The Meditation The Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi First Sunday After Trinity Sunday June 3 rd, A.D. 2018 Thou gavest them Bread from Heaven. Containing in itself all sweetness. We eat the Body of Christ that we may be able to be partakers of eternal life. St. Ambrose; Explanation of St. Luke.
2. The Collect for the Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi (The First Sunday After Trinity Sunday) O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in thee, mercifully accept our prayers: and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace; that in keeping thy commandments, we may please thee both in will and deed. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, throughout all ages of ages, world without end. Amen. Trinity tide A time for putting faith into practice Priests sometimes hear it said when the Feast of Trinity is over something to the effect: Here we go... into that long (read: boring) period of Sundays after Trinity. We ve just passed through the great festivals of the Church with their definite doctrinal teachings, and now we come to their practical application. So, how does our religion work in this? Is this really a boring period? Well, we can begin by reading today s Collect, in which doing is the prominent thought. We can do no good thing * without God s help, so we pray: O God, the strength of all them that put their trust in thee... grant us the help by thy grace, that in keeping of thy commandments we may please thee both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. We see the word grace used so frequently in our worship that its full meaning sometimes escapes us. Grace is God s help for our souls: By grace ye are saved. ** It s the ever-recurring thought in all the Epistles of St. Paul, and his words close out both the Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore. *** Looking at the Collect for today, we might say that it centers on the word strength ; the strength of God as compared to the weakness of mankind. From Genesis to Revelation, we can see that strength is an attribute of God which has an obvious universal appeal: He hath showed strength with his arm proclaims the Magnificat.**** The Psalms give us sufficient evidence of the strength of Almighty God: The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I then be afraid? Psalm 27:1 The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. -Psalm 28:8 God is our refuge and our Strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
The Lord is clothed with strength. -Psalm 93:1 The Lord is my strength and my song, and is become my salvation. - Psalm 118:14 3. Today s Collect acknowledges the smallness and helplessness of mankind when placed besides the Creator of the Universe. It s a thought that not only appealed to our primitive ancestors when they looked up at the brilliance of the starry night skies, but still does to the devout thinker of today: Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak (Psalm 6, Vs. 2) cries the Psalmist who echoes our dependency upon Almighty God s protection. We all know that feeling of dependence upon Him when we pray: I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest; for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4; Vs. 9). Our dependence upon God s love, and upon His mercy which goes with it, is also our plea when we make our general confession: Almighty and most merciful Father... Spare thou those O God, who confess their faults. ***** Today s Collect appeals to God s strength and mercy in the same way. O God, the strength of all them that put their trust in thee, mercifully accept our prayers and we go on to state the reason for our petition, which is evident from our very nature: because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace. This leads us to the ultimate aim and purpose of all worthy living, which is that in the keeping of thy commandments we may please thee both in will and deed ; a purposeful goal that we can only fulfil through Jesus Christ our Lord. The greatest festivals of the Christian year are indeed over, but the period of the Christian calendar called Trinity tide in which we are entering is no ordinary time at all. Meditation Notes: *Ref: Romans; Chap. 7, Vs. 18. ** Ref: Ephesians; Chap. 2, Vs. 8 ***1928 Book of Common Prayer; Morning Prayer Office, Pg. 20, and Evening Prayer Office, Pg. 34 (II Corinthians; Chap. 13, Vs. 14) ****Ibid: Evening Prayer Office; Pg. 26 - The Magnificat : St. Luke: Chap. 1, Vss. 46-55. *****The General Confession Morning Prayer Office; 1928 BCP; Pg. 6
4. Priory Kalendar For the week of: June 3 rd to June 10 th - A.D. 2018 In Trinity tide Sunday, June 3 rd....... The Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi The First Sunday After Trinity Sunday Monday, June 4 th.... Feast of All Saints produced from our Mother Abbey Monte Cassino, Italy. Tuesday, June 5 th.... St. Boniface; B. & Myr. O.S.B. 7/8 th cent. England & Germany Wednesday, June 6 th.. St. Norbert; founder of Premonstratensian Order 11 th Cent. Thursday, June 7 th... Octave day of Corpus Christi Comm. St. Robert of Newminster; Ab. O.C.O. - 12 th cent. England Friday, June 8 th..... The Sacred Heart of Jesus Saturday, June 9 th... In the Octave of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Comm. St. Columba; Ab. - 6 th cent. Scotland & Northern England Sunday, June 10 th.... Second Sunday After Trinity Comm. St. Margaret of Scotland; Q. & Wid. 11 th cent. June 5 th June 7 th June 8 th St. Boniface St. Robert of Newminster Sacred Heart of Jesus
KALENDAR KEY: 5. 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: www.ourladyofsevensorrows.org and you can find them in the section marked Meditations on the homepage.
6. 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 email 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 email address. Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things By Br. A, Chip Munk, O.S.B. Well dear friends, it s that time of year when our learned Br. Chip is away from the Priory to give commencement addresses at various colleges and universities which have invited him over the past year. That means that his weekly offfering may be vacant for a while. At a recent chapter meeting I asked for volunteer writers to fill in for Br. Chip, and when I loooked up found myself alone in our little Chapter Room! I m still scratching my head as to how they exited the room so quickly and quietly! Oh well. I might exercise executive priveledge and appoint one or two of the other brothers to give it a shot... maybe even Jack the Cat!... now, if I can find them... Stay tuned! We rely heavily on our good Brother Chip for his great academic insights and instruction, not just in the Meditation, but on a day to day basis. Travelling about and giving addresses at various schools would be a daunting challenge to the rest of us residents here at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory, but for Br. Chip, it s an annual opportunity to visit with students, scholars, and other brainy-types like himself and have some serious cerebral discussions something of a rarity here! Have a safe, blessed, and enjoyable trime Br. Chip! - Fr. Kevin + Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things from: The Chipmunk s Nutshell Library is presented by Br. A. Chip Munk, O.S.B. Br. Chip is our very academic munk of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, USA.
7. Animal News By Sr. Mary-Francis, O.S.B. Fr. Kevin has been becoming friends with Gunner. It is really the first horse that he has connected with on any sort of deeper level. They spend a lot of time just hanging out with each other, just being, thinking and communicating without words. He says that It is almost like he knows what I am thinking! Horses are very spiritual and telepathic animals which is one of the attributes that makes them so unique and special. They focus, look at you and really pay attention to your words
8. and your body language, not only to what is said, but as importantly, what is unsaid as well. They have no agenda They simply want to BE. What a beautiful lesson for us humans who often listen while planning our next reply, who look at each other but don t really see and who are constantly in motion, missing much of life while superficially living it, and not taking time to just BE. We all need to slow down and really connect with each other fully, like a horse, and learn the fine art of being fully present, in the moment and cherishing them all. PAX
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