Pentecost

From "A Treatise Against the Heresies" by St Irenaeus of Lyon (he says it so much better than I can)

When the Lord told his disciples to go and teach all nations and baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, he conferred on them the power of giving men new life in God. He had promised through the prophets that in these last days he would pour out his Spirit on his servants and handmaids, and that they would prophesy. So when the Son of God became the Son of Man, the Spirit also descended upon him, becoming accustomed in this way to dwelling with the human race, to living in men and to inhabiting God’s creation. The Spirit accomplished the Father’s will in men who had grown old in sin, and gave them new life in Christ.

Luke says that the Spirit came down on the disciples at Pentecost, after the Lord’s ascension, with power to open the gates of life to all nations and to make known to them the new covenant. So it was that men of every language joined in singing one song of praise to God, and scattered tribes, restored to unity by the Spirit, were offered to the Father as the first-fruits of all the nations.

This was why the Lord had promised to send the Advocate: he was to prepare us as an offering to God. Like dry flour, which cannot become one lump of dough, one loaf of bread, without moisture, we who are many could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven. And like parched ground, which yields no harvest unless it receives moisture, we who were once like a water less tree could never have lived and borne fruit without this abundant rainfall from above. Through the baptism that liberates us from change and decay we have become one in body; through the Spirit we have become one in soul.

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of God came down upon the Lord, and the Lord in turn gave this Spirit to his Church, sending the Advocate from heaven into all the world into which, according to his own words, the devil too had been cast down like lightning.  If we are not to be scorched and made unfruitful, we need the dew of God. Since we have our accuser, we need an advocate as well. And so the Lord in his pity for man, who had fallen into the hands of brigands, having himself bound up his wounds and left for his care two coins bearing the royal image, entrusted him to the Holy Spirit. Now, through the Spirit, the image and inscription of the Father and the Son have been given to us, and it is our duty to use the coin committed to our charge and make it yield a rich profit for the Lord.

Lord God,

you sanctify your Church in every race and nation

by the mystery we celebrate on this day.

Pour out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all mankind,

and fulfill now in the hearts of your faithful

what you accomplished when the Gospel 
was first preached on earth.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St Matthias, Apostle.

Saint he may be, but there is no mention of Matthias in the lists of disciples in the Synoptic Gospels. According to the Acts of the Apostles, after the Ascension of Jesus, the assembled disciples, 120 or so of them, nominated 2 men to replace Judas: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. They prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and elected Matthias. (Acts 1:23-26).

There is absolutely no further information about Matthias in the New Testament. Even his name is uncertain: the Syriac NT of Eusebius doesn't call him Matthias but "Tolmai", (not to be confused with Bartholomew (which means Son of Tolmai) who was one of the original Apostles); Clement of Alexandria states that some identified him with Zacchaeus; the Clementine Recognitions identify him with Barnabas; the German Tubigen School theologian Hilgenfeld thought he was the same as Nathanael in the Gospel of John. According to Nicephorus (Historia eccl., 2, 40), Matthias first preached the Gospel in Judea, then in Aethiopia (believed to be a synonym for  Colchis, in modern-day Georgia) where he was crucified. A marker placed in the ruins of the Roman fortress at Gonio (Apsaros) in Georgia claims that Matthias is buried there.

The Synopsis of Dorotheus contains this tradition:

"Matthias preached the Gospel to barbarians and meat-eaters in the interior of Ethiopia, where the sea harbour of Hyssus is, at the mouth of the river Phasis. He died at Sebastopolis, and was buried there, near the Temple of the Sun.")

The Coptic Acts of Andrew and Matthias, places his activity similarly in "the city of the cannibals" in Ethiopia.  Alternatively, another tradition maintains that Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem by the Jews, and then beheaded.  According to Hippolytus of Rome, Matthias died of old age in Jerusalem.

Clement of Alexandria observed (Stromateis vi.13.):

Not that they became apostles through being chosen for some distinguished peculiarity of nature, since also Judas was chosen along with them. But they were capable of becoming apostles on being chosen by Him who foresees even ultimate issues. Matthias, accordingly, who was not chosen along with them, on showing himself worthy of becoming an apostle, is substituted for Judas.

It is claimed that St Matthias's remains are interred in the abbey of St. Matthias, Trier, Germany, having been brought there by the Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine I (the Great). According to Greek sources, the remains of the apostle are buried in the castle of Gonio-Apsaros, Georgia.

According to old tradition, the old St. Matthias's Day (February 24) is said to be the luckiest day of the year. This is because Matthias was the saint who was chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot. It has therefore been seen as a good day on which to buy lottery tickets or to participate in activities such as that.  he is the patron Saint of alcoholism (as are St Martin of Tours and St John of God) ; carpenters; Gary, Indiana; Great Falls-Billings, Montana; smallpox & tailors.

So we don't where he worked or how he died or even where his body is today.  But I believe he is with Christ his Master now and continues to pray for us and with us.

Lord God, you chose Saint Matthias by lot

to complete the number of the twelve apostles.

By his prayer, include us among your chosen ones,

since we rejoice to see

that the lot marked out for us is your love.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

A new begininng.

No dead politicians today but a nice pikkie of Our Lady of Fatima (Feast 13th May - except on Sundays).  Enjoy your Sunday and pray with all the saints in heaven and on earth - including the ones in your own congregation of whom no one has heard.  And if you've a spare prayer, remember +John Armes of Edinburgh, newly consecrated and beginning his new ministry today and Susan MacDonald who will be Installed as Dean of the Diocese of Edinburgh (that's an Archdeacon in England) at Evensong in the Cathedral this evening.  This Fatima prayer seems suitable if you want to use it.

"Most Holy Trinity, I adore you! My God, my God, I love you in the Most Blessed Sacrament."

Dead Prime Minister Day 200!

Today is the anniversary of the only time we had (the sense to have?) a Prime Minister assassinated.  And I've said Mass in his memorial - the next door parish to where I was a curate in London (http://www.allsaintsealing.org.uk). 200 years ago to the day, Spencer Perceval (see above) was shot by a grumpy merchant who felt HMG owed him compensation for getting nicked in Russia.  Isn't it lucky that Fred the Shred is not the revengeful type, eh, Prime Minister?

Politics doesn't seem to stir the passions today.  Indifference and a certain level of contempt is the general response.  Having dabbled in years of youth in politics (President Aberdeen University Lib Dems, Vice Convener Scottish Young Lib Dems, failed Cooncil candidate in a no hope ward ( the traditional 1st step on the greasy pole leading to obscurity in Holyrood) etc.) I am still interested and generally think those who set out in politics start with generally high ideals and intentions (which may be eroded by expediency or corrupted by self interest - but so is the Sacred Ministry!).  The trouble is that a class of professional politicians has arisen today with little or no experience of life beyond the political cockpit.  Gone are the ex-miners and practising farmers who broadened the experience of the body Politic so usefully.  instead we have "politicians"  - a strange breed of semi-invertebrates who sometimes seem to breathe the same air as the rest of us.  And sometimes don't.  Maybe we need more real people as politicians and less of the pedigree party hacks and insiders?

Counting down!

The best man is now sorted, the organist booked and the papers into the Registrar!!  It's getting closer!  I/We are still not panicking and even I am getting slightly interested in what's getting bought on the wedding list.  How very unexpected!  I just wonder how long the calm will last?