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Showing posts from May 6, 2018

Ascension Day

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Triptych of the Ascension Fra Angelico The Incarnate Lord is enthroned over all Creation today! Human scars have been hallowed in Heaven! The King whose coronation was with thorns now sits On High and judges all hearts, all nations, and all the reaches of the Cosmos! God made flesh reigns in the spiritual realm and judges righteously. Proclaim the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord! Let messengers go forth. Tell it to the furthest reaches of his dominion that our God reigns! "Enough! The Resurrection, A heart's-clarion! Away grief's gasping, joyless days, dejection. Across my foundering deck shone A beacon, an eternal beam. Flesh fade, and mortal trash Fall to the residuary worm; world's wildfire, leave but ash: In a flash, at a trumpet crash, I am all at once what Christ is, since He was what I am, and This Jack, joke, poor potsherd, patch, matchwood, immortal diamond, Is immortal diamond." - Gerard Manley Hopkins

Christ the True Friend: the Sixth Sunday of Paschal Tide

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Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 I Jhn 4:7-10 St. Jhn 15:9-17 The Baptism of Cornelius Trevisani, 1709. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.  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. (John 15: 9-10) We see here in the Gospel of St. John the interconnection of love, and command. This chain of interaction is integral to understanding the atoning work of Christ for us. Through Christ, we are connected to the love of God, because Christ loves us, and God loves Christ. We know that God loves Christ, because Christ has kept his Father’s commandments. However, to remain in Christ’s love, we must keep his commandments. Remaining in Christ is not seen as an utter certainty, as Christ commands, cajoles, perhaps even pleads with us to remain in his love.  I ha