On Monday of this week, we observed the Feast Day of John Chrysostom (c. 347-Sept. 14, 407). Among our Saints, known for preaching, and in our tradition, for this lovely prayer:
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
An Eastern patriarch. He was born at Antioch in Syria. Early in life John became a monk, and, at times he lived as a hermit. He was soon recognized as a great preacher. In 397 he became the Patriarch of Constantinople. He served in that position until 404 when he was deposed and banished by Empress Eudoxia and Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria. Chrysostom was an opponent of the Arians. He placed great emphasis on the eucharist. He died in Comana in Pontus, now in northeast Turkey. His most significant writing was On the Priesthood, a manual for priests and bishops. Chrysostom is a Doctor of the Church. In 1908 Pope Pius X named him the patron saint of preachers. His life and ministry are commemorated in the Episcopal calendar of the church year on Jan. 27.
Of course, we know this prayer from our Morning and Evening disciplines in the Book of Common Prayer, and it is among my favorites. He is reminding us that whenever Christians gather to pray, they can trust that Christ is present. Chrysostom’s prayer also guards against a blind, uninformed faith. We ask that God fulfill our requests “as may be best for us.”
Chrysostom, like the Anglican priest and poet RS Thomas, was unafraid to ask tough questions, and both remind us that faith is not the same as certainty. This is among the reasons Vicky and I were drawn to, and remain members of the Anglican Communion. Chrysostom wrote that “faith is not certainty,” meaning that true Christian faith involves a level of trust and reliance on God even when faced with doubt or uncertainty, rather than complete, unwavering knowledge or understanding; it is a leap of faith that requires ongoing commitment despite not having all the answers.
Last week, while running on the neighborhood trails, I was entranced by the winter woods, with snow still present in shaded Beech groves deep in the forest.
I also remembered to look down, and I was fascinated by the fractal-like ice formations along the way:
Our faith can be like this too…taking both the long view and paying attention to even the smallest details in our day to day lives. This is one reason that forms of prayer and mindfulness practice can deepen our attention, as the poet Mary Oliver said so well:
“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
The priest and poet RS Thomas reminds us that our faith is often deeply connected to our prayer life, however we define it, keeping our eyes on that Divine Spark we have each been given:
My luminary,
my morning and evening
star. My light at noon
when there is no sun
and the sky lowers. My balance
of joy in a world
that has gone off joy’s
standard. Yours the face
that young I recognized
as though I had known you
of old. Come, my eyes
said, out into the morning
of a world whose dew
waits for your footprint.
Before a green altar
with the thrush for priest
I took those gossamer
vows that neither the Church
could stale nor the Machine
tarnish, that with the years
have grown hard as flint,
lighter than platinum
on our ringless fingers. ~ RS Thomas
This coming Sunday we’ll begin our exploration of the book “Walk in Love,” a review of Episcopal beliefs and practices. Feel free to join us as you are able. In the lives of both Chrysostom and Thomas, we are reminded of the Latin phrase “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi” or, loosely translated, “you are what you pray.” And we remember that wherever two or more are gathered the Spirit is among us as well.
I’ll catch you later down the trail, and I hope to see you in church!
Bill+
Rite II:O God, who gave your servant John Chrysostom grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: mercifully grant to all who proclaim your word such excellence in preaching, that all your people may be made partakers of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.