Do you dare think, for an instant, that the way we live now will not be judged, that our so-called society of grift, scam, malfeasance, self-idolatry, fraud and worse, will somehow go on forever? If so, think again. Such wickedness cannot and will not stand.
Take note, a Day of Wrath is barreling down the pike at us faster than you can say "national debt at interest" or "money laundering crooks." So prep up, and begin with the spirit. Lent is our opportunity to do so.
Dies Irae,
LSP
Advent, the coming of Christ. Here's a prayer, from the 1928 BCP, obvs:
The arithmetic of death perplexes our brains. What can we do but throw ourselves upon the infinity of God? It is only to a finite mind that number is an obstacle, or multiplicity a distraction. Our mind is like a box of limited content, out of which one thing must be emptied before another can find a place. The universe of creatures is queuing for a turn of our attention, and no appreciable part of the queue will ever get a turn. But no queue forms before the throne of everlasting mercy, because the nature of an infinite mind is to be simply aware of everything that is.Everything is simply present to an infinite mind, because it exists; or rather, exists because it is present to that making mind. And though by some process of averaging and calculation I should compute the grains of sand, it would be like the arithmetic of the departed souls, an empty sum; I could not tell them as they are told in the infinity of God’s counsels, each one separately present as what it is, and simply because it is.
It started off gently, with a soothing murmur of thunder and unassuming flashes of lightning. Yes, our Old Enemy the Weather was up to zhir old tricks again, pretending to be some kind of first year curate fresh out of Duke or some other lesser satan like Sewannee.
Then boom, the sky turned green, wind blasted out of the north driving sheets of rain before its onslaught as thunder crashed from heaven with all the elemental ferocity of MLRS on the Kharkov front. (What? Ed.)
In related news, 1000 marines wisely surrendered in a Ukrainian port, a French reporter claims the US is running the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, huh, and a church in Chicago is urging its congregation to "fast from whiteness" during Lent. What does that look like, Talcum X or Rachel Dolezal? Your call.
More seriously, please say a prayer for my rodeo friend who died on Saturday, he was a good man. His requiem's tomorrow, may he rest in peace and rise in glory.
LSP
The Apocalypse, prophesied by our Savior. False Christs, wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, famine, "troubles." The Gospel preached to all nations as the faithful are beaten in the synagogues and handed over to councils and kings, to the secular authority.
And then the abomination of desolation, the visible triumph of blasphemous pagan power in the holy place, followed by the great tribulation, the reign of Antichrist mercifully cut short by God and the return of Christ in glory.
You can read it all in Mark 13 and the other synoptics, but what are we to make of this, like children on a road trip we want to know, are we there yet? Stand back and reflect. Have Christ's words been fulfilled, are they being so and will they be, at some point in the future. The answer, surely, is yes to all three.
Christ's prophecy was partially and accurately fulfilled in the sack of Jerusalem, and the persecution of the Church. St. Paul, notoriously, was brought before a "ruler," Caesar himself, and blasphemous pagan power ruled supreme over the world and the rubble of the Temple.
But Christ didn't return, so this is a type or prefigurement of greater things to come, the final battle between good and evil, of Christ and Antichrist. Are we there yet, we ask and the answer is no, the Abomination has not yet been set up, whether from a rebuilt Temple, the Vatican, Canterbury Cathedral(!) or anywhere else. Pagan, blasphemous power is not yet triumphant. Yet.
This means, in terms of the prophecy, that we're at the "beginning of sorrows," the rest is to come and note, as we draw inevitably closer to the date so too does evil increase and wax large. This will continue until it's evidently triumphant, the abomination will be set up with all signs and wonders so as to deceive the very elect. The mystery of iniquity at work. Woe, flee to the hills.
Then Christ returns. Great will be the fall of the anti-kingdom before the might and irresistible power of God, and the elect, God's chosen people, his faithful, will be gathered to him in glory as evil is thrown down, utterly, for evermore into the lake of fire.
Apocalypse, and a message of hope. God wins, the Devil and his apostate angels don't, so be strong in your faith, "hang tough" said one church person, rightly. But consider this (I didn't preach it and maybe should've):
The Synoptic "Little Apocalypse" can be paraphrased as a lesser or desultory persecution, the blasphemous abomination, the great persecution and the triumphant return of Christ. Leaving aside Danielic math (think half weeks and three days) does this present us with the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ? Yes, it does.
Brought before councils, beaten in the synagogues, the scourging, a lesser tribulation. Golgotha, the sacrilegious desolation, and the Tomb, witness the effect of the greater persecution only to be followed by the return of Christ.
We, as Christians, share in this, we live in Christ and he in us. The apocalypse must, then, play out in our lives and as it does, by the grace of God may we be raised to glory, even as evil is cast into the lake of fire.
Your Old Pal,
LSP
This seems appropriate, right about now. Dies Irae? Day of wrath and doom impending. David's word with Sibyl's blending, Heaven and earth in ashes ending.
Note "Sibyl's blending." Classicism aside (you've read the Sibyline Oracles, right? Trick question, they were burned in the 5thC A.D., thanks Stilicho, dammit), it ends:
Low I kneel, with heart's submission, See, like ashes, my contrition, Help me in my last condition. Ah! that day of tears and mourning, From the dust of earth returning Man for judgement must prepare him, Spare, O God, in mercy spare him.
Kyrie Eleison. That's us, in Lent.
God Bless,
LSP
If you use the new fangled lectionary, chances are you heard the Parable of the Talents this morning at Mass. Remember the story? A man goes on a long journey and entrusts three servants with his money, five Talents to one, two to another and one to the last.
When the man returns he makes an accounting, and the first two servants do well, they've increased the money entrusted to them, but the third hasn't. He hid his talent in the ground and returns it, only to get a ferocious response, "You wicked and slothful servant!"
The parable's often interpreted as a cautionary tale in favor of good stewardship; use the various things God's blessed us with wisely for the growth of his kingdom, at interest. So don't be shy, fill in that pledge card!
All well and good, if underwhelming, and the treatment of the last servant seems harsh. Why is he so wicked? It makes little sense until we consider the number of the treasure.
The five Talents represent the five books of the Law, the Pentateuch, which are described by two Talents, the commandments to love God and neighbor, "on which hang all the Law and the Prophets." This is embodied in the one Talent, in God, Jesus who is the fulfillment of Law and Prophecy.
No wonder, then, that the sum of the treasure amounts to eight, the number of eternity, new creation, and resurrection, Christ rose on Sunday, the eighth day. The treasure entrusted to his servants is ultimately nothing less than God himself, the indwelling presence of Christ.
Now we understand the wickedness of the final servant. Imagine, on the last day, when God returns and demands an accounting, a reckoning, "What did you do with the treasure I gave you, with myself?" The time for lies and excuses is over and we reply, "I hid it in the dirt, I buried you." At that point Dies Irae, and outer darkness awaits.
Pray for mercy and the increase of the grace which has been given us, nothing less than the indwelling presence of Christ. So that, at the end, when the Man comes around, he will welcome us into the joy of his kingdom.
Here endeth the Lesson,
LSP
Absolve, O Lord, the souls of all the faithful departed from all the chains of their sins. That by the succour of thy grace they may be found worthy to escape the avenging judgement. And enjoy the bliss of everlasting life.
