Bishop Eric Menees
“Lord,
we pray thee that thy grace may always precede and follow us, and make us
continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.”
One of the things I
often get asked is whether or not I have any regrets about leaving San Diego -
with perfect weather and no lawsuits directly affecting me - for Fresno and,
well, imperfect weather and lawsuits? The answer is, both yes and no. I miss
the weather, I will not lie; however I do not regret for a second coming to the
Diocese of San Joaquin, even with less than desirable weather and the
uncertainties of an apparently fickle legal system. Why? Because of God's
Grace.
Grace is that
unwarranted and unmerited love of God that fills in the gaps and supports us
especially in the most difficult of days. In this week's collect, Archbishop
Cranmer acknowledges the continual need we, as humans, have for God's Grace to
go before and behind us.
This coming Sunday I
will have the honor of ordaining Dcn. Ryan Bradley to the Sacred Order of
Priests. At the service, one of the hymns that Dcn. Bradley has chosen is St.
Patrick's Breastplate, which speaks of this type of Grace. St. Patrick, the
presumed author of the hymn, wrote about the need to have Christ all around us
to guide, support, and lead us. As you read these words - a portion of
the hymn - allow them to flow across your lips as a prayer:
Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me,
Christ before me,
Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort
and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,
Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.
I would be willing to bet
that Archbishop Cranmer was familiar with some version of this hymn, and in any
case was familiar with this theology: We bind ourselves to Christ, but it is
only by Christ's all encompassing love and support that we can do any ministry
at all. And to that I say, Amen!
I pray you all a very
blessed week!
Bishop Menees
Catechism Questions: 25-27
25.
What is the Apostles’ Creed?
The
Apostles’ Creed says:
I believe in God, the
Father almighty,
creator of heaven and
earth;
I believe in Jesus
Christ his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the
Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin
Mary.
He suffered under
Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died,
and was buried.
He descended to the
dead.
On the third day he
rose again.
He ascended into
heaven,
and is seated at the
right hand of the Father.
He will come again to
judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy
Spirit,
the holy catholic
Church,
the communion of
saints,
the forgiveness of
sins,
the resurrection of the
body,
and the life
everlasting. Amen.
26.
What is Holy Scripture?
Holy Scripture is
“God's Word written” (Articles of Religion, 20), given by the Holy Spirit
through prophets and apostles as the revelation of God and his acts in human
history, and is therefore the Church's final authority in all matters of faith
and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16)
27.
What books are contained in Holy Scripture?
The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the
twenty-seven books of the New Testament form the whole of Holy Scripture, which
is also called the Bible and the canon. (Articles of Religion, 6)
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