From our Synod's website: Clement (ca. A.D. 35–100) is remembered for having established the pattern of apostolic authority that governed the Christian Church during the first and second centuries. He also insisted on keeping Christ at the center of the Church's worship and outreach. In a letter to the Christians at Corinth, he emphasized the centrality of Jesus' death and resurrection: “Let us fix our eyes on the blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to His Father, since it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to the whole world” (1 Clement 6:31). Prior to suffering a martyr's death by drowning, he displayed a steadfast, Christ-like love for God's redeemed people, serving as an inspiration to future generations to continue to build the Church on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, with Christ as the one and only cornerstone.Treasury of Daily Prayer offers a beautiful collect for this commemoration, asking: "Grant that Your Church may be anchored in Your truth by the presence of the Holy Spirit and kept blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (p. 944)
My favorite quote from St. Clement of Rome is from his first letter to the Corinthians:
"Similarly we also, who by His will have been called in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, or our own wisdom or understanding or godliness, nor by such deeds as we have done in holiness of heart, but by that faith through which Almighty God has justified all men since the beginning of time. Glory be to Him, forever and ever, Amen." - St. Clement of Rome (Letter to the Corinthians, par. 32)
Fr. Weedon,
ReplyDeleteJust inquiring,
If I usderstand things correctly, St. Clement of Rome was a contemporary of the Apostles. What was the reason for not viewing his writings in the same way as the books we (now) hold as canonical?
Pax,
Though alive when the Apostles lived, he was not regarded as being an Apostle, for he had never seen the Risen One nor eaten with Him after the resurrection. St. Luke, of course, is a bit of an exception as well, though according to tradition he was one of the 72. Likewise St. Mark, but his Gospel isn't his own, but St. Peter's.
ReplyDeleteScott,
ReplyDeleteNo need for a smiley! The Pope IS the pastor of the Church at Rome - and Clement certainly was pastor of said Church together with a number of others.
Thanks Fr. Weedon,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was something like that, but wasn't sure.
St. Luke and St. Mark may not have seen and eaten with the Risen One, but they were wrting on behalf or alongside those who had.
Pax
An interesting article concerning Clement's use of Synoptic material appears at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mortalresurrection.com/