The Ven. Andrew Brashier is an assisting priest at Christ the King Anglican Church in the Anglican Diocese of the South. He regularly writes on all things Anglican, with a particular interest in catechesis, the traditional prayer book, and practicalities in living what he calls “the prayerbook life” on his substack (https://throughamirrordarkly.substack.com/). He regularly republishes Anglican classics and each are available on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/4a9jmtwc
O Zion, open wide thy gates, Let symbols disappear; A priest and victim, both in one, The Truth Himself, is here. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple is an oft-neglected feast of the church, despite being a “red-letter day.” Although forgotten or overlooked by busy Anglicans and utterly foreign to non-liturgical Christians, this day…
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, great David’s greater Son! Hail, in the time appointed, his reign on earth begun! He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free; to take away transgression, and rule in equity. Oppressed by sin, captive to the devil, and confounded by the world’s deceits is how we are born…
Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise, Manifested by the star To the sages from afar; Branch of royal David’s stem In Thy birth at Bethlehem; Anthems be to Thee addressed, God in Man made manifest. In today’s Gospel reading, the Living God visits a wedding (John 2:1-11). The traditional Western…
This week the long-awaited To Be a Christian app is live on the Apple App Store and Google Play after months of waiting since the 2024 ACNA Assembly. The developers have created a webpage for the app, which redirects to the developers’ webpage with future updates. Attendees who downloaded the app have access for free,…
As with gladness men of old did the guiding star behold; as with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright; so, most gracious God, may we evermore be led to Thee. The First Sunday after the Epiphany comes in powerfully. St. Paul’s epistle grabs us by the collar and makes frank that which…
Joy to the world! the Lord is come: Let earth receive her King; Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n, and heaven and nature sing. This is the season of Joy. The season continues in such a manner that it embarrasses both the world…
Merry Christmas! Yes, you heard me correctly: Merry Christmas! Christmastide has just begun, and the Christmas feast continues through Epiphany. The world does not understand salutations of “Merry Christmas” after December 25—much less keeping up the decorations—as the nations have fallen back into the dark bleakness of midwinter. Meanwhile, the Church rejoices, for Christ is…
Christ is born! Behold the Almighty Lord God in such a tender and fragile package. He is presented to us as a gift who is in need of one of His image-bearers to swaddle, feed, and tend to His every need. Peer over the manger and glimpse God enfleshed opening His eyes upon the world…
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. O come, thou Wisdom from on high, who orderest all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go. “Emmanuel…Wisdom” The dark days are over. Despite…
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh; awake and hearken, for he brings glad tidings of the King of kings. Advent is a season of preparation. Oftentimes, we see it as a time of preparing the People of God for His return. However, we are called to always be…