Happy Saint Valentine’s Day

Happy Saint Valentine’s Day.

A physician and priest living in Rome during the rule of Emperor Claudius, Valentine became one of the noted martyrs of the third century.  The commemoration of his death, which occurred in AD 270, became part of the calendar of remembrance in the Early Church of the West.  Tradition suggests that on the day of his execution for his Christian faith, Valentine left a note of encouragement for a child of his jailer written on an irregularly shaped piece of paper.  This greeting became a pattern for millions of written expressions of love and caring that now are the highlight of Valentine’s Day in many nations.

— Treasury of Daily Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, page 1209.

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Writing of the Historic Church

Someone will perhaps ask, “Since the canon of Scripture is complete, and sufficient of itself for everything, and more than sufficient, what need is there to join with it the authority of the Church’s interpretation?”  For this reason: because, owing to the depth of Holy Scripture, all do not accept it in one and the same sense, but one understands its words in one way, another in another, so that it seems to be capable of as many interpretations as there are interpreters…

Moreover, in the catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all.  For that is truly and in the strictest sense “catholic,” which, as the name itself and the reason of the thing declare, comprehends all universally.  This rule we shall observe if we follow universality, antiquity, consent.  We shall follow universality if we confess that one faith to be true, which the whole Church throughout the world confesses; antiquity, if we in no wise depart from those interpretations which it is manifest were notoriously held by our holy ancestors and fathers; consent, in like manner, if in antiquity itself we adhere to the consentient definitions and determinations of all, or at the least of almost all priests and doctors.

What, then, will a catholic Christian do if a small portion of the Church have cut itself off from the communion of the universal faith?  What, surely, but prefer the soundness of the whole body to the unsoundness of a pestilent and corrupt member?  What, if some novel contagion seek to infect not merely an insignificant portion of the Church, but the whole?  Then it will be his care to cleave to antiquity, which at this day cannot possibly be seduced by any fraud of novelty.

—Vincent of Lérins

— Treasury of Daily Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 2008 A.D. pages 1160-1161.

Jesus promised that he would be with his Church “always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matthew 27:20).  This means that the Scriptures are able to be rightly understood by all generations.  However, the “Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”  (1 Timothy 4:1).  The delusions of these deceiving spirits are so powerful, that if it were possible, they would “deceive even the elect.”  (Matthew 24:24).  Therefore, as we look to the Scriptures, we must trust Christ’s promise that he would always be with his Church, that the faith would never change, and that this unchanging continuity from the early Church can provide us with guidance and protection against the powerful delusions and false spirits of our present day.

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All Saints’ Day & Treasury of Daily Prayer

Happy All Saints’ Day!

A bright sunset was illuminating these leaves in the grass near my new “Treasury of Daily Prayer.”  It was a beautiful Indian Summer day: a good Autumn day to read outdoors.  The “Treasury of Daily Prayer” is a brand new release from Concordia Publishing House, an excellent resource, and a blessing for all Christians.  As part of a review, here are some of the prayers, hymns, and messages that are included in this book for today:

Hymnody

Let shouts of gladness rise
Triumphant to the skies.
Now comes the King most glorious
To reign o’er all victorious.
Hosanna, praise, and glory!
Our King, we bow before Thee.

—O Bride of Christ, Rejoice (LSB 335:2)

One of the essential blessings of the “Treasury of Daily Prayer” is the inclusion of writings from Church fathers.  It is a powerful demonstration of the continuity of the Christian faith and the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy: “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”  (Matthew 16:18).  For obvious reasons, this is a poignant part of the celebration of All Saints’ Day:

Writing

All the saints, from the beginning of the world who have died believing in the Redeemer, whether he was yet to come or had come in the flesh, all members of the people of God of all times to the present day—in this sense, all are fathers of the church.  Whether Christians have found themselves in the loneliness of a Siberian prison camp or the isolation of the diaspora or suffering inner alienation within the great secularized “churches” of our century, it has become ever more the consolation of those who have suffered for the sake of the church and whom God has led on a “lonely path” to know that they are not alone in the one church of God.  They who have been removed from every error and sin of the earthly church stand with us in the seamless fellowship of the body of Christ.

—Hermann Sasse.  [Emphasis added].

The daily prayers are deeper than most could compose alone.  Through them Christ helps us grow in love and truth as a part of His Church.  He has joined us together into all the faithful, we have become a part of some One greater than just ourselves:

Prayer of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  (F34).

And finally there are included explanations of the specific feasts of the day:

All Saints’ Day

This feast is the most comprehensive of the days of commemoration, encompassing the entire scope of that great cloud of witnesses with which we are surrounded (Hebrews 12:1).  It holds before the eyes of faith that great multitude which no man can number: all the saints of God in Christ—who have come “out of the great tribulation . . . who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9, 14).  As such, it sets before us the full height and depth and breadth and length of our dear Lord’s gracious salvation (Ephesians 3:17-19).  It shares with Easter a celebration of the resurrection, since all those who have died with Christ Jesus have also been raised with Him (Romans 6:3-8).  It shares with Pentecost a celebration of the ingathering of the entire Church catholic—in heaven and on earth, in all times and places—in the one Body of Christ . . .  In all of these emphases, the purpose of this feast is to fix our eyes upon Jesus . . .

“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  (Luke 5:16).

This is another book from Concordia Publishing House that dares Lutherans to be Lutheran, and invites all Christians to fully understand the words we recite together in the Creed: “We believe in one holy Christian and Apostolic Church.”  Overall, my review of the new “Treasury of Daily Prayer” for All Saints’ Day and all days is this:  It receives my highest recommendation.

May God bless you.

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Treasury of Daily Prayer – Preview

Concordia Publishing House will be releasing Treasury of Daily Prayer on October 23, 2008 A.D.

I could use some help with daily prayer, and it looks like it will be an amazing Christian resource:  Scriptures, prayers, psalms, hymns, and writings from the Church fathers.

To see a web preview, please click on the image of the book.

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Update:

Click here: “All Saints’ Day & Treasury of Daily Prayer” to read my review of this book.

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