Patrick Comerford
The 40-day season of Christmas continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February). This week began with the Second Sunday of Epiphany (Epiphany II), with readings that focussed on the Wedding at Cana, the third great Epiphany theme, alongside the Visit of the Magi and the Baptism of Christ.
Today is the Seventh Day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship today remembers the life and work of Saint Francis de Sales (1622), Bishop of Geneva and Teacher of the Faith. Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, to reflect, to pray and to read in these ways:
1, today’s Gospel reading;
2, a short reflection;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;
4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.
Mark 3: 13-19 (NRSVA):
13 He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Today’s Reflection:
The Gospel reading at the Eucharist today (Mark 3: 13-19) tells of the appointment by Jesus of the 12, ‘whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons.’
In Saint Matthew’s Gospel, this episode takes place shortly before the miracle of the man with a withered hand, but both Mark and Luke place it appears shortly after that miracle.
The liturgy for the Ordination of a Bishop in the Episcopal Church includes an examination. At the beginning of the examination, the candidate is reminded that ‘A bishop in God’s holy Church is called to be one with the apostles in proclaiming Christ’s resurrection and interpreting the Gospel, and to testify to Christ’s sovereignty as Lord of lords and King of kings.’
Then follows a series of questions and answers for the candidate for ordination, including:
Bishop: Will you boldly proclaim and interpret the Gospel of Christ, enlightening the minds and stirring up the conscience of your people?
Answer: I will, in the power of the Spirit.
These questions were put to Mariann Edgar Budde when she was being consecrated as Bishop of Washington in Washington National Cathedral on 12 November 2011. On Tuesday (21 January 2025), the day after Donald Trump’s second inauguration as president, Bishop Budde preached at the interfaith prayer service in the same cathedral.
She urged Trump, who was sitting in the first pew, to show mercy and compassion to vulnerable people, saying: ‘Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now.’ She specifically cited the LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, and refugees fleeing from war in their countries.
Her sermon shows that Bishop Budde takes her ordination vows seriously, and answering her call ‘to be one with the apostles in proclaiming Christ’s resurrection and interpreting the Gospel, and to testify to Christ’s sovereignty as Lord of lords and King of kings’, seeking to ‘boldly proclaim and interpret the Gospel of Christ, enlightening the minds and stirring up the conscience of your people’.
The Communion of the Apostles is an image that I find only in Orthodox iconography. In Greek it is generally known as Η Θεια Κοινωνια (He Theia Koinonia), ‘the Holy Communion’, while in Slavic it is known as ‘the Communion of the Apostles.’
This icon of the Communion of the Apostles is often found as a fresco in the apse in Eastern Orthodox churches, below images of the Theotokos or Virgin Mary as ‘Wider than the Heavens’, but is also found the icon screens on the ‘Royal Doors’ leading into the altar.
The icon shows Christ standing at an altar, giving communion to the Twelve, who approach from left and right. Christ is often depicted twice, at the left in the so-called μετάδοσης (metadosis, imparting) of the bread, and at the right in the so-called μετάληψις (metalepsis, partaking) of the wine.
When inscriptions are included in icons or frescoes with this image, they are generally words from Matthew 28: Λάβετε φάγετε, τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου (Labete phagete, touto estin to soma mou), ‘Take, eat; this is my body’; and, Πίετε ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες, τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης τὸ περὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυννόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν (Piete ex autou pantes, touto gar estin to haima mou tes diathekes to peri pollon ekkhunnomenon eis aphesin hamartion), ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’
In some instances, the icon may also include an excerpt from the Liturgy of Saint. Basil: ‘Unite us all, who receive of one bread and chalice, one with another in the communion of one Holy Spirit.’
In some versions of this icon, the number of apostles included is indistinct, but usually they are 11, six to the left and five to the right, excluding ‘Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him’ (Mark 3: 19). Judas is generally omitted, because this is a liturgical icon showing a scene ‘in eternity’, and Judas is not considered part of that eternal celebration. Other icons have included Judas, who may be shown turning away, or even in some cases, with a black halo to distinguish him from the other, remaining 11.
In this icon, Christ has the bread at his right hand, and the chalice or sometimes a jug at his left. But, instead of the room of the Last Supper, the setting is usually in a church. Instead of Christ being at the table with the Apostles around it, he is at the altar, often with a canopy above the altar.
In this way, Christ is seen as giving the Communion in and to the Church on earth, the Church as one related communion, which makes it an appropriate icon to reflect on as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity draws close to its end.
Today’s Prayers (Friday 24 January 2025):
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 ‘Whom Shall I Send?’ This theme was introduced on Sunday with a Programme Update by Rachael Anderson, Senior Communications and Engagement Manager, USPG.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (Friday 24 January 2025, International Day of Education) invites us to pray:
Lord, we thank you for the gift of education and its power to transform lives. Open doors for young people denied access and inspire us to work for a world where education is available to all.
The Collect:
Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
God of glory,
you nourish us with your Word
who is the bread of life:
fill us with your Holy Spirit
that through us the light of your glory
may shine in all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect on the Eve of the Conversion of Saint Paul:
Almighty God,
who caused the light of the gospel
to shine throughout the world
through the preaching of your servant Saint Paul:
grant that we who celebrate his wonderful conversion
may follow him in bearing witness to your truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and 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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