"Coming Soon"
As the Labo(u)r Day weekend and my personal mini-retreat draws to a close I’ve just finished the book I’ve been chipping away at for the last few weeks: “Coming Soon” by Dr. Michael Barber:
Author: pilgrim
Know your Rites
The other week I resumed a former “hobby” of mine. When I was living back in London I would often go and visit Eastern Rite Catholic churches…
What’s Rite?
A “Rite” in this context generally refers to a group within the wider Catholic Church which is associated with a particular liturgical tradition. The main Rite with which most people will be familiar is the “Latin Rite”. This is what is followed in most Catholic churches in Western Europe and the United States. However, what most people don’t know is that there are six other Rites in the Catholic Church. The Catechism in paragraph #1203 lists these other Rites as Byzantine, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite and Chaldean. The majority of married Catholic priests (yes, you heard me right) will be found in these Eastern Rite Catholic churches where the discipline of celibacy is not exercised in the same way.
I love visiting Eastern Rite churches – I get to explore an unfamiliar liturgy, but unlike when I visit Protestant churches, I also am able to receive communion because the churches which I visit are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. So far, I have participated in Maronite and Byzantine (Melkite & Ukrainian) liturgies.
St. Basil’s Priorities
The Gospel this week (Luke 13:25-33) was all about what it means to follow Christ and to have Him as Lord over your life, in first place before anything or anyone. Doing this, as hard as it is, is also immensely freeing since it results in the things of life being put back into their proper order.
As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of the story of St. Basil. Now here was a man with his priorities straight! Basil is known as the father of Oriental monasticism and a forerunner of St. Benedict. Though his ascetic training Basil had very clear ideas about what was truly important in life. This clarity would be needed the day a representative from the Emperor came to visit…
The Emperor Valens was a resolute supporter of the Arians, those who said Jesus was created by and inferior to God the Father. The Emperor Valens had plantedArianism in other provinces of Asia Minor and came to Cappadocia withthe same aim. He sent the Prefect Modestus to Bishop Basil in order to convince him to join the Arians. Modestus threatened Basil with ruin, exile, torture and even death if he didn’t fall in line. Basil’s response was priceless:
Friday Frivolity: Welcome to hell :)
Wow…two weeks and no posts…. This is pretty terrible, but then again, it’s been a pretty hellish week or two. It therefore only seems appropriate that for Friday Frivolity, I post the video below. It’s Rowan Atkinson at his finest. Welcome to Hell…
Friday Frivolity: Adam, Eve and the Pythons
Wow. It has been an insane week. I have tried to write some blog posts, but work and life have just been so busy I haven’t got very far. Anyhow, it’s Friday so you all deserve some frivolity 🙂
I’ve always been a fan of Monty Python so here is a scene from “Live at the Hollywood Bowl” in which John Cleese plays a rather convincing Pope…
Friday Frivolity: Youth Leadership
Ministering to teenagers is tough. I once taught a confirmation class and it was one of the hardest things I think I’ve ever had to do. I also once spent a week looking after teenagers at a Christian conference and that was…well…let’s just say I prayed a lot that week. If only I had help from Ignatius…
Out There: Eternal Security/Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS)
Today I’d like to look at another doctrine that is out there in the Christian world. It is usually called either the doctrine of “Eternal Security” or “Once Saved, Always Saved” (“OSAS”).
In case you haven’t heard of it, this doctrine basically says that once you have been “saved” (however one understands that to happen) you can never lose your salvation – it’s absolutely impossible. No amount of sin can change that. Your card has been stamped, the credit card paid off and your name added to the guest list….