Feria

Friends in Christ,

'I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.( Phillippians 3:14)'

What is the best way in relation to moving ahead into the new year of 2007 ? To pray for the knowledge that God is before me and for you to prepare the way in Love, we have that assurance that He will not keep any good thing from you and I.

I wish you a refresing and blessed weekend,

Ed Bakker

Saint Thomas a Beckett, Bishop & Martyr

( this picture was taken by the undersigned - the Sanctuary of Christ Church Anglican Church,Brunswick,Melbourne - how it used to look)

Dear Friends in Christ,

'So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom - Psalm 90:12'

These words are quite appropriate as we yet approach the end of another year in our lives. Let us not waste our precious time with needless cares, because Lord Jesus it is up to you to number our days, and it is our responsibility to give Thee thanks for the days given to me.

Amen.

Ed Bakker

The Holy Innocents

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Holy Innocents: " These were purchased from among men, the first-fruits to God and the Lamb, for they are without spot before the throne of God." So the Church describes the Holy Innocents, who were cruelly slain by Herod." And Saint Matthew tells us ( 2:18)" A voice was heard in Rama, lamentation and great mourning; it was Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted, because none is left."

Sadly, but surely the story of the Holy Innocents lives on in today's world. Children are often the innocent victim of war, of crime and of destruction. An exemple would be to how many children are involved in prostetution, how many children suffer because of the lack of food, and how many children suffer because of slave labour?

This evening, could we spend some time praying for all children, who are suffering through no fault of their own! Are we in a position within the society we live in to protect all children ? Are there any opportunities that you and I have missed ?

In this part of the world, the South Island of New Zealand and the city of Christchurch, so many very young people wander the streets, being sexually abused, because they are dependant on drugs. In New Zealand and we have to confess this to our great shame, our figures relating to child abuse in the family circle are shocking.

Children are very special to our Lord Jesus Christ, not only did they have a special place in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but they have also taken a special place in heaven, see The Apocalypse of Saint John 14;1-5 - "These ( that is the children, the Holy Innocents ) are the Lamb's attendants, wherever He goes; these have been ransomed for God the Lamb as the first-fruits of mankind.Falsehood was not found on their lips, they stand there untainted before the throne of God. "

God has given us many talents, do we really use them all? Here is a challenge for young and old - if you are in your twenties, thirties , forties, fifties and older, God can call you to do something about today's Holy Innocents. God calls you and I, all of us, do we hear His Call?

Amen.

Ed Bakker

The Holy Innocents

Saint John the Devine

( credit for the photograph - Saint John the Devine Cathedral, Milwaukee, USA )

Dear Friends in Christ,

'In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,who is the image of God,should shine unto them. - II Corinthians 4:4

May I quote Saint Ambrose : ' As the print of the seal on the wax is the express image of the seal itself, so Christ is the express image - the perfect representation of God'

Have a blessed day,

Ed Bakker

http://www.crossspot.net/ststephenstac/

Saint Stephen, Proto-Martyr

Friends in Christ,

Today, we remember Saint Stephen, Proto-Martyr of the Church. Our Fellowship was named after Saint Stephen and our future Anglican Catholic Parish will also be named in His honour. We ask God's continual blessing on us forming a Parish in this part of New Zealand. In the Book of Acts, 6 , 5 and 7:59 we read " The Apostles chose Stephen a levite, a man who was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, who while the Jews stone prayed, saying : Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit, Allelua. "

All those Catholic Christians who belong to the Traditional Anglican Communion or Forward in Faith must and surely will identify with Saint Stephen the Martyr. None of us would have been stoned for the Catholic Faith we stand up for, but one thing is for sure, that we have many enemies and are subject to constant abuse and criticism from those, who are in the liberal camp of the Church. Many of us have made numerous sacrifices in order to stand up for the faith of our fathers and want to be instruments to bring others to Christ and to the Catholic Faith. May you and I having this conviction in Christ our Lord continue to stand up for the truth, may we be like Blessed Saint Stephen, full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit and continue God's work until the end.

My prayers are in particular with all Anglican Catholic Parishes named after Saint Stephen and in particular the Parish of Saint Stephen, Athens, Texas, USA, which is very dear to me.

May I close with this prayer: ' Receive our gifts O Lord, for the commemoration of Thy Saints, that as their sufferings hath made them glorious, so our devotion may render us blameless. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen'

Amen

Ed Bakker

Postulant TAC - New Zealand

website

The Feast of the Holy Nativity

Friends in Christ,

On this great Feast Day, I want to take the opportunity to wish all my readers a Holy and Blessed Christmas. I had the opportunity to to the Midnight Mass in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch, New Zealand and the music and choir were splendid.

Most of all I was moved by the fact that this Little Child Jesus came for me into this world, so that I might have life. I never deserved such a gift, but God , in His Infinate Love gave me and also you this gift. There is no gift , which can beat this precious gift.

"His life is the Highest and the Holiest entering in at the Lowlies door. "

May God bless you and yours,

Ed Bakker

http://www.crossspot.net/ststephentstac/

The Fourth Sunday in Advent

Dear Friends in Christ,

Think back to the Christmas of 41. Not 1941, but Christmas in the year 41, 1,965 years ago. Mary would have been about in her late 50's .Surely She celebrated the birthday of her only son ( even though He was not with her in person), as we do today.Only back then , they did not call it Christmas even though it is the same celebration of His Birth.

It must have been a lonely day for Mary. She must have missed her Son. She must have missed her husband who was long since dead. No matter how many of her relatives may have been there in that little village of Nazareth, it was probably lonelier for her than some other days... just as Christmas today is often lonelier that some other days for people, who have lost their wife or husband, people who are divorced, please who do not have any family to speak of, for whatever reason, Christmas can be a lonely day.

Think about Mary, back in Christmas 41. She must have thought of those words spoken to her at the Visitation. " Blessed are you who believed that what the Lord spoke to you would be fulfilled"

When Mary heard those words for the first time, of course she believed. But it was a springtime kind of faith. It was filled with expectations. Summer was near and soon she would have her Son.

Now , years later when she was alone, she still believed, but it was a wintery faith because spring was not even in sight, let alone summer. Mary still believed, but it was just hard to believe.

No matter what I am feeling this Christmas. I can remember Mary and Christmas 41 and be with her and let her be with me too.

I wish you and all those you love and pray for a Happy and Holy Christmas.

Ed Bakker

Advents Feria

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.” (see Luke 21:28)This has been our Advent message for these past few weeks. It is the same message Israel heard from the prophets for years before the Lord came. It will continue to be our message until He comes again. Our Lord came as predicted only to be rejected by those who so anxiously awaited him. But His sacrifice was all in the Father’s plan and because of that sacrifice our redemption is always at hand. We no longer must wait for years, decades or centuries for our Savior to come. He is with us now and always.Today lift up your heads and see. Your Savior is with you!

May God bless you all,

Ed

Saint Thomas

Friends in Christ,

John 20:24-29

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
What fact that this gospel story underscores is that believing is a choice. Often we forget about that—believing is a choice. Believing is a choice, and not believing is a choice.
Now there are probably people who imagine that they don’t believe anything unless they see it, but that’s never true. That is never true! Everyone believes something about life. It could be extremely negative, or it could be very positive. But we do choose to believe, and we do find meaning because we are more or less programmed to, although that’s not exactly the right word because a program takes place without thinking and without consciousness, but believing doesn’t. We are constantly urged by our very nature to seek meaning.
However, we can find it in very negative ways, or we can allow our sense of importance or our sense of value to be diverted from true, life-giving values into other things like possessions. Someone who accumulates a great deal of money, for example, believes in money, believes in the power of money, believes in the value of accumulating money, otherwise they wouldn’t do it. That’s a belief. Someone who spends an entire life practicing law believes in law. It’s a belief. It may be only for personal gain, or it may be for some higher value, but it’s a belief anyway.
Ulterior motives are not the same thing, but they are related to belief. An atheist is not simply a person without belief. An atheist actually has beliefs about the nature of reality that happens to exclude a personal God. So there are many religions also that exclude a personal God. We don’t have to belabor the point. The fact is everyone has beliefs. Are ours life-giving?
Poor Thomas was hard on himself, and therefore he was hard on his fellow apostles, and therefore he didn’t believe them. It was too good to be true, so it couldn’t be true. Jesus was a little bit hard on him precisely because we are our own worst enemies when it comes to beliefs. When we choose the hard way, we are just making life difficult for ourselves. When we demand that life prove itself to us, that God prove himself to us, that God prove how good he is or that he loves us, we are making life difficult for ourselves. We don’t have to. We could just accept it. We could accept it because if we open our eyes, it’s right in front of us. If we will to see it, it’s evident. If we do not will to see it, it’s not evident. It’s all controlled by our choices. So be easy on yourself—not becoming credulous, which means believing anything without any sense. But it means being open to what God is speaking inside your heart, and what God is speaking within nature itself. The message is the same. It’s a message of goodness, of providence, of acceptance. Be not unbelieving!

Thanks be to God.

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Advents Feria

Friends in Christ,

May I invite you, in the middle of this rat-race towards Christmas to share in the words of Isaiah 30:15 and I quote ' In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strenght: and ye would not.'

Dont you think that it possible that you can work with an even, uninterrupted composure and tranquillity so spirit. The time of business and our pace of life should not make you different from the type of person you are in prayer.

Peace be with you,

Ed Bakker.....

The Third Sunday in Advent ( Gaudete Sunday )

Friends in Christ,

Are you one of those people who are so impatient for Christmas, that they sneak around the house, looking for idden presents ? Children often look into closets until they find a few, they then shake them and hope to discover what is in the parcels. They just cannot wait.

Well I think that is the spirit of the Third Sunday of Advent, ' Gaudete Sunday ' as it is sometimes called. The word comes from Latin and means ' Rejoyce' . The original hearers of Zephaniah's prophecy ( Zeph 3:14-18a) must have gone wild with joy as he told them that the Lord has removed his original harsh judgement against them. This ordinary gloomy prophet now urges them to rejoyce and shout for joy, for God in their midst.

Blessed Saint Paul speaks in similar terms to the Phillippians ( Phil 4:4-7) as he urges them to always rejoice, for the Lord's coming is close at hand. Emmanuel - there it is again, God is with us.

Is it not time in our journey towards eternal life that we take to heart those words which we have heard every Advent of our lives ? If we really have not taken this truth to hear, then, we cannot really stir up much reason for joy, especially as Christmas draws near. We are often far more present to the media news reports of murders, rapes, and the horrors of war than we are to the greath truth that God delivers in the midst of people, including our family and collegues. Do we really want to see God? Then we must look into the eyes of our neighbor. If we do not see love there, then we must give them our loving smile. Thisdaily exercise of finding God in others is the key to a good preparation for another coming of Jesus ito our sad, sad world this Christmas. It is indeed time to stir up our faith, that, as it really happened two thousand years ago, it is really happening again in 2006.

It is later than we think. As we rejoyce with the Church today, let us focus on prayer, a good confession, and a well planned resolution to make Christ's coming this year the best one of our lives.

Amen.

Ed Bakker

Advents Feria

Friends in Christ,

First of all, the image is of St.Stephens Anglican Catholic Church in Athens, TX, USA.

Matthew 11:16-19

The scripture readings selected by the Church for today reiterate a fact that we have heard over and over, but apparently don’t always fully grasp and that is that the Lord has provided sufficient instruction on what we must do in order to find true prosperity and everlasting happiness.Why is it then, that we don’t listen to the loving direction God provides, or see how time and time again faithlessness leads us into disaster? It seems so simple to do what God commands. Yet sin has so twisted us that doing what was intended for our salvation seems instead an impossible and oppressive burden.Only with God’s help and our determination to let Him help us, can we overcome the crippling mutations that sin has wreaked in us and begin as though a new creation to follow His loving lead.In this great season of grace, let us resolve to avail ourselves of God’s help by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It will make our “crooked ways straight”; it will level out our rough spots and fill in all the gaping holes that sin has carved out of our once-whole and loving hearts. It will help us to more fully and more genuinely “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”

Advents Blessings,

Ed Bakker

Advents Feria

Friends in Christ,

"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angels of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus." ( Saint Matthew 1:24-25)

The birth of Jesus is described in just four words:"She bore a son".Was ever such an event told so briefly?Just reading the words will not do. We need time to let the impact of those four wors sink in. That is why we have an Advent season - and then a Christmas season: To prepare for and to weigh this wondrous truth.

God has taken flesh, become part of the universe.

God has been born into our human family.

God is now forever part of all creation.

By becoming part of the human race, Jesus draw us into his own relationship to the Father, God became human so that humans could become divine. This has implications that stagger the mind.

Let your mind be staggered for a while.

Spend some quiet time with the Lord.

Ed Bakker

Advents Feria

Friends in Christ,

Christian Greetings from down under, New Zealand. The picture above " the First and the Last " is appropriate to a portion of Psalm 90:2, which I would like to share with you. " Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God"

We live in a world where we are always occupied with the concept of time, there is a beginning and an end to everything, even to our journey as a Pilgrim through this barren land. ( You know the well-know hymn, which talks about being a Pilgrim in this barren land.) Everything around us is so temporary and can be so superficial , would you not agree with me? During this season of Advent, we focus on Christ coming again on the clouds of heaven, then there will be a new Heaven and New earth, which are everlasting. God's Kingdom is everlasting. It is hard for you and I sometimes to grasp the concept of eternity and ' things everlasting' , but the more we follow our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the more we will touch the things that last forever.

Amen.

Ed Bakker

Advents Feria

Friends in Christ,

Blessed are those, who wait for the Lord. Read this line and read it again. Absorb it totally within you:' Blessed are those who wait for the Lord.

Advent is a time of renewal and for the Lord's appearance at Christmas .The Psalmist tells us how are blessed we are. The prophet Isaiah tells us how blessed those who have been waiting for the Lord will be and our Lord Jesus Christ sends forth His disciples to deliver His many blessings to those, who have waited.

We are waiting for the Lord during this Holy Season as we anticipate His Holy Birth. We also await His return in Glory. If you are waiting for the Lord, well then you are truly blessed.

Can I wish you a Bessed Advent II !

Ed Bakker

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Friends in Christ,

"Immaculate Conception" refers to the conception of Mary, not of Jesus. It expresses the belief that from the first moment of her existance ,Mary was free from original sin. This was celebrated as a feast day in England as far back as the 12th Century. The feast was extended to the whole Church by Pope Clement XI in 1708.

Was was December the 8th chose for this feast? In the sixth century, a new churchin Jerusalem ( named in honor of Mary) was dedicated on September the 8th. They decided to celebrate this as the feast of Mary's birth. When, centuries later, a feast developed in honoring her conception, it was a simple matter to place this nine months before the feast of her birth. Thus - December the 8th.

'Joseph her husband, since he was a righteiousman, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly' ( Saint Matthew 1:19)

In the strict interpretation of the law, Mary would be stoned to death by the men of the village. However, Joseph planned to apply the law more mercifully by divorcing her quietly. ( This involved simply putting in writing the fact that he was offcially divorcing her, and having this signed by two witnesses.)

The Latin word for mercy is "misericordia" which comes from the two Latin words: miseria ( misery) and cor (heart). It literally means a " heart filled with misery." We are merciful when we let ourselves experience the misery of another person.

Joseph must have been shocked when he learned that Mary was pregnant ( and he was not the father ). But this was the woman he loved, and in his heart he felt the misery he thought she must be feeling. So he chose misericordia - mercy.

Mercy surrounded Jesus from the first moments of his human life. Later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will say:"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.""

May I like Joseph, bring my share of mercy into this world today. There will be plenty of changes.

Amen.

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Saint Nicholas of Myra

Friends in Christ,

Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

( Poverbs4:7)

The wise person sees life through God's eyes.

Have a good day,

Ed Bakker

The First Sunday in Advent

Friends in Christ,

1 Matthew 21:1-13

Since the wheel was invented people's mode of transport has reflected something about the person being transported. Jesus is travelling the last few miles into Jerusalem. He had walked with thousands of fellow Jews the 65 miles or so from Galilee. As he nears Bethphage he decides to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. He was telling the crowds something about who he is. The Messiah, the anointed one sent by God.
Zachariah 9:9 foretells the coming of the Messiah :
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Matthew, who was writing for Jews who were brought up knowing the O.T. quotes some of this verse. cf verse 5.
This is the first public disclosure by Jesus of who he is. The Jewish leaders could not cope with this, and had him crucified five days later.
Today is the first Sunday in advent. Advent means coming and precedes Christmas, a celebration of the birth of Jesus. God and man. Saviour of the world. Yet this birth was only seen by a few. There is a sense that it is not until Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey that he nails his colours to the mast.
Every part of Zachariah 9:9 is fulfilled by Jesus :
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:" the rejoicing and shouting are fulfilled as the crowds welcome Jesus.
"behold, thy King cometh unto thee" : Jesus is King, ruler of the universe, not just King of the Jews. He takes upon himself the role of King in condemning the misuse of the temple as a market place, rather than a place of prayer.
"he is just, and having salvation" : Jesus is just or righteous. He is perfect and therefore can present himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world. This is the salvation he offers. Saving us from the effects of sin. In the way that it can control our lives, and in the way that it separates us from God. We celebrate and proclaim that salvation as we receive the bread and wine.
"lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." Jesus was humble. In leaving the glory of heaven to come to earth. In coming from Nazareth in Galilee, a place despised by the Jews. Remember Nathaniel saying, "Nazareth, can anything good come from there ?" ( Jn. 1:46 ) . In going obediently to death on a cross. A place of pain and humiliation.
The Messiah was expected to come on a war horse, leading his people in battle to conquer the Romans and to restore Israel to the glory it enjoyed under King David. But Jesus came in peace. A donkey colt was ridden by Kings at a time of peace. Jesus brings peace. Peace between people and God. Peace between individuals.
As God made man Jesus was entitled to receive all glory and honour, but first he came in humility, in weakness, in peace, and endured injustice, suffering and death. As followers of Jesus we too have to come in humility and peace and endure rejection, injustice and pain before the glory that awaits us. A glory that will be revealed when Jesus returns. When Jesus does return it will not be in the anonymity of a stable, but coming on the clouds with power and glory for everyone to see. Then Jesus will gather up all who follow him.
The crowd were asking the question "Who is this?" verse 10.
The answer to this , and the acceptance of him as personal Lord and Saviour is essential for someone's salvation. It is no use saying that you believe that Jesus existed, or saying that he is the Son of God unless it affects our life. Not just on a Sunday but all of the week. Not just in a Church Building, but everywhere.
It has to affect our worship too. Jesus exercised his kingship and authority by driving out of the temple those who were there to profit themselves, rather than glorify God. Again we have the use of the O.T. when Jesus quotes from it to challenge the motivation of those who were in the temple.
It causes us to ask the question, 'Why are we here in church ? ' Is it to worship and glorify God ? To pray to him ? Or is it a habit ? Or do we think that we are pleasing God ? Adding points to a heavenly total ?
So, at the start of Advent let us remember that Jesus is King. He has come to earth and conquered death. he is waiting to return and, one day, will come in all his power, and majesty to take those who love, worship, and serve him to be with him forever.

Advents blessings,

Ed Bakker

Feria

Dear Friends in Christ,

A thought on the last day of the Church Year. We begin Advent tomorrow and shall start our annual journey all over again. In Saint Luke 21, the verses 34-36, our Lord gives us a warning, which is more applicable now then ever. The message yet is so plain : 'Dont get caught up in the stresses of your daily lives. In our fast-paced lives this warning is again very true and our Lord tells us to be viligant and fully awake at all times . There is an encouragement to pray for strenght to whitstand the ways of the world. There is no better time as we prepare to start a new Church Year , to become fully aware of those things, which cause us anxiety and those matters, which take us away from our true focus.Pray for strenght, pray for one another as we end this Church Year on this very day.

This is then a good opportunity to wish all those, who share in these meditations a blessed and meaningful season of Advent.At this time of writing I recall some of the Advents Services, which I participated in as a Chorister in Saint Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Wellington , New Zealand. Do you know the Advents responses? You know those, which start with a solo : ' I look from afar , and lo, there is a cloud covering the whole earth' and then follows a series of solo's and responses by the choir and the sound echoes through the Cathedral . Kings College, Cambridge in the UK have their Advents carol service in the evening and they start the service off with the responses. The Church is in darkness when it all starts off, and then finally after the processional hymn ' Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth' , the lights are slowly turn off. And, friends in Christ that is what Advent is all about - a journey from darkness into Light. This is the journey which I want to make, join me on this journey whereever you are.

Thanks be God.

Ed Bakker

Feria

Dear Friends in Christ,

Another week behind us.

'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.' ( Psalm 23:6)

We, as followers of Jesus Christ are always safe in every state we are in. Why , because we exercise faith, trust and resignation in Him, either falling down or rising up. Our soul are in the hands of the living Lord.

May you have a blessed and meaningful season of Advent,

Yours in XC

Ed Bakker