Proper 20B - September 24th 2006
In the gospel (Mark 9:30-37), Jesus took a child and had him stand among them. taking him in his arms he said to them: "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
John Pridmore challenges the practice of the Church of England about admitting children to Communion saying it doesn't measure up to Jesus' teaching. Click here to find out more.
There's more about the place of children at the Child Theology website below.
| Richard Tuckwell quoted this orthodox wisdom in his sermon on Sept 24th 2006: Thirty years ago the great ecumenical patriarch Athenagoras, of blessed memory, spoke to one of those close to him of the poor in spirit. He considered that these were people who had ceased to see their own 'self' as the centre of the world (whether the individual self or the collective self), and saw instead the centre of the world in God and in their neighbour. They were dispossessed of everything, even perhaps of themselves. And each instant they received their knowledge of God, as grace. He said: '?to combat evil, we must internalise war and conquer evil within ourselves. We must engage in the toughest war of all in the war against ourselves. And there is a lot of nationalism in the self! We must arrive at the point when we can lay down our weapons.' Patriarch Athenagoras continued with very significant words: 'I have engaged in this war. For years and years. It was terrible. But now I am disarmed, I have given up the will to be right and to justify myself by discrediting others. I am no longer on my guard, jealously straining to hold on to my wealth. I welcome and I share. I do not stick to my own ideas and projects. If I am presented with better ones, I accept them without regret. Or rather not better ones but good ones, I have, you know, renounced comparisons! What is good, real and true, wherever it is, is always better in my view. That is why I am no longer afraid. When you no longer have anything, you are no longer afraid. Who can then separate us from the love of Christ?'2 1 The Philokalia, the complete text translated from the Greek and edited by G E H Palmer, Philip Sherrard and Kallistos Ware; Faber and Faber: Volume 1, 1983, ISBN 0571130135; Volume 2, 1990, ISBN 0571154662; Volume 3, 1986, ISBN 0571175252, and Volume 4, 1999, ISBN 057119382X 2 Archimandrite Athenagoras Peckstadt: 'From Rights and Responsibilities of Europeans: Orthodox Christian Reflections' in Orthodox Outlook Volume XIII Number 5, July/August 2000, Issue 87 page12 |
