Still Saturday morning

God does not judge by what the eye sees but in truth and equity.  

 Antiphon: Psalm 75

Saturday

Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us shout with joy to the rock of our salvation   The Venite 

Anskar (801-865) Archbishop of Hamburg and Missionary to Denmark and Sweden

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness     

                           and self-control 

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided  by the Spirit.       Galations 5:22,25   
                         Anskar’s missionary efforts totally tanked in his lifetime - they didn't bear fruit for a 100 years. But I'm grateful for his life and example and for his collect: "Keep your Church stedfast in the day of little things,  knowing that when you begin a goo work, you will bring it to a fruitful conclusion” - even if we may not see it.

Commemoration of the Dorchester chaplains, (1943) and "all who serve and recognize God's /Yahweh's/ Allah's presence in the midst of peril and are models of steadfast, sacrificial love in a tragic and terrifying time." (Based on the collect/prayer for today)

You strengthen me more and more,you enfold and comfort me. Psalm 71:21

The Dorchester chaplains were the ideal held up in army chaplain school.   They are also a model for ecumenical ministry.  One was Catholic, two Protestant and one Jewish.

The Presentation

Send out your light and your truth that they may lead me and bring to your holy hill and to your dwelling. That I may go the altar of God, 

to the God of my joy and gladness. 

Psalm 43:3-4a

Light and truth, sent to be companions on my either side on this long journey, to both lead and guide me; (You can almost feel the progression of the journey, can't you, like freeze frames of an old movie)  first to God's holy hill. then into God’s dwelling. Once there, to the altar of God and finally to God himself.  

Almighty God, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so may we, at the end of our journeying, be presented to you by Christ out Lord. 

Eve of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, “Lord,  you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised...” 

The Nunc dimitis or the Song of Simeon  

St Brigid of Ireland, 523

We await our blessed hope,

the appearing of our Savior. 

                                      Antiphon: Psalm 62

St Brigid of Ireland, founder and first abbess of the convent at Kildare, which means Church of the Oak . Her feast day is the ancient Celtic celebration of Inbolg, the festival of Spring, perfect for this householder who was able to bring out of the treasure chest what is old and what is new...