Against the Peril of Idolatry Part I
An Homily Against Peril of Idolatry and Superfluous Decking of churches The First Part In what points the true ornaments of the church or temple of God do consist and stand, hath been declared in the two last Homilies, intreating of the right use of the temple or house of God, and of the due…
The Beauty of Holiness
Catholic Christians believe that the church is the visible presence of the mystical body of Christ on earth. The church mediates between God and his creatures because in our current condition we are not able to endure the presence of God himself unmediated. Scripture tells us that on two very important occasions – in the…
Geoffrey Chaucer Speaks of Julian of Norwich
Beside the saintly woman of Norwich, an anchorite without pretense, a prophet of startling revelations, my Wife of Bath and Madame Eglantine, my courteous knight and squire do pale. Confessor to many, her wisdom shared beside the river through embroidered scrim— I wonder: what if I met her before my tales were spawned, my pen…
The Shape-Fallacy Fallacy
While reading Samuel Bray’s recent assessment of 20th century Prayerbook revision I was reminded of a poem by Tony Hoagland [they]…casually dropped his name the way pygmies with their little poison spears strut around the carcass of a fallen elephant. “O Elephant,” they say, “you are not so big and brave today!” It’s a bad…
The Strange Story of the Ornaments Rubric
Perhaps the strangest element of the strange story of the ornaments rubric is that the interpretation of this ambiguous rubric continues to excite such fierce debate among Anglicans today. The reason for this is that since the 1850s this rubric has become a frequent site for battles over Anglican identity.[1] So much ink (literal and…
Every Morning He Hallowed Himself
While still a student, wandering abroad But lodged in Dublin for the summer, I Would pass, each day, through King Street with a sigh Dismissing all I couldn’t afford as fraud, And turn, at the butt-end of Grafton Street To join the host of tourists on their way Beneath the Fusilier’s arch,…
Of the Right Use of the Church Part II
The Second Part of the Homily of the Right Use of the Church It was declared in the first part of this Homily by God’s word, that the temple or church is the house of the Lord, for that the service of the Lord (as teaching and hearing of his holy word, calling upon his…
Returned
The women’s gifts to Him would not last long: Just as His corpse itself must soon decay, Embalming myrrh’s soft sweetness drifts away. A tomb that’s carved in stone’s forever strong, But nothing can sweet aloes’ life prolong. What Joseph gave would stand beyond today: This granite burial site was sure to stay– Regardless of…
Navigating Troubled Waters, Part 2: Frankfurt, 1554-1559
As followers of the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), Christians must inevitably be people of conviction. And strong convictions often lead to conflict, because, while the Truth we follow is infallible, our following of it is not. In a previous article, I introduced the ‘Troubles’ at Frankfurt, a dispute among the Marian-exiles…
Of the Right Use of the Church Part I
An Homily of the Right Use of the Church or Temple of God and of the Reverence Due Unto the Same The First Part Where there appeareth at these days a great slackness and negligence of a great sort of people in resorting to the church, there to serve God their Heavenly Father according to…