Author: Abbot Kenneth

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Abbot’s Reflection: 1st Week of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 2019)

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ on this, the start of the first week of Advent. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This week is the first week of the season of Advent. For Christians, this is our liturgical new year. This season is a season of hopeful anticipation of the advent, the coming of our Lord. It is an opportunity to consider the impact of His first coming some two-thousand years ago. How the birth of God in human flesh changed the course of humanity. Isaiah describes a people lost to sin and alienated from God. That was their unescapable reality, but the birth of Christ changed everything, it changed that reality. It is a chance for each of us to consider how the coming of Christ has changed each of our lives as well. 

Likewise, Advent is a time to prepare for His second coming in great glory to bring justice and righteous judgment to both the living and the dead. Many are confused by this season. Is it a season of celebration or of penitence? Is it a time of feasting or a time of fasting? Is it just a preliminary celebration of Christmas, or is it more like lent? Advent is unique, it is a time of preparation—and with that, most of us are familiar. But what are we accustomed to preparing for? 

We are all familiar with preparing for our winter vacations, road-trips, and much needed family time. We are also all familiar with preparing elaborate and exciting holiday parties with special foods, drinks, and treats. We are all too familiar with preparing for Christmas celebrations by adorning our homes, our cars, and our sweaters with lights and tinsel and reindeer antlers. But how familiar are we with preparing our hearts? 

Often, the meaning of Advent is lost in the premature celebration of Christmas. Much like the idea of celebrating a wedding reception before the wedding, all of our festivities and parties are often out of place during this season of Advent. Our culture has jettisoned the more somber spirit of Advent, where we are called to become focused and intentional, to ready ourselves for the celebration of Christmastide. 

A feast is always much better when it is preceded by a good fast. Christmas is not just about a single morning gathered around a family Christmas tree, it is a twelve-day feast, a season of feasting and celebration. When we over-indulge and celebrate prematurely, we lose the significance of what we are celebrating, and it becomes all about the celebration, not the cause for it. 

In our culture, there is an unfortunate trend of outsourcing preparation, of just having it delivered, all ready to go. We skip the challenging, tedious stuff, and go straight for the enjoyment. We are too busy to prepare and too distracted to enjoy the preparation. If we allow ourselves to start our celebrations too early, we may find ourselves tired of Christmas before it ever arrives and, more importantly, we will have missed the opportunity to ready ourselves. 

I invite you this year to rediscover the joy of the season of advent. To become as intentional about how you prepare your hearts as you are about how you prepare your homes. To take advantage of the opportunity for a good fast, a break from the materialism and indulgences of this world and to enter into a time of self-examination and preparation in hopeful anticipation of the return of our Lord. 

In our collect for this first week of Advent we prayed that God would give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light so that we might be prepared for his second advent. Let us consider with soberness this week what that actually means. In our Gospel lesson for the first Sunday in Advent, Our Lord tells us to keep watch, to stay awake, to be prepared for His return. “And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” He says it three times in this short lesson. Stay awake. Are we awake? As a culture as a church? Are we awake? 

This is our opportunity to wake up. This is our chance to realize that, just like the Prophet Isaiah describes, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” We do not know the day or the hour of our Lord’s return, but we are called to live as though it is imminent. To take notice of the signs of the season, the signs of our time, and to not be caught unaware. To be ready, on guard, awake and waiting in hopeful anticipation. 

What does it mean to cast away the works of darkness in our lives? I assure you, they are there. The works of darkness are there in each of our lives, whether it be active and intentional sin, or a negligence of our Godly responsibility to live our lives consecrated to Him. As we enter together this season of Advent, a time to commit ourselves more fully to Him, to consider His warning, His challenge to us to remain awake, take advantage of this time and do not miss the this opportunity to consider what works of darkness you need to cast away. 

This is a season of honest examination, a much-needed chance to take a good, long, hard look at ourselves and consider where we need to repent, to re-orient ourselves to Christ. To root out our selfishness, to renounce the materialism of this culture, to recognize and name our flaws and to seek the grace and help of God the Holy Spirit that we might be restored and brought to greater conformity with Christ our Lord. It is a gracious opportunity given to us by our Lord to ensure that we are not caught unaware, asleep at His return, an opportunity to make ourselves ready. Are you ready? Are you awake? 

This same lesson from Saint Mark’s Gospel opens with a prophesy from our Lord that “in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” What are we to make of this, how are we called to respond? 

Saint Ambrose, in the fourth century, thought this was a reference to the Church, the moon and stars the Lord describes here. He said, like the moon reflects the light of the Sun, which is diminished when the earth comes in between the moon and sun, so too is the church called to reflect the glory of Christ, the Son, and when we allow the things of this world to come between us, we too will be diminished and no longer shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory. I, no more than Saint Ambrose, know whether this is what the Lord meant by his prophesy or if it is a literal darkening of the moon and stars, but the worlds of Saint Ambrose are no less true either way. 

When the church allows the cares and occupations of this world to get in between us and Christ, we indeed are diminished. Our witness is diminished. We must cast off the works of darkness and we must put on the armor of light. That is what this season of Advent is all about. Full commitment of ourselves to our Lord, diligent and awake, awaiting His return. 

During this season, we tend to see evergreens used as decorations in church and homes all around us. Evergreens were originally chosen as a way to express devotion during this season because they represent constancy, stability, and endurance. Whereas the beautiful flowers of spring bloom brightly but quickly fade away, evergreens remain all year round. They represent things eternal. 

This season is an opportunity for us to realign our focus from those things which distract us, things which are temporary in nature, and refocus on things eternal, the things that really matter, that have eternal consequence. So that we might be found awake and ready at our Master’s return. This is our opportunity to ready ourselves. May we not waste this chance as it may very well be our last. 

Almighty and gracious Lord, You have called us to this time of hopeful anticipation, to make ourselves awake and ready. Give us the grace to examine ourselves and truly to cast off the works of darkness in our lives that we might be found ready. To put the armor of light, that we might withstand the distractions and temptations of this world and truly reflect your radiance. We pray this through Your most holy name, Lord Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and evermore. Amen. 

Blessings, 
Kenneth++

Abbot, OSC

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Koinonía

By Brother Julio+ February 28, 2021

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…I have called you friends,
for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you —John 15:15

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Being a Christian is about You and Jesus

Let us go to the heart of the matter from the beginning. You cannot claim to believe in Jesus without having an encounter with Him in a very personal way. Being a disciple of Jesus doesn’t mean to follow a philosophy or a religion. Following after Jesus is a very direct and personal experience.

The Bible tells us that a follower of Christ is someone who has experienced such a unique and radical event in their lives that they are compared to someone who has been born again. It really is about a second birth—a spiritual one—and it is totally the doing of God the Holy Spirit through the waters of baptism. (John 1:11-13; 3:3-8; Titus 3:3-5; 1 Peter 1:3)

Being a Christian, then, is not just about being religious. It is about being united to Christ by the Holy Spirit of God, and living according to that new reality.

Some Christians were baptized as infants, others later in life. However, regardless of their age at baptism, it is a sad reality that some forsake their baptism. Fortunately, some of them also experience a radical conversion that brings them back to Christ.

It is also true that others have never departed from their baptismal vows. Their conversion stories are perhaps less dramatic, but they are no less real. Conversion is still their common denominator because, in the Christian life, conversion is not a once-and-for-all event. It is a daily necessity (Luke 9:23-25). 

Regardless of the ups and downs in their spiritual journey, the lives of faithful Christians are defined by that personal, transforming encounter with their Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Jesus called it “an abundant life” (John 10:10).

The Holy Scriptures also depict such abundance in terms of the bountiful fruit from good trees:

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-25, ESV).

Again, this life is only possible by the power of the Spirit of God—and a continued response to His grace and guidance.

For a world without Christ this life is foolishness—it cannot be understood, much less lived out (1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 8:6-8)

For a Christian living in step with God the Holy Spirit, however, “love, joy, peace…” are powerful, personal realities. It is like an internal engine that moves their entire way of life. 

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Being a Christian is NOT just about you and Jesus

Many Christians, especially those from the evangelical tradition who tend to overemphasize the individual aspect of the Christian life, will likely agree with all or almost all of the above.

But there is more to a healthy and mature Christian life than a personal, individual relationship with God, as important as that is. Following Christ is also a very communal experience.

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Four distinctive marks of strong Christians

To consider this communal aspect of the Christian life let us meditate on a brief but compelling summary of the lifestyle of those first believers who totally gave their lives to Christ as their personal Lord and savior:

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers […] And all who believed were together and had all things in common […] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts. (Acts 2:41-46, ESV).

To a world without Christ, the early Christians were nothing more than a bunch of religious fanatics. It was impossible for them to understand what moved them to live in this radical way. 

But if you are a follower of Jesus, practicing what those early Christians practiced is your goal, your desire, and your passion. If it isn’t, we should ask ourselves why, or if we still remain in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).

We see, then, that after that personal encounter with Christ through repentance, faith and baptism, they followed Christ by devoting themselves to 1) the apostles’ teaching, 2) to fellowship, 3) to the sacrament of the Eucharist (“the breaking of bread”) and 4) the prayers. 

However, if we read carefully, these four Christian distinctives can only be practiced in community. It is not possible to have a healthy spiritual life by living as a kind of Lone Ranger Christian.

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1) Apostolic teaching

It is simply impossible to persevere in the doctrines of the apostles by reading the Scriptures alone. The Apostle Peter warns us, for example, that among Saint Paul’s writings 

…there are some that are difficult to understand and that the ignorant and fickle twist, as they also do with the other Scriptures, to their own perdition. (2 Peter 3:15-16, ESV)

This is one of the reasons why the Bible explicitly prohibits the private interpretation of the Holy Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20-21). 

For that reason, as well, the Holy Spirit has given the Church the gift of

…shepherds and teachers… for building up the body of Christ… to mature manhood… so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine. (Eph. 4:11-14, ESV).

To avoid the error of interpretations disconnected from the consensus of the universal Church (private interpretations), the early Church required that those responsible for the teaching of the faith (mostly bishops, presbyters and deacons) be in apostolic succession (see Titus 1:1, 4-9).

It is self-evident that this apostolic authority and authenticity cannot be received with certitude outside of the historical apostolic community. One cannot transmit that which has not received.

This is why claims to divine truth that are a-historical innovations by self-proclaimed charismatic leaders are always at the origin of heresies and sects.

In other words, if you are to be a mature Christian, you and your Bible alone are not enough.

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2) The Holy Eucharist

Regarding the Holy Eucharist, I don’t think that it is necessary to explain in detail the impossibility, or at least how inappropriately it is, to celebrate Holy Communion privately (see  1 Cor 10:16-17). 

Building upon the above-mentioned concept of apostolic succession, it should also be obvious that those who have

not received the sacrament of holy orders to the priesthood (bishops and presbyters) cannot celebrate the Holy Eucharist on their own authority.

They simply have not received the charism (ability and potestas) to be icons or mirrors of Christ in the priestly ministry of the blessing and the offering of bread and wine to be the Body and Blood of Christ:

… grace [has been] given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus … in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering … may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:15-16, ESV). 

This means that just as a priest cannot act independently from the Body of Christ/Christian community, the community of the laity cannot act independently from their Bishop and presbyters, either.

It is true that in the Roman tradition priests are allowed to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in the absence of the pleroma (the congregation of the faithful lay people). Nevertheless, this has not been the universal practice of the Church in all times and in all places. Therefore, the catholicity of this tradition is questionable at least. [1]

However, in special circumstances, such as when imprisoned, or confined for other reasons, and in these abnormal times of pandemic, it is possible to receive spiritual communion privately. But this is no longer the sacrament itself.

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3) The prayers

When we come to prayer, which is very personal in essence, we find that this, too, must be practiced in community. 

We notice that, in its original language, the biblical text does not simply say that early Christians devoted themselves to prayer, but to the prayers.

The presence of the definitive article suggests that these were particular and specific prayers, as opposed to generic or off-the-cuff. These were prescribed liturgical prayers—fixed and established prayers said in community at fixed and established hours.

Indeed, the book of Acts of the Apostles and history tell us that early Christians continued that venerable Jewish practice of liturgical hours of prayer. Among these, the sixth and the ninth hours stand out (Acts 3:1; 10:9)

Liturgical or communal prayers are important because they remind us that we are not just praying as isolated individuals with our own prayers. We are joining ourselves to that “great cloud of witnesses,” past and present, throughout all ages and throughout all places.

The Daily Office, also known as Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours, continues that ancient Jewish and apostolic tradition of praying throughout the day and night at set times. 

In continuity with this time-tested and most beneficial practice, the Anglican Church has preserved the compulsory praying of the Daily Office for those in holy orders (bishops, priests and deacons), for those under vows of monastic life, and strongly encouraged for all.

Since the times of the English Reformation the Daily Office has been made available to the laity by their inclusion in the Book of Common Prayer. It has also been simplified, consisting mainly of morning and evening prayer, and to a lesser extent noon prayer and Compline (before bedtime).

All of this, of course, does not mean that Christians cannot pray privately. It only means that Christians must persevere and devote themselves to adding communal prayer to their personal prayer life.

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4) Mutual companionship (fellowship)

We finally arrive to the practice of fellowship, which I left for last not because it is of lesser importance, but rather to emphasize it. 

Even though Christian fellowship is a well-known Christian concept in our days, it is frequently neglected.

I suspect that it is because it has not been given the right meaning or the emphasis it has in the Scriptures.

Out of those four marks of mature Christians, by definition, this one is literally impossible to practice alone. 

In the New Testament the word usually translated as fellowship, communion, union, participation, contribution, distribution, among others, is the Greek term koinonia. 

We have to use all of these different words to translate it because it is difficult to capture in a single English word the rich and deep meaning of this Biblical concept.

Christian koinonia is a very intimate communion (a common-union), even at the level of the spirit, with others who equally participate in the life of Christ. 

When we were put into Christ (a vertical union) by virtue of our common baptism (Rom. 6:3), we joined a Corpus, the Body of Christ. Once in Christ, we find ourselves united to other Christians who are also members of the same Body (a horizontal union, Eph. 4:4-6).

It is not possible to be united to Christ and live independently from other Christians.  

It is not possible to have a healthy spiritual life by living as a kind of Lone Ranger Christian.

This common-union is a spiritual reality, regardless of our attitudes or external ways of relating to other Christians. However, this does not imply that our communion is only spiritual or invisible. 

Even the partaking of the Holy Eucharist, which private devotion tends to focus on a purely personal and intimate union with Christ, has a quintessential communal reality.

This is so because the Body of Christ is both in the Eucharist and in the gathered Christian community. As the great Eastern tradition reminds us, the Church as the Body of Christ is actualized and affirmed in the Holy Eucharist, the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 11:27-29). 

Again, union with Christ is at once union with the rest of the Body of Christ. 

These are a few biblical passages that highlight the importance of Christian koinonia for a healthy spiritual life:

But to do good and to communicate [koinonías] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Heb. 13:16, KJV)

That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3, ESV)

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7, ESV)

As we can see, Christian koinonía is indispensable in the Scriptures. It serves as the foundation to the expression of Christian love, that quintessential virtue at the top of all others, which can only exist in relation to others. It is definitely not optional.

Consequently, a Christian who is not actively engaged in developing fraternal friendships beyond casual and superficial interactions with other Christians, is seriously lacking in their spiritual life (1 Cor. 3:1-3; 13:1-11)—and probably in their mental and emotional life as well.  

Although in a different context, there is a dreadful picture portrayed in Psalm 102 that seems to capture very well the diminished existence of a life deprived of koinonía. It is the internal loneliness of a life lacking brotherhood and true friendship:

“I am like a lonely desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
I have become like a bird alone on a roof.” —Psalm 102:6,7b

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Brother Julio+

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