The Persecution of Christians is Nothing New

Another interesting passage from Trevor Gervase Jalland's The Church and the Papacy: It is, of course,unnecessary to point out that the Roman Catholic Communion as it is to-day, and possibly as it has been from the beginning, is bound up with the belief that the Roman see, as the see of St. Peter the Apostle and of his …

The Polyepiscopacy of the Early Church

An intriguing (and sensible) suggestion from Trevor Gervase Jalland's The Church and the Papacy: Though there are, as we believe, adequate grounds for rejecting the view that Clement formally identifies episcopi with presbyters, yet in the face of this evidence it appears equally impossible to deny that he refers to the episcopate in a way …

Elevations on the Mysteries VI: On Original Sin — The Bossuet Project

This is the sixth journey of Bossuet’s Elevations on the Mysteries, the elevations are as follows: All men in one man. First foundation of God’s justice in original sin. The father rewarded and punished in children, second foundation of God’s righteousness in original sin. The original justice of which Adam was deprived for himself and […] …

“I honestly wept when I listened to it.”

Received this comment on my YouTube posting of the Word of God's New Life album: I am so grateful that you put this up. I honestly wept when I listened to it. I was all of 10 years old when I first heard this. I make no comments about the excellence of the music (it's …

Book Review: Trevor Gervase Jalland’s The Church and the Papacy

One of Our Lord's commands that we have difficulty fulfilling is this one: But it is not only for them that I am interceding, but also for those who believe in me through their Message, That they all may be one--that as thou, Father, art in union with us--and so the world may believe that …

Communion in the Hand, and Those Pesky Easterners

This, brought to my attention, from Cyril of Jerusalem's Catechetical Lectures, toward the very end: Approaching therefore, come not with thy wrists extended, or they fingers open; but make they left hand as if a throne for thy right, which is on the eve of receiving the King.  And having hallowed thy palm, receive the …

Why I Prefer Ad Orientem

Since the release of the ANCA 2019 Book of Common Prayer has open the floodgates for consideration of all kinds of controversial topics, it's time to consider one more: that of ad orientem, i.e., facing the altar during the Sacred Mysteries rather than the people.  That's been the subject of a blog-to-blog volley between one …

Jimmy Buffett and the Miserable Offenders of the Book of Common Prayer

It's time to look at another bone that's been picked with the ANCA's 2019 Book of Common Prayer: the omission of the phrase "miserable offenders" to the General Confession for Morning and Evening Prayer.  Let's start with the 2019 text: And now from the 1928 BCP: In addition to the modernization of the language, the …

The “I” and the “We” of the Creed

The issuance of the ACNA 2019 Book of Common Prayer has brought back to the forefront many issues that have been "out there" for a long time.  One of them is right up front in both the Apostles' and Nicene Creed: whether either or both should start with "I believe" or "We believe."  This post …

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