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Minted by God
“If Caesar can require his image in a coin, cannot God require his image in a human being?” – St. Augustine, Sermon 308A.7
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Prayer Before the Crucifix
The following is said to be St. Francis’ prayer before the crucifix: Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart. Give me true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out Your holy and true command. Amen.
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St. Francis – The Canticle of the Creatures
October 4 is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved and, perhaps, least imitated of the saints. Too often Francis is sentimentalized and domesticated. Francis, however, sought identification with Christ through the poverty and suffering of Christ, his fellow human beings, and his own. He received the stigmata, the marks…
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Angelic Thoughts and Prayers on the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels
Today, September 29, is the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. With every liturgy we celebrate we “[join] our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven,” who are forever proclaiming the glory of God’s Name. The liturgy here on earth becomes one with the heavenly liturgy. The voices of…
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On Entering Church – Talking or Praying?
It is interesting to watch how people enter the church each week. I am really referring to what happens in the narthex, that vestibule or hallway area just outside the nave or what most people commonly think of as the church. Traditionally, the narthex was a “part of the church building, but was not considered…
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Grace in a Wage Based World – A Sermon on Matthew 20:1-16, Proper 20A
The collect and reading for today may be found here. The appointed gospel is Matthew 20:1-16. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.…
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Infinite Forgiveness – A Sermon on Matthew 18:21-35, Proper 19A
The collect and readings for today, the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19A, may be found here. The appointed gospel is Matthew 18:21-35. Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not…
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Be Prayer
“In the catacombs, the most frequent image is the figure of a woman in prayer, the Orant; she represents the one true attitude of the human soul. It is not enough to say prayers; one must become, be prayer, prayer incarnate. It is not enough to have moments of praise. All of life, each act,…