Weekly Thoughts

FATHER MICHAEL’S DIARY

4 APRIL 2025

SACRAMENT OF UNITY?

On Maundy Thursday (or some other time in Holy Week) many clergy go to their Cathedral for a special service at which they renew their ordination vows and oils are blessed and consecrated for liturgical use during the ensuing year. These Chrism Masses as they are known provide an occasion for the clergy to come together to affirm their mutual support for one another and their bishop. Sadly in recent years they have proved to be occasions for disunity and division.

This began with the decision to ordain women to the priesthood in 1994. The provisions made for those who could not accept the ministry of women including providing them with their own bishops (the so called flying bishops) properly Provincial Episcopal Visitors. These bishops decided to hold their own Chrism Masses which clergy attended according to whether they accepted the ministry of women or not. Inevitably this introduced an element of disunity at this most sacred and solemn time of the year. A new development over last couple of years has been to organize Chrism Masses for those who found themselves unable to accept recent developments over human sexuality following the report Living in Love and Faith.

These developments fly in the face of traditional Anglican teaching about the sacraments. One of our foundation documents is the 39 Articles of 1571. Article 26 is entitled “Of the Unworthiness of the Ministers , which hinder not the Effect of the Sacrament”. This article states that in the sacraments the minister acts not as an individual but as the organ of the church. God’s promises are made not to him or her individually but to the church as a whole. Therefore, their fulfillment is not affected by his or her personal act of faith. So you do not have to agree with the minister for his or her ministrations to be effective. One distinguishing feature of Anglicanism is the wide range of theological opinions it has managed to contain and this is due in no small measure to Article 26. Tolerance means accepting the validity of the opinions of those with whom we disagree and recent developments over Chrism Masses fly in the face of that.   Such developments are to be deplored because the weaken the unity which is one of the key marks of the Catholic Church and which can only be maintained if we show love and respect to each other. 

READINGS AND PRAYERS

6 APRIL – FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT – John 12.1-8 – Mary of Bethany anoints the feet of Jesus  -  that God may anoint us with the Holy Spirit as we prepare to follow Jesus on the way of the cross  

7 APRIL – Monday – Susanna.41b-62 – God saves those who hope in him – for the gift of hope 

8 APRIL – Tuesday – John 8.21-30 – when you have; lifted up the son of man you will realize that I am he - that we may walk Jesus in his passion

9 APRIL – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran Pastor, Martyr 1945 – Matthew 13. 47-52 – the dragnet – all who teach the Faith today

10 APRIL – William Law, Priest, Spiritual Writer, 1761 – Romans 6.20-end – the free gift of God is eternal life – all spiritual directors

11 APRIL – Friday – Jeremiah 20.10-13 – God has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers – all working for social justice

12 APRIL – Saturday – John 11.45–end – it is better that one man dies than the people perish – all who suffer for the Faith today