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What we hear in the Gospel is a man asking Jesus to come and heal his son who was ill. And the man was persistent in this request to Jesus, for he said a second time, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” From this Jesus sees the man’s belief, and because Our Lord sees this man’s belief, He tells him, “Go; your son will live.” And Saint John affirms the point for he tells us that the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and went on his way. He soon finds out that his son is recovering, and that the healing began at the same hour when Jesus had said to him “Your son will live.” The point is clear that it was not the son’s faith in Christ but the father’s faith that was responsible for Christ’s healing to be effective in the son. Thus this episode described by Saint John elaborates upon the Gospel episode from two Sundays ago, the healing of the paralytic. There, as well as here, when persons were sick, they were healed by the faith and belief of others. When Jesus saw their faith, He healed the sick. The Church understands this moment to teach us that God’s salvation–His spiritual healing–upon people happens through the strong faith of others. God’s grace flows through the faith of a group upon those in need. The Church names this, and speaks of the faith of the group by the term “vicarious.” Something or someone is vicarious when it acts on behalf of others. Christ was vicarious on the Cross: saving all humanity through His suffering. His suffering was vicarious, one on behalf of others. The four men who carried the sick man on his bed and lowered it through the roof so the sick man could be close to Jesus: their actions brought salvation to the paralytic, and Jesus said it was their faith that made him well. They were vicarious, the faith of the group on behalf of the man. The fullest application of this is to see that a parish itself is vicarious. A parish gathers for liturgical worship and in community is together for apostolic fellowship, and it does so on behalf of the whole neighborhood, this town of New Smyrna Beach, and all the surrounding towns of Volusia County, and on behalf of the whole world. A parish must always have in mind its calling to be vicarious: we worship, we receive the Sacraments, on behalf of others: that through our strong faith and belief in God, others will be made well by Christ. The liturgical worship of a parish serves Christ, and because of the faith and belief and the regularity in worship of the parishioners, the parish’s liturgical worship serves the world by the vicarious principle seen in the Gospel. The faith of parishioners, expressed through the liturgy of daily Offices and Mass, and from this into their devotional life, makes the local neighborhood well, and heals their spiritual diseases. It is because of Christ’s call to be vicarious that Saint Paul writes to us today in the way he does. His exhortation is to be strong as a parish. Strong, so that we are equipped for battle against the schemes of the devil. For, he teaches, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. We wrestle, in other words, against the Devil and his dark armies not only for ourselves, but even more so for the benefit of others. Like Christ on the Cross, our battle against the unholy angels is a battle to benefit others, and to heal others. Because a parish battles vicariously, on behalf of others, so that the others can be healed by Christ. What does Paul say? He exhorts us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. The Christian life involves “unseen warfare.” We must take up the whole armor of God. We must fasten on the belt of truth. We must put on the breastplate of righteousness. We must take up the shield of faith, with which we can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. We must put on the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit. And our feet must be shod with the readiness given by the Gospel of peace. This unseen warfare against the powers and principalities of this world is conducted through prayer, knowing that the Devil and his dark army is fighting for control of our hearts The Devil wants us to return to Egypt, to the life of bondage to our sins under the control of Pharaoh, who according to the Church Fathers, is a clear symbol of the Devil. He wages a war of deception, and seeks to bring fog to our minds to confuse us and weaken us. As we are confused and weakened by our temptations, we lose sight of the Light of Christ, what the Fathers call “spiritual blindness.” Paul’s teaching about the whole armor of God uses symbols to convey the importance of being equipped by Christ, equipped by God’s eternal Word, against the unseen but powerful Devil, who prowls around, seeking souls to devour. Yet as the battle that Christ waged on the Cross was victory by one for the benefit of all, so is the battle a parish wages through liturgy and prayer a victory for all around us. This parish has been called since 1769 to fight this battle, and be an oasis for the Gospel. In a fallen world prone to fall under the illusory power of the Devil, Christ calls each of His parishes to be “light shining in the darkness.” Each parish is to be “light in the Lord,” and we are to “walk as children of light.” A faithful parish that serves Jesus Christ is an oasis of God’s refreshment and love. A parish that is an oasis provides living water to the world thirsty for righteousness: “Out of our heart shall flow rivers of living water.” This is our parish: our vicarious parish, with our mission to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ, and proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven has come near, through Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

This is unedited audio of my parish’s Saturday morning class in which we study Scripture with the help of the Church Fathers. This class is currently reading On the Lord’s Prayer by S. Cyprian of Carthage. In this episode, we look at chapter 30. I take a close-reading approach to the text, and I read aloud every word of the text. It is found in this volume which I suggest you purchase if you want to follow along in the most effective way. Enjoy! If you like this content, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscriptions go a long way towards supporting my online ministry. Click below to subscribe! Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

Almighty God, mercifully look upon our infirmities: that whereas we are afflicted by the burden of our sin, the glorious intercession of Thy Martyr and Bishop blessed James of Jerusalem may be our succour and defence; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. OFFICE HYMN FOR S. JAMES BISHOP AND MARTYRJesu, of priests the joy and crownon us with gracious eye look downthis day, when in the heav’nly heightThy bishop gain’d his crown of light. Proof of his love, and pledge of Thine,he bare his mission from Thy shrine:to guard and tend Thy ransom’d sheep,which Thee, the Father, gave to keep. The beasts from them he drove away,and prowling wolves, that seek for prey;he knew their guile, and in the strifehe ventur’d for his flock his life. Oft as th’unbloody SacrificeJames offer’d up, of countless price,his flock he on the altar laid,and of himself an off’ring made. All glory, praise, and honour be,O Jesu, great High Priest, to Thee;all glory, as is ever meet,to Father and to Paraclete. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

Almighty God, Who didst inspire Thy servant Saint Luke the Physician, to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of Thy Son: manifest in Thy Church the like power and love, to the healing of our bodies and our souls; through the same Thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

In the audio provided, both lessons are read, and then followed by a homily by yours truly. A Lesson from the Gospel according to S. Luke, 1.1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed proper to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write a careful and thorough account for you, most excellent The-oph′ilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed. A Lesson from his commentaries on the Gospel of S. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles by the Ven. S. Bede The blessed evangelist Luke as he set out to write about all that Jesus did and taught, until the day on which He was taken up, first took care to refute the audacity of those who wrote falsehoods about Him: that is to say, silently warning the reader that he should know not only that what Jesus preaches must be obeyed, but that those things these people expressed to the contrary must be utterly detested; and, lest by chance the weak be exposed to error, that reading authors who carelessly write superfluous things must be absolutely avoided. For it is not about everyone in general, but about certain persons gifted with the virtue of special faith or knowledge that it could be said, “And if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them” (Mark 16.18). It is said in the prologue of Luke’s gospel that it seemed proper to him that he write a careful and thorough account, inasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up such a narrative. However, we should not accept those who possess no authority in the Church, because they could not carry out what they had undertaken at all. Luke, however, not only carried his narrative down to the resurrection of the Lord and to His being taken up, so that by his labor he should have a worthy place among the four writers of the gospels; he extended it to those things that the apostles did which he believed would avail for the building up of the faith of his readers and hearers. He so wrote that his book alone should be held worthy of belief in the Church among those which tell the story of the acts of the apostles. All those are to be rejected who have ventured to write of the apostles’ deeds and words without the faith that is needful. Mark and Luke indeed wrote at a time when they could be judged, not only by the Church of Christ, but also by those apostles who still remained in the flesh. For through the Lord’s will it was brought about that the words and deeds of Christ were put together in written form, not only by the apostles who saw Christ, but also by disciples who learned of Him by hearing, so that subsequent teachers in the Church might be supplied with confidence and authority for preaching and writing about those things which they had not seen. The blessed Luke wrote an account of the acts of the apostles, just as he himself had seen them, and especially those of the blessed Paul, whose inseparable traveling companion he was. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

The Lord of Hosts has made a feast for us, and for all peoples. Our Lord Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of God is available to us in the feast of the heavenly banquet prepared for us. The guests are summoned to a table that is ready. The banquet is now, and the invitation is now. Participation in the heavenly reality outside of time and space happens now, within the conditions of time and space, and is always available to us. And being at the banquet is described by Paul in our Epistle: being filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The banquet, to put it simply, is the eucharistic life–remember, “eucharist” means thanksgiving. Being eucharistic is a way of life. The feast God has made for us is a feast of Himself. God has made all things, and He has made all things through His Son that in receiving His Son we receive God. The feast of God is a feast of receiving Him—that we may evermore dwell in Him, and He in us. And He gives Himself to be received. “Take, eat,” Jesus says. “This is my Body, which is given for you.” And He says, “Drink ye all of this, for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you.” The transformation Christ seeks to initiate in the human heart and mind happens when the baptized are nourished by the eternal Bread of heaven. It is not an event, it is a whole life; it is not a gift of clothing worn once and discarded, or even worn one day a week. Christ transforms us when His gift to us becomes our everyday clothing. We His servants are called to the marriage feast to receive His Body and to receive His Blood, to receive what God has made everything ready so as to give and be received. He has taught us how to pray, so as to make us ready to receive. He has taught us how to find Him in Scripture, so as to make us ready to receive. He has engrafted us in His Body in Baptism and given us His Holy Spirit, so as to make us ready to receive what the Father has prepared for us. He has made all things so that as our mind learns to see, as our mind learns to hear, we might behold the Light Who is the full expression of God—that in the life we are given as gift, in wearing eucharistic clothes, we have a eucharistic posture towards all of life, for it is through our eucharistic posture than we receive the gift every day and in all places. Jesus speaks of a wedding garment. Wearing the wedding garment is, in this parable, the key to entering into the kingdom of heaven, the eucharistic life, which is already prepared for us. And then He says, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Many are called because the doors of the parish church are open to all, and within the sacred temple of the parish, the table is set. Parish worship is the arena of our encounter of God, of His disclosure of Himself to us. The chosen that Jesus speaks of are those who hear the call and respond with their heart: the chosen are those who live the eucharistic life within the parish: those who receive the world as a gift from God, and put on the wedding garments of participation (of not merely hearing the word, but being doers of the word, according to S. James). In Christ’s parable, a man who had no wedding garment is cast out from the banquet. He is the person who is present in the parish building for its worship. He is not cast out because he failed to receive the invitation: he is cast out for treating the banquet as something he can attend without being transformed by it. Those who desire God and wear the garments of participation will be admitted; those that are not admitted are refused because they treat the call to the banquet as less urgent than the ordinary business of life, as an optional extra that can be postponed. The man who was refused had a non-eucharistic posture. What is fundamental is to imitate the tax collector: that is, to yearn in humility for intimate relationship with the living Christ. The yearning for Christ and through Him a yearning for God is the very fabric of which the wedding garment is woven, and as we wear it, we participate in the heavenly realities of the heavenly banquet. Yet how often we are tempted away from wearing the wedding garment! How often we are tempted not to go the Altar in prayer, but rather to his farm, another to his business—that is, to allow other activities to take priority over the Liturgy, to allow other activities to take priority over receiving the daily Bread given to us from heaven through the Scriptures. How often we are tempted to ignore the voice of Moses, to ignore the voice of the prophets, to ignore the words of God’s Mother for Moses, the Prophets, and Mary all teach us about Jesus, all teach us about the heavenly realities beyond time and space, all teach us the true meaning of obedience, which is having a humble silence of wonder at the feet of God Who is always on His heavenly throne and closer to us than our breathing. As Saint Paul teaches us, “The Lord is at hand.” And because He is at hand, let us give our anxiety and worry to Him, let all our requests be told by us to God, that we might have no anxiety about anything. Let us put on the wedding garments of humility, that Paul’s words may ever be our own: “I can do all things in Him Who strengthens me,” and through our participation in the holy life of our parish we develop a eucharistic posture toward the world and thereby continually receive the world as gift by means of Spirit-filled thanksgiving through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

In the audio provided, both lessons are read, and then followed by a homily by yours truly. A Lesson from the Gospel according to S. Luke, 5.17 As Jesus was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.” A Lesson from his commentary on S. Luke by the Ven. S. Bede The cure of this paralytic signifies the salvation of the soul who sighs out to Christ, after the long stagnation of carnal pleasure. First of all, the soul has need of servants, who may lift it up and bring it to Christ, that is, of good teachers, who may furnish hope of healing and the means of intercession. These are properly found to have been four, as S. Mark relates, whether because the whole power and message of preaching is fortified by the four books of the Gospel, or because there are four virtues by which the faith of the soul is raised up to deserve redemption. Of these virtues it is said in praise of eternal wisdom: “For she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for men than these: (Wisdom 8.7). Some call these by the alternative names of prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice. And note that the four men want to bring the paralytic to Christ, but every way was cut off by the intervening multitude, because often the soul who comes in repentance to God and desires to be healed by divine grace after languishing in shameful torpor is held back by the obstacles of its old habits. . . . And what is to be done amid these distractions? Certainly there should be not staying outside down below, but the root of the house in which Christ teaches must be ascended, that is, the sublimity of holy Scripture just be sought after, and the Law of the Lord must be pondered with the Psalmist day and night. For, “By what does a young man correct his way By observing yours words,” he says. And so the roof was laid open, and the sick man is let down before Jesus, because, after the mysteries of the Scriptures have been revealed, he is brought to a knowledge of Christ, that is, he is lowered to His humility by the piety of faith. If you find this edifying, please consider (if you haven’t already) financially supporting this public ministry. Every bit of support helps! Add your email below and hit Subscribe. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

As we approach the season of Advent, which is right around the corner, my sermon series on the eucharistic life will reach its conclusion. Still left to reflect upon under the banner of eucharistic life are the topics of stewardship and the parish, and over these last weeks I will go back and forth between them. Today I begin with the parish. There are two things that stand out to me in our Gospel passage. The first is that in healing the paralytic, Jesus recognizes not the faith of the paralytic but the faith of the people who brought Jesus to the paralytic. For as Saint Matthew records: “When Jesus saw their faith.” And the second is that the healing of the paralytic means for Jesus that the sins of the paralytic are forgiven. Again as Saint Matthew records: “He said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.’” And as Jesus says a couple verses later: “That you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” What this points to is the mystery of Christ’s healing, the traditional word for which is “salvation,” and how salvation itself works. We know that the paralytic was sick because he was sinful. This is the straightforward interpretation of the text according to the letter, to the simple meaning of our Lord’s words and actions. Jesus tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven, and the paralytic is healed. He was able to rise and walk home, after being previously bound to a bed, unable to walk. What happened is that in being healed, the paralytic learned who Jesus was. He learned that Jesus Christ, the man before him, has authority given to Him by God to forgive sins. He did not know this before, and now that he knew it, and believed it, he was healed. This points to an important aspect of Christ’s healing: knowledge about Christ heals us. Without knowledge of Christ, we are living in our sins. With knowledge, we are able to live in truth, and living in truth heals us: truth gives salvation. Living in truth, in the truth which is Christ, the revealed truth of God in Jesus, is what separates Christians from non-Christians. Hence Saint Paul writes in his Epistle to the Ephesians: “You must no longer walk as the gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance which is in them.” Ignorance of Christ, not knowing about Him, leads to a life of darkness; such a life of darkness for Paul means hardness of heart, callous, slaves to the sensual, greedy, impure, speaking falsehood, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. A life of darkness is alienated from the life of God. This is the life of sin, the waters darkened by the Devil and his unholy angels. The life of darkness is the life of disease. What a difference it is to know about Christ, for Paul. To learn about Christ allows us, again in Paul’s words, “to put off our old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of our kind, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness.” This is healing. This is the way of healing—we are healed so as to be able to begin to live this way, and living this way heals us more and more. We can think differently, we can speak differently, we can treat people differently, we can forgive ourselves and others. Knowing about Christ allows us to rise and walk: to rise in a resurrection like His, and walk in His footsteps and do all such good works as God has prepared for us to walk in. This is the Gospel, which the archangels make known to us through their service. It remains to reflect on why it was that the faith not of the bedridden man, but rather the faith of the people who brought Jesus to him, that brought salvation to the man. Again the words from Saint Matthew: “And when Jesus saw their faith,” He then pronounced the paralytic’s sins forgiven, by which he was healed, and able to rise and walk home. The key to this is to remember that the Christianity is lived in a parish. Specifically, Christianity is lived in a parish of the baptized, those called by God to assembly in a local, specific place, at a particular Altar where the Eucharist is offered in sacrifice and worship. Paul, for whom baptism was truly life-changing, writes: “having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” It is the worshiping parish transformed into the new humanity of Christ which can offer the world back to God. The purpose of a parish is to make Christ present, that He can be known. The knowledge of Christ in the community around the paralytic, their faith in Christ as healer, led Jesus to pronounce the paralytic forgiven and healed. The faith of a parish heals the sick. Parish community teaches us; parish community forms us; parish community—called in Acts 2 “the apostles’ teaching and fellowship”—heals us, because in parish community ordered around the Eucharist and common Baptism, we meet Christ, we walk among Him, and He walks among us. And He Who walks among us does so that we know Him, and are known by Him. He Who walks among us is Son of God and Son of Man, with all authority given to Him by the Father Almighty. The parish knows Christ as He is revealed in the opening of Scripture, the unveiling of Scripture, and in the breaking of bread, in the Eucharist. Give us this day our daily Bread, because Christ is our bread, and the heavenly Bread which is Christ is our salvation; Jesus Christ is our healing; Jesus Christ hears us, feeds us, and gives us strength: Christ is our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost; ever one God, world without end. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

Lord, we beseech Thee: grant Thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil: and with pure hearts and minds to follow Thee the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

The feast of Saint Michael and All Angels celebrates the ministry of the holy Angels, and does so straightforwardly. These creatures: made of spirit and fashioned without material bodies; these creatures, according to the Church Fathers, who were created by God before time, created in heaven, and who serve God in heaven and help and defend us on earth—we celebrate these Angels, the armies of Angels, led by Michael their commander, who, in the words of 4th century Church Father S. Gregory of Nazianzus, are “sent to proclaim God’s will, to guard the faithful, and join in the divine hymnody, ever circling the heavenly throne.” Today we celebrate the mystery of the angels, described throughout Scripture from the first pages of the Bible to the last. What is most striking perhaps about our Gospel passage is how easily our Lord Jesus Christ mentions angels to His disciples. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones,” He says, “for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” His mentioning of Angels is almost offhanded, and without explanation. Christ simply assumes that the disciples already know about Angels, and instead of lengthy teaching, affirms with but a few that that because children demonstrate the kind of humility and awe and wonder and love of God which is necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven—that is, necessary to enter into the life of the Holy Spirit—that they ought not be despised, for God will hear about it, their angels will report to the Heavenly Authority any such sinful behavior. Here our Lord in our Gospel passage refers to the Angels ordained by God for our personal protection: the Guardian Angels. And because He is so unambiguous about this, the Church has always taught about Guardian Angels as the primary relationship humans have with the angelic order. Hence the 3rd century Church Father, Origen of Alexandria, writes: “Every one of the faithful, even the least, has an angel who accompanies him, beholding the face of God and guiding him through life’s perils to salvation.” What assurance this gives us: not only that our Guardian Angel seeks to guide each of us through life’s perils to salvation, but that our Guardian Angel beholds the face of God. Because we are not able to behold the face of God—not as of yet, for as Paul teaches, we are meant to behold God face to face, the “beatific vision of God” in the life to come—our Guardian Angel is able to behold the face of God on our behalf, vicariously, as a kind of proxy spiritual eyesight, seeing God for us until we are able to see Him in heaven. Thus the Angels are able, again in the words of Origen, “to bear divine inspirations to human souls, enlightening them through the grace that flows from the Holy Spirit.” Angels announce to us divine inspirations which enlighten us with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Hence the words of 17th century Anglican bishop Jeremy Taylor, that as Blessed Virgin Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit through the Archangel Gabriel and caused her to conceive, that we may be so overshadowed through the ministry of angels to us so as to “conceive the holy Jesus in our hearts, and bear Him in our mind.” Our readings from Isaiah and the Revelation to S. John refer to Saint Michael the Archangel, who is depicted in our icon which we venerate today. The two readings go together. Isaiah addresses Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, the Dragon (all names for the same unholy angelic being). Isaiah says: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground.” It is S. John who provides the background about this, describing the event in heaven which is before time was created: “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” That Satan was thrown down to earth outside of time and space is how is able to make his infamous appearance to Adam and Eve. He had already lost the battle with Michael, and thus already thrown down from heaven to earth, where he prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour. Isaiah also provides key detail about the reason for the battle. Speaking to Satan, Isaiah says, “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” Satan thought himself like God, even greater than God. Thus, in the words of S. Gregory the Great (7th century Church Father): “Michael, whose name means ‘Who is like God?’, is set over the powers of heaven to cast down the ancient serpent, contending for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.” Because of Christ’s eternal victory on the Cross, because of the Blood of the Lamb, the humility of Michael always overpowers the pride of Satan. And so, today we give thanks to God for ordaining and constituting the ministry of Angels. We ask of God that the Angels continue to defend us in battle, that the Angel of this temple of Saint Paul guard us and keep away all evil and help us to worship rightly; we ask of God that the angels, as ministers of the Holy Ghost, continue to reveal to us knowledge of God; that as we conceive the holy Jesus in our hearts, and bear Him in our mind, we may grow up to the fullness of the stature of Christ, to be perfect in Christ Jesus, Who lives and reigns with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

O God, Who of Thy ineffable Providence dost vouchsafe to send Thy holy Angels to be our guardians: grant to us Thy humble servants, that we may in this life ever be defended by their protection, and rjoice in their everlasting company in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. OFFICE HYMN FOR GUARDIAN ANGELSCreator of the circling sky,Who madest all by pow’r most high,Thy Providence will never cease,to rule Thy works in might and peace. Be present when we cry to Thee,a sinful people though we be;and as the day-dawn grows apace,illume our minds with light of grace. O send Thine Angel thitherwardassigned by Thee to be our guard,that now his presence may beginto keep us from all stain of sin. Let him destroy that hidden snarethe eager serpent doth prepare,lest we be taken in the netbefore our heedless bosoms set. At his command let ev’ry fearof hostile foemen disappear;let civil strife give way to peace,and pestilence and famine cease. To God the Father glory be;for those the Saviour setteth free,anointed by the Holy Ghost,are guarded by the Angel host. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

O God, Who gavest blessed Raphael the Archangel unto Thy servant Tobias to be the companion of his wayfaring: grant unto us Thy servants that we may ever be protected by the guardianship of this same Thine Archangel, and defended by his help; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. OFFICE HYMN FOR ARCHANGEL RAPHAELThee, O Christ the Father’s splendourLife and virtue of the heart,in the presence of the Angelssing we now with tuneful art:meetly in alternate chorusbearing our responsive part. Thus we praise with venerationall the armies of the skychiefly him the faithful healerand companion heavenly,Raphael, by whose princely virtuehelpless bound the demons lie. By whose watchful care repelling—King of everlasting grace!—Every ghostly adversaryall things evil, all things base;grant us of Thine only goodnessin Thy paradise a place. Laud and honor to the Father,laud and honor to the Son:laud and honor to the Spirit,ever Three and ever One:Consubstantial, Co-eternal,while unending ages run. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

Almighty and everlasting God, unto Whom thousands of Angels minister: grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who on earth do honour blessed Gabriel the Archangel as the special minister of mankind’s Restoration, may by his supporting prayer obtain in heaven the fruit of our Redemption; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. OFFICE HYMN FOR ARCHANGEL GABRIELGabriel revere we meetly,Herald of the King on high,whom the Father pleas’d to renderLegate of His ministry,to a fallen world announcing:Jesus, Son of God, is nigh. Gabriel, thou might of heaven,help our weakness with thy care:that we conquer mankind’s foeman,thou thyself our strength repair;that our errors be forgiven,thou for us outpour thy pray’r. Angel sent to earth, down-glidingto the couch where Mary lay,thou alone God’s hidden purposeknewest on that mighty day;take thou now our poor petitions,and to Heaven’s Lord display. Unto God be endless glory,with His laud all lips shall swell:one sole praise of Sire and Offspring,and the Holy Ghost, we tell:who such wondrous gifts hath givento the Archangel Gabriel. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

O everlasting God, Who hast ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as Thy holy angels always serve and worship Thee in heaven, so by Thy appointment they may help and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. PRAYER TO S. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGELS. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe

Saint Paul, the patron of this holy house, urges us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. And our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ reminds us that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Both of these we can easily see fit into the eucharistic life, a life lived with thanksgiving to God. Yet it is our passage of Scripture from the Prophet Ezekiel that adds a new dimension into our thinking about eucharistic life, and that comes from reflecting upon God’s covenant with us as it is revealed in Scripture. We hear of covenant directly in the reading from the prophet Ezekiel, wherein Christ says, “I will make my covenant of peace with them” (meaning the faithful of Israel), “It shall be an everlasting covenant with them.” By covenant is meant sacred commitment between God and His people. By covenant we mean holy partnership, with promises, signs, and sometimes conditions, all of which are part of God’s economy, that is to say, God’s plan for salvation, the ordering of history and creation towards salvation. God expresses His economy through a variety of covenants. What are these covenants? To understand more the nature of “covenant,” we start with Jesus Christ Who makes a covenant with us at the Last Supper. Jesus speaks of His precious Blood, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.” The Holy Spirit has written God’s law on our hearts, forgiveness is granted to all who repent and confess their sins, and we have God’s grace to be obedient to Christ’s words. All Christians are invited to partake of Christ’s Body and Blood to feed our inner transformation and nourish our ability to walk as a new creation according not to the flesh but to the Spirit; to live a life of obedience, not defiance, toward God. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, which we participate in through the Eucharist, we can attain purity of heart, lowliness of mind, and all the virtues of Christ. Hence the words of our Lord in our Gospel passage: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Our humility is our side of Christ’s covenant, which if He sees in us, He promises everlasting life and eternal salvation. By this covenant, or as I should say, within this covenant, are the previous covenants recorded in Scripture. Firstly there is the covenant God made with Noah and his family after they disembarked from the ark. This covenant follows the flood, and expresses God’s commitment to preserve His creation despite whatever human sin might occur. God promises to never destroy the earth—meaning His relationship with us, the relationship that allows for our spiritual growth toward Him—never to destroy the earth by flood again. The sign of this oath is the rainbow, which is a permanent reminder and symbol of God’s mercy upon all creatures, human and animal. Secondly, there is the covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 11 and the following chapters, God promises to bless all nations and people through Abraham’s lineage. God says his descendants will be more in number than the stars of heaven. This covenant is expressed through circumcision, which as unveiled by the Cross and taught by Saint Paul, means circumcision of the heart and faith in Christ. Church Fathers elaborate on Paul’s teaching by emphasizing that not only our heart must be circumcised, but our ears, our lips, our mouths, and all of our members, even our mind. Thirdly, in Exodus and Deuteronomy, we hear of the covenant God forms with Israel through Moses, to be a kingdom of priests, what Saint Peter calls the priesthood of all believers. This priestly kingdom, which is the Church, is thereby through grace able to mediate God’s holiness to the world. God promises His protection if we obey the Ten Commandments, and the teachings on worship, justice, and morality. We are blessed if we have obedient faith; we are cursed if we have rebellious hearts. And there is the Davidic covenant. This is in 2 Samuel 7, and we learn of God’s promise of an eternal dynasty through David, which fulfills the blessings promised to Abraham through a faithful king. God promises that His Name shall be upon the hearts of His people, even in their hearts; He promises rest from enemies, and an everlasting throne for His Son, Jesus Christ. In this covenant, God promises a Messiah, and this is Jesus Christ, the King of kings, the Right Hand of the Father. And because we have a Messiah, a true One, Who is the Eternal Bread of Heaven, we have the Eucharist, Christ’s covenant with us: that when we continue what He instituted, the perpetual memory of His precious death and sacrifice which is the Eucharist, He is actually present again for us to receive Him as the heavenly bread, that the bread and wine offered in sacrifice, which participates in His Sacrifice of Himself, are transformed into His Body and Blood as His eucharistic covenant. My dear brothers and sisters, living eucharistically means knowing that everything we have is a gift given to us by God: everything—our life, our soul and body, our family. By His covenant with us, God makes existence itself His gift, and our relationship with God a gift beyond the telling. By the mystery of covenant, by holy covenant sealed in Christ’s Blood, we know that God guarantees forgiveness, internal transformation, and direct access to God. Through Christ we have an eternal covenant—of protection, of forgiveness, of eternal salvation, of love—so that the God of peace can equip us with everything good, through Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the true covenant, Who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Get full access to Anglican Ascetic Podcast at anglicanascetic.akensideinstitute.org/subscribe