Arsenius the Great

19 July

Arsenius the Great, deacon of Rome and hermit in the desert of Egypt, died c. 449.

Born about 360, Arsenius was the scion of a Roman senatorial family. He had an early career as tutor to the sons of Emperor Theodosius the Great. Pope Damasus I is said to have ordained Arsenius to the diaconate and to have recommended the learned cleric to the emperor. Arsenius later became a hermit at Sketis, in the desert near Alexandria in Egypt, and a disciple of John the Dwarf. After barbarians began to raid the monasteries, Arsenius moved to Troë near Memphis, and he spent fifteen years wandering in the desert. Numbered among the desert fathers, Arsenius wrote a guide to monastic life and a commentary on the gospel according to Luke, which describes the contemplative life.

Macrina the Younger

19 July

Macrina the Younger (also Makrina), deacon, older sister of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, died in 379.

Macrina the Younger was born to a holy family in Cappadocia in 340. Her grandmother, Macrina the Elder, for whom she was named, lived in the days of the Emperor Diocletian, who made a determined effort to destroy the Christian faith. She and her husband fled into hiding, and survived into the time of Constantine. One of their sons, Basil the Elder, and his wife Emmelia had nine children. Five are commemorated as saints: Macrina the Younger, Basil the Great, Peter of Sebaste, Gregory of Nyssa, and Theosebia the Deaconess (see 10 January).

Macrina was the oldest child. She was betrothed at the age of twelve, after the custom of the day, but when her fiancé died she decided to devote her life to prayer, contemplation, and works of charity. After the death of her father, she convinced her mother to sell the family estates, and they formed a community of women who shared her goals. This convent or monastery was the first group of Christians living under the rules of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Macrina often brought poor and hungry women home to be fed, clothed, nursed, or otherwise taken care of, and many eventually joined the community, as did many women of means.

After the death of their parents, Macrina was chiefly responsible for the upbringing of her younger brothers. When they were inclined to be conceited about their intellectual accomplishments, she deflated them with affectionate but pointed jibes. Her example encouraged some of them to pursue the monastic ideal and to found monastic communities for men. Although Basil the Great is remembered as the founder of eastern monasticism (all Orthodox monks follow a variation of Basil’s monastic rule), the community of monks organized by Basil was preceded and inspired by the community of nuns organized by Macrina. Three of her brothers (Basil, Gregory, Peter) became bishops, and all of them were leading contenders for the faith of Nicaea against the Arians. She was buried in a grave shared with her parents, with a eulogy by her brother Gregory of Nyssa. In his Life of Macrina, Gregory records his last visit with her, her farewell speech, and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.

Troparion (Tone 8)
The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother,
for you took up the cross and followed Christ.
By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
Therefore your spirit, O Holy Mother Macrina, rejoices with the angels!

Kontakion (Tone 4)
Since the light of righteousness shone brightly in you,
you were an example of the life of piety for all,
teaching the virtues to them that cry:
Rejoice, Macrina, you boast of virginity.

Louisiana votes

At General Convention:

Louisiana deputies voted NO on both D025 (ordination of gays and lesbians) and C056 (same-sex blessings). There is no information on individual votes.

Bishop Jenkins voted NO on D025 and YES on C056. He has not signed the Anaheim Statement by minority bishops.

UPDATE: On Friday, the last day, C056 passed House of Deputies by more than two-thirds--lay 78 yes 23 no 7 divided, clergy 74 yes 27 no 7 divided.

Stare decisis

Have you been wondering what "stare decisis" (pronounced star-ay dee-ci-sis) means?

Stare decisis (short for Stare decisis et non quieta movere or maintain what has been decided and do not alter what has been established) is the legal principle under which judges are obliged to follow the precedents established in prior decisions.

In case of swine flu

From a letter issued by John Packer, bishop of Ripon and Leeds (Church of England):

Government advice envisages that during a flu pandemic the distribution of the consecrated bread at Holy Communion will continue, but specifies that communion should not be given on the tongue. Care ought to be taken to ensure that the fingers of the person distributing the sacrament do not come into contact with the communicants’ hands. High standards of hand hygiene should be adopted. (Soap and water is an effective means of cleaning hands, and handrubs can be used as an alternative.) . . .

Neither the alcoholic content of wine nor the antiseptic qualities of noble metals will provide any protection against a pandemic flu virus. Government advice is that in the event of pandemic flu affecting centres of population, administration of the common cup ought to be suspended. . . .

In the event of pandemic flu affecting centres of population, the bishop of the diocese concerned should advise the clergy that communion should be administered in one kind only in that area (the priest alone receiving in both kinds) until the danger has passed... Should it become necessary to do so, the Archbishops will issue such advice in respect of Holy Communion in the Church of England as a whole. Where such advice has not been issued, communicants may nevertheless choose to receive Communion in one kind only. The clergy should emphasize that while communion in both kinds is the norm in the Church of England, in faithfulness to Christ’s institution, when it is received only in one kind the fullness of the Sacrament is received none the less.

I didn't realize that members of the C of E even went to church.

Murdered

The following were murdered this week in the New Orleans area:

7/10/09 Ricky Hubbard 42 M Stabbed Orleans
7/11/09 Kenneth Williams 17 M Shot Orleans
7/12/09 Jonathan Davis Jr. 18 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Christopher Sartin 29 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Roderick Smith 23 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Derrick Holiman 17 M Shot St. John
7/14/09 Bryan C. Smith 22 M Shot Orleans
7/15/09 D’Andre Rumbley 16 M Shot Orleans
7/16/09 Unidentified 58 M Shot Orleans

Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.

C056

Yesterday the House of Bishops dealt with C056 (same-sex blessings), stirred it in the pot, added something new and took out something blue, and came up with:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge the changing circumstances in the United States and in other nations, as legislation authorizing or forbidding marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian persons is passed in various civil jurisdictions that call forth a renewed pastoral response from this Church, and for an open process for the consideration of theological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same gender relationships; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consulation with the House of Bishops, collect and develop theological, and liturgical resources and report to the 77th General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consulation with the House of Bishops, devise an open process for the conduct of its work inviting participation from provinces, dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are engaged in such theological work, and inviting theological reflection from throughout the Anglican Communion; and be it further

Resolved, That bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further

Resolved, That this Convention honor the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality; and be it further

Resolved, That the members of this Church be encouraged to engage in this effort.

The House of Deputies still has to act on this, but because of time constraints (convention ends tomorrow) they probably won't mess with it.

What's it all mean? Will there be a generous pastoral response in Louisiana? That's not too clear. But . . . if you're gonna ordain 'em, you might as well bless 'em.