Patrick Comerford
We are in Ordinary Time in the Church Calendar, and today is the Eighth Sunday after Trinity (30 July 2023). Later this morning I hope to attend the Parish Eucharist in Holy Trinity Church, Old Wolverton.
But, before this day begins, I am taking some time this morning for prayer, reading and reflection.
This morning I continue my reflections which for the past week have included:
1, Looking at stained glass windows in Saint Editha’s Collegiate Church, Tamworth;
2, the Gospel reading of the day in the Church of England lectionary;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
A World War I memorial window, Saint Editha’s Church, Tamworth:
Saint Editha’s Church in Tamworth has three interesting war memorials side-by-side in the North Aisle, and the windows have interesting connections with the Pre-Raphaelite windows in Saint George’s Chapel.
The first of these windows, at the west end of the north aisle, is the World War I Memorial Window, dating from 1920, and by Henry George Alexander Holiday (1839-1927).
The dedication reads: ‘To the Glory of God and in reverent memory of the men of this Parish who nobly gave their lives for freedom and humanity in the Great War 1914-1918.’
The artist Henry Holiday entered the Royal Academy Schools at the age of 15 and was soon drawn to the ideas and the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
He succeeded Sir Edward Burne-Jones as the chief designer for the stained glass firm James Powell & Sons in 1863 and his style had a long-lasting effect on their production into the 1920s. Some of his windows were made by Lavers & Barraud and by Heaton, Butler & Bayne.
After Holiday ended his association with Powells, he established his own workshop in 1890, and from about 1900 he made his own glass at the workshop. His later work was made at the Glass House, Fulham.
Holiday also worked as a painter, illustrator and sculptor, and his broad range of interests led to his involvement in the campaign for Irish Home Rule, women’s suffrage and dress reform.
In the centre of this window, the crowned Christ is enthroned and holds a cross in his left hand, his right hand raised in blessing. Above him are the words: ‘Come unto me & ye shall find rest to your souls.’ On either side are the words ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.’
The rainbow above the throne not only helps to define the composition but is also a sign of the Covenant of God and of hope. Above Christ the King and the rainbow, two cherubs are symbols of Divine Love.
The four angels in two pairs on each side of him bear a scroll with the words: ‘Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.’
The words at the bottom read: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to bind up the broken hearted, to comfort all that mourn, to give unto them the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.’
Below the figure of Christ, groups of bereaved people are bringing their sorrows to him.
In the first group, the man on the left, wearing a helmet with his sword at his side, represents one of the many cases where a soldier had returned from the war unhurt but mourning a brother who had lost his life. Next to him is seated an elderly working man, with a leather apron, whose son, we may suppose, has fallen in battle. Above them is a young girl, perhaps a sister of one of the victims.
In the second group in the centre light beneath Christ, a young mother is with her two children, having lost her husband and their father.
In the third group, a young woman is seated, her hand on her heart, having lost her fiancé who has been slain. In her hand she holds her wedding wreath and is going to lay it on his grave. Above her, an elderly couple are mourning a lost son. Above these three, a crying and desolate orphan has lost his only parent.
In the tracery lights, King, Country and Church are represented with the crowned initials GR and the date 1921, the royal monogram of King George V (centre); a fleur-de-lys from the former coat-of-arms of Tamworth (left); and the coat-of-arms of the Diocese of Lichfield (right).
The second war memorial window in Saint Editha’s Church is in memory of the Revd Maurice Berkeley Peel, Vicar of Tamworth in 1915-1917, and I plan to look at this window in detail tomorrow.
The third window, at the east end of the north aisle of Saint Editha’s, is a World War II Memorial Window from 1949. It is inspired by the themes in the canticle Te Deum, and I hope to look at this window in detail in this prayer diary on Tuesday.
Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52 (NRSVA):
31 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
33 He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’
44 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 ‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ 52 And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’
Today’s Prayer:
The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘Reflections from the International Consultation.’ This theme is introduced today by the Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones of the Church in Wales:
‘It felt poignantly appropriate that a conference on modern slavery and human trafficking should take place near what was the centre of the East African slave trade 200 years ago. Open slave markets might have gone but sadly slavery still exists and indeed is increasing in the form of sex trafficking, forced labour, and exploitation of those vulnerable through poverty or displacement, including refugees and asylum seekers.
‘Over the course of the week at the consultation, we listened to those who work to address the issues involved with human trafficking and modern slavery, often in extremely complex and dangerous situations.
‘It was clear from our discussions that collaboration is an essential dimension to tackling the evil of human trafficking. Churches have an important part to play, both in partnering with others locally and regionally and in working together across the Communion.
‘At the conclusion, we agreed on a communiqué committing us to work together across the world to address human trafficking by speaking out, working with governments and other agencies, developing networks to share best practices and producing resources to support the work.’
Her original reflection can be found here: https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/ en/news-and-events/its-time-to-break-the-shackles-of-modern-slavery.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (30 July 2023, Trinity VIII, World Day Against Trafficking in Persons) invites us to reflect on these words:
‘Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy’ (Proverbs 31: 8-9).
Collect:
Almighty Lord and everlasting God,
we beseech you to direct, sanctify and govern
both our hearts and bodies
in the ways of your laws
and the works of your commandments;
that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Post Communion:
Strengthen for service, Lord,
the hands that have taken holy things;
may the ears which have heard your word
be deaf to clamour and dispute;
may the tongues which have sung your praise be free from deceit;
may the eyes which have seen the tokens of your love
shine with the light of hope;
and may the bodies which have been fed with your body
be refreshed with the fullness of your life;
glory to you for ever.
Yesterday’s reflection
Continued tomorrow
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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