Tag: Jesus

Jesus Reigns – Mary Hails

Posted on by Julia Smead

Quintessential Quinciensis VIII
By The Rt. Rev.  Keith L. Ackerman, SSC

One of my greatest privileges is being a Guardian at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsinghamcrown in England (near Norwich).  One year I was greatly honored to be the Preacher at the National Pilgrimage (Bank holiday – in late May).  As we prepared for the Procession from the Shrine Church to the Abbey, it began to rain, one of the Sisters from one of the Religious Orders at the Shrine, after having made certain that I was appropriately vested, was concerned that the rain would be a problem for me (and for the silk vestments) and placed a large umbrella over me as we processed. As the rain continued I said, “Sister, does this remind you of the hymn, “Jesus shall reign?” Without missing a beat, she said, “Yes, Bishop, but remember ‘Mary Hails.'” This was not the first time that I was trumped by a Nun!

All too often we have forgotten the Kingdom of Christ. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray for that Kingdom, and in His Passion, Jesus reminds us that His Kingdom is not of this world. Sadly, we forget that we are not only subjects but also children of the King. By virtue of our Baptism we are heirs of His Kingdom, but as members of the Church Militant (here on earth) we are also His subjects – bound, by faith, to follow Him.

Unfortunately, we often have acceded to the bondage of this world, which offers no hope, while ignoring the fact that we are, in fact, part of a Kingdom that offers us more hope than we can imagine.

I can still, in my mind’s eye, hear the voice of the Sister as we processed to the grounds at the Walsingham Abbey, and it was as if I could hear the voices of the numerous pilgrims who had walked the “Walsingham Way” for centuries before. I often think that Americans are far more intrigued with Royalty than the English are, but my prayer has been and will continue to be that Americans will become more enamored with the Kingship of Jesus, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Jesus Reigns – Mary hails.

Do You Know How Much You are Worth?

Posted on by Julia Smead

Quintessential Quinciensis
by The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, SSC

Many years ago I had the privilege of working with what was then called “Juvenile Delinquents.” Today we now have syndromes and disorders. These were boys who were sent to us by the Court system as an alternative to being in the State Corrections system. The founder, a Saintly man – Bishop Robert H. Mize – founded the institution, then called “the St. Francis Boys’ Homes,” with a treatment mode that he simply called “Therapy in Christ.” These Homes had every strata of society, with boys who had committed every type of crime imaginable.

One boy had been dropped off at our Unit by parents who cried the entire time that they helped him move in; they were lovely people. Their son was a bitter young man, and my one on one counseling with him was nonproductive. In Group counseling he was mute. One day in individual counseling, he blurted out “my parents hated me.” I attempted to reconcile what he said with the image I had seen when he entered the Unit with his parents. After several minutes of non-aggressive probing (I was a Rogerian in those days) he said, “Why did they leave me?” I, of course, pointed out that they had not “left” him, and that they prevented him from being incarcerated in a State institution by bringing him to St. Francis. He said, “I’m not talkin’ about them.” Now I was baffled. The reality was that he had been adopted by the lovely couple whom he called “Mom” and “Dad.” He had spent years being furious with the parents he did not remember whom he saw as bringing him into the world and then abandoning him. Sadly, he had taken out his anger of abandonment on the world into which he was born and onto the parents who had attempted to rescue him from that world.

Im worth that muchAfter being unsuccessful in utilizing every method I had learned in the numerous courses in undergraduate and graduate psychology, I blurted out, “Hey kid, do you know how much money your adoptive parents paid for you?” Suddenly I had his attention. He said, “How much?” With a degree of frustration, I told him about attorney’s fees, and all of the expenses related to an adoption, and I gave him an estimated “bottom line” figure. He said with a smile I will never forget, “You mean I’m worth that much.” He became a model resident and was released within the year.

Sometimes we vent onto the wrong people when we are filled with pain, and it can become misdirected anger. But Jesus understands. He has adopted us as His children, and He was willing to pay the price on Good Friday for His adopted children. The next time you look at a Crucifix you may wish to remember the boy in this story, and with him you may wish to say to Jesus, “You mean I’m worth that much?”

My Best Friend Died

Posted on by Julia Smead

Quintessential Quinciensis
by The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, SSC

jesus-christ

In 1989 when we moved from Pennsylvania to Texas, there was one thing  we had never encountered: schools not being closed on Good Friday.  We were also surprised at how many Churches did not even offer worship opportunities for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday!! We were from an environment where many stores were either closed that day or were at least closed between Noon and 3:00 P.M.   “Easter Break” as we called it was designed so that people could go to church during Holy Week – not the beach.  We encountered two problems: the necessity at having the Liturgy of Good Friday at a time other than when one normally would: namely when He was on the Cross and died, and having to postpone the time for the Liturgy to when He had already been taken down from the Cross!!!! The entire night after the Maundy Thursday Mass until the Proper Liturgy of Good Friday: (the Solemn Collects, the Veneration of the Cross, the Passion, the Mass of the pre-Sanctified),  people spent one hour with Jesus: “Will you not WATCH with me for one hour.” (Thus the term “Watch” for the time spent at the Altar of Repose (the Garden of Gethsemane.).

Our youngest daughter, who was in Middle School was particularly upset. Like many Christian families, in addition to no school on Good Friday there was no television or movies or shopping that was done that day – particularly between Noon and 3 P.M.  What would she do?  She informed the school that her best friend had died. And she would not be in that Friday. When she returned on Monday, with her beautiful smile she looked at the person in the school office and said, “My best friend in alive again.”  Now that she is a teacher – guess what she does?  Alleluia, Christ is Risen.

IS THERE ROOM IN YOUR INN?

Posted on by Julia Smead

By Bishop Keith L. Ackerman, SSC

Nativity caveSo often we can read the historical elements of the Holy Scriptures in such a way that we determine who the heroes and villains are.  For example, I suspect that most people would not have a high regard for those in Bethlehem who could offer no room for the Holy Family.  We have an image of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph going from Inn to Inn, with Joseph knocking on many doors, pleading for a place for his pregnant wife to deliver her child, as Mary sat on a donkey writhing in pain.

Later we learn that one Innkeeper offered a Stable.  So very often when we think of Stables and Mangers we see the lovely ones depicted in pictures, in our homes, and in our churches.  While they may well be shown as having rough wood, the reality is that in Bethlehem wood was a rare commodity.  In fact the wood used for the Temple in Jerusalem, which is located about 5 miles from Bethlehem, was imported from Lebanon.  Olive wood, as lovely as it is for carved Manger figures, is not typically large enough to cut planks that could be used for building.

The greater reality may well be that Jesus was born in a cave in a stone cold manger.  There were two types of mangers in animal caves: the rectangular type for the water and the rounded type for the grain.  In all probability Jesus, who would follow in his foster father’s footsteps as a “tekton” (according to the Greek) would work with stone, and in the end, would be placed in a stone cave, on a stone slab.  But Jesus burst forth from both caves.  In the former, to be a light to Gentiles and a glory to Israel, and in the latter to redeem the world.

Today Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts.  Sometimes our stables are so filled with anger, hostility, fear, doubt, grudges and pain that there simply is no room for Jesus.  Even in the Church today, there are good people who are so angry with the Bride of Christ that they leave no room for the Bridegroom.  Jesus seeks to be born in our hearts again, but we need to make room for him.  In life there simply are many things over which we have no control, and yet we function, all too often, as if we are in control.  As we celebrate this Christmas Season, let us hand over those things which we simply cannot control, and make room for Jesus so that He can be in control.