The Meditation. The Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity September 30 th, A.D Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense.

Transcription

1 The Meditation The Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity September 30 th, A.D Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense. -Psalm 141 A Woman at prayer in a Russian Orthodox Church - Contemporary Photograph 1

2 The Introit (Entrance) Verse for the Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity Give peace, O Lord, unto them that wait for thee, and let thy prophets be found faithful: hear the prayer of thy servants, and of thy people Israel. (Ecclus; Ch.36, Vs. 16). I was glad when they said unto me: we will go into the house of the Lord. (Psalm 122). The Incense of Prayer God gave Moses full instruction as to the composition of the incense which was to be burned in the tabernacle, before the Ark of the Covenant. [1] It was to be Holy unto the Lord (Exodus; Chap. 30, Vs. 37), and never be put to any profane use. God willed that His people should show Him honor. Incense was to be the symbol of their prayer, as was later to be revealed to St. John on Patmos: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel s hand. (Revelation: Chap. 8; Vss. 3 & 4.) Incense still plays a very important part in traditional Catholic liturgical worship today, but we are going to look at incense in a different light in today s Meditation. If God desires that we should speak to Him, we should be thankful to know that our poor prayers, rising from a heart burning with love, are an incense of an acceptable odor to Him. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141; Vs. 2). This is indeed a very appropriate and illustrative quote. Each evening in the Eastern Churches, and some Western contemplative monasteries, the priest leaves the sanctuary and passes down the nave, censing not only each of the icons in their turn, but also the monks, nuns, & faithful. Outside of the Church, darkness has fallen and now reigns, and for mankind, the hour of rest from the day s labors has come. When the final psalm or antiphon is sung, it is followed by a hymn of praise to Christ, the True Light, that knows no setting. Rest, recollection, consecration, and joy are all enclosed within the clouds of the incense rolling through the temple of God and thus, our prayers must, like the incense, give glory to God and be for us, our evening sacrifice which now, after the hurry of the passing day, brings with it silence and our intimate communion with God. This perhaps, serves as a proof of our homesickness for our Father in heaven, our true home, a homesickness that continues in our prayers long after our tongues fall silent in the night. Through prayer and silence, we come to understand that our time on this earth is dated and finite, but our union with Almighty God is forever! Forever; still a difficult concept for the human mind to grasp despite the so-called advances of this so-called scientific and cyber-age. Our prayer is most eloquent, even though no words may be uttered, because our hearts have taken over and transmit our longing to the Almighty, His Son, and all of Heaven. Homesickness seeks God, and Jesus has promised us that the one who seeks shall find [2]. God descends as our 2

3 prayer rises And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah; Chap. 65; Vs. 24). The ancient Israelites as do Orthodox Jews today, enfolded themselves in their prayer-shawls when they spoke to the Lord, as a token that their soul was wrapped in prayer. We too, must be wrapped in prayer, just like a child for whom all else loses its importance when wrapped in the arms of its own loving father, When we are silent in God s sight, if all our desires tend toward Christ, if our words die on our lips doesn t St. Paul tell us that we do not know for what it is we should pray? [3] The Holy Ghost prays within us with quiet yearnings. The God Who searches all hearts knows what the Spirit is asking for, and that it s always in accordance with the Divine Will. St. Augustine of Hippo wisely tells us: God does not hear us as man hears. Unless you shout with your lungs and chest and lips, a mere man does not hear; whereas to God your very thoughts shout. [4] There can be no better prayer that could ever rise from our hearts to the throne of Almighty God than the prayer which the Holy Ghost prays within us, while Jesus Christ Himself is making intercession for us. The prayer becomes rest in God, that is, true union. Talk about a personal relationship! It s like making a phone call on a busy and noisy street where all sounds are shut out and we find ourselves in contact with God, as all the rest of the world moves by us in total silence. The great desert father St. Anthony quips; He prays best, when he doesn t know he is praying. [5] Contact with God produces growth, healing, strength, and even confidence. Praying to God, is just like holding our Father s Hand. We, as children, felt at peace when we held our earthly father s hand, assured of his strength. As adults, we may sometimes long for those by-gone days, but now hold the Hand of our Heavenly Father for the rest of our lives... and beyond. Psalm 91 is one of the beautiful psalms of re-assurance that is chanted in the office of Compline, the final prayer office of the day. It goes, in part: Whoso dwelleth under the defense of the Most High, Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my stronghold; My God in whom I will trust... There shall no evil happen unto thee... For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee in their hands, That thou hurt not thy foot against a stone Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him up, because he hath known my Name. [6] 3

4 We offer Thee O God, our prayers as the smoke of incense, just as it rises from thy holy place, your Church. May the lifting of our hands be just as an evening sacrifice, in the silent intimacy of our union with You. MEDITATION NOTES: [1] Ref: Exodus; Chap. 30, Vss , & Chap. 37; Vs. 29. [2] And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. ( St. Luke; chap. 11; Vs. 9). [3] The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans; Chap. 8, Vs. 26.) [4] St. Augustine of Hippo; Excerpt from a sermon on Psalm 141 On the Psalms 5 th cent. [5] St. Anthony of the Desert 4 th cent. Mystic. [6] Psalm 91; Verses 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, & 14. Abide with us Lord, the day is far spent and night is at hand - (St. Luke; Ch. 24, Vs. 29) Herding Sheep in a Winter Landscape at Sunset. Painting by Joseph Farquaharson ( ) - Scottish landscape painter. 4

5 Priory Kalendar For the week of: September 30 th to October 7 th A.D In Trinity Season Sunday, September 30 th.... Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity Comm. St. Jerome; C., Hermit, & Doct. -3 rd /4 th cent. Monday, October 1 st... St. Remegius; Bp. & C. - 5 th cent. Gaul Tuesday, October 2 nd... Our Holy Guardian Angels See Note 1 Comm St. Thomas of Hereford; Bp th cent. England Wednesday, October 3 rd.. St. Theresa of Lisieux; V. & Doct th cent. France See Note 2 Thursday, October 4 th... St. Francis of Assisi; C. & Founder of Franciscan Order 12 th /13 th cent. Italy & the World. Friday, October 5 th... St. Placid & Companions: Myrs. -6 th cent. Sicily Abst. Saturday, October 6 th... St. Bruno; C. & founder of Carthusian Order th /12 th cent. Sunday, October 7 th... Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity Comm. Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Comm. St. Faith; V. & Myr. 3 rd cent. Gaul. October 2 nd October 3 rd October 6 th Our Holy Guardian Angels St. Therese of Lisieux St. Bruno the Carthusian 5

6 KALENDAR NOTE: Note 1: October 2 nd is The Feast of Our Holy Guardian Angels. These beautiful spiritual beings work very hard to protect us 24/7/365/For Life. If we don t offer a daily prayer asking for their continued protection and an occasional THANK YOU, then we ought to! Gratitude to our Guardian Angels goes way beyond just being good manners it s a thanksgiving to Almighty God, Who has gifted us with heavenly guides who look after us the whole of our lives. Have you ever had a close call in life and wondered how you made it? It s the result of your Guardian Angel s continual intercession and intervention. Here s a tried and true Prayer to your Guardian Angel that you can easily memorize and say when you rise each day and just before retiring at night: Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God s love commits thee here, Ever this day/night be at my side, To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Note 2: October 3 rd is the Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux. Carmelite nun, and Doctor of the Church. A Doctor of the Church you say? How can a simple, innocent, and some call, bourgeois girl from 19 th century Normandy be a Doctor of the Church? Those honors are reserved for the great mystics and theologians, like St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Theresa of Avila, right?! Not at all! God does as He wills, and designates His Saints as He sees fit, and that s exactly what He did with this little Carmelite nun who only sought in her life and vocation to completely love God, Christ, the Blessed Mother, her fellow sisters, the Holy Catholic Church, and later the world all in the relative obscurity of nothing-ness. The afore mentioned great saints are indeed needed, for in every age there are those who wish to dispute and defeat the teachings of Christ and His Catholic Church. Today is no different. Those who believe they are intellectually gifted and can explain and confound, let them be directed to the readings of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Gregory the Great, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, and many others who have been given title of Doctor of the Church. In the parlance of the Church, doctor means Teacher. What of the rest of us? Where can we go for answer and direction? We can follow the example of little Therese! Therese lived in the waning years of the 19 th century, when she was witness to many great advances in daily living. She became intrigued, when just a little girl, by the workings of elevators that were just beginning to be placed in large buildings. One day she remarked: What if we had an elevator that could take us directly to God? Whether she knew it or not, her vocation began with these words. Unbeknownst to herself and in time, Therese developed her Little Way of drawing souls closer to Christ and His heavenly Father. She lived her Little Way in the confines of the Cloister at the Carmel in Lisieux, France, and wrote it 6

7 down in her copy-books. Only after her passing at the age of 24 of tuberculosis, would the writings of her Little Way be discovered, and upon its first publication, written in her biography: The Story of a Soul, would the world learn of it, and embrace it. The impact of her writings was so profound and soul-changing, that soldiers on both sides carried copies of it in their uniforms and her medal around their necks during the horrible years of the First World War. Her writings would greatly influence another Carmelite Saint in another war to come; St. Edith Stein (St. Theresa Benedicta), [ ]. A lock of St. Therese s hair in its simple reliquary at the Priory chapel which is venerated throughout the year. A treasured gift. St. Therese of Lisieux ( ) was made Doctor of the Church on October 19, 1997, by Pope John Paul II, who declared her: A Doctor of The Little Way of Spiritual Childhood, and Doctor of Merciful Love. RECOMMENDED READING: A book no Catholic Christian should be without, especially the reverend clergy: The 33 Doctors of the Church by Fr. Christopher Rengers, O.F.M. Cap. TAN Books and Publishers ISBN:

8 KALENDAR KEY: Abt. = Abbot, Abs. = Abbess, Abp = Archbishop, Anc. = Anchorite, Ancs. = Anchoress, Ap. = Apostle, Bl. = Blessed, Br. = Brother, Bp. = Bishop, Card. = Cardinal, C. or Conf. = Confessor, Comm. = Commemoration/Commemorate, Dcn. = Deacon, Doct. = Doctor of the Church, Ev. = Evangelist, H. = Hermit, LBr. = Lay Brother, LSr. = Lay Sister, K. = King, Mat. = Matron, M. = Monk, M.M. = Month s Mind ( Requiem for the recently departed on the 30 th day after death or burial). Myr. = Martyr, N. = Nun, Obl. = Oblate, P. = Priest, Po. = Pope, Pr. = Prior, Prs. = Prioress, R. = Recluse, RM = Requien Mortuorum, ( Mass and Offices for the departed once a month as designated on Kalendar). SDcn. = Sub Deacon, Q. = Queen, Ven. = Venerable, Vir.=Virgin, W. = Widow. FASTING KEY: A = Abstinence, F = Fast, F & A = Fast and Abstinence RELIGIOUS ORDER ABBREVIATIONS: C.O = Congregation of the Oratory (Oratorians), C.P. = Congregation of the Passion (Passionists), C.S.J. = Congregation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Er. Cam. = Camaldolese Hermits, F.P. O. = Franciscans of the Primitive Observance, O. Car. = Carmelite Order, O. Cart. Carthusian Order, O.C.D. = Order of Discalced Friars (Carmelites), O.F.A. = Augustinian Order, O.F.M = Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), O.F.M. Cap = Capuchin Order, O.P. = Order of Preachers (Dominicans also called Blackfriars ), O. Praem. = Order of Cannons Regular (Norbertines), O.S.B. = Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines), O.Ss. S. = Bridgettines, O.S.U = Ursulines, O.C.O. = Order of the Cistercian Observance (Trappists/Trappistines), O.C.S.O. = Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists/ Trappistines). Tert. = Tertiary (Third Order religious) About the Meditation and About Us The Meditation is an online apostolate of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, USA. We are an Anglican-Catholic Benedictine contemplative community that follows the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, the 5 th century Father of Western Monasticism. We are resident within the Diocese of the Northeast (DNE), of the Anglican Church in America (ACA), a member of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC). The Meditation is a weekly online offering that is sent out free of charge to anyone who desires to receive it. Subscribers may copy and pass along The Meditation to their families and friends, or send us their e-address (with their permission) to add to our subscription list so they may receive it directly from us. Each issue is sent out as a BCC (Blank Copy) in respect to subscriber privacy and online security. To subscribe, contact us at: klamarre@maine.rr.com To read past issues of the Meditation, please go to our website at: and you can find them in the section marked Meditations on the homepage. PLEASE NOTE: In respect to our contemplative vocation and the animals in our rescue and rehab center, we do not have guest or bathroom facilities and do not regularly receive visitors. Fr. Kevin is available to hear confessions and give spiritual direction by appointment only. Please contact via to make an appointment or to make us aware of your needs, concerns and intentions for our prayerful attention. It is our privilege to pray for you. PLEASE CONSIDER REMEMBERING US IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING Contact Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. for more information via our address 8

9 Animal News By Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. There is only one season in the year that the sky becomes a real azure blue and that is in the fall. The air is clean and crisp and a welcome relief from the summer s heat and humidity. It signals the change of season, a shift in the dynamics of weather here in the north. There is a beauty even in the things that are dying or going to sleep for the colder months, and soon the patchwork comforter of leaves will blanket the earth, keeping buds and burrowed animals warm and cozy under the snow. Some of the animals such as our turkey friends and some deer also, are aware that the hunting season is about to begin. Sr. tags the periphery of the pasture with orange marking tape to protect the horses and sheep from hunters, and 9

10 the wild life also seems to realize that the area inside the tape is a safe zone. They spend their days sunning and eating inside the pasture with our animals. Our old donkey, Matilda was sometimes seen with a turkey sunning on her back as she ate in the pasture and Joseph often was seen eating with a deer beside him. So many things come from an azure blue sky..warmth, friendship, acceptance, harmony, comfort..fall!!! Happy Fall to our Animal Angels and to you all!!! Will you help us get these animals through the winter? 10

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