I note that my good friend, Fr. Fenton, followed the option in the Orthodox Missal that permitted the Gospel reading for this Sunday in Lent to be observed with the Transfiguration Gospel. EWTN showed that Rome too read the Transfiguration Gospel today. That means that only those Lutherans who use the one year series (and any Western Rite Orthodox who used the first option for the Gospel today) and anyone using the old Episcopal prayerbook read the Western Church's ancient and assigned text for this Sunday (since the days of the Comes) of Matthew 15:21-28.
I think something is definitely lost by omitting this reading. The Sunday readings in Lent are designed for the schooling of the Catechumens. And one of the great and important lessons that the Catechumens need to learn early and well is dealing with the divine "cold shoulder." Yes, it seems sometimes when a Christian is just beginning to walk the path, God drops answers to prayers down on us almost before we can say the "Amen." But the Church in her wisdom teaches: "Don't get used to it." Instead, recognize that God will try and stretch your faith. Just as he did to the Canaanite woman. The message is clear: Don't give up on him when he feels so cold and distant. Hold onto him just like Jacob did, saying: "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Such persistent clinging to Him and trust in His mercy - no matter HOW much cold shoulder you get from Him - results in being blessed indeed. "O woman! Great is your faith!"
Don't know about you, but to get that reminder at least once a year is a GREAT blessing all in itself.
8 comments:
Absolutely with you on this one. It speaks with reference to this partcular Sunday (Reminiscere) and time of year (Lent) to the whole issue of messing around with the lectionary and calendar at all.
I'll say it again, having been there when the three year lectionary and revised calendar was originally formed. The surface reason was to employ more of Scripture, but the agenda was to effect a split from the past, and from the preaching tradition associated with it, and to tone down the miracles and other harder to take stuff -- which in class we learned Jesus probably didn't do or say anyway -- for moral teaching. Why a church attempting to hold to what is true and pure in the church catholic would even bother with a product of 1960s Roman heterodoxy is beyond my understanding. There's an excellent article about all this on the ELS site too.
And may I say I very much appreciate the sermons you and others post on your blogs following the historic, read the church's actual, lectionary.
At least it remains an option in LCMS and the LSB, which given the spirit of the age is a small miracle in itself.
BTW, I noticed that the calendars of both seminaries do not have the real lectionary on them, whereas last year at least Concordia's did. What's up with that?
Terry,
You actually READ them? My beloved SIL always tells me that those are the things she skips! : ) I don't blame her one bit. I think reading sermons can be wretched business. But I still toss them up there in case they may provide some fodder for someone's ruminations.
I wasn't aware the Concordia posted any lectionary at all, but remember that the official lectionaries are the ones printed in the book, so whether the one year gets much press, until Synod adopts a new hymnal (may it be 40 years away!) the one year is every bit as authoritative (but sadly, no more authoritative) than the novus ordo thingy. I keep campaigning with the pastors to encourage them to give it a try. I'm convinced that if folks DO try it, they won't want to go back. That's my experience, in any case. And I know several others who say the same.
Pr Weedon,
I must admit that I had a twinge of heartache when I realized that this Lent II I would not get to hear "The Thrice Tested Woman," which is one of my favorite episodes in the Gospels. But then, so is the Transfiguration.
However, do not fret that something has been lost. The "omitted" Gospel was actually read a few days ago--on the Thursday after Lent I (between Ember Wednesday and Ember Friday). This remembrance (or should I say reminiscence) suggests that one point in your post is not fulsome.
You state that "the Sunday readings in Lent are designed for the schooling of the Catechumens." In fact, as I'm sure you know, in the Western Rite--following an ancient practice--every day in Lent is designed as catechesis in the Faith. Hence, the solution is not to make sure we have the Sundays covered rightly, but to celebrate the fullness of Lent and urge our people to do so as well. Then not only "The Thrice Tested Woman" but also the marvelous other Gospels--and Old Testament readings--appointed by the Church for her faithful in Lent may be heard, contemplated, and feasted upon.
Furthermore, can one not see the steadfastness of faith in the face of temptation taught in the Transfiguration event--especially if one reads it within the context of what Our Lord says immediately after the appointed text? I know you'll agree that one can, and will, and does.
Father, a very good point, and one that I quite overlooked. Yes, it is best if the faithful observe the 40 days with the Divine Service. But, sadly, such is not the reality in which so many of our people live. I'm curious: did the Western Rite prescribe that the Transfiguration reading was to be read today? The way it looks in Orthodox Missal it seemed rather up for grabs. Of course, if you had just preached the text, it makes sense not to preach it again on Sunday, I suppose. But I much prefer not monkeying with the Gospels laid down in the Comes.
Fr,
The Orthodox Missal is not the most happily arranged book; and the lack of printed instructions do it even greater disservice. Here's the key: the book is laid out like the English Missal. Therefore, when options are presented those following the liturgy of St Tikhon always take the first option; and those following the liturgy of St Gregory always take the second option. Sundays after Trinity are for the "Tikhonians" and Sundays after Pentecost are for the "Gregorians."
Iow, there is no "pick n choose" or "what shall I do today."
Father John,
Gotcha. So all the Tikhonites were with the one-year series Lutherans today; and the St. Gregory folks were with Rome (though I think Rome read from the Lucan account). Well, at least the Reformational folk stuck together. ;) JUST joking.
Pax!
Yes I read the sermons -- yours, and Father Hollywood's too, and Pastor Beisel often as well.
At least the Tikhonian/Gregorian thing represents two authentic church traditions. The synagogue has this too, with the Ashkenazic and Sephardic lectionaries. I believe at one time there was a three year lectionary in the synagogue too, which was abandoned long ago as unworkable. But I rankle at calling both an actual historic lectionary/calendar and a 1960s Roman product "historic".
Speaking of the Transfiguration, while I understand the reasons for locating it where it is in Lutheran observance, I think there's something to the traditional date 6 August -- which turned out to be the date of another kind of transfiguration, the first use of modern weapons of mass destruction, Hiroshima. Sort of a hint there -- you can get with the Transfiguration God reveals, or suffer the one of man's invention.
The 2006 Concordia wall calendar had both lectionaries' Sunday names and readings on it. The 2007 doesn't, nor does Ft.Wayne's.
If I'm not mistaken, in the Eastern Rite each day is given to catechesis. Following this purpose, the entirety of Genesis, Proverbs and Isaiah are read during Great Lent providing salvation history, ethics and messianic prophecy as the underpinning for the new catechumens. I'm not about the organization of the NT readings.
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