Tag: Faith

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Sermon: RIP Paul Allen Funeral Mass

Before moving to Enid, I never once in my life said, “You know, I think I wanna live in Oklahoma.” It never really crossed my mind. I suspect the same is true for many of you gathered here today. This may be the first and last time you will ever be in Enid. And that’s OK. We all have our lives, and God allows us to live them.

However, due to this, you probably don’t know Paul in the same way as those who live here. I believe it would be very hard for someone who does not live here to grasp what he meant to this community. That’s not a criticism, and please don’t take it as such. It’s just the way things are. Even so, you won’t understand what he meant to Enid, America. He has left a remarkable legacy. It’s a legacy that you can be very, very proud of.

On the surface, that legacy is easy to see. There are the companies he built, the projects he funded, the ballparks, and the soccer fields. There are all sorts of things, and everywhere you turn, you’ll see his name. But that’s not because Paul was a big flashy kind of guy. He wasn’t running around trying to make a name for himself. He didn’t drive a fancy sports car… and can I just say thanks be to God for that, because he was a really terrible driver. He didn’t wear the latest fashion. If you didn’t know who he was, he was just this nice old guy. In these last years, if you ran into him around town, it was more than likely at one of the grocery stores where he would be stocking the shelves with beef jerky. If you saw Tammy driving him somewhere, there’s a good chance they were out delivering meals to the poor and homebound. And if it were a Sunday morning, you would find him sitting right there in the front row. And, when it was time to pray, you would find him there on his knees.

There’s the outward legacy that everyone knows, but there’s another that you had to be here to truly witness in order to understand why this town loves him the way they do.

You see, Paul was a builder. Yes, he built companies, but more importantly, and the reason he could build companies is that instead of seeing a company as something made of brick and steel, he saw the company as the people. Paul built companies because he built people. He gave them the tools they needed to succeed. He provided the encouragement for them to realize they could do great things and become builders themselves.

In our Gospel reading today, the disciples wanted to send the people away so that they could go and find something to eat. Jesus said to him, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” So often when we read that text, we think that Jesus is simply talking about food. Feed the hungry. They’re broke, they don’t have money. They don’t have food. Give them something to eat. However, there are many different ways to give someone something to eat, because the phrase is a way of saying give them what they need to grow, to have a life, to have joy, to fulfill potential. Give them what they need to have life, and to have it abundantly. When Jesus said, “Give them something to eat,” he was saying, “Build them up,” and that is Paul’s legacy. He was a builder. He was a builder of people, helping them to realize their own great worth.

For some of you, this may very well be the last time you’re in Enid, America. Even so, Paul has passed on this legacy to you. It’s a legacy that conveys the same message that Jesus said to his disciples, “You give them something to eat.” In your communities, with your families and friends and the strangers in your midst, you give them something to eat. Take this legacy and pass it along. Become builders yourselves.

Today, we mourn our loss, and today we give thanks. We mourn because, for a time, we are separated from all those who have gone before us. We give thanks because, on this day, through the power of the resurrection, Paul has been reunited with Joan and David, his mom and dad, and with all those who have gone before. Above all this is the fact that Paul has entered Our Father’s House and has been welcomed into the very Kingdom of God. In the words of the Psalmist, “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our sight.”

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Sermon: Mark

Two brothers went to an elder monk who lived alone in Scete. The first one said, “Father, I have learned all of the Old and New Testaments by heart.” The elder replied, “You have filled the air with words.” The other brother said, “I have copied out the Old and New Testaments and have them in my hut.” To this, the elder responded, “You have filled your window with parchment, but do you not know Him who said, ‘The kingdom of God is not in words, but in power?’ and again, ‘Not those who hear the law will be justified before God, but those who carry it out.’”

As holy as scripture is and as life-giving as the sacred texts are, they remain limiting, for if we find Jesus only in the words, He is confined to our intellectual ability to understand that which cannot truly be understood. But, as we know, Jesus is not just a figure in a book, nor a distant memory of ancient events; He is a living presence. Therefore, we are not only called to know about Jesus, but more importantly, we are called to know Jesus. We do this not only by listening to the voices of others, but also by hearing the voice of Jesus for ourselves.

My favorite monk, Thomas a Kempis, wrote, “O God, You Who are the truth, make me one with You in love everlasting. I am often wearied by the many things I hear and read, but in You is all that I long for. Let the learned be still, let all creatures be silent before You. You alone speak to me.”

Unless the Lord speaks to us and writes the words of scripture on our hearts, we are merely engaging in an academic exercise.

Holy Scripture does not say it specifically, but I feel as though St. Mark was someone who met Jesus, talked with Him, and so on. Scripture also indicates that he went on missions with Paul and Barnabas, and that he sat at the feet of the great Apostle Peter, learning much from him. Yet, even with all this, there had to come a day in his life when he set aside the writings and said, “Lord, You alone speak to me.” There must have been a day when he encountered and witnessed the crucified and resurrected Lord for himself, because his Gospel is a testimony to that encounter and a desire for you to have a similar experience.

The first words of his Gospel are, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” From there, he narrates the story of Jesus in very succinct language.

In his Gospel, Mark tells the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ. After the apostles had encountered Jesus for themselves, they went out and proclaimed salvation so that others might experience Jesus—so that you and I might experience Jesus, not just in the words of the text but in our lives.

I encourage you, in your times of prayer and study, to set aside the scriptures and the prayer book—to set aside all those other voices, including your own—and say, “Lord, You alone speak to me,” allowing the One who has been handed down to us in the texts to speak to you personally.

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Sermon: Easter 2 RCL C – “Resurrection”

I know I’ve shared this story at a funeral, but I don’t believe I’ve ever shared it with you. 

A man was once sentenced to solitary confinement in a pitch-black prison cell. To relieve his boredom and keep his sanity, he threw a marble against the walls—day in, day out, bang, bang, bang. The marble would bounce off the wall onto the floor and then roll around the room until the man could locate it and repeat the procedure.

One day, he decided to do something different—he would throw the marble up and try to catch it as it came down. Of course, in the pitch black, he missed the catch quite often, so he would listen as the marble hit the floor and bounced around. Feeling around in the general direction of the sound, he would locate it and try again. The longer this went on, the more proficient he became, and the more proficient he became, the higher he would throw the marble. However, when he made his highest throw ever, he did not catch it, and neither was there any sound. The marble simply did not come back down. He became more and more disturbed. What had happened to his precious marble? How could it disappear into thin air like that?! He spent the rest of his life wondering what had happened to his marble, and it eventually drove him to madness, and he died. 

We all have things we wonder about and questions that we seek answers to. Sometimes, we have questions about life: Why does so-and-so not love me? How come all my luck is bad? What did I do to deserve this?

At other times, we question the world around us: Why is the sky blue or the grass green? How was the universe formed? How does Santa get into houses without chimneys? (Just seeing if you were paying attention.)

We also have questions about our faith. Does God hear my prayers? Do I matter to God? Or even, is there a God?

For life’s questions, through our faith, we learn to understand and take each day as it comes. For the questions about the world around us, we explore and study. And for the questions about our faith, we pray and study scripture. However, when it comes to these questions of faith, we also tend to try to make a few deals with God. Why do the hard work if there’s a shortcut?

I’ve never been a Janis Joplin fan in the tiniest little bit, but I remember a song of hers that we would laugh and sing as kids, if only the first verse.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends

That’s about all we knew as kids, but it is the third verse that gets to the theological heart of the matter.

Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town?
I’m counting on you Lord, please don’t let me down
Prove that you love me and buy the next round

And there it is. “Prove that you love me.” Prove to me that You hear my prayers. Prove to me that I matter to You. Prove to me that You are there.

The first stanza of the poem, Doubt, by Norman Shirk

Let me meet you on the mountain, Lord, just once.
You wouldn’t have to burn a whole bush,
Just a few smoking branches,
And I would surely be your Moses

In the end, it all comes down to the same statement: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 

It is easy to criticize poor ol’ Thomas, but there’s a bit of him—maybe a little or maybe a lot—there’s a bit of Thomas in us all.

Like Thomas, in order to increase our faith, we ask the Lord to meet us halfway. However, He already has. The Lord Jesus met us halfway between heaven and hell. He met us on that hill outside of Jerusalem. He met us outside the empty tomb, and He continues to meet us every day exactly where we are. He also meets us at that altar in the Sacrament of His body and blood.

But you say, “Yes, yes, Father John. That’s real nice, but today, I want to be Thomas. I want to see Him, hear Him, and touch Him. I need the burning bush. I need the missing piece of the puzzle. I need to find the stupid marble that fella pitched up into the air and never came back down. Give me these things, and I will.”

A line from a movie I watched inspired the title of my blog—Candle in a Cave. In the movie, an older priest tells a younger one, “We are all blind men in a cave looking for a candle that was lit 2,000 years ago.” 

In some sense, this is true because I can’t show you a burning bush or guide your hands and allow you to touch the wounds of Christ. Sorry, I can’t do it. If I could, we would have folks flocking to this church by the millions to see it. Why? Because they want God to prove Himself to them, to give them a sign. Like Job, they ask God to explain Himself. 

But remember, the Lord was patient with Job for a while, but after much questioning, the Lord answered, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? Who created the sky, the animals? Were you there when I breathed life into the dust and created you?” 

Like Job, and even during Jesus’ time on earth, we desire signs and wonders, miracles. Scripture states that at one point during Jesus’ ministry, some Pharisees and teachers of the law questioned him: “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

You see, the problem is not with God; it is with us. The Lord has already given us a sign. After three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, He rose! How? Truly, the Lord only knows. As the Psalmist says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” But Jesus rose from the grave. How much more proof does a person need? Just because there were no witnesses to the resurrection, does it mean it did not occur? No. Remember what Billy Graham said, “Can you see God? You haven’t seen him? I’ve never seen the wind. I see the effects of the wind, but I’ve never seen the wind. There’s a mystery to it.”

No one witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, but from that day forward, we have all been witnesses to, and have experienced for ourselves, the effects of the resurrection—this new life in Christ Jesus—and it didn’t involve getting a Mercedes-Benz. Therefore, “Do not doubt but believe.” 

Remember our prisoner and his marble? When the guards later entered the cell to remove his body, a glint of light caught one of the guards’ eyes. He looked up toward the ceiling to see the most astonishing sight—a marble caught in a spider’s web. “Of all the crazy things,” he thought. “How on earth did the spider manage to get a marble up there?” He spent the rest of his life wondering.

There are many mysteries in our lives with God, things we can wonder about and seek answers to throughout our lives. However, the question of the resurrection is not one of them, for the proof is all around us.

Let us pray: Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He who in His great mercy gave us new birth, a birth unto hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; a birth to an imperishable inheritance, incapable of fading or defilement, which is kept in heaven for you who are guarded with God’s power through faith; a birth to a salvation which stands ready to be revealed in the last days. Amen.

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Sermon: Great Vigil

From Catherine Emmerich: “TOWARDS the close of the Sabbath-day, John came to see the holy women. He endeavoured to give some consolation, but could not restrain his own tears, and only remained a short time with them. They had likewise a short visit from Peter and James the Greater, after which they retired to their cells, and gave free vent to grief, sitting upon ashes, and veiling themselves even more closely.

Later that evening, “about nine o’clock at night,” the Blessed Virgin went out alone. Catherine Emmerich writes, “I saw her stop suddenly in a very solitary spot, and look upwards in an ecstasy of delight, for on the top of the town wall, she beheld the soul of our Lord, resplendent with light without the appearance of a wound, and surrounded by patriarchs. He descended towards her, turned to his companions, and presenting her to them, said, ‘Behold Mary, behold my Mother.’ He appeared to me to salute her with a kiss, and he then disappeared… This sight filled her with inexpressible joy, and she immediately rejoined the holy women, who were busily employed in preparing the perfumes and spices.

The Lord, speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel, said, “I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.”

On this day, Jesus has been going about His Father’s business, descending into Hell and proclaiming release to those held captive. Now, He is bringing them forth, just as Ezekiel prophesied. 

The bones of those held captive in Hell were restored, and the flesh returned. The sinews and skin were knit back together, and their bodies became whole. Then “the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.” And Jesus, banner in hand, leads them out of the pit and into the light of God. It is this great exodus that Catherine describes and that the Virgin Mary witnessed.

In the end, it is all a mystery, yet we begin to see in that mirror dimly what has occurred; however, we also begin to glimpse our own future.

Gregory of Nyssa, one of the Cappadocian Fathers and a primary contributor to the Nicene Creed, wrote in the 4th century, “Ezekiel, with prophetic spirit, has surpassed all time and space and with his power of prediction has stood at the very moment of the resurrection. Seeing the future as already present, he has brought it before our eyes in his description.” 

There is the release of those held captive in Hell, but it is also a vision of our release from death. It is quite a spectacular scene and offers great hope to those who call upon the Name of the Lord. However, this resurrected life isn’t only about a distant future after we’ve been in the ground for so many years; Jesus has made it available to us today. 

St. Paul, writing to the Romans, states, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Through our baptism, we are raised—resurrected—with Christ Jesus, and the resurrected life is ours today.

So, ask yourself this: If I have been given the resurrected life today, do I still live as though I am nothing more than a pile of bones? Or do I take in this breath of God that has been breathed into me and allow it to fill me with faith, hope, and love? 

This is the night we declare, “Christ is risen!” Believe it. Embrace it. Rise with Him into a glorious new life.

Are you ready?

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

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Sermon: Maundy Thursday

From The Dolorous Passion, chapter 7:

“Jesus, in the vestibule, told John to take a basin, and James a pitcher filled with water, with which they followed him into the room, where the chief steward had placed another empty basin.

“Jesus, on returning to his disciples in so humble a manner, addressed them a few words of reproach on the subject of the dispute which had arisen between them, and said among other things, that he himself was their servant, and that they were to sit down, for him to wash their feet. They sat down, therefore, in the same order as they had sat at table. Jesus went from one to the other, poured water from the basin which John carried on the feet of each, and then, taking the end of the towel wherewith he was girded, wiped them. Most loving and tender was the manner of our Lord while thus humbling himself at the feet of his Apostles.”

And then there was Peter. “‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’”

It is easy to pick on Peter, but would we have acted any differently? Jesus is kneeling before you and says He’s about to wash your feet. What do you do? Yeah. Me too. “Lord, this is so far below You, and I am so unworthy of such an honor.” Yet, as with Peter, this act of washing the disciples’ feet points to something beyond itself.

Jesus says, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” The term “share” can also be interpreted as “heritage” or “inheritance.” In the context of the Old Testament, the Lord speaks to Moses about the Israelites’ inheritance, which is the Land of Canaan, also known as the Promised Land. The Lord declares, “This is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders.” (Numbers 34:2) In the New Testament, we learn that Jesus will say to the righteous, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) Unless Jesus washes Peter’s feet, Peter will have no part in the New Promised Land, the very Kingdom of God.

However, remember what Jesus said before he washed their feet. He said, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” This indicates that foot washing is not only about humbly serving one another. It is also pointing to something greater than itself, and the Disciples would not understand until after the Resurrection. St. Paul says it plainly in his letter to the Philippians—“Being found in human form, [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)

The washing of the Disciples’ feet is pointing to the cleansing of sin from their souls, but not just theirs “only but also for the sins of the whole world.” We, like Peter and everyone else who desires the Kingdom of God, must submit to the humility of Jesus and allow Him to wash our feet—allow Him to wash our souls, for “no one comes to the Father except through” Him, and these great acts He performed in the Upper Room and on the hill outside Jerusalem, upon the Cross.

Tonight, I invite you to come forward so that I can learn more about the humility of our Savior by washing your feet. However, remember that these acts serve as an example established by Jesus. Therefore, we are not only witnesses to them but also called to practice them. As Jesus tells us, “Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

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Sermon: Palm Sunday – “His Most Blessed Mother”

Today, in The Dolorous Passion by Anne Catherine Emmerich, we turn our attention to Jesus’ most Blessed Mother. From Chapter 45:

“What words can, alas, express the deep grief of the Blessed Virgin? Her eyes closed, a death-like tint overspread her countenance; unable to stand, she fell to the ground, but was soon lifted up, and supported by John, Magdalen, and the others. She looked once more upon her beloved Son—that Son whom she had conceived by the Holy Ghost, the flesh of her flesh, the bone of her bone, the heart of her heart—hanging on a cross between two thieves; crucified, dishonoured, condemned by those whom he came on earth to save; and well might she at this moment be termed ‘the queen of martyrs.’”

I wondered about all we have been discussing during this Season of Lent, and then I thought of Jesus’ most blessed Mother. It was thirty-three years ago that she gave birth to him, and she knew Him well. He didn’t have to speak for her to understand how He was feeling. She may have been present when he rode into town on the donkey, the crowds joyful and excited, waving palm branches and shouting, “Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.” However, one look at Jesus’ face, and she knew something was wrong—terribly wrong. 

Over the course of the next few days, she came to understand the inner torment He was experiencing, but there was nothing she could do. A day later, news arrived through one of Jesus’ terrified disciples that He had been arrested. There was the trial, the long road to Golgotha, the crucifixion, and now… now she sits at the foot of the cross, watching her Son die—the Son who was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit.

She was oblivious to the crowds around her, unconcerned about the danger she was placing herself in. Nothing distracted her from her Son on the cross. Not one thing could make her take her eyes off of God because she knew that if she was going to get through this, it would be only through Him, for He had come to save her as well.

We can learn many things from this most blessed of all women. We can learn love, patience, perseverance. We can learn what it means to hunger for God and to comfort one another. Therefore, I encourage you this Holy Week to take Mary as your companion. Ask her to reveal to you the things she witnessed and to help you experience the true Passion of our Lord. Ask her to guide you beyond your own fears and away from the crowds and the noise. Ask her to allow you to join her at the foot of the Cross, and then ask her to show you perfect love—perfect love that was crucified for her and for you.

Let us pray: O Holy Mary, my most gentle Lady, faithful Advocate of all Christians, in view of the extraordinary merits that were yours and which made you most pleasing to God, and in view of your every comforting gesture you made to your Son, as well as the countless tears you shed during his most bitter Passion, I ask you to have pity on me, poor creature that I am. Take me under your maternal care and include me among the number of your servants, whom you hold dear and embrace with your special love.

O glorious Virgin Mary, my only hope, before my soul should leave this body of mine, come and reveal your face to me. Direct your gentle and beautiful eyes of mercy toward me, the very eyes that had joyfully and so often looked upon the fruit of your womb, Jesus, and were wetted because the many tears shed during his Passion. Most holy Mother of Jesus, come and stand at my side together with your group of attending virgins and the holy assemblage of saints, as you had steadfastly and perseveringly stood unto the end, when your most beloved Son was about to die on the Cross. After my Lord Jesus Christ, your only Son, I find none so generous and eager to console someone in need as you, most amiable Mother of the Afflicted. Amen. (On the Passion of Christ: According to the Four Evangelists, p.117)

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Sermon: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A man was painting the home of an 89-year-old lady in Spokane. She had a large family Bible prominently displayed on the coffee table and remarked that it was 116 years old and a priceless heirloom. The painter commented on how remarkable that was and added, “It doesn’t matter how old the Bible might be; what’s on the inside is what matters.” She immediately replied, “Oh, I know. That sure is the truth. Why, we have family records and births and marriages, and deaths that go so far back, all recorded in that Bible; we could never replace them.” 

Episcopalians may be accused of being the “frozen chosen” or because of the Book of Common Prayer, “Those Who Read to God,” but no one can ever accuse us of not reading our Bibles.  I think we read more Holy Scripture on a Sunday than any other church out there.

In the study of Holy Scripture, I know of some who set themselves a plan to read the entire Bible in a year, some in three years, and others – well, others are pretty much like that lady having her house painted. It’s a good book to have around to record family relations or press flowers, but other than that…  

I suppose we all have our favorite books of the Bible, but I’ve also heard folks say that if it’s not printed in red (meaning the words of Christ), they can’t be bothered.  It is also true for many that they, with perhaps the exception of the Psalms, don’t read any of the Old Testament.  Their reasoning is, “I don’t like the God of the Old Testament.” 

Yet, what we learn from studying the Gospels is that Jesus was a big fan of the Old Testament. He quoted it about 80 times, the most memorable instance being when he spent 40 days in the desert and rebuked the devil. It seems that Jesus was considering Deuteronomy when the devil came along because all three of those rebukes came from that book.

For us, the Old Testament also enhances our understanding of God and shows how everything that occurred points to the need for a Savior.  This is what Jesus referred to in our Gospel today when he said, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” To truly know God and Jesus, we must study both the old and the new- the God of the Law and the God of the Law revealed and fulfilled.  The same God, but a more complete and accurate picture.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whom we celebrate today, understood this.  He wrote, “My thoughts and feelings seem to be getting more and more like those of the Old Testament. It is only when one knows the unutterability of the name of God that one can utter the name of Jesus Christ; it is only when one loves life and this earth so much that without them everything seems to be over that one may believe in the resurrection; it is only when one submits to God’s law that one may speak of grace. It is not Christian to want to take our thoughts and feelings too directly from the New Testament.”

The Holy Bible is more than just a collection of Sunday school stories and nice sayings; it is the history of our God.  In both the Old and New Testaments, it serves as the place to discover Him, know Him, and be known by Him.  

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Sermon: James Lloyd Breck

Several years ago, archaeologists began excavating in the courtyard of a medieval monastery and discovered seeds that had remained dormant for over 400 years. King Henry VIII closed the monastery in 1539, causing the herbs tended by the monks to perish, but the seeds sprouted to life again after the archaeologists disturbed the soil. For hundreds of years, the seeds lay there, and then, without warning—life.

A seed is planted in the ground; it may lie dormant for years, or the germination time might last several months, but something is happening below the surface. Like the seeds in the monastery, they may be surviving until a more opportune climate arises, or they might be developing an extensive root system for optimal growth. It is a mystery, but when God breathes life, the plant breaks through the surface of the ground and grows.

The ministry of Jesus was very much the same way. In the beginning, it just didn’t look like much was happening. Twelve bungling fellas, who, like the rest of the folks, didn’t “get it,” had to have private tutoring lessons after class. But just when that seed appears to grow, it gets splayed upon a cross and dies; then the stone is rolled away, and once again—life. 

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow he knows not how.” What is meant by saying that the man “sleeps and rises” is that after he scattered the seed, the man went about his day-to-day business. He had done all he could do. The sprouting and growing was the work of the Lord. The Lord would do what the farmer could not—give life. The same is true with the work of the Church. We seek to do the will of God. We till the soil, we remove the rocks, we set up the irrigation, we scatter the seed, but it is the Lord who will give life, and He will do it in His own time. Much of this work of the Lord is performed below the surface, out of sight. He instructs us not to make a big show of ourselves and to be humble, so it only stands to reason that He will act in a similar manner. We should never be fooled by the perceived lack of activity or the silence, because when you least expect it—what was hidden will come to life; therefore, just as the farmer in the parable was ready at once to harvest the crop, we also must be prepared for when the harvest comes in.

James Lloyd Breck, whom we celebrate today, was someone who planted many seeds. He planted the seed of Nashotah House, where I attended seminary. He also sowed the seeds for numerous other organizations and churches, which, to this day- over 150 years later- continue to yield fruitful crops. St. Matthew’s is 132 years old this year. If the Lord has not returned by then, I pray that the seeds we are planting will produce bountiful crops 132 years from now, just as the seeds that Breck planted continue to multiply.

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Sermon: Lent 4 – The Nails in His Feet

On the first Sunday of Lent, I shared that the movie The Passion of the Christ was heavily inspired by the text we’ve been meditating on for the past three weeks—The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich. One of the scenes in the movie, which is not found in Scripture, originates from Chapter 39.

I apologize in advance for reading too much to you today.

In the movie, the cross lies on the ground while Jesus is nailed to it. A hole has been dug at the base of the cross to allow it to stand upright. Now, with ropes tied to it, the soldiers are lifting the cross so that it will settle into the hole. When the cross is finally vertical, it drops violently a few feet into the prepared hole.

In chapter 39, Catherine speaks of this sudden violent dropping, the sound of it, and the result.

The cross was “raised up in the midst of the vast concourse of persons who were assembled all around…. The air resounded with acclamations and derisive cries when they beheld it towering on high, and after vibrating for a moment in the air, fall with a heavy crash into the hole cut for it in the rock. … When the solemn sound of the fall of the cross into the hole prepared for it in the rock was heard, a dead silence ensued, every heart was filled with an undefinable feeling of awe—a feeling never before experienced, and for which no one could account, even to himself; all the inmates of hell shook with terror, and vented their rage by endeavouring to stimulate the enemies of Jesus to still greater fury and brutality; the souls in Limbo were filled with joy and hope, for the sound was to them a harbinger of happiness, the prelude to the appearance of their Deliverer. Thus was the blessed cross of our Lord planted for the first time on the earth; and well might it be compared to the tree of life in Paradise, for the wounds of Jesus were as sacred fountains, from which flowed four rivers destined both to purify the world from the curse of sin, and to give it fertility, so as to produce fruit unto salvation.

The eminence on which the cross was planted was about two feet higher than the surrounding parts; the feet of Jesus were sufficiently near the ground for his friends to be able to reach to kiss them.”

In the New Testament, the Simon we are most familiar with is Simon Peter; however, there is another Simon, Simon the Pharisee, who we hear about in Luke’s Gospel.

Simon invites Jesus to dinner. While there, “A woman in that town, who lived a sinful life, learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.”

Simon, aware of this woman’s reputation, believes that if Jesus truly is who he claims to be, He would recognize that this woman is wicked. Understanding Simon’s thoughts, Jesus then told a parable. 

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

Simon receives the gold star. Jesus then says, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

To the woman, Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven…. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50)

Gathered around Jesus as He hung upon His Cross were soldiers, religious leaders, gawkers, and followers. However, Catherine tells us that others were present—demons who cheered on those committing these evil acts and souls in Limbo, witnessing the coming of their salvation. Heaven, Hell, and all of creation witnessed the King upon the Cross, which we can break down into their respective categories. However, in the end, there are really only two categories, and Jesus identified them earlier in His ministry. He stated, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30)

Gathered around the Cross were those who were either with Jesus or against Him. Present were those whose sins were forgiven and those who stood condemned. There is no gray area. Those who were forgiven, out of the deepest gratitude and adoration, came forward and, like the woman in Simon’s house, kissed the feet of Jesus. Like the Prodigal Son, they were the ones who knew they had been lost but also understood that they had been found, forgiven, and would be received into the Kingdom of God as sons and daughters. 

What is particularly interesting is the fact that in the past 2,000 years, nothing has changed. There is our crucified Savior upon His Cross, and gathered around Him are Heaven, Hell, and all Creation. As before, we can categorize them into their respective groups—white/black, Republican/Democrat, male/female, rich/poor, Asian/European, etc., etc., etc. However, as before, there are only two categories—those who are with Jesus or those who are against Him. Sons and daughters of God Most High or condemned. Some will time and time again nail Jesus’ feet to the cross, while others will, out of the deepest sense of gratitude and adoration, come forward and kiss His bloodied feet. There are those who will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Matthew 7:21), and there are those who will hear Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven…. Your faith has saved you” (Luke 7:50).

Have faith. Within your soul, come and kneel before the Cross of Jesus, and kiss the nail-pierced feet. He is the only One who can forgive and save, and He endured all of this for you. He is waiting for you.

Let us pray… Lord Jesus Christ, author of our salvation and most gracious Dispenser of pardon, and most patient in tolerating man’s wickedness, I bless and thank you for the great pain, the many stripes, and the bloody wounds inflicted on your tender and noble body. From the soles of your feet to the crown of your head there was no area without its injury or lesion.

O precious wounds, supreme signs of incomparable love, abounding with divine sweetness, it is from you that the sinner learns abiding trust.. otherwise his guilty conscience would cause him to despair. In these wounds we find the medicine for life, abundant grace, full forgiveness, unstinting mercy, and the gateway to promised glory. Whatever defilement I incur or whatever sins of the flesh I commit, it is in these fountains that I wash myself clean, and am purified, and again made new. 

Lord Jesus Christ, fountain of holiness and sweetness, I bless and thank you for your abundant love… Instill in my flesh a fear of you, lest I yield to carnal appetites; pierce my hands, lest I yield to sloth; transfix my feet that I may remain firm and courageously endure toil and sorrows. May your nails enter my heart’s center and there inflict a saving wound, as a consequence of which and because of my overwhelming contrition, may I shed tears and be lost in love of you. Fill me with wonder and increase my devotion, until nothing will be more pleasant or dearer to my heart than Christ Jesus and him crucified. Amen.

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