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

Feria

Friends in Christ,

Saint Luke 21:12-19 ' They will persecute you, you will be hated because of My Holy Name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

As we become more like Jesus in our walk with Him, we begin to face some of the challenges He did. Why wouldn’t we? When we experience a conversion, the events that make up our daily routine don’t change, we do. So we should expect our outcomes to change. We are tested when we choose God first. If we were shown some of the trials we would encounter before we began our new life in Christ, we would most likely have withdrawn.But along the way, Jesus fulfills his promise, “I myself will give you wisdom . . . .” Our old tactics begin to look foolish to us. He gives us a portion of His knowledge so we can answer challenges to our faith. He quiets the words in our hearts so we won’t reply angrily and chooses words for us that restore and nourish. He gives us patience to endure our sufferings, understanding to simply forgive, joy to effortlessly love.We persevere to secure our lives. Through the wisdom He gives us, Jesus shows others how to secure theirs.

With every good wish XC

Ed Bakker

Feria

Friends in Christ,

Christian greetings from " down under " .

One of the Psalms set for this mornings office was Psalm 171 Levari oculus

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills: from when cometh my help?

My help cometh even from the Lord, who hath made Heaven and Earth.

A well known Psalm, which is especially recommended to read when one is in trouble. That seems to be quite often in the turmoil of this world. When I was younger , I often recommended Psalm 121 to my mother, when she was lonely and opressed , especially after my father died. In November 1995 I travelled overseas to her funeral and it was that Psalm once again, which was being read at her and at my request. It is a comforting Psalm indeed and at times when I found myself in difficulties and I lay in bed worrying, I just said the first two verses aloud... and yes peace came over me... perfect peace. Whereever you are, when reading this short meditation, may it be of comfort to you, open your Prayerbook often and read this Psalm.

When the fever of life is over and our work is done, and we are praying for safe deliverance and a Holy Rest, the last verse of this Psalm rings through again:

The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and they coming in, from this time forth for evermore.

In XC

Ed Bakker

Postulant - TAC New Zealand

Christ the King

Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings on this final Sunday of the year - the feast of Christ the King.

This, the last Sunday of the Church year, celebrates the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds heaven at the end of time! In every century, Christians have found immense consolation from these readings. Just when we seem to be heading for cosmic, social, and personal disaster, we are reminded that God is still in charge, and that we belong to a kingdom that will never fail us, an eternal kingdom of justice, peace, and love The gist of the message this week is found in the writings of two great visionaries—the old testament prophet, Daniel, and the new covenant writer, John. Although they are “dream visions,” we can confidently believe that they are truly the Word of God. Daniel wrote at a time of great distress for the Jews under the Greek ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes II. Such visions gave the people courage to endure. In John’s time, Christians were already suffering persecution under the Emperor Domitian. Again, apocalyptic visions helped them be patient for the Son of Man’s arrival in the clouds. In the Gospel, Jesus boldly affirms to Pilate that He is that Son of Man who will come on the clouds of heaven as a king. In effect, Jesus is saying, “Don’t worry, Pilate. I’m not here to take your job, or to dethrone Caesar, for my kingdom is not political but spiritual. It’s not on your maps!"Neither Pilate nor the political leaders of our own day believe in the practical reality of spiritual kingdoms. Nations rise and nations fall, but Christ’s kingdom will triumph into eternal life! Every living follower of Christ has reason to find meaning and purpose in the wonderful prophecy of John today: “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, Who has made us into a kingdom, priests for His God and Father, to Him be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”May those words serve to melt all pessimism, doubt, and despair about the ultimate triumph of good over evil, and of the effectiveness of our witness through prayer and, yes, suffering as we struggle in faith towards our future. Many of us still remember that glorious hymn we used to sing in Latin “Christus vincit. Christus regnat. Christus imperat!” Christ conquers! Christ rules! Christ reigns supreme!

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr

The picture for today comes from Christ Church Anglican Church, Brunswick, Melbourne, my former Parish Church. The whole sanctuary has changed now, but this is how it used to look in my time there. A large altar, with the tabernacle and blessed sacrament beneath the Crucifix. The frontal is red for Pentecost. The same Liturgical colour is used today for the feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria .

Friends in Christ,

As we remember the life of another Martyr in the Church, I am asking myself and you:" How far are you prepared to go to stand up for the Traditional Catholic Faith, which has been suppressed by Liberal Anglicans and Episcopelians? Are you just mixing a bit of water with the wine and go with the stream or are you prepared to stand up and leave those liberals behind and join those, who stand up and fight for the Faith of our Fathers? It means giving up beautiful church buildings, you loose friends, you receive abuse and redicule and so it goes on. You make enemies. But I made the move and I never look back. Pray and join me, because your Eternal Salvation could be at stake if you remain in the camp of the ungodly.

In XC

Ed Bakker

Feria

Friends in Christ,

I would like to pray in particular for Fr.David Robarts, my former Parish Priest in Melbourne for many, many years, who is being consecrated Bishop today in the Anglican Catholic Church of Australia ( TAC). May the Lord bless him and keep him in his role as being a shepherd of the sheep.

Share with me the words of Psalm 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart , O God, thou wilt not despise.

Let us pray

Lord Jesus Christ, Thou hast given so much to me,

give one thing more - a grateful heart !

May you and yours have a blessed weekend,

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dear Friends in Christ,

May we turn to Revelations 3:1-6, 14-22

We hear a few words which remind us of the importance of “self-knowledge." Self-knowledge is necessary in order to make progress on our spiritual journey. Without having the proper vision regarding our behavior and motives, we risk thinking that we are acting rightly when, in fact, the contrary might be more accurate.
Today Holy Scripture says, “Little do you know how wretched you are, how pitiable and poor, how blind and naked,” (Revelation 3:17) when in contrast what is being felt is that, all is well—that there are richness, security and want of nothing.
It’s a bit of a warning, isn’t it? We must be on guard! When everything seems well and comfortable perhaps it’s time to take a closer look and determine if our senses have anesthetized our reason and we are in need of a “reality check.”
How blessed we are that we have the Church and her teachings to help us form our consciences and direct us in a holy and uncompromising way toward salvation! Let us avail ourselves of prayer and The Sacraments, the surest compass in a mixed-up and confusing world.

Thanks be to God.

Ed Bakker

The Twenty third Sunday after Trinity

Friends in Christ,

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

Saint Mark 13:24-32
Don't you love it when one of your friends starts off a conversation by saying quite solemnly, " There are two kinds of people..?"We are supposed to hold our breath for a billiant analysis. Please forgive me then when I start this message off with one. There are two kinds of people: those who believe that life ends with death, and those who believe that death is just the beginning. It was not so obvious to the Jews of the Old Testament. Daniel 12 1-3 talks about the archangel Michael, " The Great Prince." directing some really dramatic events. For the first time, a blief in the resurrection of the body is stated pretty clearly. Not everyone will be happy about that, off course, especially if they have not lived a good life.

Then Saint Mark's Gospel gives us Jesus' pprophecy about the end times. Again, it is pretty scary for people who have not prepared very well. After some giganci cosmic fireworks, with the sun, the moon and the stars going crazy, we will see the Son of Man coming in all His Glory. Why is He coming? He is coming to judge every person who was ever born. Some will enter into eternal joy, others into eternal pain.

There is no question that these readings should inspire us with a certain dread and fear. Yet, they are meant to give us great hope, especially in Hebrews 10:11-14, 18. here Blessed Saint Paul assures us that Jesus, the High Priest, took on Himself the burden of our sins and destroyed them through His one time sacrifice on Calvary. Jesus is a High Priest totally different ffrom the other High Priests, for when He comes again - on the clouds of heaven, He comes to save us and bring all people to salvation. This is just a very hopeful note in this next to the last Sunday of our Church year.
How many will be saved ? When will all this happen? Saint Mark's Gospel tells us no one knows the time or the place, except the Father. Dont bother to speculate, it is useless. What we do need is to live each day as though it were our last - in confident hope and constant love for God and for our neighbour.

AMEN.

Have a blessed Sunday

Ed Bakker

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

Dear Friends in Christ,

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,but whoever loses it will save it. (Luke 17:33)

St. John's second letter cites a problem still afflicting Christ's Church today. Those who do not pray deeply and therefore are not attuned to the Holy Spirit invent their own doctrines more in keeping with worldly views thereby drawing many into accepting liberal, heretical beliefs. St. John advises these troubled groups to be steadfast in their faith, live the great commandment of mutual love and embrace Jesus as the Son of God who has indeed come to us in human flesh. To believe otherwise denies the seriousness of sin, dismisses Christ's sacrificial death for its remission, and leaves humanity unforgiven and dead in sin.Over the past half century theologians and clergy have ceased mentioning hell, suggesting that negativism offended and demoralized people. They stressed instead that since God is love, hell simply does not fit into His picture. The effects of this "positive" attitude allowed many to settle comfortably in their sin, cease going to Confession and saw the Eucharistic Mass simply as a communal meal rather than a Sacrament of God's love, the sacrificial giving of Himself for His children's salvation. Unwittingly, perhaps, our religious "experts" trivialized Jesus' supreme act of self-giving love and the necessity of our dying with Him to all selfish behaviors that hinder peace and harmony between peoples.Jesus speaks today of the "end times" when He returns to gather to Himself all who have embraced His truth and love and sincerely sought to live in and by God's grace. Those who have pursued "self" rather than God's Word will be left behind in the places of destruction as in the flood in Noah's time and the fiery end of Sodom in Lot's time. Christ excludes no one from His kingdom; we exclude ourselves by closing our hearts to Him.Most gracious Lord, continue to pour out your love and truth upon us by doing all that will awaken our hearts and minds to You and so allow you to become our all in all. Amen.

May I wish you a blessed weekend,

Ed Bakker

Saint Hugh of Lincoln, Bishop & Confessor

Dear Friends in Christ,

"Why art thou cast down O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me ? Hope thou in God: for I shall praise him for the help of his countenance. ( From Psalm 45:5)

Let us face it, whether we realize it or not, we live in a world full of darkness. With the darkness I do mean all the suffering , the evil doing , the violence and destruction, the materialism. In the days of our youth when we are often pre-occupied, we dont dwell too much on it, but once we get older and it can get us really down. We like to change things for the better, but we often feel so powerless. And yet we can make a difference, believe you me, if we put our trust in God and accept Him as our Personal Saviour and Redeemer, we are able to shine with the light of Christ in the darkness of this world. And yet... there is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of a small candle.

May the Lord bless you and keep you...

Ed Bakker

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

Feria

Friends in Christ,

To what extent do Gospel values permeate my behavior?
It is a question that brings me face to face with the degree of my Christian authenticity and integrity.
In the workplace I'm constantly encouraged to do my best by recalling the words of Holy Scripture that remind me that, in serving my neighbor, I'm serving God. They help me curb the natural tension that arises when I think I'm being asked to do what seems impossible and give me joy in knowing that, in trying my best, I'm pleasing the Lord.
We must utilize the Word of God to help us with the many trials of life. We should memorize and be familiar with the verses that assist us to become more Christlike and help us willingly bear the necessary burdens in life.
I, for one, love these words from today’s Gospel (see Luke 17:10) that put things in their proper perspective for me: "We are useless servants. We have done no more than our duty." To do what is my duty with fidelity and joy, is what God expects.
This should always be my habitual attitude and response. In addition, just to make certain I don’t forget, I also like to remember that "You must never grow weary of doing what is right brothers; He whom you serve is the Lord." (see 2 Thessalonians 3:13)
Oh, do those words ever help me! I pray they will help you too!

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Saint Martin of Tours

Friends in Christ,

What would you do if Jesus knocked on your door and said, "I must stay at your house today"? Would you be excited or embarrassed? Jesus often "dropped-in" at unexpected times and he often visited the "uninvited" — the poor, the lame, and even public sinners like Zacchaeus, the tax collector! Tax collectors were despised and treated as outcasts, no doubt because they over-charged people and accumulated great wealth at the expense of others. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was much hated by all the people. Why would Jesus single him out for the honor of staying at his home? Zacchaeus needed God's merciful love and in his encounter with Jesus he found more than he imagined possible. He shows the depth of his repentance by deciding to give half of his goods to the poor and to use the other half for making restitution for fraud. Zacchaeus' testimony included more than words. His change of heart resulted in a change of life, a change that the whole community could experience as genuine. The Lord is always ready to make his home with us. Do you make room for him in your heart, your home, and in every area of your life?

"Lord, come and stay with me. Fill my home with your presence and fill my heart with your praise. Help me to show kindness and mercy to all, even to those who cause me harm."

May God bless you all,

Ed Bakker

Saint Leo the Great, Bishop & Doctor 461

Friends in Christ,

"For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of the light." (Luke 16:8)This reading contrasts the spiritual with the material life. St. Paul declares that Christians are called primarily to conduct themselves as people of God being transformed in the image of Christ through their exercising His self-giving love. Rather than miring themselves in earthly pursuits and passing pleasures, they are to become fit to live eternally with our all-holy God. This does not mean that they must reject enjoying this world's God-given blessings, but only that these should not become their "gods," their major pursuits. Human life is intended to reach its fulfillment in Christ who will on the last day change these lowly bodies to conform to His own glorified body and so join Him in eternity.Our Gospel narrates the firing of a steward who squandered his master's riches. In the world's view, the master rightly seeks multiplying rather than dissipating his assets. In the Spirit's view it suggests that though God is an ample provider, He expects His stewards (that’s us) to use both material and spiritual riches wisely, neither hoarding nor wasting them. In Jesus' time, usury, charging interest on loans, was forbidden, but the steward used a loophole in the system. He enriched himself by charging buyers of his master's goods for more than they actually received. Now facing unemployment, the steward reversed his tactics; he befriended debtors by rewriting their promissory notes for the correct amounts.Ironically, the worldly-minded former employer now praises the steward for ingratiating himself with debtors, cultivating potentially helpful friends as he seeks a new job. In this world's materialistic viewpoint, cleverness wins over honesty. Spiritually speaking, it appears that sinful humans can be driven to honesty only if it works to their advantage.O Sanctifying Spirit, cleanse our minds of worldly selfishness and remove all guile from our hearts, that we may clearly reflect the goodness of Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen

And on this Friday, may wish you and yours a blessed weekend,

Ed Bakker

Feria

Friends in Christ,

Saint Luke wrote ( 11:4) And forgive us our sins: for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

There is nothing to do with men, but to love them; to contemplate their virtues with admiration, their faults with pity and for-bearance, and their injuries with forgiveness.

Have a good night and with every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Saints, Martyrs & Doctors of the Church of England

Friends in Christ,

The Gospel covers what it takes to follow Jesus Christ. A recurring theme has been sacrifice

and how one must be willing to make sacrifices to be a true follower of the Lord.

Sometimes this message is delivered is strong language, when one first hears our Lord say that we must hate our mother and father, wife, children and families to be His disciples, we are quite shocked. We are quite shocked. But then when Jesus says:" We must hate our very lives", then many of us heard these words and walked away, thinking that these sacrifices were too much.

.Did Jesus really mean we should hate our parents, in contradiction with the laws of Moses? Did Jesus really mean that we should hate our lives, while He loved every life he encountered? Perhaps, but the message is much deeper than this. Jesus wanted His followers to realize that the reward–the pearl of great price–was of such value that we must be willing to sacrifice all for it. He also wants His followers to realize that their lives are in constant need of change and conversion and we should hate our sinful selves and strive for holiness. Finally, He knows that material belongings can quickly become idols, drawing our attention away from Him. Yes, the demands are great, but so is the ending. Jesus was very up front in saying that following Him was not easy, but nothing that is worth having is gained without sacrifice.

Amen.

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Saint Leonard, Abbott - 6th Century

Friends in Christ,

Greetings at the beginning of a new working week on the feast of Saint Leonard.

Do you remember the story about Jesus , when He invited the needed to the banquet table?

This does not discourage us from welcoming friends, family and wealthy neighbours, but asks that we bear in mind our intentions.

It is against human nature to give lavishly without looking for repayment. Jesus does insist that we give without expectations, but then how do we do that ?Perhaps we can start by practicing generosity towards those with no means of reciprocation. For instance a retired nun on a small income, standing the grocery check out line. The poor beggar on the street, with nothing but her clothes and an unassuming nature. We may find it is easier to give without the prosepect of receiving, when we give to these persons.

Something wonderful happens to us when we give of ourselves to the least of these.

Jesus rewards us by bringing joy to our hearts. We become the needy ones; constantly looking for opportunities to encourage, until giving because a beautiful habit.

Jesus’ gifts also begin to increase, as we find ourselves offering our support to the poor and affluent alike, with no expectation of receiving. Ultimately, we find ourselves longing to be like Him in love, and sharing that love with everyone. So, as we enter this beautiful season of giving, let us be generous with all our brothers and sisters and recognize that our repayment comes from God alone. Our most precious reimbursement . . . His amazing grace.

Blessings,

Ed Bakker

The Twentyfirst Sunday after Trinity

Friends in Christ,

Christian greetings from New Zealand. Let's pray for a blessing for us all on this forthcoming week.

For Thou hast made Him most blessed for ever: Thou hast made Him exceeding glad with Thy countenance. ( Psalm 21 v 6 )

It is certain that till we see God in the world - God in the biright and boundless universe - we never know the highest joy.

May the Lord bless us all,

Ed Bakker

Saint Charles Borromeo, Abp of Milano 1584

Friends in Christ,

Charles Borromeo, Saint (brm´) (KEY) , 1538–84, Italian churchman, b. near Lago Maggiore. His uncle, Pius IV, summoned Charles, a student at Pavia, to Rome in 1560. In rapid order he was made cardinal-deacon, administrator of the Papal States and of the archdiocese of Milan, and papal secretary of state. Despite a large personal fortune, St. Charles lived a simple, ascetic life. He was most zealous in encouraging reform in the church and was largely responsible for reopening (1560) the Council of Trent, of which he was the guiding spirit. In 1563 he was ordained priest, consecrated bishop, and then received the pallium for the see of Milan. He was 28 years old when, at Milan, he began introducing vigorous reforms, especially in the education of the clergy, enforcing the council’s decrees for the institution of diocesan seminaries. He was exceedingly strict with the clergy, and he met much opposition. In 1569 some disaffected men tried to assassinate him. He worked untiringly to alleviate suffering in the pestilence of 1576. He was an exemplary pastor. There is a huge statue of him near Lago Maggiore and a monument to him in the cathedral at Milan, which he had completely redecorated. Feast: Nov. 4. Source: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2001-05 Columbia University Press.

A very interesting biography I thought, this was the first time I read about this Saint. I read that he was strict was his clergy and met with opposition - I wonder what the extent of his strictness was ? If it was to ensure that his clergy lead Holy lives , i.e. Mission by encouragement and exemple, well that would be a very good thing. Perhaps I could invite anyone who read this today to comment on this particular paragraph.

May I wish you a blessed Saturday,

Yours in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Feria

Friends in Christ,

The stained glass window depicts Saint Augustine of Hippo. I am at present the webmaster for the order and I would encourage your to have a look at http://www.crossspot.net/augustinian/

It was just a such a meaningful week with the two feasts of All Saints and All Souls, I pray that these days may have given you hope and encouragement on your spiritual journey.

Luke 14:1-6
"Who among you if your son or ox falls into a cistern would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?" (Luke 14:6)
St. Paul's letter to the Philippians prompts our meditating on the purpose of prayer and helps shed light on today's Gospel. He begins with a prayer for Christ's people to grow in God's love so they may live righteously and harmoniously. Growth in God's love is mainly accomplished by prayer, a sincere opening of our empty hearts to Him who gives us the ability through sanctifying grace to love as He loves, purely, selflessly and unconditionally. Effective prayer does not depend on words; it stems from a sincere motivation to deeply know and love God and consequently to make Him known to the world by how we live.
Christ's persecution and death were caused by Israel's religious elite who dressed the part, outwardly, kept the letter of the law, followed the prescribed rituals, but were devoid of God's love. Had they known the Father, they would have recognized His Son and rejoiced in His saving words. Instead they cared more about keeping their comfortable positions and authority than they did promoting their people's spiritual good. One example of their empty and loveless sabbath rules was the one broken by Christ in today's Gospel when He saved a man in heart failure from drowning in his own bodily fluids.
Times have changed vastly, but man's heart has not. Today many slothful Christians remain ignorant of their Faith's most basic tenets and prefer listening to unspiritual but purportedly "religious" leaders whose mouths are filled with grandiose words but whose hearts are empty of the love and truth of God. They, along with our mass media, gain popularity by appealing to human pride and selfishness. Yet hope lives on, for Christ never abandons His people, nor can the truly faithful ever abandon Him.
Blessed Lord, may our lives be like rivers overflowing with Your life-giving Spirit of love and truth, that Your constant presence in this world will draw others to You. Amen

Do have a blessed weekend,

Ed Bakker

For All Souls on 2 November 2006

Friends in Christ,

Since the beginning of our Church, the Christian community has always commemorated the memory of the faithful departed. These celebrations became an integral part of the community, especially in religious communities. More than a thousand years ago, in the tenth century, the monks of the Abbey of Cluny began to commemorate, with the celebration of the Holy Mass, the memory of all the faithful departed on November 2. This date began to be celebrated as All Souls Day in other places until the thirteenth century when the Vatican decreed that it would be celebrated throughout the Church.
The festivity we are celebrating today, All Souls Day, is a very important and special day, not only for our faith but also for our own culture. Today, we should pray fervently for all of the faithful departed, especially for our own family members, praying for those who have passed but who lived a life just like the one we are living not, with all the fragility that comes from being human. We know that the only way that we can help them is through our prayers so that, once purified of their sins, they can reach their eternal rest and enjoy the presence of God.
We know that a soul that is stained by sin can never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. In order for it to enter it must be cleaned of all guilt. God, in his mercy for us, created Purgatory, which is the entryway into heaven in which souls are purified. We can, ourselves, begin the process of purification here on earth before we die through mortification and personal penance that we can do. If we do these things, we will find less need for us to be purified after we die. If we have obeyed the commandments of our Lord faithfully we will enter sooner into the Kingdom of God. We also should remember that Jesus Christ himself gives us himself as food every day in the Holy Eucharist. He strengthens us and helps us to live more in harmony with God.
We know that if there is one thing that is certain in life it is death. Without a doubt, in this society, there are many people who do not want to hear about it much less think about it, even though its existence is evident. We can even see that there are people who do not seem to care about this very real fact of life. They act as if they will never have to die. Even though they can feel it in their own surroundings, since many times they have seen it in their own families, they do not want to think that some day it will affect them personally.
As Christians we should ask ourselves: how can we live without thinking that someday we will have to leave this world? People who live this way will not be able to prepare themselves adequately to meet their end. Everyday life shows us that there are accidents, sicknesses, suffering - in a word, that death exists. Nevertheless, we do not want to come to grips with this fact nor do we want to think about the day that it will come to us.
There are people who do think about their own death and are comfortable with the idea. They are not afraid of it. They know that this is the logical end to life and that it is inevitable. Saint Francis of Assisi shows us that he was not afraid of it. He called it, “Sister Death.” Jesus Christ showed us, by rising from the dead, that it is through death that we reach eternal life. If we look at death through the eyes of faith, we will see that it frees us from the suffering of this world. This life we live now is not our ultimate destiny. Our goal is to reach paradise.

AMEN

In remembrance of past worshippers

Please click on this link to hear the tune of this hymn !

In our day of thanksgiving one psalm let us offerFor the saints who before us have found their reward.When the shadow of death fell upon them, we sorrowed But now we rejoice that they rest in the Lord.
In the morning of life, and at noon, and at even, He called them away from our worship below;But not till his love, at the font and the altar, Had girt them with grace for the way they should go.
These stones that have echoed their praises are holy, And dear is the ground where their feet have once trod;Yet here they confessed they were strangers and pilgrims,And still they were seeking the city of God.
Sing praise then, for all who here sought and here found him, Whose journey is ended, whose perils are past:They believed in the Light; and its glory is round them, Where the clouds of earth's sorrow are lifted at last.
William Draper 1855 - 1933