The Third Sunday after Trinity

Fathers, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Saint Peter, the Apostle reminds us in his Epistle 1 St.Peter 5, beginning at verse 5 that we need to be subject to one another and be humble and be clothed with humility, as God resists the proud and gives Grace to the humble. Yet if we look around us , in the workplace, amongst our friends, in our Churches we often experience the opposite of humbleness. We see ambition and aggression, we see people being overconfident and via the media we are bombarded with advertising how we can lead a perfect lifestyle. Livestyle , it is the buzzword of our times. Are you happy with your lifestyle? Am I happy with mine? Is there room for improvement or are we doing quite well? Does your lifestyle and my lifestyle allow me to live life as a humble Christian and do I and do you portray this to all those you deal with?

Jesus Himself sets us an example how to be humble. He was born under humble circumstances in a stable, He lead a humble life, cared non-stop for others, and in the end took upon Him the burden of all our sins, He was nailed on a Cross like a criminal. Another example would be the Saints, who have gone before us, Sr. Theresa is a particular Saint, who comes to my mind when I think about utter humbleness. A Parish Priest I once had was described as a humble man. And so it is. We do know what is required of us.

As we humble ourselves in Christ, we do know that we are more prone to the attack of Satan, the final of words of the Epistle of today do give us a so much courage: “ But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus, after that y have suffered a while, make you prefect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be Glory dominion for ever and ever. Amen. While I was putting together this Word for the Sunday, I was thinking back of my own confirmation in St.James’s Anglican Church in Lower Hutt by the late Bishop Henry Baines many years ago. I can still hear us singing that final hymn:

O JESUS, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou are by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my guide.

O let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone;
O guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heaven receive me,
My Saviour and my Friend.

( John Bode 1816-74)

May this be our song as we stand at the beginning of another week!

With every good wish in Christ,
Ed Bakker
Postulant TAC New Zealand