ONE DAY THERE WILL BE A RECKONING - REVEREND VANESSA WHYSE-JACKSON

 

"One day, there will be a reckoning. Jesus will ask us, what did we do with His Word in our lives?"

                                                                  Reverend Vanessa Wyse-Jackson

Public sermon by Reverend Vanessa Wyse Jackson December 2014; Dublin Ireland

When the Word asks us

When all is stilled at journey’s end,
And earth no longer claims as friend;
When time gives way to endless day,
As all our deeds stand clear as clay.

Before the Throne where silence burns,
As every heart at truth-table turns;
We hear a Voice both just and kind,
That searches every soul and mind.

“What did you do with Word I gave,
The light I sent, the power to save?
Did you receive, did you abide,
Or let it lie there cast aside?”

For not in dust upon a shelf,
Nor words admired but kept for self;
Does living truth traverse earth's breadth,
But in true witness of devotion-depth.

So let us read and let us pray,
While we walk the narrow Way;
Not hearers only, but made whole,
God's Word engraved upon our soul.

Let us the Word of Life embrace,
To mirror Christ in every place;
That others, thirsting, might be fed
With Living Waters Christ has shed.

Until the ends of all the earth
Have known the Saviour’s costly worth,
And everyone in every land
Has honoured God's most loving Hand.

Lest we arrive at that great Throne,
To shamed stand silent, much to atone;
May joy be found in what we’ve done:
“My child, you lived the Word - well done.”

Poem inspired by Rev Vanessa's sermon

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle "Judgement"

THE KINGDOM GROWS IN SILENCE - SONG

 

The Kingdom Grows in Silence

From but a mustard seed so small,
God’s Kingdom once was sown;
A tender shoot through earth arose,
By grace and mercy grown.

Though hidden first from human eyes,
Its roots spread deep and wide;
And weary souls from every land,
Found shelter there to bide.

The birds of air came seeking rest
Within the branches broad;
The weary burdened found their peace,
Beneath the tree of God.

As leaven hidden in the bread,
Moves softly through the whole;
So does Christ’s Mercy gently work,
Within the seeking soul.

No trumpet sound, no worldly throne,
No pride nor earthly fame;
Yet hearts are changed and lives renewed
Through calling on His Name.

So let us walk with humble love,
And ease each other’s strain;
While God doth raise the smallest seed,
To bless our earth again.

Lord, make Thy Church a living tree,
Whose branches open wide;
That all who seek may find true rest
And safely there abide.

Till all creation comes to know,
The peace Thy mercies bring;
And every heart in every land,
Rejoice that Christ is King.

This song may be sung to the public domain tune of "Amazing Grace," whose reflective and prayerful melody beautifully suits the spirit of the Parables of the Leaven and Mustard seed. To be in the public domain, means that it can be used freely without permission.

This hymn was inspired by the writing of GMA Jansen (Fr Norbert OP), page 15 of Pro Veritate Volume V No. 12. Baptism and Co-Existence. 15 April 1967

If you wish to know more about the article "Baptism and Co-Existence," please click in the following link:

https://sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/archive-files/PvApr67.pdf

With thanks to sahistory.org.za

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Divine Blessing" 

SPRINGS IN THE DESERT - SONG OF THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS AND MOTHERS

Springs in the Desert

In deserts vast, many holy ones stayed,

Holy Church Fathers and Mothers who prayed;

They pondered Christ’s Words through the silence and night,

Seeking God’s Mercy and His heavenly Light.

In caves and dwellings, both humble and small,

They answered faithfully, our Saviour’s Call;

With steadfast devotion and hearts meek and mild,

They followed Footsteps of God’s Holy Child.

They sought not riches nor splendours of earth,

But treasured souls and their heavenly worth;

With modesty clothed and prayer as bread,

They walked where saints and martyrs had tread.

To weary souls bowed with sorrow and fear,

They offered counsel and wise list'ning ear;

Their words were springs in the wilderness dry,

Refreshing hearts of many pilgrims nearby.

From springs of deep prayer in desert’s still air,

Roses of holiness, blossomed so fair;

Like roses unfolded, beneath Heaven’s gaze,

Their lives gave glory, fragrant honour with praise.

Dear Desert Fathers, and Mothers so bright,

You shone in our world, with Christ’s gentle Light;

Through fasting with prayer, and kindness bestowed,

Your clear signpost, to Heav'n's narrow road.

Though we in marketplace, labour each day,

Walk through loud noise, of the world on our way;

Still deep in our hearts, may desert remain,

As quiet dear haven, where Christ's Peace doth reign.

May our hearts quest, deep grace from above,

And prayer shape us ,with patience and love;

We pray that God's Mercy and Infinite Grace,

Help us seek holiness, through all of our days.

When all of life’s trials, and burdens are past,

May we find harbour in Heaven at last;

With saints of the desert rejoicing above,

Forever bless'd by God's Perfect Love.

This song may be sung to the public domain tune of "Be Thou My Vision," whose reflective and prayerful melody beautifully suits the spirit of the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers.

This hymn was inspired by the historical example and works of the Early Church Fathers and Early Church Mothers.

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Desert Saints welcome procession of pilgrims to Heaven" 

SAINT ATHENAGORAS OF ATHENS - SONG

 

Saint Athenagoras of Athens

In ages dim of ancient days,
When fear opposed the Christian ways,
There rose a voice so calm and wise,
With mercy shining through his eyes.
Saint Athenagoras stood near,
To speak sweet truth when hearts knew fear;
With patient word and gentle art,
He brought God’s Light to mind and heart.

He answered not with wrathful flame,
Nor sought for gold or earthly fame;
But through the wisdom God had given,
He turned men's thoughts from earth to Heaven.
He taught that life is sacred still,
Not ours to wound by cruel will;
For every soul bears God above,
And each was fashioned by His Love.

He mourned the Cross on Calvary’s hill,
Where Christ fulfilled the Father’s Will;
The Holy Son of God was slain,
Yet rose to break the bonds of pain.
O saint of Athens, pure and mild,
You showed the Face of God’s dear Child;
The loving Lord whose mercies' breadth,
Outshine the sword and conquer death.

Through writings filled with grace and peace,
You taught that hatred too may cease;
That gentle truth and reason fair,
Can lift the soul from deep despair.
And now, dear saint, for us entreat,
That Christ may guide our wandering feet;
That we may take life’s pen each day,
And write God’s Truth along our way.

Within the parchment of the soul,
May Christ the King become the whole;
That all we think and say and do,
May bear His gentle Light anew.
Then when our earthly race is trod,
And we ascend to Heaven and God,
May you behold with joyful gaze
The fruits of faithful Christian ways.

May you then know us there above
By mercy, gentleness, and love;
For in our hearts Christ’s Voice shall ring  -
The Truth you served while witnessing.

This song may be sung to the public domain tune of “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” (also known as the Passion Chorale), which carries a solemn and devotional beauty fitting for Saint Athenagoras of Athens.

This song was inspired by the life and works of Saint Athenagoras.

CHURCH FATHERS: A Plea for the Christians

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0205.htm

With thanks to newadvent.org

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Divine Light shines upon Saint Athenagoras"

EARLY CHURCH FATHER - ST ATHENAGORAS: WHAT CHRISTIANS CANNOT ENDURE . . .

 

SAINT ATHENAGORAS (133 - 190ce)

“We Christians cannot endure to see a man being put to death, even justly." 

Early Church Father

Holy Athenagoras was an Anti-Nicene early Church Father. He was a Greek philosopher and apologist who lived during the second century CE. Saint Athenagoras was Athenian (though possibly not from Athens), and converted to Christianity. This early Church Father wrote influential works about Christianity. 

  

Explanation of Christian beliefs and morals

Athenagoras of Athens was writing in the second century, at a time when Christians were often misunderstood and accused of crimes or disloyalty to the Roman Empire. In his work "A Plea for the Christians," addressed to the emperors Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, Athenagoras tried to explain Christian beliefs and morals.

When St Athenagoras wrote that Christians “cannot endure seeing a man put to death, even justly,” he was expressing several deeply connected Christian convictions;

Firstly, regarding the sacredness of human life.

Christians believe every human being is made in the Image of God. This comes from the Law of Moses in the Old Testament:

“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind” (Genesis 9:6).

Because human life bears God’s image, Christians saw killing as something grave and tragic, even when civil law permitted it.

Secondly, Athenagoras was cognizant of the example of Jesus Christ.

Early Christians were profoundly shaped by the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus was innocent, yet He was condemned and executed by earthly authorities. The memory of this injustice made Christians cautious about human judgment and the taking of life. They knew that courts and rulers could condemn the innocent.

Thirdly, St Athenagoras knew of Christ’s teaching on mercy and love in the gospels.

Lord Jesus taught: 

* “Love your enemies,” (Matt 5:43-48)

* “Blessed are the merciful,”(Matt 5:7)

* “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword,” (Matt 26:52)

Early Christians therefore emphasized forgiveness, repentance, and conversion rather than vengeance.

Fourthly, Athenagoras was aware that Christians espoused separation from culture of violence.

The Roman world accepted gladiatorial games, executions, exposure of infants, and warfare as normal parts of society. Christians stood apart from this culture. Many refused even to attend public executions or blood sports because they believed delight in bloodshed damaged the soul.

Fifthly, St Athenagoras embraced Christian's hope for repentance.

Christians believed that sinners could repent and be saved. Taking a life ended the possibility of earthly repentance. So many early Christian writers preferred mercy whenever possible.

This does not necessarily mean every early Christian rejected all forms of state punishment in the same way later Christians debated them. Rather, Saint Athenagoras of Athens was emphasizing the Christian instinct toward reverence for life and rejection of cruelty and bloodshed.

His words reflect the spirit of the early Church: grief at violence, reverence for life, and remembrance that the Son of God Himself suffered an unjust execution.

Saint Athenagoras' feast day is observed on 24 July in the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

Upon the parchment of the soul

In ages dim of ancient days,
Where conflict rose round Christian ways,
There rose a voice both calm and wise,
With mercy shining from his eyes.

Saint Athenagoras stood strong,
He spoke when others queried long;
With gentle word and patient tone,
He made sweet Truth and Love be known.

The Saint did not answer hate with flame,
Nor seek for glory, gold, or fame;
But carefully, with thoughtful art,
He spoke to mind and human heart.

He taught that life is sacred still,
Not ours to wound by wrathful will;
For every soul by God was made,
And bears His Image full displayed.

He mourned the Cross on Calvary’s height,
Where Christ was slain though pure and bright;
The Son of God this dread trial o'erwon,
To save each daughter and each son.

O blessed saint of Athens fair,
You answered harshness not with snare;
But with the light of reason true,
With words that breathe like early dew.

Through all your writings clear and mild,
We see the Face of God’s dear Child;
The merciful and loving Lord,
Whose Heart shines brighter than the sword.

Prithee, dear saint, that we may learn,
For Christ alone our hearts to burn;
That we take life's pen each day,
To write God’s Truth along our way.

Within the parchment of our soul,
May Christ the King become the whole;
That all we think and say and do,
May bear His gentle Light anew.

When at last our race is trod,
And we ascend to Heaven and our God,
May you behold with joyful eye,
The faith for which you made reply.

May you know us there above,
By mercy, gentleness, and love;
For in our hearts Christ’s Voice shall ring -
The Truth you served while witnessing.

CHURCH FATHERS: A Plea for the Christians

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0205.htm

With thanks to newadvent.org

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Saint Athenagoras in heavenly light"

CHURCH FATHER ARSENIUS

 

Church Father Arsenius;

Abba Mark asked Abba Arsenius ‘Is it good to have nothing in one's cell that might offer a little comfort? I saw a brother uprooting the few vegetables he has.’ Abba Arsenius replied, ‘That is good, but it must be done according to a person’s capacity. For if people do not have the strength for such a practice, they will soon plant others.’

Desert fathers

The desert fathers in the early church waited on the Word of God, and taught many lessons of holiness to others. Their words continue to inspire today.

Practice of mortification and self-sacrifice

The practice of mortification and self-sacrifice can help to discipline the spirit, teaching the soul patience, obedience, humility, and greater love of God. By willingly denying ourselves in small ways, we learn not to be ruled entirely by comfort, impulse, or pride, but to direct our hearts more faithfully toward what is holy and good. 

Tenderness and mercy

Yet the Christian life is never meant to become harsh obsession or destruction of the self. God created us as human beings with frail bodies, minds, and wills; we are dust, and He knows our weakness with tenderness and mercy.

Balance in all things

Therefore, there must be balance in all things. If we push ourselves beyond our true capacity, the mind, body, or spirit may eventually falter under strain. Discipline should strengthen the soul, not break it. Each person has different burdens, different strengths, and different limits known fully only to God. One person may endure much; another may quietly persevere through struggles unseen by the world.

Individual vocation and capacity

For this reason, we should practise self-denial with wisdom, moderation, and peace, according to our individual vocation and capacity, without vanity or unhealthy severity. We should never judge another person’s capacity or hidden sacrifices. 

Only each soul knows the cost of striving each day to present the best of oneself before God. The Lord, who sees in secret, looks not merely at the outward act, but at the sincerity of the heart - and upon honest effort offered with love, God smiles and blesses.

Voices of the Abbas

In desert vast where silence lay,
The holy fathers knelt to pray,
With hearts attuned to heaven’s call,
They sought the Word that speaks to all.

No gold had they, no earthly claim,
Yet burned within a living flame;
A hunger deep for truth Divine,
A thirst no world could e’er define.

They waited on the sacred Word,
In stillness where God’s Voice was heard;
Through wind and sun, through night so long,
Their lives became a silent song.

In caves and sands, in lonely place,
They learned the depth of boundless grace.
Through fasting, tears, and watchful eyes,
They fixed their hope beyond the skies.

They taught that holiness is found,
Not in the noise, but sacred ground;
Within the soul that bends in prayer,
Where God is near, forever there.

O desert saints, so strong, so wise,
You turned from earth to gain the prize;
Your witness still lights up our way,
And calls our hearts to watch and pray.

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Church Fathers in desert"

TRUE LOVE

 

"True love involves vulnerability."

                   Reverend Vanessa Wyse-Jackson

Public sermon by Reverend Vanessa Wyse Jackson December 2014; Dublin Ireland

Love untold

When two souls meet and truly see,
A quiet truth in dignity;
No trumpet sounds, no grand display -
Yet God is near in that still way.

A glance that lingers, soft and deep,
A vow unspoken both hearts keep;
In eyes that shine with gentle light,
Love’s sacred flame is born in sight.

And God, who formed each tender heart,
Beholds their union from the start;
He blesses love both pure and true,
When one lives more for thou than “you.”

Yet love is not a path of ease,
Nor always filled with joys that please;
For woven through its golden thread
Are trials where tears are quietly shed.

To love is risk, to trust, to give,
To place one’s heart in how two live;
Each soul laid bare, each weakness known,
No longer walking life alone.

At times the road grows steep and long,
And burdens test the faithful strong;
Yet hand in hand, through dark or day,
God grants the grace to find the way.

In every trial, a chance to grow,
In every pain, His mercies flow;
To learn of Him, of self, of grace,
Reflected in the other’s face.

For love that seeks the other’s good,
And serves as Christ has always stood;
Will rise above the selfish thought,
And bloom more bright by true support.

So step by step, though skies may dim,
Their journey draws them nearer Him;
While hearts once joined in earthly love,
Are led at last to Heaven above.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Divine Blessing on love" 

Poem inspired by Rev Vanessa's sermon