From our Archives: Matt Kennedy’s 2006 refection on Holy Despair

We posted this Lenten meditation by Fr. Matt Kennedy exactly 3 years ago as a “bonus meditation” in our 2006 Anglican Blogger’s Lenten Devotional series.  I came across this again today as I was retrieving several other entries from our archives.  I needed the reminder and encouragement Fr. Matt offers here three years ago, and I needed it again today.

Here is the “money section” – the truth I really need to grab a hold of today and daily:

Sin is condemned in sinful man through the sin offering of Christ’s own body and blood on the cross. And because of that offering and sacrifice, those who believe, those who come to the point of holy despair, have access to a Power deeper, stronger, and more ancient than the rotted roots of sin entwined about our souls.

Surrendering our roots to that Power is the struggle that consumes our present life. But thanks be to God, it is a temporary struggle against a defeated foe.

Thanks be to God indeed!

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Matt Kennedy: Holy Despair

Filed under: Meditations & Devotions, Lent 2006, Anglican Bloggers Lenten Devotionals

A bonus entry tonight in the Anglican bloggers’ collaborative Lenten Devotional Series. Thanks Matt+ for sharing this with us!
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Holy Despair

A Lenten meditation by The Rev. Matt Kennedy
Romans 8:1-4 (from the daily lectionary for Sunday March 19th, 2006)

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1)

One of my favorite radio preachers often reminds his listeners that when you see a “therefore” in the bible you always need to ask yourself, “what is the therefore there for?” In this case, the “therefore” in Romans 8:1 refers to Paul’s description of his own personal struggle with besetting sin in chapter 7. “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing…” (Romans 7:19)

There are some who contend that the struggle he recounts in chapter 7 is an experience pulled from his pre-conversion memory; that Christians cannot and do not experience such failure and heartbreak.

While I’m sympathetic to the argument, I think the majority view, that Paul is describing his Christian experience, corresponds more with the surrounding chapters which describe the process of Christian sanctification, of being cleansed and purified by God while struggling personally against the old sin nature. It would be odd, in my opinion, to use a pre-conversion memory as an illustration here.

But that’s not the only reason I think so. My own Christian experience both personally and as a pastor tells me that moral falls and failures are, unfortunately, a normative part of the believer’s life. I don’t necessarily mean egregious, notorious falls. I mean the daily private personal ones; the falls and failures nobody sees but God—those impulsive and ingrained habits of thought word, and sadly, deed, that daily darken the life of the believer.

Shouldn’t believers, new creations, be done with these?

Yes we should, but no we aren’t.

As I look back over my walk with Christ, I see a trail of divine victories. The most vile, vicious, and deadly behaviors that slowly devoured me before my conversion have been brought to heel. Christ has conquered.

And yet even as those have been nailed to the cross, I find myself clinging inwardly to their roots. And even as those roots are exposed and destroyed by the Spirit’s refining fire, deeper and stronger roots come to light.

I am brought to despair.

As the Spirit daily illumines the deeper recesses of my heart, I see myself as I am and cannot stand the sight.

But this despair is common. The true contemplation of God’s glory, said Calvin, brings man to a truthful contemplation of himself. It is the resulting recognition of utter personal unworthiness that leads nonbelievers to salvation and believers to repentance.

It is this holy despair that leads Paul to fall at Christ’s pierced feet and cry out, “What a wretched man I am! Who can rescue me from this body of death?”

And it is those same pierced feet that evoke the answer, “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Holy despair leads Paul again and again to the grace of God and the power of his Spirit and the foot of his cross.

And it is the cross that overshadows the first passages of Romans 8.

“There is now,” says Paul, “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. ” (Romans 8:1-4)

Sin is condemned in sinful man through the sin offering of Christ’s own body and blood on the cross. And because of that offering and sacrifice, those who believe, those who come to the point of holy despair, have access to a Power deeper, stronger, and more ancient than the rotted roots of sin entwined about our souls.

Surrendering our roots to that Power is the struggle that consumes our present life. But thanks be to God, it is a temporary struggle against a defeated foe.

Thanks be to God that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

—
The Rev. Matt Kennedy is the rector of Church of the Good Shepherd, in Binghamton, NY, and a regular feature writer for StandFirm.

Lent Quotes: Pope Benedict XVI – We are not spared dark nights

We are not spared dark nights. They are clearly necessary, so that we can learn freedom and maturity and above all else a capacity for sympathy with others… A part of every human love is that it is only truly great and enriching if I am ready to deny myself for this other person, to come out of myself, to give of myself. And that is certainly true of our relationship with God, out of which, in the end, all our other relationships must grow. I must begin by no longer looking at myself, but by asking what he wants. I must begin by learning to love.

– Pope Benedict XVI

hat tip:  Transfigurations

John 8:30-32

As he spoke these words, many believed in him. (John 8:30)
      Jesus, please help us believe the words you speak.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.” (John 8:31)
      Jesus, please help us daily abide in your word.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
      Lord Jesus, please bring us to that freedom which comes from abiding in the truth of the gospel.

      A word received: Pray that my people will seek all that I have to offer them. Pray that they will not stop half way. I long for my people to receive my grace and my Holy Spirit. I long for them to know my father’s love. I long for them to lay their burdens at my feet. Come to me; I AM waiting for you.

Thursday: [83] or 42, 43; Jeremiah 10:11-24; Romans 5:12-21; John 8:21-32
Friday: 88; Jeremiah 11:1-8,14-20; Romans 6:1-11; John 8:33-47

Albany Intercessor

Piper on Prayer: A Biblical Overview of Prayer

For many months I’ve neglected the series “Piper on Prayer” which I started last October to collect some of  John Piper’s helpful quotes and teaching on prayer.  Today, while doing some research in the ESV Study Bible online, I noticed that John Piper was the contributor of an article entitled “Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God.”

That article had a section with quite a nice overview of prayer:

Humble, Bold Prayer

Finally, from this Father-initiated, Son-purchased, Spirit-effected communion with God, we pray with humble boldness (Heb. 4:16). That is, we speak to God the Father, on the basis of Christ’s work, by the help of the Spirit. This speaking is called prayer. It includes our confessions of sin (1 John 1:9), our praises of God’s perfections (Ps. 96:4), our thanks for God’s gifts (Ps. 118:21), and our requests that he would help us (Ps. 38:22) and others (Rom. 15:30–31)—all to the glory of God (Ps. 50:15), for the hallowing of his name, which must ever be our goal.

Prayer is the verbal aspect of our response to God in communion with him. The Bible does speak of “groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26), but ordinarily prayer is the response of our heart to God in words. It may be in private (Matt. 6:6) or in public (1 Cor. 14:16). It may last all night (Luke 6:12) or be summed up in a moment’s cry (Matt. 14:30). It may be desperate (Jonah 2:2) or joyful (Ps. 119:162). It may be full of faith (Mark 11:24) or wavering with uncertainty (Mark 9:24).

But it is not optional. It is commanded—which is good news, because it means that God loves being the giver of omnipotent help (Ps. 50:15). The Bible reminds us that ordinary people can accomplish great things by prayer (James 5:17–18). It tells us about great answers to prayer (Isa. 37:21, 36). It gives us great examples of how to pray (Matt. 6:9–13; Eph. 3:14–19). And it offers amazing encouragements to pray (Matt. 7:7–11).

God Gets the Glory; We Get the Joy

The Bible shows that prayer is near the heart of why God created the world. When we pray for God to do what only he can do, he alone gets the glory while we get the joy. We see this when Jesus says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13), and then later says, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). In prayer, God gets the glory and we get the joy. God is the overflowing fountain; we are satisfied with the living water. He is infinitely rich; we are the happy heirs.

Central to all our praying, as we have seen, must be our longing that God’s name be hallowed in the world—known and honored and loved (Matt. 6:9). To that end, we pray (1) for his church to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness . . . to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11); (2) that the gospel would spread and awaken faith in Jesus among all the nations (2 Thess. 3:1); and (3) that many who do not believe would be saved (Rom. 10:1). In this way, the aim of God’s Word and the aim of prayer become the same: the glory of God and the salvation of the nations through Jesus Christ.

You can read the whole article here.  (There appear to be several articles on reading the Bible grouped together in one long article.)

PRAYER TABLE REPORT

(Weds., March 18, 2009, 1-1:40 p.m., in front of Christ Church, Schenectady; soon-to-be-deacon Scott Underhill and Deacon Alan Hart.)

Note: An afternoon straight out of the middle of May — 60 degrees, sunny. Not much foot traffic on State Street, though. And not many people stopped for prayer. Hard to figure why on a 10-degree, snowy day people will stop in droves but few will not come by on a Spring-like day. We just never know!

t– received one of the wooden crosses Torre gets from Dennis Adams of North Carolina.
c–accepted one of our yellow church cards. (Did not anoint anyone with Holy Oil today.)

t,t,c– PATRICIA — This pleasant, middle-aged woman wanted prayer for “economic stability.” She explained she lives on “a fixed income” and we prayed for God to provide for her and keep her safe. She also wanted prayers for her boyfriend, PATRICK. She took a cross for each of them.

t–HUGH — Another extremely pleasant 30-ish man. He took off his leather train engineer’s hat and asked for prayers ” … for a job and to have continued good health.” When we were done praying for him, Hugh said “Bless both of y’all.”

(Not sure of spelling of this name FISHTA or PHISHTA?) — This older Middle Eastern man rode by on the sidewalk on his bicycle in front of the Table, and he spotted the sign and turned around. He was very curious as to what we were doing. “What is your program?” he asked. There was a language barrier but we tried to make him understand we were just praying for people on the street. “Praying?” he asked. “Thank you … thank you so much!”

(Mailman) — We have two mailmen who we often see on this route and we always pray for them. One is very friendly, the other is very withdrawn and never speaks. This time we got the friendly one and he said to us something like “Top of the Charts to you boys today!” We prayed for his safety as he goes from door to door delivering the mail.

(girl on a cellphone) — Nice young woman who was talking on the cell slowed as she passed the Table. She shook her head negatively at our invitations for prayer, but as she walked away, Scott called out to her “God bless you.” She held the phone away and yelled back to Scott, “You too, Sweetheart!”

Albany Intercessor

Episcopal House of Bishops

Currently meeting in Kanuga.

Dear Heavenly Father,

May they love Truth.  Amen.

Lent Prayers: John Wesley – O Let Me Turn Again and Live

This Lent, I’ve been enjoying browsing A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists, by John Wesley, first published in 1780.  Many of the hymns have repentance as their theme and recognize our proneness to a hard heart and a wayward spirit and our utter reliance on the Lord and His grace and the work of the Holy Spirit to help us turn to Him and repent.

I particularly like verse 3 of the following hymn (#170).  Repentance, faith and pardon are all gifts of grace to us from the Lord.  So often I try to repent in my own “strength”… and fail.  This is a great example of what repentance is all about.  Turning to the Lord again that we might live.

1 O ‘TIS enough, my God, my God!
Here let me give my wanderings o’er;
No longer trample on thy blood,
And grieve thy gentleness no more;
No more thy lingering anger move,
Or sin against thy light and love.

2 O Lord, if mercy is with thee,
Now let it all on me be shown;
On me, the chief of sinners, me,
Who humbly for thy mercy groan;
Me to thy Father’s grace restore,
Nor let me ever grieve thee more!

3 Fountain of unexhausted love,
Of infinite compassions, hear;
My Saviour and my Prince above,
Once more in my behalf appear;
Repentance, faith, and pardon give,
O let me turn again and live!

John 8:12 and Romans 5:1-5

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
      Jesus, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path; help me daily choose to walk by your word and your light.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)
      Jesus, thank you for bringing us to peace with your father; thank you for the gift of faith.

through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)
      Holy Spirit, please help us stand firm in the hope of the gospel message; please write that message on our hearts.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:34-)
      Father, this is a time of tribulation in the church and in the nation; please help us persevere so that we all become people of hope. Please guide President Obama and his advisors.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5)
      Holy Spirit, guard and guide our footsteps today. Thank you.

      A word received: Continue to call out to me. Continue to pray for the restoration of my body. My body is wounded and torn. Pray for the healing of my body.

      A word received: Pray for my people. Pray for my people to hope in me — to set their hearts on me. Pray for my people to become a people of hope — a beacon shining in the dark. Pray for my people to hope even when hope seems folly.

      Words received for a Sunday School lesson March 29:

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38 ) A word received: I want the children and the adults to examine what they believe.

      A word received: I want your hearts to be transformed by my Holy Spirit. I want to flood you with my Spirit. I want my Spirit to flow out of you. I want you to be changed by my presence in your heart.

      A word received: I want to refresh you. I want you to be wells of my Spirit. I want others to be able to drink deeply of my Spirit because you believe and thirst and receive.

Wednesday: 119:97-120; Jeremiah 8:18-9:6; Romans 5:1-11; John 8:12-20
Thursday: [83] or 42, 43; Jeremiah 10:11-24; Romans 5:12-21; John 8:21-32

Albany Intercessor

Lent Quotes: Fr. Dan Martins – Sin is like the Trojan Horse

Sin also has, of course, a very personal dimension. Each one of us is individually guilty of doing those things which we ought not to have done, and leaving undone those things which we ought to have done. And at an individual level, sin is wickedly deceptive. It is like the Trojan Horse, sneaking into our hearts disguised as common sense or justice or beauty or love, and then spilling its vile contents into our souls in a desperate attempt by the Evil One to draw us away from God. The frightening truth about personal sin, individual evil, is that I cannot even trust my own feelings and intuitions. They are tainted, and cannot be relied upon apart from the objective standard of God’s revealed word. What “feels right” to me may be the very face of death itself,

and I need to run 180 degrees in the other direction.

From an Ash Wednesday meditation by Anglican blogger Fr. Dan Martins, which we originally posted here in 2007. It’s worth rereading!

Central Ecuador bishop election at HoB meeting

From ENS:

During a Tuesday, March 17 evening session bishops are expected to discuss Anglican Communion issues and also to cast their first ballots for the bishop of Ecuador Central, according to the agenda for the meeting. Delegates attending the February 14 diocesan convention of Central Ecuador authorized the House of Bishops to elect a successor to the Rt. Rev. Wilfrido Ramos-Orench, who is retiring.

The nominees will participate in “a ‘walkabout’ among the bishops so that they may get to know [them],” wrote Bishop George Councell of New Jersey in his blog. “The House of Bishops will then take ballots to elect a new bishop, who is to be consecrated this summer.”

O Lord, we cry out for a godly shepherd for Your children in Central Ecuador.  Amen.

Today’s Lent Devotional by Dr. Leander Harding, from TSM’s Website

I found Dr. Leander Harding’s devotional for today at the TSM website very encouraging.  Here is an excerpt:

The story of Abraham is the story of how the response of one person to God allows God to work in that person’s life and through that person’s life for the salvation of the world. If you feel sometimes dead, insignificant, undeserving and broken beyond repair, you are of the same flesh as Abraham. God has a plan for you and a plan to touch the world through you. What will be your response?

Holy Father, We give thanks that you do not leave us in our brokenness but are always working to make us holy. Give us grace to open our eyes, as did Patrick of Ireland, to see your plan, and the grace to do our part. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

—

Note: there appear to be no archives of the Trinity Lent Devotional entries, nor any permalinks, the entries change daily.  I’m trying to contact the TSM webmasters to find out if there is an archive somewhere.  Stay tuned…

Prayer for Madagascar

I just saw at ACNS that the Province of the Indian Ocean has organized a special day of prayer today for the people of Madagascar in the midst of the political turmoil there.

The latest news from the BBC is that the President is being forced to step down.

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, guide, we beseech thee, the nation of Madagascar into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

From the 1928 BCP

St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer (aka the Lorica)

We first posted this prayer 5 years ago.  It was perhaps the most popular entry of all on the old L&B site, so popular in fact that we eventually linked it on our sidebar under the category of “Lent & Beyond favorites.”

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Wednesday, March 17, 2004

St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer

The following prayer/hymn is usually attributed to St. Patrick. I don’t think I’d ever read the whole thing before. What a powerful prayer! There is the traditional translation by Cecil Frances Alexander first, then a more modern translation of the prayer following.

As we engage in spiritual warfare for our church, this may be a prayer to learn well and return to often!
———-

The Lorica, or, St. Patrick’s Breastplate

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever,
by power of faith, Christ’s Incarnation;
his baptism in the Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb;
his riding up he heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet “Well done” in judgement hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors’ faith, apostles’ word,
the patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven,
the glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
the vice that gives temptation force,
the natural lusts that war within,
the hostile men that mar my course;
of few or many, far or nigh,
in every place, and in all hours
against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
against false words of heresy,
against the knowledge that defiles
against the heart’s idolatry,
against the wizard’s evil craft,
against the death-wound and the burning
the choking wave and poisoned shaft,
protect me, Christ, till thy returning.

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 bind unto myself the Name,
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

An alternate translation, by Kuno Meyer, is the following:

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of
Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of
His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of
His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of
His descent for the judgement of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of
the love of the Cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of the resurrection
to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In prediction of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendour of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak to me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me,

From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From every one who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in a multitude.
I summon today all these powers
between me and those evils,

Against every cruel merciless
power that may oppose my body
and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and
smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge
that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poising, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So there come to me
abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of
every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of
every one who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye of
every one who sees me,
Christ in every ear
that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

Prayer for March 17: St. Patrick’s Day:
Almighty God, who in your providence chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that light, that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen.

From our archives: Captain Yips – A Contrite Heart

From our archives, originally published in March 2006 as part of our Anglican Bloggers’ Lenten devotional series.  The prayer which Captain Yips is reflecting on is here.  This post was one of the most popular of our 2006 series.

Captain Yips blog is here.

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Captain Yips: A Contrite Heart

Earlier in the season, Lent and Beyond uncovered a Tenth Century Latin Litany for Lent. The accompanying English translation was, I thought, a bit stiff and “churchy,” a little abstract where the original was very active and physical. So I’ve been trying to English it myself. I’m a long way from done, hung up on one poignant phrase that casts new light on one of Thomas Cranmer’s most famous prayers, and incidently highlights how language drifts with time.

The Latin phrase is

contrito corde pandimus occulta

This phrase is stunning, spiritually and emotionally. My attempts at translation have sent sparks flying off all over.

Contrito Corde

It’s tempting to translate this as “contrite heart,” and for an Anglican that phrase raises echoes of the magnificent Collect for Ash Wednesday:

Almighty and Everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Over time, “contrite” has devolved to mean little more than “really, really, sorry.” The Latin contritus is a very physical word that has little to do with sorrow or shame. It describes the state something is in after being rubbed down, abraded, pounded. It comes from a verb meaning, approximately, to wear out, to use up, to grind up, even obliterate. It’s a compound word, too. The root verb is terere, to rub, to wear away, with implications of to polish, to grind, to thresh, to use up, to wear out. A related adjective is teres, polished, rounded, even, elegant.

“Wow,” I said to myself after this rooting around. “Double wow.” Some words are like barges, carrying so many associations of meaning that to pluck one meaning off the heap is to diminish meaning. Contrito corde appears to mean something like

with/by means of/because of a heart broken down/worn out/ground down/broken to pieces/scoured clean

Further, the word implies a transformation, a change of state, possibly even improvement if we look to the related adjective; it’s not unlike the transformation of a raw gemstone to its cut and polished and sparkling form. It looks back a bit to a previous line in the Litany,
ablue nostri maculas delicti

Wash away the stains of our crimes.

So the contrite heart is also the heart that has had the stains scoured away.

Returning to the Collect, was Cranmer thinking of this bargeful of meanings as he wrote it? While “contrite” certainly included “sorry” among its meanings in English in the 16th century, I would guess, probably so. He was a better Latinist than I am, that’s for sure, and better than many alive today, and a profound scholar. There’s also a hint to be found in Cranmer’s prose style. One hallmark of Cranmer’s style is his use of parallel Anglo-Saxon and Latinate words to supplement each other. In the bad old days when ECUSA was bent on selling it’s patrimony, Cranmer’s style was defamed as repetitive and dowdy and elaborate. I think that’s dead wrong. He used parallel constructions to deal with very complicated material, including as much as possible by implication. In the Collect, we get “create and make,” Latinate and Anglo-Saxon words with similar but not identical meanings. In his parallel phrase, “new and contrite hearts,” I suspect that Cranmer had in mind, not a heart that was perpetually aware of and grieving for its sins, but a heart polished from its sins, clean and shining as part of the new creation in Christ, as a result of sorrow for and rejection of sin. Contrition, if I am right here, is the state one is in when God has washed the stain and disfigurement of sin away. The soul as passed through grief to a new state of restoration.

Secondary evidence about what Cranmer may have had in mind can be found in (of course) Shakespeare. By the 16th century, the primary meaning of “contrite” certainly had to do with repentance, but also effective repentance, with absolution; not sorrow alone, but effective and accepted sorrow. Shakespeare used “contrite” in this sense in Henry V, where the guilt-wracked king on the eve of Agincourt ponders his effort to secure forgiveness for his father’s murder of Richard II. He knows that despite his efforts, despite the tomb he built for Richard and the tears he has shed there, despite the 500 poor whom he supports for the purpose of praying for Richard, he, Henry, is still King and Richard is still dead, and the crime of his father cannot be undone. Henry fears that he will lose the next day’s battle because he is unforgiven, but Shakespeare is looking ahead; he knows who won Agincourt, and uses the outcome to show that Henry IV’s crime is forgiven, to legitimate Henry V’s dynasty and (by complicated interactions, exchanges and implications) also to legitimate the Tudor dynasty that sprang from Henry V’s widow (and patronized Shakespeare). Thus Shakespeare has Henry describe his contrite tears at Richard’s tomb, cluing us that Henry’s repentance is effective. This is all poetry, of course, not theology or even English usage, but goes a little to show how very delicate the meanings of “contrite” were at the time.

This is a lot of meaning to squeeze out of two words, but I think all these subsidiary meanings trail along in the wake of the primary meaning.

So what we get in the Litany, and perhaps also in the Ash Wednesday Collect, is a meaning for “contrite” that is not merely “I’m sorry,” but also, “broken down by sin but restored and rebuilt by God.” The sense of sorrow leading to transformation is essential. The Collect, maybe, looks forward to the result of repentance, a state in which God has so polished the heart that is shines in the sun like adamant diamond.

Over a thousand words! Enough! And I didn’t even get to pandimus occulta, almost equally complicated and packed with meaning.

House of Bishops/Scriptures on Fear

The House of Bishops is currently meeting in Kanuga.

2 Timothy 1:7–For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Romans 8:15–For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Psalm 56:3-4– When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?

Psalm 27:1–The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Isaiah 35:4–Say to those with fearful hearts, ”Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

 Lord, send Your Holy Spirit down upon Your children in the House of Bishops that they may not fear the things of this world.  Amen.