Regula Vitae. The Parish Magazine of Saint Paul s Anglican Church 7200 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne, FL To the Faithful of Saint Paul s Church,

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Regula Vitae. The Parish Magazine of Saint Paul s Anglican Church 7200 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne, FL To the Faithful of Saint Paul s Church,"

Miles Warner
5 years ago
Views:

Regula Vitae The Parish Magazine of Saint Paul s Anglican Church 7200 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne, FL 32940 vol.

It is a time that people look back on the previous year and look foward to the current New Year.

The Season of Epiphany is one that is often overlooked, but is so very important. It is in this season that we remember the many ways in which God has manifested Himself to us.

1 Regula Vitae The Parish Magazine of Saint Paul s Anglican Church 7200 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne, FL vol. 2, issue 1 january 2019 To the Faithful of Saint Paul s Church, The month of January is always one of transition. It is a time that people look back on the previous year and look foward to the current New Year. In the Church, January is also a time of transition because it is in this month that the Church moves through the Season of Christmas and into the Season of Epiphany. The Season of Epiphany is one that is often overlooked, but is so very important. It is in this season that we remember the many ways in which God has manifested Himself to us. In particular, we meditate upon the great mystery of which Saint Paul writes about in his Epistle to the Ephesians: that the Gentiles are to be of the same body as the Jews. Christianity is the ful!lment of Judaism, but sadly, not all Jews have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ. Judaism and Christianity exists alongside one another, but this ought not to be so. During this season of Epiphany, don t forsake to thank God for drawing all men unto Himself, even the Gentiles. Also, do not forget to pray for the conversion of the Jews, that they may come to know their Messiah as He has been manifest. The Lord be with you, Tyler W. Phass Vicar In This Issue seasonal sermon A Sermon for the Feast of the Epiphany, p.2. Upcoming Events annual parish meeting January 20th Following the 10am Mass potluck sunday February 3rd 11:15am

2 vol. 2, issue 1 january 2019 liturgical theology A Sermon for the Feast of Epiphany The Rev d Tyler W. Phass T a a oday is the great feast of the Epiphany. On this day, we remember the long and di"cult journey of a small band of men. These men, we are told by Saint Matthew, are sojourners. They are men passing through a land to which they do not belong. We are told that they have traveled a great deal of distance, and that, for a very speci!c purpose. Upon their hearts they carried a passion for the Truth...within their bags, they bore treasures!t for a king who was both God and Man...and upon their lips they carried a question that held more power than any pagan incantation of the East ever could. These men were on a mission: to worship the Christ-Child, the one who was born "King of the Jews." According to the Gospel text, they are wise men who have come from the pagan East to the Holy City of Jerusalem. When they arrive, at last, their journey stretches on farther than expected. Much to their surprise, they would soon be leaving the noisy and glorious city of Jerusalem for the quiet, little town of Bethlehem. Their expected destination was a royal city, and yet, they would soon!nd themselves in a humble manger. After spending some time in Jerusalem, inquiring about the location of the Christ- Child, the wise men!nd themselves privily summoned before Herod. In the words of Saint Matthew, "Herod the king...and all Jerusalem with him" were troubled by the presence of these men. The wise men had been walking through streets of the city and passionately asking the question: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" These Magi from the East openly declared the purpose for both their visit and inquiry: they said unto everyone they met, "We are looking for the young Messiah, 'for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.'" The Magi and their search for the King of Israel troubled both Herod and the City. The hearts of the Jews were stirred in awe and wonder, whilst the heart of Herod was stirred in fear. The Jews sought for the ful!llment of prophecy and their true King, page 2

3 seasonal sermon A Sermon for the Feast of the Epiphany while Herod sought to kill the young child who had the power to both (1) dethrone him and (2) destroy his kingdom of darkness. It is no coincidence that Herod is called by his royal title throughout today's lesson. Saint Matthew makes use of this title to make it all the more apparent that although Herod "the king" ruled over the Jews, he was not the King of the Jews. When the wise men came to Jerusalem, they did not come to see Herod, even though he was the one sitting upon the throne. No, it was not Herod who was to become the object of their worship. The wise men knew that Herod was not the true King of the Jews. And based upon his own fearful response to the stirring of the Holy City, we can conclude, that deep down inside, Herod himself knew that he was not worthy to sit upon the throne he occupied. Even Herod knew that the throne belonged to the child, the one who was born "King of the Jews." As is often the case when a city begins to stir against her ruler, a court of powerful men was summoned in hopes to put an end to the civil unrest. In this part of the story, it is not only the wise men who are looking for the Christ-Child, but Herod as well. He begins to make an inquiry of his own. We are told that "when [Herod] had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born." Whereas the wise men sought an answer from the Jews in a spirit of joy and humility, Herod sought an answer in anger and pride. The wise men sought the Child so that they could worship Him, while Herod sought to murder Him. After disbanding his court of religious experts, Herod summons the wise men secretly. He knows that it is about time that these trouble making Magi leave Jerusalem, but instead of simply kicking them out, he decides instead to use them to his advantage. Herod attempts to trick the wise men into!nding the Christ-Child so that he may secretly kill him. Now that it has been made known unto Herod, according to the prophets, where the Child was to be born, he, like unto the sly Serpent of Darkness who so obviously ruled over Herod, attempts to deceive those who want to be near God. He gives a little information to the wise men, with page 3

4 vol. 2, issue 1 january 2019 the intention to steal in return a hundredfold. He answers the question of the wise men, telling them that the Child is to be born in Bethlehem of Judaea, and he sends them on their way with another quest to be completed: Herod demands of the wise men, "...when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also." Herod plots to kill the child who was born to die, but once again putting his ignorance of the prophets on full display, he does not succeed; as we know from today's Gospel, after the wise men have adored the Child, they are "warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod..." Yes, the Child was born to die, but not by the hand of Herod. In like manner to His birth, the Christ-Child will die exactly as the prophets declared: He will die upon the wood of the cross, like a lamb led to the slaughter, like sheep before his shearers. According to the tradition of the Church, there were three wise men who journeyed to see the Lord. This number is assigned to that band of sojourners because of the three gifts they presented to the Christ -Child: (1) gold, (2) frankincense, and (3) myrrh. Let us now consider those precious gifts that tell us so much about the revelation these men had received from God. Gold: this is a gift!t for a King. The giving of this gift signi!es the giver's trust in his ruler. It is a statement of con!dence, a gift that says, "All things come of thee, O Lord, of of thine own have we given thee." Clearly, the wise men truly believed that the Child of the Manager was the King of the Universe. Frankincense: this is a gift!t for God. It is a sacri!ce of incense, a pleasing aroma to the nostrils of God. The giving of this gift symbolizes their belief in Christ's divinity. These wise men believed that it was not Caesar who was divine, but the one they were led to worship by the guidance of that great star. And lastly, Myrrh: This is a gift!t for one appointed to die. It is a gift, like unto the perfume of Mary Magdalene. It is a statement to their belief in the true humanity of Christ. It is a gift that says, I know you are truly human, for I know that you are appointed to die. page 4

5 seasonal sermon A Sermon for the Feast of the Epiphany In addition to the tradition that there were three men who traveled from the East, the tradition of the Church also holds that their names were: Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar. We can see how!tting these names are, in that, the!rst letter of each name stands as an abbreviation for the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat, which translated, means, May Christ bless the house. We can only imagine the blessedness of Bethlehem on the night of Christ's nativity. Bethlehem is a city whose name means, the House of Bread and we can say with certainty that the House of Bread was truly blessed, when the Bread of Life came down from heaven and chose her for a home. We can only begin to wonder at the great mystery that is made manifest upon this Feast of the Epiphany: that God in His mercy has bestowed His grace upon the pagan world, upon all men, even those living under the oppressive shadow of the dark arts. Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar were men who had in their past practiced the dark art of Astrology. Astrology is the study of the stars and celestial realities for the sake of divining information about the future. Because it is forbidden by God, we may be wondering, "If Astrology is forbidden, why then does the Gospel tell us that the men from the East were led by a star? Was it the star that told them Christ was to be born and that he was the King of the Jews? How did the wise men receive the revelation of the one born King of the Jews?" Saint Chrysostom, one of the early Church Fathers, does not leave us to wrestle with this question alone. He recognizes the stumbling block that the star from today's Gospel may present to us and assures us that it was by the grace of God that Christ was manifested. The Epiphany of the wise men was not the result of Astrology, but rather, the result of God's grace. He explains that the star was given to the wise men because the Lord in His mercy knew that they would respond to such an awesome sight. He notes how this star was so extraordinary, in that it did not move according to the patterns of the natural stars of the cosmos. He explains that this star was unique, in that it was an invisible reality made manifest. It was a gift from God to catch page 5

6 vol. 2, issue 1 january 2019 the eyes of those in the East so that they may be drawn into the Light of the World. Chrysostom goes on to explain that the star was certainly miraculous in that not only did it lead the wise men to the Christ- Child, but it also came to stand above the Lord who was born of Mary. After the star has led the wise men to the Christ, the star descends from the sky and worships the Child by clearly showing Him to be the one born King of the Jews. Chrysostom urges us to see that it would be foolish to think that it was through means of the dark arts that these Magi came to the revelation that the King of the Jews had been born and that He ought to be worshiped, for we know that the dark arts are forbidden by God. Throughout the Scriptures, we!nd many instances of God's commandment for the Jews to stay away from the dark arts of the pagans. Man is not to rely upon sorcery but upon grace. No, the wise men in today's Gospel did not come to the revelation of the Christ- Child by any other means than the divine grace of God being bestowed upon their open hearts. The star was a gift, a manifestation of God's love for all men, even the pagans of the East. It was the means by which he drew the Magi into the Holy City and then into the presence of the one who was not only King of the Jews but King of the Universe. There could be no greater news than this to conclude the Season of Christmas: that those in the East have seen His star and have come to worship Him. He, who was born in the dark of night, is the Light of the World. May it be known that His beams are radiant enough to cast away all darkness. Come into the Light, follow in the upward journey of the pagan astrologers, who leaving behind the foolish wisdom of the world, found for themselves the beginning of wisdom. Fear the Lord who is merciful enough to reveal Himself unto all men, even those lost in the dark arts. Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar beckon you upward: "Exchange the incantations of the dark arts for the question of life: 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews?' Join us, for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship Him." page 6

7 Saint Paul s Anglican Church review our parish online news and announcements online parish calendar now available As of January 10th, Saint Paul s Anglican Church now has an online calendar! This is the best place to!nd out what is happening in the parish month-tomonth, as it will be updated whenever any changes to the schedule take place. It may also be synced up to another calendar service (such as Google) to make it even easier for you to stay on top of what is happening here at the parish! Check it out and come join us for some worship services and fellowship events! If you have not already done so, please write a Google review for our parish online. You can do so by searching Saint Paul s Anglican Church Melbourne via clicking on our reviews found in the sidebar to the right, and selecting the write a review option. father phass away for clergy conference jan. 22nd-26th There will be no weekday services during this time, due to Father Phass being away for Clergy Conference. This year the conference will take place at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, located on Amelia Island. Follow Us: Instagram saintpaulsanglican Reddit u/saintpaulsmelbourne

Epiphany Year C - 6 th January 2019

Epiphany Year C - 6 th January 2019 Introduction Today we celebrate the day when the good news of the birth of Jesus was brought to the whole world through the visit of the three wise Kings. They followed