Thursday, February 3, 2011

Eucharistic Adoration

How did TDP get printed? Several times over the course of the year I find myself asking that question - not because there is anything amiss, but because Treasury of Daily Prayer is so darn good, Lutheran, liturgical, and down right evangelical-catholic. Imagine if everybody in your congregation were reading this today:

"Now, here we are not saying that one should not worship our dear Lord Jesus Christ in this Sacrament, being present, of that one should not hold this Sacrament with all honor and reverence. On the contrary, since these divine, almighty, true words are believed, all of this follows of itself, and not only in external gestures but also both externally and, first and foremost, in the heart, spirit, and truth. On account of this, such adoration of Christ is not thereby cancelled, but much rather, confirmed. For where the Word is rightly seen, considered and believed, the adoration of the Sacrament will happen of itself. For whoever believes that Christ's body and blood are there (as there is plenty of evidence so to believe, and it is necessary so to believe), he cannot, to be sure, deny his reverence to the body and blood of Christ without sin. For I must confess that Christ is there when His body and blood are there. His words do not lie to me, and He is not separate from His body and blood." - George von Anhalt, TDP, February 3, pp. 1179-80

Rubric from DDSB: It is appropriate for the congregation to make the sign of the cross at the elevation/genuflection and to quietly hail the present Christ with Thomas' Confession:"My Lord and my God."

And that's why I buy a TDP as a wedding present for any members who get married.

+HRC

17 comments:

  1. It's had so many great readings... Chrysostom's lions breathing fire after communing - a terror to the devils! And Georg of Anhalt's pious words you quote, which will not allow our Lord's body and blood to come unglued from our Lord Himself. Yes, it IS aptly named after all: Treasury!

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  2. I got married—do I get one? I mean, I'm a brother in Christ...or a bother in Christ,really...but that's sorta the same...

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  3. Fr. Louderback,

    Come on, man: you're gainfully employed - and we need to support CPH when they put out good stuff. And TDP is really, really good stuff. Try it for a year and you will not be disappointed.

    +HRC

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  4. There is truly no excuse for the Lutheran Laity not to have a vibrant devotional life. The books are there. If one owns CPH's "Essential Lutheran Library" and adds to it The DDSB and the BPB (I love combining the TDP and Brotherhood Prayerbook, I'm learning how to use the DDSB) the blessings are simply beyond description. We have been given so much!!!

    Blessings,
    Steve Foxx SSP

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  5. HRC,

    Grumble...I'll bet your married couples are gainfully employed...

    I bought the Women's Prayer Journal (yes, for me). Doesn't that count?

    No, if you won't buy it for me, I guess I'll have to do it myself...

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  6. Mark, you won't like it. There's nobody in it wandering the chancel in a polo shirt, cracking jokes and showing clips from football games via the PowerPoint system.

    ; )

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  7. Note to Fellow Gun Lover HRC:

    Our dear prince was, of course, referring to the proper adoration of our Lord Christ within the celebration of the Blessed and Most Venerable Sacrament of the Altar, not outside the celebration, such as in the case of people shutting up Jesus in a box afterwards.

    You know I had to mention that.

    : )

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  8. McCain claims: "Our dear prince was, of course, referring to the proper adoration of our Lord Christ within the celebration of the Blessed and Most Venerable Sacrament of the Altar, not outside the celebration, such as in the case of people shutting up Jesus in a box afterwards."

    In fact, the good writer tells us that the setting for this adoration is "in this Sacrament." The adoration of the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle, then, would only be called into question by this passage if the reservation of the Sacrament outside of the Mass were indeed "outside the use." Such a notion is not to be proved by this passage, nor indeed, by the Confessions themselves.

    I also notice that, even when only considering the celebration of the Mass itself, McCain says that the traditional postures of physical worship are "proper." If I were to use such a term for these rubrics, as I have in the past, he would have claimed that I were guilty of a dangerous pharisaism, and making poor lay people feel guilty if they don't do these things. Perhaps the rules get adjusted when the thing in question is found to be printed in a book one has been promoting. For that reason alone, we can be thankful for this book.

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  9. Paul McCain,

    Do you mean the Women's Bible Journal? It is a book, of course it doen't have moving pictures...

    Hey, maybe if YOU buy it for me, I'll change my Powerpoint ways...

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  11. Ah, Latif, old bean.

    You conveniently always forget that the reason you were soundly rebuked by Prs. Cwirla and yours truly is that you sent a pious laywoman off on a major guilt trip over the fact that she received the Sacrament in her hand, and that unless/until pastors were gesticulating just so during the celebration of the Sacrament there was something deeply amiss about the Lord's Supper.

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  12. "Soundly rebuked" is inaccurate. What happened, is that you (that is the plural you) falsely accused a man of pharisaism and legalism, while childishly ridiculing the liturgical tradition of the church. Your lies about your need to commit this sin so as to protect against the felt offense of some third party is not as important as the fact that your own behavior is an objective offense, and obviously continues, making this more than a mere item of the past.

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  13. And to be clear, I did no such thing as send a person off on a guilt trip over anything. That is another of your lies. It is possible of course that someone could have falsely inferred from my words that he should feel guilty for something. That scenario calls for clarification between the two parties, not McCain-like behavior from McCain.

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  14. Latif, Pr. Cwirla and I know what happened. Sorry you still can't see your way clear to understand the gravity of the situation, that you caused, when you set off pontificating, very legalistically, about how one is to receive the Sacrament, in the mouth, not the hand, and indulging in your obsession with rubrics to the point that a dear sister in Christ was led to doubt if she was receiving the Sacrament efficaciously at all.

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  15. That's funny because Cwirla piously claims not to remember it. Actually, there's nothing funny about your lies. Far worse than the offense of your characterizations and lies, however, is the effect your ridicule has on lay people. This will not get much press because it is not an offense of the kind that is felt as such. Instead of living up to your ordination, you have chosen to spend more of your time leading people to see the evangelical treasure of the liturgy as something to ridicule and condemn if it is not celebrated the way you think it should be.

    I really don't matter. In fact, that's why I will continue to take on your lies and conduct that is unbecoming of a Christian and churchman wherever they are raised. (Maybe not whenever they arise, since I cannot give the type of atention to the internet that you can, but at least whenever I can.) For there is far more at stake than the reputation of some idiot who greets people at a restaurant.

    By the way, why don't you try to influence the current wittenberg trail like you did the last one? It was really exciting to see you find a place where you could exercise your ministry of preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments in a venue where you wouldn't have to worry about actually seeing or touching anyone. Maybe you do; I don't know. I don't spend much time there. It's probably better off that way.

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  16. Latif, perhaps some of your friends can help you recognize where you simply go off the deep end pursuing your liturgical enthusiasms, and also counsel you on the way for a Christian man to comport himself, let alone a man who claims to be a "Deacon" in the church of the living God.

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  17. Or perhaps you yourself could thus help. Counsel a brother. I "go off the deep end" in pursuit of my "liturgical enthusiasms." I need clarification on these matters.

    Now, in case you think I'm just being snarky, let me assure you that what I am about to say in meant in earnest. I will not answer your implication that I merely "claim" to be a quote "Deacon," except to say that I have never flaunted my diaconal ministry before you; that would accomplish nothing good, certainly at present. You are not ready for the topic. Maybe one day we can talk of such things. Until then, I choose largely to ignore what you say on the matter.

    However, I will tell you that I pray for presbyters such as you, that you would stir up the gift of God which is in you by the putting on of hands. Some say it is a pity that you and I are not friends. I say there are far more valuable things than friendship, like respect. And respect is something of which you will have an abundant supply from me, when your life bears witness to your having stirred up the gift that is in you. Be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.

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