4th Sunday after Easter – 21st April 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 Spiritus Sancti.  Amen   (In the name of the father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen. )

4^th  Sunday after Easter  –  21^st  April 2013 (Colour of Celebration – White)

Traditional Catholics:

Our Lord Jesus Christ is risen from the dead; the power of God is made manifest and is exalted.

Liberal Catholics:

O Christ our Lord and Master, grant that as thou hast risen from the dead, thy people may rise from ignorance to the firm ground of true knowledge and thence press onwards towards the mount of heavenly wisdom, where fair peace forever dwells; thou who livest and reignest throughout the ages of ages.  Amen.

Universal: (Wesak Meditation: April 25^th 17:58 [GMT 19:58] New Moon)

Reflect on the seed thought:  I see and when the Eye is opened, all is light.

From the point of Light within the mind of God
Let Light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men-
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

Commemoration of the Saints, for the coming week

April 21^st :St Anselm, (Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church)

-> St. Anselm, the famous Archbishop of Canterbury, was a Benedictine monk, who fought intrepidly for the faith and liberty of the Church.  Hi is one of the greatest philosophers and mystics of the eleventh century.  He died A.D. 1109.

April 22^nd :  SS. Soter and Caius, (Popes, Martyrs)

-> St. Soter was martyred in the second century under Marcus Aurelius A.D. 174, and St. Caius was put to death  A.D. 296.

April 23^rd : Commemoration of St. George, (Martyr)

-> St. George, of an illustrious family, having reproached Diocletian for his cruelty, was subjected therefore to atrocious torments and was finally beheaded.  A.D. 304.  He is venerated as the patron of Christian soldiers, and is the Patron of England.

April 24^th : St Fidelis of Sigmaringen, (Martyr)

-> St. Fidelis was at first “ the Advocate of the poor”.  He then entered the Order of Friar Minors, preached the word of God, and was stabbed to death by Protestant soldiers A.D. 1622.

April 25^th : St. Mark, the Evangelist

-> St. Mark was a disciple of St. Peter and the author of the second Gospel under inspiration of the latter.  He was martyred at Alexandria A.D.80.

April 26^th :  SS. Cletus and Marcellinus, (Popes, Martyrs)

-> St. Cletus, the third Pope, was martyred under Domitian A.D. 91. St. Marcellinus was beheaded under Diocletian A.D. 304.

April 27^th : St. Peter Canisius, (Confessor, Doctor)

-> Peter Kanis, born at Nigmegen in Holland, after brilliant studies at Cologne and Louvain, entered the Company of Jesus, of which he is one of the chief glories.  The wisdom of his controversy, his eloquent preaching, his instructive writings (for example the first Catechism) caused him to be called the Hammer of Protestantism.  He died at Fribourg in Switzerland. A.D. 1597.  

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:
We go into the 4th Sunday after Easter with 9 trainee Priests, some of them are actually going to follow the Order of Mary.  http://www.sainttitus.za.net/

Sacred References:

James, chapter 1, verses 17-21

John, chapter 16, verses 5-14

Deuteronomy, chapter 30, verses 10-14

Colossians, chapter 1, verses 15-20

Luke, chapter 10, verses 25-37

Acts, chapter 13, verse 27 onwards

Mark, chapter 16, verses  1 onwards

Homily:

We pick up the story with Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome, who were walking towards the Sepulchre where Jesus the Christ had been buried.  It was three days ago that the Christ had been crucified and buried.  They were carrying with them sweet spices.  The intention was to ask somebody to help them to roll the stone away that sealed the entrance, and to anoint the dead body of the Christ with the sweet spices.

Now you may ask yourself, why had they not listened to all the instruction that Jesus the Christ had given them concerning his death and resurrection, and who he really was, the Son of God.  They like us were consumed in physical reality, and were determined to administer this symbol of love on their dearly beloved Jesus Christ.

Then things started going wrong from a point of view of physical reality.  You see from a point of view of Spiritual reality, they were going according to plan, but they were not tuned into spiritual reality at that point in time.  Grief which they had all experienced had overwhelmed them.  When they got to the Sepulchre, the very heavy stone had been rolled away.  This was the first indication that things were not as they had expected them.

Next they went into the Sepulchre, and the body of Jesus the Christ was no longer there.  A well-groomed angel was sitting and waiting for them.  What a shock this must have been for them, to find an Angel instead of the body of the Christ.  You see they were still holding onto physical reality, and so even although spiritual reality was manifest in the form of an angel, and the body of Jesus Christ was no longer in the grave, just as he had told them, and as it was written; they were still shocked at what they found.  They wanted to anoint the body of the Christ with the beautiful spices that they had brought with them; they were not ready for the Good News that awaited them.  Justification by Faith, salvation for everyone in the world, this was beyond what they had come to do, and what they had expected, and what they could understand at that moment in time.

The Angel spoke to them, he told them that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead, and that he was alive.  Jesus Christ had beaten death, our brother had beaten death, and by the same token we now had the ability to beat death.  This is a mind-boggling concept, but there it was, about two thousand years ago.  This was a spiritual experience supreme, but the three ladies were stuck in Physical reality, and so although the news sounded absolutely wonderful, they had to receive it with their physical senses.

The Angel went on to tell them, that Jesus would see them in Galilee, as he had arranged with them before his ordeal.  Can you believe that they had all forgotten this, what with the crucifixion and everything that was happening at that time.  I can believe it, the shock and the grief must have been almost too much to bear, and the reality of what had happened far outweighed the arrangements that they had been told about before it all started.  This was probably the last thing on their minds.  Yet the Angel had told them, that they would meet Jesus Christ in Galilee, as arranged.

The Angel instructed the three ladies to tell the Disciples what they had witnessed, at the Sepulchre, and especially to tell Peter.  Peter the rock, the one that Jesus Christ would build his church on.  Peter was the first bishop, the first equivalent to the first Pope.  It was Peter that the Angel had mentioned was so important to be told these things.  You see Peter had been prepared for a very special role/function in the time to come, and the Angel wanted to make sure that they did not leave Peter out of this.

Jesus Christ was alive, after his death, he had risen from the dead.  He would move among his disciples in the days and weeks ahead, and answer all their questions.  You see the New Testament had not been written yet, in fact the disciples were going to play a big part in writing it, so you can imagine that they had many questions that they needed answers to.  After a period of time he would ascend into Heaven in his physical body.

If we just step through those events very quickly again.  He had to be slain, because it was written in the books of the law and the books of the prophets.  Pilate was the instrument, willing or unwilling he had no choice, he had to go through with it, in order to fulfill all of the writings about the Christ.  He could wash his hands symbolically of the proceedings, but ultimately it was his influence that set everything in motion.

Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins and for our salvation, according to all the writings about the Christ.  Everything that was written about him was fulfilled.  When he was dead, he was taken off of the tree, the cross, and laid in a sepulchre. 

After three days he arose from the dead, and after spending a time with his disciples here on Earth he ascended into heaven, to sit on the right hand side of the Father, to share the great Throne of God with his Father, and the Holy Ghost.

All the writings were completely fulfilled, that referred to the Christ.  Perhaps the lessons, the teachings that came out of what happened are even more profound, then the physical occurrences.  Jesus the Christ atoned for all of our sins, past present and future, by dying on the cross.  Here again we need to see things in terms of three dimensional time, or a ball of time, to really get a grip on it.

Jesus Christ has atoned for all our sins, so that we can be pure and spotless in front of God, which means that everyone of us in this world can be in the presence of God.  Of course we have been created with free will, so we have the choice of accepting or rejecting it; what is your choice?  Everyone can do it, if they were to accept what Jesus the Christ has done for them.  We are the sons and daughters of God, we have a spark of the divine within us, we can all be in the presence of God, and grow into our fullness.  We can ascend into heaven; most of us will do this after our physical body has passed, and we will ascend in our spiritual body.  However the possibility is there that you could ascend even in your physical body.  Jesus Christ was not the only one mentioned in the bible, who ascended into heaven in their physical body.

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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