Second Sunday of Passiontide or Palm Sunday – 24th March 2013

Dear Readers,

My name is Fr. Franz Devantier of Saint Titus, Independent Old Catholic Church (IOCC) of Africa, operating in South Africa, and also creator of this blog.  My background was that of a liberal Catholic Priest, and a Traditional Catholic Priest in South Africa, and then an independent Priest in the Catholic tradition.  I was incardinated into the IOCC by Archbishop-Primate Emeritus Maurice McCormick founder of the IOCC of America.  

IOCC of America

Primate Archbishop George Le Mesurier,  IOCC of America
Primate Emeritus Archbishop Maurice McCormick, IOCC of America
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IOCC of Africa

Bishop George Otieno Odhiambo, IOCC of Africa

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Saint Titus IOCC South Africa

Saint Titus IOCC Newsletter

Father. Franz Devantier, IOCC South Africa

In nomine Patris, et Filii, + et Spititus Sancti.  Amen   (In the name of the father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen. )

Second Sunday of Passiontide or Palm Sunday – 24^th March 2013 (Colour of Celebration – Red)

Traditional Catholics:

The Celebrant in red cope, with the ministers also vested in red, the red of royal triumph, proceeds to the Blessing of Palms (or of branches of olive or other trees); these are placed in the sanctuary or other suitable place.

Liberal Catholics:

The Blessing of the Palms.

On this Sunday the altar cross and the processional cross are again veiled in violet gauze.

Roman Catholics: (Eleventh Sunday of the Year)

Lord, hear my voice when I call to you.  You are my help; do not cast me off, do not desert me, my Saviour God.

Commemoration of the Saints

March 24^th: St. Gabriel, (Archangel):  St. Gabriel was chosen by God, to announce to Mary that she was to be the Mother of Christ.

March 25^th:  The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

March 27^th:  St. John Damascene, (Confessor, Doctor of the Church).

Announcements:

·         We are still collecting names for submission as Marriage officers, under Saint Titus.  If you would like to become a marriage officer under Saint Titus, then please contact Fr. Franz  devantierf@gmail.com

News:

Pope Francis urged the West on Friday to intensify dialogue with Islam, and appealed to the world to do more to combat poverty and protect the environment.  He said that richer countries should fight what he called “the spiritual poverty of our times”, by re-forging links with God.

He urged us to keep religion central in public life and promote inter-religious dialogue as a catalyst for efforts to build peace.  (Editor: Perhaps we can all start by repairing petty divisions in our churches of the same religion, or slightly different brands of Christianity)

Sacred References:

Matthew, chapter 21, verses 1-9.

Matthew, chapter 26, verses 36 – 75, chapter 27, verses 1 – 66.

Revelation of John, chapter 19, from verse 1 onwards

Samuel II, chapter 12, verses 1 – 13.

Galatians, chapter 2, verses 16 – 21.

Luke, chapter 7 verse 36 to chapter 8 verse 3.

Homily:

This Sunday is known as Palm Sunday, because great multitudes of people spread palm leaves for the Christ to walk on, as his beast of burden the humble Ass carried him on this triumphant entrance into Jerusalem.  There were not only Palm leaves but branches of different types of trees, and even cloths that people had removed from themselves, and laid down in the path of the Christ.

Now you may say that this was not genuine, because only a matter of a few days later the situation for Jesus the Christ was very different, you could say the opposite.  A matter of a few short days later, and the Christ was headed for his crucifixion.  None of the people who had welcomed the heavenly King to Jerusalem only days before stood up to defend the Christ.  How could this be?  How is it possible for people to change so radically in such a short space of time? 

You see the saying that “as above, so below” is illustrated here.  What this means is that what happens in heaven is reflected onto this earthly plain, even although it may be a week reflection of the true glory in Heaven.  Remember that in heaven time is not necessary completely aligned to our concept of one dimensional or linear time.  We can conceive of one dimension of space, such as a single point or a straight line.  We can conceive of two dimensions of space, such as a flat sheet of paper.  In this second dimension we can create written words and pictures that portray three dimensions of space, for example a two dimensional photograph of a person will portray the image of a three dimensional person.  Then we can describe quite easily three dimensions of space, such as a cube or a ball.  When it gets to four and five dimensions and above it becomes difficult to describe and visualize, because in our reality we only have up to three dimensions of space as our reference.  Think of this for example: in the fourth dimension you could theoretically fold a ball into a flat sheet of material like a sheet of paper.  Although it is flat it is still a ball.  In the fifth dimension you could turn this sheet sideways, so that all you still saw was a line.  In the sixth dimension you could move this 90%, so that all you could still observe was a simple dot, like a dot if you observed the end of a piece of string, perpendicular to your eye.  In the seventh dimension you could turn this dot so that it disappears from view, it is still there but you don’t see it.  How would we describe additional dimensions, when the seventh dimension has already rendered the object invisible?

However when it gets to time, we are stuck in one dimensional thinking.  Linear time, things move forward from point A to point B, at a more or less set speed, and there is nothing that we can do about it.  No matter what we do, we can’t leave the confines of linear time.   Imagine the theoretical possibility of more dimensions of time existing in heaven.  Let’s consider two dimensions of time, which you could illustrate as a sheet of paper, instead of a simple straight line.  Now suddenly in two dimensions of time you could move sideways, instead of just forwards.  Could this mean that linear time would stand still as you moved sideways?  Could it mean that you could spend years in a single moment of time, observing  everything about that moment from unlimited perspectives?  Still in two dimensional time you may not be able to move forward and backwards in time.  Now imagine three dimensional time, a ball of time.  In three dimensional space you can move around in any direction you like, likewise in three dimensional time you may be able to move around in any direction you liked.  I will not go further here, because even three dimensions of time is a pretty difficult concept.

Now what has that to do with anything you may ask.  What has multiple dimensions of time to do with Palm Sunday?  Well many years later the was a man named John who had visions of a very similar occurrence, possibly the same occasion in Heaven that was happening on earth that day, but separated by many, many years.  Can you imagine that if time were to become relative, by being two or three dimensional time, instead of linear or one dimensional time; that something that happens close to one hundred years later or earlier, may in fact be the same event.  In other words the event in Heaven may have been reflected on earth about a hundred years earlier.  Does that make sense?

Let’s look at the events again.  Jesus rides in glory into Jerusalem on the back of an Ass.  The crowd cries “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the Highest”.  Beautiful words, and one seems to wonder where it all suddenly came from.  However the words although very beautiful, were missing certain truths that are portrayed many, many years later.  This was just a reflection of something very special happening in Heaven that day.  Something that was happening then, but in fact may still be happening thousands of years later, or may still be going to happen.  You see we can’t properly understand and describe multidimensional time, in linear time terms.  So our words don’t make sense, which does not take anything away from the reality of course.  It is just that with our experience of reality on this earthly plain, we can’t describe what we don’t experience, and what we don’t know.      

Now let’s move many, many years into the future in our concept of linear time.  But did we really move at all, or are we still in the same moment of time, on a spiritual or a heavenly level.  Are we in the same moment of linear time when superimposed on two, three or more dimensions of time?

Now we get a glimpse of what really happened in heaven that day, a glimpse of what was going on, that caused a difficult to understand series of events to occur on Earth.  An event that threw a pale and inaccurate image of itself onto this imperfect earthly plain.

There was a very special person St. John the Divine who had a vision of things to come, and his words are recorded for us in the “Revelation of John”, the last book in the bible.

“I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying: Alleluia: Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgements.  And again they said Alleluia.  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the Throne, saying: Amen, Alleluia”.

You see the people who took part in the mere reflection on earth that day, did not know that the Christ was God.  They did not understand the full impact of the Salvation that was offered to human-kind as a gift.  The people there that day were just ordinary people like you and me.  They were not people like Saint John the Divine, who could visualize and see the glory of Heaven when he closed his eyes.  They were ordinary people, who may not have been able to fully explain their actions that day.

The limitations of that day on earth were necessary, in order that the events that started unfolding shortly afterwards, would be able to continue.  If the veil of reality had been removed suddenly for everybody, and they saw the events in heaven taking place; then the possibility of the events leading up to the crucifixion of the Christ, may not have been possible.  

So in a way you could say that the imperfections of this earthly plain, the imperfections of the reflection of the Glory of Heaven down to us; is all necessary.  It is all necessary so that God’s plan which was potentially conceived in at least three dimensions of time rather than linear time, can be played out in linear time.  Here is the difficult part.  If there are no coincidences, and nothing happens without a purpose; then it is our duty to try to understand to the extent of our intellect, to the extent of our potential understanding, the real meaning of the things that happen to us and others around us.

We need to understand as far as possible what is the meaning of the things that are happening around us.  Maybe we may just recognise an image of Palm Sunday, in something that happens in our circles.  We may be fortunate enough to recognise something in ordinary day to day activities, and hold it precious to our hearts.  Recognise something that is special, but defies words or explanations, when you try to explain it to others.

Let us celebrate Palm Sunday, and give thanks, as on that day on Earth two thousand years ago, or as in Heaven, can’t say when.  What we do know is that it is very special.

Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name:  Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation.  But deliver us from evil.

[Protestants can optionally add:  For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.]

Amen.

Benediction:

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, Christ our Lord; and the Blessing of God almighty, the Father, + the Son and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Love,

Rev. Fr. Franz Devantier of Saint Titus, IOCC, South Africa,

devantierf@gmail.com

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