About Fools, Wiser Than The World

“We are fools for Christ’s sake” (1 Corinthians 4:10).

Thus speaks the great Apostle Paul who in the beginning was guided by worldly wisdom, which is against Christ, until he recognizes the falsehood and decay of the wisdom of the world and the light and stability of the wisdom of Christ. Then, the holy apostle did not become angry with the world because they called him “a fool for Christ’s sake” neither did he, in defiance of the world, hesitate to be called by this name.

It is not of any value to us how the world is going to regard or call us. However, it is important, and extremely important, how the holy angels in the heavens will regard and call us when, after death, we meet with them. This is of crucial importance and everything else is nothing.

Either we are fools for the world because of Christ or we are fools for Christ because of the world. O how short-lived is the sound of a word of the world! If the world would say to us “fool,” the world will die and its word will die! What then is the value of its word? But if the heavenly, immortal ones say to us “fool,” that will neither die nor is it removed from us as eternal condemnation.

Whoever does not believe in the Living God, nor in eternal life, nor in the Incarnation of the Lord Christ, nor in Christ’s Resurrection nor in the truth of the Gospel nor in God’s eternal mercy and justice – is it any wonder if he considers that one a fool who does believes in all of this?

O, may every one of us who cross ourselves with the Sign of the Cross not only find it easy to endure but with satisfaction receive the name “fool” for Christ’s sake! Let us rejoice and be glad if the non-believers call us such, for that means that we are close to Christ and far away from the non-believers. Let us rejoice and be glad and repeat with a powerful echo in the ears of the world: yes, yes, indeed we are fools for Christ’s sake!

O Lord Most-wise, strengthen us by Your power that we not fear the non-believing world neither when they lash us with whips nor when they insult us with words for Your sake.\

— St. Nikolai Velimirovich

The Message of the Donkey

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."

- Zechariah 9:9

On Palm Sunday we commemorate Christ's "triumphal entry" into Jerusalem. There was great celebration and jubilation as Jesus entered that city, just a few days before the One being proclaimed as king would be put to death. Notice that he came, however, riding on a donkey and not a horse. This is significant. The Bible mentions horses some 185 times, always in some sort of military context. When a king or general who was bent on war would enter a city, he would come riding in on a horse - a war horse, if you will, but when he was on a mission of peace, he would ride in on a donkey. Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem was as the Prince of Peace, not as a military general nor as a warrior king. May we, like our King, be people of peace.

"Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!" - John 12:13

A Perspective on Prayer

Our Father,

Thy name;

Thy kingdom ;

Thy will;

(our stuff)

Thy kingdom;

Thy power;

Thy glory;

Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit,

that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me O Holy Spirit, 

that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart O Holy Spirit,

that I love but what is holy.

Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, 

to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, 

that I always may be holy. Amen.

 

~ ~ ~ St. Augustine (Algeria/354-430)

Prayer Against the Fear of the Unknown

O Lord, we beseech thee to deliver us from the fear of the unknown future; from fear of failure; from fear of poverty; from fear of bereavement;

from fear of loneliness; 

from fear of sickness and pain; 

from fear of age; 

from fear of death.

Help us, O Father, by thy grace to love and fear thee only, fill our hearts with cheerful courage and loving trust in thee; through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

~ ~ ~ Akanu Ibaim (Nigeria/1906-1995)

Saint Patrick's Prayer

May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world.
 
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.

Prayer to Do Good

"Forgive me, most gracious Lord and Father, if this day I have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world. Pardon the unkind word, the impatient gesture, the hard and selfish deed, the failure to show sympathy and kindly help where I had the opportunity, but missed it; and enable me so to live that I may daily do something to lessen the tide of human sorrow, and add to the sum of human happiness." ~ ~ ~ F.B.Meyer (England, 1847-1929)

A Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Heavenly Father,

We pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for Your Name's sake -
for those who have lost homes and possessions, family and friends simply because they profess faith in your Son, Jesus.

We pray for those who have been arrested, beaten, imprisoned, tortured beyond what we can even imagine, for the sake of Christ and the Gospel,

for the multitude of Christians who are in prison even now as we gather in the comfort of our church sanctuary.

Grant these Your grace that they may endure,

grant them courage that their faith would not waver;

may they remain true to the One who suffered and died for them.

Give them the assurance that the sufferings of this present time

are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Give them love for their enemies that they might bless and not curse them,

that, in their suffering, they might testify of the love of Jesus for sinners.

May they rejoice that they are considered worthy to suffer for His name.

Give them joy in spite of their suffering,

and peace in spite of their pain,

knowing that a great reward awaits them.

We pray for their families,

that You would meet all their needs,

that they would not lose hope,

that their faith in You would remain strong.

We do pray for the release of these, Your children,

but until that day, may Your grace prevail and the

name of Jesus be glorified.

We ask this in the name of Your Son Jesus,

Who suffered and died for us. Amen.

John Wesley's Rules for Congregational Singing (1761)

1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

2. Sing lustily, and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of it being heard, then when you sing the songs of Satan.

3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, as to be heard above, or distinct from, the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

4. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before, not stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

5. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

Save the Afflicted

We beseech thee, Master,

to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us;

have mercy on the lowly;
raise up the fallen; 

appear to the needy;

heal the ungodly;
restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry;

ransom our prisoners;
raise up the sick;

comfort the faint-hearted.

 ~ ~ ~ Clement of Rome (1st Century) 

 

For the poor and the oppressed,
for the unemployed and the destitute,
for prisoners and captives,
and for all who remember and care for them,
let us pray to the Lord.
"Lord, have mercy."
~ ~ ~ Book of Common Prayer

Prayer for Ephiphany 2015

Lord Jesus Christ, 
You have shown yourself to the nations and transformed many by your radiant light. 

Your ongoing revelations bring a continual rebirth, recreating each of us in your likeness. 

May today’s rising sun remind us that your light is for the healing of the nations. Amen.

~ ~ ~ from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine

As our Christmas season comes to a close (today is the 11th Day of Christmas), here is what is known as the Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine.

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.

Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their saviour is born.

Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.

Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.

Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.

Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

Amen

St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440)