Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

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The Christian life is a constant imitation of Christ in dying and rising, first sacramentally, then in various steps of life as we come closer to Jesus, and finally in our ultimate physical death and resurrection.

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No special Ambon Prayer

Our Venerable Father Moses the Ethiopian, Our Holy Father Augustine Bishop of Hippo, The Holy Martyr Gebre Michael, Priest of Ethiopia. The Passing of our Venerable Mother Laurentia Herasymiv (1952): the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Monastery of the Caves

Title

Dying and Living with Christ

Outline

When I expressed my interest in entering the Catholic Church to Fr. Hough,

He first ascertained that I had no impediments other than not having a congregation desiring to enter with me

Then he pointed his finger at me across the table and said that there was no guarantee that I would ever be a Catholic priest; I had to “lay it all down” and “enter the Church with no conditions” and then “see what God does.” When I heard that I knew it was the call of God - die and see what I resurrect.

That is the message of the Christian life

The message of the good news, according to Paul, is that Christ died, was buried, and rose again to life

He died, not due to his sin, but due to ours

He was buried, which means he was really dead, his corpse washed and embalmed, placed in a tomb from which they expected to gather his bones in a year

On the third day, that is 24 plus to 72 minus hours later, he rose again to life, just as the scriptures had said he would. This was confirmed by his appearance to a series of witnesses in various circumstances, including to Paul himself, who certainly had no expectation of seeing him.

The pattern of Christian life was thereby established, die with Christ to all that is one’s old life and attachments, wait until one is certainly dead to the past and God’s time has come, and rise to the new life with Christ that God has chosen.

There is, of course, the ultimate sense that this is true, but we are usually not ready for the ultimate death and rising until we go through one or more in-this-age dying and risings.

Joseph died to his bedouin family and past, died once in being sold as a slave, died a second time in going into the depth of a prison in Egypt and then, after a long wait, was raised up by God as a savior.

Paul died to his Jewish Pharisaic life, friends, family, position all stripped away (although years later his sister’s son shows him some kindness) and rises, three days later, as apostle to the Gentiles

St Francis (to pick one saint I have loved) dies to his family and old life (and starts to walk naked out of Assisi to his still-in-ruins church) and has a rising as a preacher of reform throughout Italy.

Jesus talks about this in today’s narrative

A young man comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to attain eternal life.

Jesus asks whether he had followed the divine commandments in his present state. Oh, he had, he says, and Jesus does not dispute this in any gospel.

But the king was here, the past was passing away, and life was with the king. Sell all you have, i.e. die to your past life, give (which buries the past life), and come, follow me - I will be your new life.

Now, when the young man cannot find it in him to make that radical step, Jesus does not offer him a lower level of discipleship, but lets him walk away.

Then Jesus observes, “It is impossible “for a rich man (even a pious rich man) to enter the kingdom of God.”” Now it is clear that he is saying this about material possessions, but I suggest that it is the successful life in any form that is hard to give up - indeed impossible to give up.

Jesus does not back down one step when the disciples exclaim, “Who then can be saved?” Who indeed, if those pious men and women blessed by God cannot be saved? Instead he says, “God can do the impossible.” In Luke we soon see that with Zacchaeus, but only after we see the poor widow do it first and apparently more simply.

Brothers and Sisters, this is the process of the Christian life

It is what makes evangelical born-again-ism so dangerous - there is rarely any call to die

It is what makes the call to clerical and religious life sometimes a bit deceptive, as if anyone will get away without the counsels of perfection in some form or as if religious will never go through this again until physical death.

I think of Thomas Merton, Edith Stein, or Carlo Caretto and Paul himself (who said “I die every day”).

Some seem to be able to go from sacramental death and resurrection to physical death and resurrection without such experiences - but I wonder if they would say that on reflection.

Let us reflect on where we are ourselves in the process: is God calling you to give up something, maybe all you looked forward to? Are you dying? Or are you waiting for resurrection, and it seems a long wait with lots of darkness? I think of Mother Theresa. Or is Christ identifying you with him one way or another in his resurrection?

We all will have the final letting-go. My father, a godly Christian leader, illustrated this when the undertaker wheeled him out of his room in the nursing home, his naked body covered with a borrowed sheet. And there will be a wait physically - we may be forgotten by the world. And then Jesus calls, “Sleeper awake. You will be one with me.”

But it is important for us that we willingly let go and die with Christ in the smaller and greater ways we are call to throughout life so that we may - in God’s time - enter into life in and with Jesus even in the present.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 9-4-2022: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

EPISTLE

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

15 Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, 2 by which you are saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 9-4-2022: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

GOSPEL

Matthew 19:16–26

16 And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (8-28-2022: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost)

SUNDAY, August 28, 2022 | OCTOECHOS

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 9-4-2022: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Matins Gospel Matthew 28:16–20

Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:1–11

Gospel Matthew 19:16–26

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