Holy Communion Anglican Church
East Greenwich, RI – Standing Firm on Biblical Truth and Christian Tradition
Jesus’ merciful love, manifested in his washing of the Apostles’ feet, as Benedict XVI has written, is the “basin in which he cleanses us.” This need to be completely dependent on Jesus’ mercy and love is meant to be continued in the life of the Church Catholic, Christ’s Body on earth, as sacrament and example, received and shared: for there is still much filth to be washed clean in this broken world.
I am personally very sad and feel a great loss that the last and preeminent orthodox churchman of the Greatest Generation is no more, but immensely glad that Benedict XVI is at last free of this fallen world.
The Incarnation – the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ – shall for all all-time illuminate the darkness that inevitably surrounds our world and our hearts with its light — and bring hope and joy to the faithful Christian soul.
The Eucharistic Celebration is the greatest and highest act of prayer. In fact, this "knowing" and "being known" in Christ and, through him, in the Holy Trinity, is none other than the most true and deep reality of prayer. The disciple who prays much, and who prays well, is progressively drawn out of him or herself and is evermore united to Jesus the Good Shepherd, he who is the selfless servant of the brethren.
Now is the time for us with a new vigor to marshal our gifts and talents for the glory of God. We must stand up for “Biblical Truth and Church Tradition.” For if souls are not worth saving, then nothing is. That is WHAT WE ARE FOR.
From the Holy Eucharist, the Ascended Christ is truly present among his adopted children and working in and through them in the power of the Holy Spirit. And in all her generations through twenty centuries, the Church Catholic -- despite the limitations and sinful errors of her clergy and laity alike -- she remains THE divine institution created and guided by the Almighty himself to spread the Good News of salvation in Christ throughout the world.
The most important vocation for the Church Universal today is to have a laser focus on forming a new generation of faithful disciples of Jesus – “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
From morning to night, we are saturated with news. We look at our phones first thing in the morning to find out what went on while we were sleeping (just in case we missed something big!), and we conclude the day with scrolling through our phone just before going to bed (just in case we missed something even bigger!). We are, as a nation, massive consumers of so-called “news.”
“Who stands fast? Only the person whose final standard is not reason, principles, conscience, freedom, or virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
Each of us has unique situations in which we can be the most effective instruments through which the Holy Spirit presents to our friends and fellow workers the Good News of God in Jesus Christ.