Anglican Meditations for the Holy Week (MONDAY)

The following material has been taken from ANGLICAN MAINSTREAM

am: Ps 51
pm: 69:1-23
Jer 12:1-16; Phil 3:1-14; John 12:9-19

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: The term “Holy Monday” carries over from the Eastern Orthodox Church for Monday and Tuesday of this Week also known as Great and Holy Monday and Tuesday. On these days, an icon of the "Bridegroom" is placed in the center of the church, portraying Jesus wearing the purple robe of mockery and crowned with a crown of thorns. Also the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated, at which the faithful may receive Holy Communion from the reserved Holy Mysteries.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY: For the Apostle Paul, we see today that he spends a good bit of time that there is the need for perspective and self-reflection. As a matter of fact he calls all that he has done he has just spent time explaining to the Philippians Christians of little consequence and in fact, it is worthless. WHY? Because he has met and encountered Jesus Christ and everything, is worthless compared to knowing him? This Week in Holy Week, we are given a profound opportunity through the liturgical journey of the church to come face to face with the power of the cross and reconcile our lives with the price Christ had to pay to save us. This is not a week to be complacence and to look forward to a nice holiday. Rather we should be aware that here is much to
do in this journey, if we want to attain the prize of which he speaks . As we consider the words of St. Paul today and moving through this Holy Week, let us ponder our reasons why or why not we are on the road to accomplish the prize, which is Christ Jesus as Risen Lord.

PRAYER OF THE DAY: I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. Amen - - (Psalm 142)

Holy Monday Discipline – Take some time to study about what the church teachings on poverty and the Christian response is to be. Ask yourself how significant your life response has been. Such thoughts will not only help you serve Christ, but you also add into yourself a wider perspective about difficult issues. Or Think about this….Mary used costly perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet. What is valuable in your life today? Time? Money? Relationships? How can you use these things to honor Jesus?

NT Wright on Resurrection

Gateway: A Church for the emerging generation

Some Emergent stuff (no words, just pics)

More HERE

Easter echoes

The most recent Easter Sermon by Bishop Wright was intendedly shocking. He made several points of denouncing unrighteousness. He highlighted the current debates on abortion, babies euthanasia, asylum seekers, and human-animal inter species genetic bending.

Peter’s message to Cornelius was that through his resurrection Jesus has been constituted as the judge of the living and the dead. The resurrection of Jesus is the beginning of the final putting-to-rights of all things. In the light of the resurrection, the church must never stop reminding the world’s rulers and authorities that they themselves will be held to account, and that they must do justice and bring wise, healing order to God’s world ahead of that day.

Bishop Tom Wright "The uncomfortable truth of Easter" a sermon at the Sung Eucharist in Durham Cathedral Easter Day 2008

The Anglican Mainstream blog echoed Wright's words and further elaborated on the recent Dutch protocol on finishing the life of suffering or disabled babies, with the several scientific support obtained by the medical community. The Church should have a saying. We still believe that humans are made to bear God's image, and therefore human life should be preserved with all available efforts, not terminated as easily as possible.

“[W]e are moving toward a medical system,” says Smith, “in which babies are put down like dogs and killing is redefined as a caring act.” But this can happen only in a society that has forgotten that every human life is made in the image of God—and, therefore, worthy of protection. Think worldviews do not matter? Think our Christian heritage is irrelevant? Too bad we cannot ask the infants of Groningen what they think. Deadly Trend, by Chuck Colson 3/14/2008 The Infanticide Protocol

Furthermore, it makes me think of a global covenant with death. May the Truth of Easter bring true light to our paths!

History and Resurrection

I found interesting to bring the following historical account. It was written by a non-believer historian, who had probably another agenda. Flavius Josephus gives an objective tone for the celebration of Easter. Jesus was risen from being dead as the witnesses reported. Hence, Jesus was indeed the expected Jewish Messiah since he fulfilled the old prophecies about him. Moreover, Josephus reports that Jesus begun a new "tribe", the so called "Christians" that were still alive and are still alive today all over the world.

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 3, Paragraph 3)

I used the drawing "Resurrection" by Luc Freymanc (© Luc Freymanc 2001-2007) who allows specific free use for "Use on a non-commercial website or blog." Please visit Luc Freymanc drawings.