Sophia Hawk was baptized today at Saint Patrick's.

                             

Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ your Son may live in the power of his resurrection and look for him to come again; who lives and reigns now and for ever.  Amen.

Take a close look, you may know some of these people!

I think I'm with Bishop Wright on Purgatory.  Take a look.

The heart of it -- the central thing that is supposed to happen "after you believe" -- is thus the transformation of character.  (Bp. Tom Wright, After You Believe)

The Great Litany is especially appropriate to pray during Lent, as the rubrics confirm.  

The Anglican Service Book describes The Great Litany like this:

Litanies as forms of prayer are very old, dating from before the fourth century, and for a long time constituted a major part of the congregation's participation in the Mass.  The Great Litany in the Book of Common Prayer derives from the first English litany, compiled by Thomas Cranmer in 1544, drawing from the Sarum rite, the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, and a Latin litany composed by Martin Luther.  The three invocations of saints that appeared in this litany were deleted before it was included in the 1549 Prayer Book.  For much of the history of the Anglican Church, the use of the Great Litany after Morning Prayer on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Friday has been required.

I wonder how many of you plan to pray this prayer as a part of your Lenten disciplines?  Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

To be said or sung, kneeling, standing, or in procession; before the 
Eucharist or after the Collects of Morning or Evening Prayer; or 
separately; especially in Lent and on Rogation days. 

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us. 

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us. 

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us. 

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us. 

Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses
of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins.
Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed with thy most precious blood, and by thy mercy
preserve us, for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

From all evil and wickedness; from sin; from the crafts
and assaults of the devil; and from everlasting damnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory,
and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all want
of charity,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the
deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness
of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and
flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

From all oppression, conspiracy, and rebellion; from
violence, battle, and murder; and from dying suddenly and 
unprepared,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation; by thy holy Nativity
and submission to the Law; by thy Baptism, Fasting, and
Temptation,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

By thine Agony and Bloody Sweat; by thy Cross and Passion;
by thy precious Death and Burial; by thy glorious Resurrection
and Ascension; and by the Coming of the Holy Ghost,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in
the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,
Good Lord, deliver us.<o:p></o:p>

We sinners do beseech the to hear us, O Lord God; and that
it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church
Universal in the right way,
We beesech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to illumine all bishops, priests, and
deacons, with true knowledge and understanding of thy
Word; and that both by their preaching and living, they may
set it forth, and show it accordingly,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to bless and keep all thy people,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to send forth laborers into thy
harvest, and to draw all mankind into thy kingdom,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to give to all people increase of grace
to hear and receive thy Word, and to bring forth the fruits of
the Spirit,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such
as have erred, and are deceived,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to give us a heart to love and fear
thee, and diligently to live after thy commandments,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee so to rule the hearts of thy servants,
the President of the United States (or of this nation), and all
others in authority, that they may do justice, and love mercy,
and walk in the ways of truth,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to make wars to cease in all the world;
to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord; and to
bestow freedom upon all peoples, 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to show thy pity upon all prisoners
and captives, the homeless and the hungry, and all who are
desolate and oppressed,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to give and preserve to our use the
bountiful fruits of the earth, so that in due time all may enjoy
them,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to inspire us, in our several callings,
to do the work which thou givest us to do with singleness of
heart as thy servants, and for the common good,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to preserve all who are in danger by
reason of their labor or their travel,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to preserve, and provide for, all
women in childbirth, young children and orphans, the
widowed, and all whose homes are broken or torn by strife,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to visit the lonely; to strengthen all
who suffer in mind, body, and spirit; and to comfort with thy
presence those who are failing and infirm,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to support, help, and comfort all who
are in danger, necessity, and tribulation,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to have mercy upon all mankind,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive
us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue
us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives
according to thy holy Word,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors,
and slanderers, and to turn their hearts,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand; to
comfort and help the weak-hearted; to raise up those who
fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to grant to all the faithful departed
eternal life and peace,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

That it may please thee to grant that, in the fellowship of
[__________ and] all the saints, we may attain to thy
heavenly kingdom,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.<o:p></o:p>

Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.
Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.<o:p></o:p>

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.<o:p></o:p>

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.<o:p></o:p>

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Grant us thy peace.<o:p></o:p>

When the Litany is sung or said immediately before the Eucharist, the 
Litany concludes here, and the Eucharist begins with the Salutation and 
the Collect of the Day.<o:p></o:p>

On all other occasions, the Officiant and People say together<o:p></o:p>

Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy Name,
    thy kingdom come,
    thy will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us. 
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil. Amen. 

V.     O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us; 
R.     As we do put our trust in thee. 

The Officiant concludes with the following or some other Collect<o:p></o:p>

Let us pray.<o:p></o:p>

Almighty God, who hast promised to hear the petitions of
those who ask in thy Son's Name: We beseech thee mercifully
to incline thine ear to us who have now made our prayers
and supplications unto thee; and grant that those things
which we have asked faithfully according to thy will, may be
obtained effectually, to the relief of our necessity, and to the
setting forth of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen.<o:p></o:p>

The Officiant may add other Prayers, and end the Litany, saying 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the 
fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore.
Amen.<o:p></o:p>

The Supplication<o:p></o:p>

For use in the Litany in place of the Versicle and Collect which follows 
the Lord's Prayer; or at the end or Morning or Evening Prayer; or as a 
separate devotion; especially in times of war, or of national anxiety, or of 
disaster.<o:p></o:p>

O Lord, arise, help us;
And deliver us for thy Name's sake.<o:p></o:p>

O God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have
declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their
days, and in the old time before them.<o:p></o:p>

O Lord, arise, help us;
and deliver us for thy Name's sake.<o:p></o:p>

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.<o:p></o:p>

O Lord, arise, help us;
and deliver us for thy Name's sake.<o:p></o:p>

V.     From our enemies defend us, O Christ; 
R.     Graciously behold our afflictions. 
V.     With pity behold the sorrows of our hearts; 
R.     Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people. <o:p></o:p>

V.     Favorably with mercy hear our prayers; 
R.     O Son of David, have mercy upon us. 
V.     Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ; 
R.     Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord 
         Christ. 

The Officiant concludes<o:p></o:p>

Let us pray.<o:p></o:p>

We humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon
our infirmities; and, for the glory of your Name, turn from us
all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant
that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and
confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness
and pureness of living, to thy honor and glory; through our
only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

What was my weekend like? Probably the best part of it was attending Sunday's confirmation service in Louisville. Six folks from St. Patrick's were confirmed by the Rt. Rev. Francis Lyons, Bishop of Bolivia. I took several photos during the confirmation and of course, you can view them on my flickr page. Those photos are just full of Anglican goodness. :-)

Of course, we couldn't end the evening without food! We all ate a great meal together at the Fox and Hound Pub & Grille before making our way back to Lexington. My fish and chips rocked.

Peace.

Yes, my blog friends, it’s time for a new topic in my new blog series. Our discussions on Mary have been thought-provoking and I hope you’ve found them helpful in some way.

So, what about Purgatory? The subject of purgatory has been a much debated one. Perhaps, it would be appropriate to begin with a couple of sources.

In The Book of Common Prayer, in Article 22 of The 39 Articles, we find:

The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

Obviously, it would seem that Anglicans tend to have a different view of purgatory than Roman Catholics.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we find the following:

1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.

So, I guess the question is this: do you believe that "after death they [Christians] undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven?"