant.
At the Consecration I was in tears, as I often am at that point. Over-emotional ? Perhaps, but I am one of those few people at The Stone who don't raise their arms at worship because I think it's too "showy" ( no criticism of those who do, of course). I think in actuality the Spirit works on me hard at Mass-- and He also does with the sermon at ASCC .
I am still in the process of trying to inform all my Evangelical friends of my change of church home; a few I have not gotten to yet, but very few have responded, either. I think most don't know what to say. I hope tonight's service goes smoothly without too much awkwardness.
Today's Epistle really got to me :
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 :
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (NAB)
What Good News that is, to be adopted along with (and sometimes, alas, instead of) the Chosen People ! What a merciful and awesome God we have ! I couldn't help but think of my friend Jason, now the Messianist.
I don't have much time to write. I am attempting to start a reformation of sorts (oh, that word !) in my personal life; there are a number of stubborn sins that I have been trying for some time to shake, with little success. Anyone who may read this, please pray for me -especially that I will be open to God doing this in me, instead of my thinking I actually have the strength to do it myself.
Lastly I would like to call attention to another blog I have listed to the right, under "Cloud and Fire". It is by my dear friend and sister in Christ Michael Ann Roe, also of ASCC. She is currently serving as a missionary to the students of Guttenberg University in Germany. Our Lord has called her to spread the Light of Christ in a culture that gets darker by the day. Read her blog, and please pray for her, too.
I hope to post again later in the week.
Dominus vobiscum.
The manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.
Alleluia, alleluia.
We have seen His star in the East
and have come with gifts to worship the Lord. ( Matt. 2:2)
Alleluia.
This is one of my favorite feast days, and thank God this year it's on a Sunday, so we can actually celebrate it on its proper date. Personally, I can't stand the practice of moving major feasts like All Saints and Epiphany to the following Sunday. To me that just de-emphasises the importance of the day.
The Mass today (High English) at noon was lovely, with Bishop Aymond as the only celebrant.
At the Consecration I was in tears, as I often am at that point. Over-emotional ? Perhaps, but I am one of those few people at The Stone who don't raise their arms at worship because I think it's too "showy" ( no criticism of those who do, of course). I think in actuality the Spirit works on me hard at Mass-- and He also does with the sermon at ASCC .
I am still in the process of trying to inform all my Evangelical friends of my change of church home; a few I have not gotten to yet, but very few have responded, either. I think most don't know what to say. I hope tonight's service goes smoothly without too much awkwardness.
Today's Epistle really got to me :
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 :
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (NAB)
What Good News that is, to be adopted along with (and sometimes, alas, instead of) the Chosen People ! What a merciful and awesome God we have ! I couldn't help but think of my friend Jason, now the Messianist.
I don't have much time to write. I am attempting to start a reformation of sorts (oh, that word !) in my personal life; there are a number of stubborn sins that I have been trying for some time to shake, with little success. Anyone who may read this, please pray for me -especially that I will be open to God doing this in me, instead of my thinking I actually have the strength to do it myself.
Lastly I would like to call attention to another blog I have listed to the right, under "Cloud and Fire". It is by my dear friend and sister in Christ Michael Ann Roe, also of ASCC. She is currently serving as a missionary to the students of Guttenberg University in Germany. Our Lord has called her to spread the Light of Christ in a culture that gets darker by the day. Read her blog, and please pray for her, too.
I hope to post again later in the week.
Dominus vobiscum.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Feast of St. John Neumann + 1860
A happy and blessed New Year to all.
I hadn't planned to post until tomorrow, having been very busy with going back to work, etc., but I will take a few minutes today to mention a new blog by very dear friends who were partners at Austin Stone up until recently. Jason Brown and his wife Mickie are two of the most faith-filled and faith-ful people I have ever been blessed to know; they were members of the same beatiful community group that I attended, and for the last year or so of its existence hosted the group in their home and served as the official spiritual "shepherds". They have recently moved to Ft. Worth/ Dallas so that Jason can attend seminary in preparation for becoming an Army chaplain. He has recently also felt the Holy Spirit moving him in a new direction; previously a confirmed Calvinist, he now considers himself a Messianic non-Jew.
(I joked with him that the good news was that he was less of a Calvinist...the bad news was that he wasn't more Catholic). Mickie is a dedicated mother with four small delightful children. I love this family and look forward to keeping up with them and where Our Lord (Yeshua) is leading them. Here is the blog Jason has started, which I recommend heartily :http://partofthehouseofephraim.blogspot.com/
More tomorrow...
A happy and blessed New Year to all.
I hadn't planned to post until tomorrow, having been very busy with going back to work, etc., but I will take a few minutes today to mention a new blog by very dear friends who were partners at Austin Stone up until recently. Jason Brown and his wife Mickie are two of the most faith-filled and faith-ful people I have ever been blessed to know; they were members of the same beatiful community group that I attended, and for the last year or so of its existence hosted the group in their home and served as the official spiritual "shepherds". They have recently moved to Ft. Worth/ Dallas so that Jason can attend seminary in preparation for becoming an Army chaplain. He has recently also felt the Holy Spirit moving him in a new direction; previously a confirmed Calvinist, he now considers himself a Messianic non-Jew.
(I joked with him that the good news was that he was less of a Calvinist...the bad news was that he wasn't more Catholic). Mickie is a dedicated mother with four small delightful children. I love this family and look forward to keeping up with them and where Our Lord (Yeshua) is leading them. Here is the blog Jason has started, which I recommend heartily :http://partofthehouseofephraim.blogspot.com/
More tomorrow...
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