my sermon for the first sunday after trinity

Bread and wine to flesh and blood!

A story about the power of the holy blessed sacrament!

On the 17th of December, 1899, the fast mail on the way from Bordeaux to Paris met with a collision. In the mail car was a post office express clerk, Gabriel Gargam, thirty years old. At the time of the wreck the train was going at the speed of fifty miles an hour. By the crash Gargam was thrown fifty-two feet. He was terribly bruised and broken and paralyzed from the waist down. He was barely alive when lifted onto a stretcher. Taken to a hospital, his existence for some time was a living death. After eight months he had wasted away to a mere skeleton, weighing but seventy-eight pounds, although normally a big man. His feet became gangrenous. He could take no solid food and was obliged to take nourishment by a tube. Only once in twenty-four hours could he be fed even that way.

Gargam's condition was pitiable in the extreme. He could not help himself even in the most trifling needs. Two trained nurses were needed day and night to assist him. Previous to the accident, Gargam had not been to church for fifteen years. His aunt, who was a nun of the Order of the Sacred Heart, begged him to go to Lourdes. He refused. She continued her appeals to him to place himself in the hands of Our Lady of Lourdes. He was deaf to all her prayers. After continuous pleading of his mother he consented to go to Lourdes. It was now two years since the accident, and not for a moment had he left his bed all that time. He was carried on a stretcher to the train. The exertion caused him to faint, and for a full hour he was unconscious. They were on the point of abandoning the pilgrimage, as it looked as if he would die on the way, but the mother insisted, and the journey was made.

Arrived at Lourdes, he was carried to the miraculous pool and tenderly placed in its waters--no effect. Rather a bad effect resulted, for the exertion threw him into a swoon and he lay apparently dead. On the way back they saw the procession of the Blessed Sacrament approaching. They stood aside to let it pass, having placed a cloth over the face of the man whom they supposed to be dead.

As the priest passed carrying the Sacred Host, he pronounced Benediction over the sorrowful group around the covered body. Soon there was a movement from under the covering. To the amazement of the bystanders, the body raised itself to a sitting posture. While the family were looking dumbfounded and the spectators gazed in amazement, Gargam said in a full, strong voice that he wanted to get up. He got up and stood erect, walked a few paces and said that he was cured. The multitude looked in wonder, and then fell on their knees and thanked God for this new sign of His power at the shrine of His Blessed Mother. For two years hardly any food had passed his lips but now he sat down to the table and ate a hearty meal.

On August 20th, 1901, sixty prominent doctors examined Gargam. Without stating the nature of the cure, they pronounced him entirely cured. Gargam, out of gratitude to God in the Holy Eucharist and His Blessed Mother, consecrated himself to the service of the invalids at Lourdes. Fifteen years after his miraculous cure he was still engaged in his strenuous and devoted work. He was for years a living, visible testimony of the supernatural.

John 6:53-56- Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Before this was said about 1500 years before was a great miracle. The People of God ate Manna in the wilderness for forty year as it says

Exodus 16:30-31 - So the people rested on the seventh day.
And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

35-And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

This bread keep them alive in a strange land till they made it to the land God had given them. It gave them strength, it gave encouragement that God was with them still even though they failed many times, It was a grace given to them because they stood unworthy before God to receive anything but out of his mercy He gave it to them, and another things it was a way they communed with God.

Now our blessed lord says this to what happened to them in response to a Jew speaking about how their fathers ate manna in the wilderness.

John 6:32-35 - Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

The fact Jesus can say this is that He is our everlasting bread and drink. He will never stop after forty years He keeps going and once we have reached our promised land He is still the one who sustains us. He is the true Manna from heaven and He will never go away from us.

What does that looking like to us today?

John 6:51 - I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

We call this holy flesh and blood the Eucharist. This means thanks giving in the Greek. The Eucharist is the sum of our faith. We have creation, the fall, and redemption shown to us within the Eucharist. Because seeing how the Eucharist is Jesus and Jesus was are creator, redeemer, and sanctifier.

The church has celebrated the Eucharist since the days of the apostles since they were the ones the Lord commanded to celebrate the Eucharist. We have done this ever since that time.

Origen says this about the Eucharist. “ we also eat the bread presented to us. And this bread becomes by prayer a sacred body, which sanctifies those who sincerely partake of it.”

“We have a symbol of gratitude to God in the bread that we call the Eucharist.”

When does that change happen from bread and wine to the real flesh and blood of Christ?

During that cannon of the Mass when the words of institution are spoken over the elements and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The words of institution are:

Matthew 26:26 -28 - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

This time is when you see the celebrant kneeling and lifting up the host and the chalice.

Are we re-sacrificing Christ? No we are connecting into the moment when the sacrifice happened.

In Revelation 13:8 we read “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

This would mean before time but yet He died 2000 years ago how can this be said? Because this death surpasses time and that is why we connect into it during the mass. So that is why we can say that we are not re-sacrificing The Christ.

What are the benefits of partaking of the Eucharist?

•The Eucharist reinforces our union of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ because for He who abides in Him will drink His blood and eat His flesh. This is part of our fellowship with Christ.

St. Cyprian says that the Eucharist does this. “They drink the cup of Christ’s blood daily, for the reason that they themselves also may be able to shed their blood for Christ.”

This shows the belief that our Holy Communion strengthens us by the grace within it. And because we are part of Him who died for you we are able to lay down our lives for His sake.

• The Eucharist also separates us from sin because Christ forgives sin and we are partaking of Christ. This is why we have the general confession before the Eucharist it gives us time to tell the Lord we are seeking forgiveness of our sins. Which we find within partaking of communion in a worth manner. The sins that are forgive are only temporal sin we still must use the sacrament of absolution to deal with mortal sins.

• Another thing that happens if that it unites us to the mystical body. Just as the Lord prayed in

John17:11 “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”

St. Augustine said this “ O sacrament of devotion! O sign of unity! O bond of Charity!”

We are united to all those who partake of the Eucharist truly and we are one body. Those in Africa, south America, Russia, Rome, England, Australia and the list can go on. We are united to the living and “dead” (if they can be called that) Christians.

• The taking of the Eucharist should make want to help the poor.

St. John Chrysostom said “ You have tasted the blood of the Lord, yet you do no recognize your brother,… You dishonor this table”

• The last thing it does is that it’s a picture of the wedding feast of the Lamb of heaven. It also shows the Lord is coming even now but He is veiled and we wait for the day when He comes unveiled.

The last thing we need to look at is the subject of taking the Eucharist unworthily.

Matthew 5: 23-24 - “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

We need to be in a state that we have forgiven others for their mistakes against us and that those we have hurt have forgiven us. This is one of the greatest strengths of Christianity, the fact we forgive each other.

Do you have someone you need to seek forgiveness from?

Do you have someone you need to forgive?

As a Christians these are thing that need to natural and something we want to do because our blessed Lord forgave us! So we have no right not to forgive someone else!

Listen to what to those who took the Eucharist unworthily.

1 Corinthians 11:27-32 - Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

Origen says this “ that which is sanctified through the word of God and by prayer does not (by its own nature) sanctify the one who uses it. Otherwise, it would sanctify even him who eats unworthily of the bread of the Lord. In that case, no one on account of this food would become weak, sickly, or asleep… accordingly, in the case of the bread of the Lord, there is an advantage to him who uses it only when he partakes of the bread with undefiled mind and pure conscience.”

St. Cyprian says this about the un-baptized “What a crime is theirs who rashly seize communion and touch the body and blood of the Lord… even though their foulness is not washed away by the laver of the church for it is written, “whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord”

As we can plainly see that taking the Eucharist is no joking matter and it should be done with the utmost caution. For those who are baptized but those who aren’t even baptized need to not even touch it for it could be dangerous for their souls. This is why we don’t let non baptized Christians take communion. This is a precaution that the Church has set into place for their safety.

Those of us who are baptized need to make sure we have found forgiveness of other and that we have forgiven others before we take communion. This is one reason some churches during the “peace” pass the peace to each other. It looks like this. The priest says “the peace of the Lord be with you” Then people respond “ and with thy spirit” then they turn to one another in the congregation and say “the peace of the Lord be with you” while shaking hand or want ever may be appropriate within that church.

So know that we are partaking of the very real flesh and Blood of the Lord. Which was giving for us on Calvary. But we need to be careful not to take it lightly because it can harm us should we take it unworthily, but if we do take it worthily it holds many blessing and honors.

Pentecost!!!

*Collect*
God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgment in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.


Come Holy fire come! burn away sin, error, and heresy. Make your Church and People God holy and pure!

Dope for the Cope

So this is easily my favorite vestment of all times.

here is the new start......

What is this? Because it not Anglican. Look at Bishop Iker in the back during the song along with the guy to his left not singing because they know this is foolish and not Catholic. Now look at about 20mins into the video you will see the bishop in the upper right screen falling asleep.

God help us! The Anglican church has gone crazy! It wishes to recreate worship and make the church into something thats not Catholic. Not saying that The mainline church is any better because it's not it's worse.

Huuummmm.... is it time to jump the Euphrates river and go East? Time will tell!

The views of the Lords supper

1 Corinthians 11:27-28 “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (NKJV)

There are five predominate views of the Lords supper and all of them differ greatly on what is believed to be going on while we take communion. The words Eucharist, Communion, or Lord’s Supper all refer to the same thing.

Transubstantiation- This view is held within the Roman Catholic Church and some Anglo-Catholic churches. This view was developed over the 13^th and 15^th centuries and was finally made church dogma in the council of Trent (1545-63) (transubstantiation). This view states that the bread and wine after the words of institution ( Matthew 26:26-28) have been said change into the body and blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. (Pohle) This can only be done by someone of the rank within the clergy of priest of higher.

Some of the Scriptures they use to defend this view point are:

(1 Corinthians 11:23 sqq and John 6:26 sqq). The big point on this is that of the words this is my body and this is my blood and those who believe in this take it as meaning that the elements must change as Christ had said and why else would the people leave him in the sixth chapter of John unless it was to be taken literally. There are more area of defense that can be brought up but this is just introduction to the different view points of believers. (Pohle)

Some of the church fathers they will use to defend this stance are Ignatius, Justin martyr, Cyprian, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, Hilary, Ambrose, and Lamy. (Pohle)

Church father Justin Martyr said this:

“For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body; "and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood; "and gave it to them alone.” (Of the Eucharist)

I find this view to define a mystery to much and take away the mystical elements that have been place in Christendom. So we don’t think we can know everything on this side of heaven. One point can be made of the trinity we don’t know everything about it but yet we still believe it and uphold it as something that must be believed to be an orthodox Christian. So I feel that in trying to explain a mystery we have robbed an element of faith within the church. I believe this comes from the Aristotelian categorical system of logic we in the west hold to in many ways and the view of Transubstantiation is one of the end results of understanding.

Objective reality- the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Anglo-Catholics hold this view. This is very similar to the view of Transubstantiation but it hold that those thing which are explain in that view have gone to far and should not have done that. They still use the same scriptural evidence as those of Transubstantiation. Just as the view of Transubstantiation believes only the clergy with the rank of priest of higher can do this it is believe the same for Objective reality.

“In the history of Christian thought, various ways were developed to try to explain how the bread and the wine become the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharistic liturgy. Quite unfortunately, these explanations often became too rationalistic and too closely connected with certain human philosophies.” (Holy Eucharist)

So as we can see from the quote from the Orthodox church in America they see the developments of Transubstantiation to be just over human rationalism. They say this about the other views such as Memoralism.

“The Orthodox Church denies the doctrine that the Body and the Blood of the Eucharist are merely intellectual or psychological symbols of Christ's Body and Blood. If this doctrine were true, when the liturgy is celebrated and Holy Communion is given, the people would be called merely to think about Jesus and to commune with him "in their hearts." In this way, the Eucharist would be reduced to a simple memorial meal of the Lord's last supper, and the union with God through its reception would come only on the level of thought or psychological recollection.” (Holy Eucharist)

So it can’t be denied that those who hold the view of objective reality hold the Eucharist in high regard but just explain it or should be said lack of explaining it as others do. I think it is a view that is seldom heard of and because of that it is paid little attention to. I think it can give those who don’t want to accept transubstantiation but don’t want to bring communion down to a more early thing can find peace here.

Here is something’s from a church fathers:

“[Christ] has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be his own Blood, from which he causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, he has established as his own Body, from which he gives increase to our bodies." (Against Heresies)

"We have been instructed in these matters and filled with an unshakable faith, that that which seems to be bread, is not bread, though it tastes like it, but the Body of Christ, and that which seems to be wine, is not wine, though it too tastes as such, but the Blood of Christ … draw inner strength by receiving this bread as spiritual food and your soul will rejoice." ("Catecheses," 22, 9; "Myst." 4)

Consubstantiation- This view says that when a ministry consecrates the elements the bread and wine stay what they are but it is spiritual the body and blood of Christ within the elements. Those who believe in this view think that this happens when the words of institution ( Matthew 26:26-28) are said over the elements. Unlike the other two previous views this one hold that there is no need to be in apostolic succession and be an ordained priest to consecrate the elements. This is because it is believed that it is the words that change the elements not the person and words. (What is consubstantiation? )

“The change from Trans- to Con- is the key to seeing the bread and wine as the body and blood of Jesus. The prefix Trans- says that a change took place, the bread actually became the body of Jesus and the wine actually became the blood of Jesus. The prefix Con- says that the bread does not become the body of Jesus but co-exists with the physical bread so that the bread is both a bread and the body of Jesus. The same thing is true of the wine. It does not become the blood of Jesus, but co-exists with the wine so that the wine is both wine and the blood of Jesus.” (What is consubstantiation?)

The scriptural proof for this belief is basically what the other two have said but change the literal Into a spiritual aspect so there isn’t much inside this view that would have much changed. Mostly Lutherans hold this view but some Anglican and even Eastern orthodox churches will hold it.

Pneumatic or real presence – This view states that the bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ; this is a spiritual thing and only applies to those who have faith. This view and the Objective reality view are similar but the objective reality view says it is the true body and blood where as this one leaves it in a bigger mystery (Communion/Eucharist). This view was started by John Calvin and keeps moving through today in the reformed communities.

John Calvin said this about it

“But those who partake by faith receive benefit from Christ, and the unbelieving are condemned by partaking. By faith , and in the Holy Spirit, the partaker beholds God incarnate, and in the same sense touches him with hands, so that by eating and drinking of bread and wine Christ's presence penetrates to the heart of the believer more nearly than food swallowed with the mouth can enter in.” (Real Presence)

Most reformed churches and low Anglican churches hold this view. Because it comes from their great teachers beliefs, so they are just following suit.

I find this view to be left to be too open and needing to explain a bit more of what it is trying to say. I think we need mystery but to much just leave us with nothing to really say. I think many people hold this view with out knowing it.

Memorialism- This view says that the bread and wine stay what they are that is to say the bread is bread and the wine is wine nothing is changed or going on. These items only bring to remembrance the death of Christ and His sacrifice for us.

The defense for this view comes from the words in 1 Cor 11:24 when they say do this in remembrance so those who believe in this view say that if this is the case then nothing is going on at all but a simple remembrance of Christ’s death.

This shows when Zwingli was coming from in this view:

“Zwingli interpreted the words of Jesus, "This is my body," in harmony with John 6, where Jesus spoke of eating and drinking his body and blood, especially vs. 63: "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail." Therefore, he reasoned, not only is transubstantiation, that somehow Christ is corporeally in, under, and with the elements. The doctrine of physical eating is absurd and repugnant to common sense. Moreover, God does not ask us to believe that which is contrary to sense experience. The word "is" in the words of institution means "signifies," or "represents," and must be interpreted figuratively, as is done in other "I am" passages in the Bible. Christ's ascension means that he took his body from earth to heaven.” (Last Supper, Lord's Supper )

This was problematic for Zwingli and Luther because this differing view on the Lords supper caused the great split between the two men that never was fixed and the battles still are waged today between the two beliefs children of today.

This view I find to rob the sanctity of communion because it destroys the worth of it and I think that you need to read into the scriptures to see this view because if we look at that the Holy Writ says it plainly says that it is His body and blood so we take this at face value it mean what it says or we play word games then come up with it meaning nothing beyond what we make it.

I do feel strongly that my convictions about objective reality are correct but I don’t want to just write off those who hold to something different. I think that by talking about out different view we will eventually figure out who is right in their views and come to the same place. This takes time as we can see that for over five hundred years we have been debating and no one agrees yet but we can keep going till we do.

Works cited:

Fouts, Ryan. "Last Supper, Lord's Supper." 11/12/2008 16 Nov 2008 .

Holy Bible NKJV. Nashville: Thomas nelson, 1982.

"Holy Eucharist." 1996-2008 10 Nov 2008 .

Justin Martyr, "Of the Eucharist." Christian classics ethereal library. 16 Nov 2008 .

legna, michael. "Communion/Eucharist." 09/02/2007 16 Nov 2008 .

Pohle, Joseph. "The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 10 Nov. 2008 .

"Real Presence." 2008 16 Nov 2008 .

St. Cyril of Alexandria, ""Catecheses," 22, 9; "Myst." 4." The Early Christians Believed in the Real Presence. 2000-2008. 16 Nov 2008 .

St. Irenaeus, "Against Heresies." THE REAL PRESENCE The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST. 16 Nov 2008 .

"transubstantiation." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 10 Nov. 2008 .

"What is consubstantiation?." 2002-2008 15 Nov 2008 http://www.gotquestions.org/

. http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-46.htm Justin's 1st Apology, LXVI

So everyone I have been very busy with school this is why I haven’t been writing as of late.

I have given myself to under take the task of studying the vestments of the Anglo-Catholic branch of the Church. I hope to have this done soon.

One last thought the Church is our mother and how kind she is! Think about this for the next week

Written by:

Allen Bailey: aspirant of the Anglican province of America

This is Just a fun jab at everyone you need to be able to laugh at yourself sometimes!!!

The Anglicans sit up in their ivory towers

The Baptists bring people to the water but don’t believe anything happens

The Roman Catholic Church missed the meaning of Catholic being universal

The Eastern Orthodox Church didn’t realize that orthodoxy came to the west also

The Lutherans Hate the idea of Saint Worship but they really really really venerate his holiness Martin Luther

The Methodists follow John Wesley but left his church.

The Non-denominational Churches are now a denomination unto themselves

The Pentecostals have the Spirit but seem to be missing the fruit of self-control

The Presbyterians have their deuteron canonical texts of confessions

The Church of Christ has the creed of no creed but Christ

The Mennonite and Amish missed the idea that “in the world not of it” didn’t mean leave.

The Messianic Jews didn’t get when St. Paul said we are all the seed of Abraham if we believe in Christ.

The Seventh-Day Adventists must of missed that Jesus rose on Sunday

The Assemblies of God don’t realize that the rest of us assemble under God also

Sometimes it’s Just good to step back and laugh at yourself!!!

Written by:

Allen Bailey: aspirant of the Anglican province of America