Holy Communion 2/20/22: Losing Gracefully

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2/20/22. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

CLICK HERE TO GET AN EMAIL OF EACH SUNDAY’S SERVICE IN YOUR EMAIL BOX and to receive email updates about the mission of St. Barachiel Chapel.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Sunday 2/20/22

Readings: 1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23, Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13, 1 Cor 15:45-49, Lk 6:27-38

 Luke 6:27-38  American Standard Version

27 But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, 28 bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you. 29 To him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and from him that taketh away thy cloak withhold not thy coat also. 30 Give to every one that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

 32 And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much. 35 But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, [h]never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. 36 Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

37 And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released: 38 give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.

Brothers and sisters, the other day I went to my twelve-year-old nephew’s basketball game with family and friends.  It was at a Catholic school attached to Mary Mother of the Church Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Goochland, Virginia.  And on the wall of the gymnasium at the highest point, on the most prominent wall, there was a huge crucifix.  As we waited for the game to begin, a friend and a student of mine at the Heritage Self-Defense class that I teach, a young man in his twenties named Jack, wisecracked, “What’s with the giant Jesus on the wall?  Is that like ‘Jesus bless this game’ or something?”  And there were a few chuckles in the group.

And I didn’t say anything.  Because nobody likes a pompous windbag who can’t take a joke, timing is everything, and I knew that in the right circumstances, Jack would be open to a lesson on this. 

So I waited.  And the following week, after I wrapped up the spiritual training portion of the class, at the very end of the session, I sensed Jack was receptive.  I said, “Hey Jack, you made a joke about Jesus blessing the basketball game the other day, and I’ve been meaning to speak to that. 

“Your joke got a few laughs and that’s because, well, it was kind of funny.  Humor almost always diffuses tension.  The joke sets up a strange or awkward situation, like ‘A horse walks into a bar...’ and the punchline resolves it.  ‘…and the bartender says, “So, why the long face?”’ You perceived the tension – this happy game and above it all an image of torture and suffering – and you resolved it.

“But I just want to make sure you know that Jesus isn’t blessing the basketball game, and that’s not why an image of him was placed on the wall.  Jesus blesses the poor and hungry and leads them into triumph over the tyranny of earthly desires.  Jesus blesses those who weep in empathy and are despised by their fellow man for telling the truth.  He does this by leading them toward the joy and love that come from doing what’s right even when it it’s unpopular and by calling them to relieve the suffering of others.

“Jesus is on the wall of the gym to remind us to see through his eyes, not through ours.  He’s there to remind us that “in Christ we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).”  We should look at that crucifix and see the basketball game as an opportunity to be in Christ.  This is our chance to be patient and understanding with the referee, even if when his bad calls are stealing the game from our side.  It’s our chance to be noble and generous whether we win or lose, and even if the other team cheats.  It’s our opportunity to be at peace despite taunts and heckling.  If we can’t be Christlike for an hour in the gym, how are we going to be Christlike in the wider world?

“Jesus is on the wall of the gym to remind us that the greatest man who ever lived was betrayed, falsely convicted, slandered by lies, and executed.  He was perfect and look what he got.  So what can we, who are far, far from perfect, expect?  Even if we do our absolute best to be as Christlike as possible, there’s a good chance our reward is going to be pain, rejection, hatred and suffering.”

Brothers and sisters, our assignment isn’t to win.  It’s to lose with grace.   

Possibilities: Mettle Maker #295

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

Possibilities: METTLE MAKER #295

Self-defense: Wrap up grappling week by doing 50 Hip Throws — either with a partner (25 each person), or against a heavy bag or grappling dummy. The better your form, the less strength this takes. Watch the video on the right. If this material seems foreign, perhaps you’d benefit from the Heritage Self-Defense program. Click here to sign up — it’s free.

Fitness & Spirit Combo: Watch the documentary Challenging Impossibly (also embedded below) about the incredible Sri Chinmoy. Just make sure you have your gym bag and a box of tissues handy, because you’re going to cry and then go train. Need help designing a fitness program that suits your needs? Enroll in the free Heritage Fitness Distance Learning Program . Did I mention it’s free?

Wildwood: Spring is right around the corner — in fact, some spring plants are already breaking ground and shooting green. Get out your wild plant books go scout for spring edibles! See the video on the left. Want to learn more about nature appreciation and survival? Click here to sign up for the 100% free Wildwood distance learning program.

Holy Communion 2/13/22: Heavenly vs. Material Goods

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2/13/22. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

CLICK HERE TO GET AN EMAIL OF EACH SUNDAY’S SERVICE IN YOUR EMAIL BOX and to receive email updates about the mission of St. Barachiel Chapel.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Sunday 2/13/22

Readings: Jer 17:5-8, Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6, 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20, Lk 6:17, 20-26

Luke 6:17, 20-26   American Standard Version

And he [Jesus] came down with them, and stood on a level place, and a great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judaea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you, ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets.

Brothers and sisters, if we’re to understand today’s Gospel reading, we need to first get clear on the definitions of some key words and phrases that can be very confusing to people like us who are immersed in a materialist culture. Quite literally, what “matters” in this culture are the things made of “matter” while the immaterial is of no worth at all.  To paraphrase the words of theologian David Bentley Hart in his book The Experience of God, our scripture is advertising, our piety is shopping, our highest devotion is choice, the only value at the center of this social universe is the price tag.

This materialist view can rub off on us.  And when we hear the word heaven we can conceive of it as a physical place, like Tahiti or the South of France, and dismiss it as a childish fiction, which it is.  Or, educated by comic books and sci-fi movies, it’s easy to conceptualize heaven as an alternate dimension where, if we only had the proper machine or the right magic spell, we could pop over and have an adventure.  But there is no evidence whatsoever for the existence of alternate universes and we have no need for childish fantasies.  Heaven is real, and for evidence we can rely solely on personal observation. 

What can be more real than love, truth, charity, peace, sacrifice?  These are the most profound realities in our lives!  And, like all things that are real, these “goods” must rest somewhere, in the same way that a cup rests on a table or a pan rests on a stove.  Heaven is then, quite simply, the location of goodness.  When we are in need of help, and help comes to us in the form of a helpful idea or a realization, a word of advice, a kind deed, or what-have-you, the goodness we receive is at once invisible, immaterial, inexplicable, and very, very real.  We can say that the goodness we received “came down to us from heaven.” Heaven is a great word, because it describes reality exactly as we experience it, despite the fact that we don’t understand how it works.    

Now, if heaven is the place of invisible goodness, then the kingdom of God is the invisible state – not a physical state like Florda or Kansas – but a state of being in which we are thinking, desiring, acting and believing in a way that is pleasing to God, our heavenly King.  Remember Luke 17:21 – “The kingdom of God is within you.”  Conversely, when you are behaving in a manner that’s in keeping with the wills and desires of the Satan, you are in a state of damnation.  Each of us moves into and out of these states quite readily – without the aid of U-Haul. So with these understandings, let us turn to today to the words of Jesus. 

Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God.  In the words of evangelist A. W. Tozer, “the blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things” and are able to serve God as loyal subjects.  Fancy homes, finicky sports cars, and fancy stock portfolios demand constant maintenance and attention.  They own us as much as we own them.  And the hamster wheel of consumerism only distracts us from heavenly things.

Blessed are those who are now hungry, for they shall be satisfied.  Freed from the quest for ever more delicious food and pleasurable sensations, we can be ever more devoted to seeking spiritual sustenance.  Thirsting for righteousness and hungry for justice, we will find our satisfaction in the ways of God.

Blessed those who now weep, for they will laugh.  Weeping over the sadness of family members, friends, coworkers and neighbors, we will do the things that relieve their suffering and bring us together in celebration when difficulties have been overcome.  Liberated from the constant quest for fun and entertainment, flitting from one party to the next, from theme park to festival to concert, we are free to laugh and smile at genuine moments of connection.

Blessed are you when people hate, revile, and curse you for believing in Jesus.  What could be a greater compliment than to be at odds with this upside-down-materialist world?  When we cease our addiction to the drug of approval – the most powerful drug of all, delivered every day by means of likes and shares and friend requests via social media – we will receive heavenly rewards instead.  When we do good, not to receive awards and kudos, we gain entrance to the state of being in which God is truly our king.

Woe be unto us if we cling to the ways of this world, brothers and sisters – if we ignore the evidence of the heart, avoid sincere experiences within reach, deny belief in heaven, and rebel against the kingdom of God. For we will get everything we want, but none of what we need in the world to come.

ADVERSITY: METTLE MAKER #294

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

ADVERSITY: METTLE MAKER #294

The word adversity comes from the Latin adversitas which means “turned towards.” Adversity is the headwind at comes when you head in the right direction.

Self-defense: Oblique or Diagonal Kick is one of the most versatile kicks around. Watch the video on the right. Then put in a full round of pushing Oblique Kicks vs. your heavy bag. Then put in a round of striking Oblique Kicks vs. the heavy bag making contact using the heel. Then put in a third round of Oblique kicks vs. either the air or a soft target such as a double-end ball, driving your toes into the target. Note: In Savate Defense they call this by various names such as chassé frontal or chassé Italien.

If this material seems foreign, perhaps you’d benefit from the Heritage Self-Defense program. Click here to sign up — it’s free.

Zercher Squats — courtesy of Wikimedia

Fitness: What’s the safest kind of squat you can do without a spotter? Hip Belt Squats and Yoke Squats, but specialized equipment are required. All things considered, Zercher Squats are probably the way to go if you want to Squat lonesome. Put the bar on a couple of plyo-boxes or other sturdy props, get under it, and go. If the bar hurts your forearms, cut two 8” slices of a 99-cent pool noodle, slit them down the side, and pop them onto your barbell for padding. All gain, no pain! Need help designing a fitness program that suits your needs? Enroll in the free Heritage Fitness Distance Learning Program . Did I mention it’s free?

Wildwood: Track yourself. So that you don’t get lost doing this exercise, pick a small, tame area that you can extricate yourself from with eases even if you get a little bewildered. Aimlessly meander your way through your selected piece of ground or patch of woods without any regard for where you’re going or where you’ve been. Beginning trackers should deliberately tromp about a bit. Advanced folks should skulk the whole way. Then turn around and track yourself back. Want to learn more about nature appreciation and survival? Click here to sign up for the 100% free Wildwood distance learning program.

Spirit: Those who are truly attempting to walk the path of righteousness should always expect difficult times and malicious enemies. To be clear, we are not talking about performative righteousness: trying to look good while being self-serving in one’s heart, deliberately courting controversy, starting fights and arguments to prove points, or any of that. Even if you are being completely meek — keeping your head down, staying in your lane, and humbly working at living your life in imitation of Christ — you can expect difficulties. The people of the world and its systems are very often possessed by greed, selfishness, materialism, depravity, corruption, malice, and so on. The actions of a righteous man, even if his mouth is completely silent, will make him a target. Expect adversity. Being righteous gives you a strong back with which to carry your personal cross. For more on this topic, come back to this blog tomorrow and listen to the homily in tomorrow’s Holy Communion.

Holy Communion 2/06/22: We Too Are Fishers of Men

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2/6/22. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

CLICK HERE TO GET AN EMAIL OF EACH SUNDAY’S SERVICE IN YOUR EMAIL BOX and to receive email updates about the mission of St. Barachiel Chapel.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Sunday 2/6/22

Readings: Is 6:1-2a, 3-8, Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8, 1 Cor 15:1-11, Lk 5:1-11

 Luke 5:1-11   American Standard Version

 Now it came to pass, while the multitude pressed upon him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and he saw two boats standing by the lake: but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the multitudes out of the boat. And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking; and they beckoned unto their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was amazed, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken; and so were also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left all, and followed him.

Nowadays we’re so removed from the cattlemen, farmers and fishermen who produce and gather our food supply that we don’t think about them at all, much less consider the importance of the people who make our food available to us.  My family and friends tease me about making acquaintance with the cashiers, baggers, and stockers at the local chain grocery store.  To my way of thinking though, if I had lived in the time of Christ, I would’ve known well the men and women who fed my village.  These days we just complain about the high price of groceries.  But back then, if Peter got no catch, he and the entire village went hungry.  And when his nets were filled, all rejoiced and happily paid a fair price for his haul.  So the least I can do is remember the names of the nice folks who work at my grocery store, ask how their families are doing, and take a genuine interest in them.

So, in this context, we enter into this Gospel reading and see that after a failed night of fishing, Peter has stepped out of his boat and is cleaning his nets.  He is not working or toiling. He is taking a moment to re-evaluate how he has been approaching his life.  Isn’t that what a smart person does after a bad day at work?  Don’t you take some time to think about what went wrong and how to do better tomorrow?  Peter is washing his nets.  He’s washing away his preconceived notions, opening himself to a new way of seeing and being in the world to the benefit of himself and his village, and he’s ready to receive a new method of gathering physical and spiritual sustenance into the community.

And so, with crowds hungry for teaching pressing in, Jesus takes over Peter’s boat.  That boat is Peter’s life and livelihood, it’s the way Peter feeds himself, his family, and his neighborhood.  He allows Jesus to step into it that boat and take it over completely.  His boat is now Christ’s boat.  Despite having caught nothing all night, Peter has faith.  He goes out into deeper water, casts his net, and lands a net-breaking catch – a foreshadowing of his evangelization’s future success.

Friends, our boats can be dangerous and scary places, tossed by waves, raised and lowered by tides, blown off course by winds, capsized by storms, and attacked by pirates.  Our nets can become dirty.  They can be ripped by sharp-toothed fish, shredded on the rocks, and stolen by thieves.  But if in good faith we cleanse, mend, and protect our nets and if we let Christ take command of our boats, it is possible for us to sail through this life in a new way.  That doesn’t mean it will be smooth sailing.  It just means that we’ll be able to go out into deep water, reach down into the darkened depths, and bring up the good, the true, and the beautiful.  We can gather up the Holy Spirit and share it with those in want. 

We too can be fishers of men.

DANCE AND BREATHE: METTLE MAKER #293

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

DANCE AND BREATHE: METTLE MAKER #293

Self-defense: First, watch the video on the right. Then, for extra credit, conduct a footwork self-review. Although it comes to the fore of the tongue when fighting unarmed, footwork techniques are central to the conversation of fighting in general. All footwork techniques should be on display all the time when fighting. Set a timer to beep on 1 minute intervals and get this done, shadowboxing as you do:

• Lunge (assorted front, side, and rear) - 1 min.

• Surge (forward, side, back) - 1 min.

• Skip (forward and back) - 1 min.

• Cross (front and rear) - 1 min.

• Décollage - 1 min.

• All mixed - 3 min..

• Extra time on maneuvers requiring greater fluency - 2 mins.

  ——————————————

  Total: 10 minutes

  Is this material seems foreign, perhaps you’d benefit from the Heritage Self-Defense program. Click here to sign up — it’s free. And then watch the video on the right.

Fitness: Knock out the following constitutional, 25 of each: MCL, PUP, SQT, NCR (25 @ way), GUP, SPR, PKS. If these abbreviations don’t make sense, consider that you should be familiar enough with calisthenics in general that the abbreviations are obvious. Want to learn more? Enroll in the free Heritage Fitness Distance Learning Program . Did I mention it’s free?

Wildwood: If your vehicle broke down in the middle of nowhere, could you hike yourself to safety? Cell phones are not magic wands — they get out of range, they break, and they lose charge. Remember, you might not have a proper backpack, which means you might have to walk a considerable distance while carrying your essentials in a shopping bag. Test out your survival mettle by picking up an awkward object and carrying a considerable distance. Adjust the weight of the object and distance of the walk such that the exercise is difficult but within safe limits based on your personal capabilities. Want to learn more about nature appreciation and survival? Click here to sign up for the 100% free Wildwood distance learning program.

Spirit: Watch the 3-minute video below. Then actually sit down on your back porch or on a bench at the park and meditate on this topic.

Holy Communion 1/30/22: Elijah, Elisha and the Serpent

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 1/30/22. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

CLICK HERE TO GET AN EMAIL OF EACH SUNDAY’S SERVICE IN YOUR EMAIL BOX and to receive email updates about the mission of St. Barachiel Chapel.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Sunday 1/23/22

Readings: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19, Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17, 1 Cor 12:31—13:13, Lk 4:21-30

Luke 4:21-30 American Standard Version

And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth: and they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? And he said unto them, Doubtless ye will say unto me this parable, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in thine own country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country. But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and unto none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things; and they rose up, and cast him forth out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong.  But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

 Brothers and sisters, God doesn’t give us what we want – he gives us what we need.  Perhaps I mention this too often, but it’s so very, very important that I’m willing to risk harping on it.  Look here – many people lose their faith when things go wrong in their lives because they think that if they follow the commandments and worship God, that they should get some kind of magical protection.  That’s not Christianity.  That’s paganism, that’s magic, that’s idolatry.  And so you have to understand this so that your faith will be strong.

During the Exodus, after the people had been freed from their slavery in Egypt, the people did nothing but gripe and moan and complain about how much harder freedom was than slavery.  So God put snakes into their path to make their journey even worse.  The people repented and begged Moses to speak with God so that they could get relief from the snakes.  Moses did.  But did God do away with the snakes?  No.  He didn’t even make the snakes stop biting!  God told Moses to make a brass snake and put it on a pole, and he said that if those who were bitten looked at the brass snake, the poison would not kill them.  They were still going to get bitten, the poison was still going to hurt, they were still going to be sick, and still suffer.  They just wouldn’t die. (Numbers 21:4-9)

And then, to really drive this point home, God sends his only begotten son Jesus who says in John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.”  Jesus is saying, just like the people in the wilderness all those years ago, you’re still going to suffer, and get sick, and be beset by all kinds of problems.  In fact, you’re still going to die an earthly death.  But those who follow Christ may have hope for a hereafter.

 Okay.  So now to today’s reading.  Jesus is in the temple, and he’s just finished reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, Chapter 61. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

 And Jesus tells them that this scripture is fulfilled in their hearing.  And they say, “Wow, isn’t that great!  God’s chosen one is from right here in our hometown!  Boy oh boy is this is going to be great for us!  We’re going to be liberated from the oppression of the Romans!  Let’s party, let’s celebrate!”  They had heard about Jesus’ miracles in Capernaum, they figured, “If that’s what he did over there, imagine what he’s going to do here!”

But then Jesus shocks them.  He says, like Elijah – who didn’t help the widows here but this one widow way over in Zarephath – his job is to heal others, not himself; to heal foreigners, not his own family.  He mentions Elisha – who doesn’t heal Israel’s lepers, but this one leper who is the general of the opposing army!  Jesus basically tells them in no uncertain terms that they are not going to be getting any special treatment.  In fact, they might not get anything at all!

And do they get the message?  No.  Of course they don’t.  Just like many of us today, they think that if they follow the rules they should get rewarded.  Just like us, when they find out they aren’t going to get what they want, they get frustrated, disappointed, angry and resentful.  So they take Jesus to a cliff to throw him off but, miraculously, he escapes. 

Friends, struggle against the temptation to think the way those people thought.  We are not going to get what we want.  We are going to get what we need.  And what we need is the blessed hope of a share in the Paschal Mystery – in the passion, death, resurrection, and glory of Jesus Christ – so that we may give up our pettiness and selfishness and live our lives in imitation of Christ, as healers and preachers to all the nations, loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

VALLEY FORGE: METTLE MAKER #292

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

VALLEY FORGE: METTLE MAKER #292

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Knife and Pistol Command, Mastery, and Fitness

Self-defense: The fourth week of the month is always weapon week. Hopefully you did some command, mastery, and fitness work with a weapon in your hand this week. No problem — next week is a split-week so it’s dedicated to General Self-defense. Couldn’t hurt to do some more. Get your mock weapon of choice and complete 25 each of Bottom Scissors, Crunch ‘n’ Punch, Shrimps, Prisoner Get-ups, Get-ups, Shin Rides, and Side Deadfalls. See video at right for more details (includes a little tidbit about Valley Forge as well). Is this stuff new and different for you? You should evaluate your current program and maybe think about switching to ours. Click here to sign up — it’s free.

Fitness: Go back in time and ask the folks at Valley Forge what “fitness” is and see what they say. Ask a hunter what “fitness” is, and he or she might suggest that fitness is being able to stand stock still for three hours in sub-freezing temperatures, or being able to silently skulk for 100 yards in a crouch (see the Heritage Wildwood drill below). Fitness depends. Need help tweaking your fitness program, or want help designing one from scratch? Enroll in the free Heritage Self-Defense Distance Learning Program or maybe click here to sign up for the free Heritage Fitness Program. Did I mention they’re both free?

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Valley Forge by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. Excellent book

Wildwood: Could you have survived the hell that was Valley Forge? Could you have lived on boiled leather scraps, slept on frozen mud in cramped, hastily-built log cabins, and gone to war with no shoes? Within a couple of months there wasn’t so much as a rustling rat or a scraggly plantain within 10 miles of Valley Forge because they stalked and ate every critter and harvested every edible plant. Can you slowly skulk for at least 100 yards? See video below and work the drill. Want to learn more about nature appreciation and survival? Click here to sign up for the 100% free Wildwood distance learning program.

Spirit: The men who survived Valley Forge had been hit by just about every suffering, indignity and malady that a human can endure short of being crushed by his own tombstone. Facing and surviving a brush with death, whether it is short or prolonged, provides a certain clarity that’s hard to define. The only way to get close without going through it is to meditate on death. Here is an other excerpt from Jeremy Taylor’s Holy Dying (1651). If this sort of thing interests you, come to this blog every Sunday for Holy Communion and worship with us, and click the button on the right to subscribe to the church newsletter.

“He that would die well must always look for death, every day knocking at the gates of the grave; and then the gates of the grave shall never prevail upon him to do him mischief. This was the advice of all the wise and good men of the world, who, especially in the days and periods of their joy and festival egressions, chose to throw some ashes into their chalices, some sober remembrances of their fatal period. Such was the black shirt of Saladine; the tombstone presented to the Emperor of Constantinople on his coronation-day; the Bishop of Rome's two reeds with flax and a fax-taper; the Egyptian skeleton served up at feasts; and Trimalcion's banquet in Petronius, in which was brought in the image of a dead man's bones of silver, with spondyles exactly returning to every of the guests, and saying to every one, that you and you must die, and look not one upon another, for every one is equally concerned in this sad representment.” ~Jeremy Taylor, Holy Dying (Chapter 2, Section 1)

Holy Communion 1/23/22: Memorial of St. Vincent of Saragossa

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, 1/23/22. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

CLICK HERE TO GET AN EMAIL OF EACH SUNDAY’S SERVICE IN YOUR EMAIL BOX and to receive email updates about the mission of St. Barachiel Chapel.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Sunday 1/23/22

Readings: Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10, Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15, 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27, Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21  

Yesterday, brothers and sisters, was the feast day of St. Vincent of Saragossa, and today we’re going to take advantage of our option to celebrate his memorial.  St. Vincent was born in the 3rd century and died in the year 304.  He was a deacon, an assistant to Bishop Valerius of Spain, who suffered under a speech impediment.  St. Vincent was his spokesman.  So, when Bishop Valerius was thrown in prison by the Roman governor Dacian during the Christian persecutions ordered by Emperor Diocletian, St. Vincent was taken in as well.

Bishop Valerius was banished, but St. Vincent’s outspoken manner made him the subject of severe torture. His flesh was pierced with iron hooks, he was bound and roasted on a red-hot gridiron, and tossed into a prison cell whose floor was strewn with broken pottery.  His demeanor was so calm and unmoved in the face of his extreme suffering that when he died at peace his jailer repented of his sins and was converted to the Christian faith – an occurrence not uncommon in the lives of saints and martyrs by the way.

After his death his body was cast onto a muckheap and would’ve been devoured by vultures had it not been protected by ravens.  Dacian then ordered the body interred at sea, where it washed ashore and was taken by the faithful to be interred at Cape St. Vincent on the coast of Portugal which now bears his name.  A shrine was built on the spot, and ravens continued to protect his body, so much so that 800 years later, when Spain and Portugal were under Muslim rule, the place was referred to as Kanīsah al-Ghurāb or “The Church of the Raven.”

The raven, of course, is the dire black bird that leads the spirits of the departed toward the afterlife in the old pagan myths. But in Genesis the raven is the first bird Noah released to find dry land after the flood, and in the old art of Alchemy, the raven symbolized the first stage of development in the Great Work – the perfection of the soul in and the manufacture of the heal-all known as the Philosopher’s Stone.  The Savior himself references the raven in the Gospel of Luke 12:22-25.  Jesus said,  

“Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life? If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?” Luke 12:22-25 American Standard Version

I assure you that Jesus Christ, the Word Made Flesh, the Author of Life, did not randomly select the raven – a bird that feeds on waste and carrion and symbolizes death – for use in his sermon. The raven reminds us that every breath may be our last, and if we live their lives steeped in this knowledge, we can live life to the fullest no matter how dark our lives become.  Perhaps we can even have the courage of St. Vincent of Saragossa.  Let, therefore, the knocks and rattles of the raven’s eerie call be as a proclamation to you. Fear not death. But rather take flight!

INTENSITY: METTLE MAKER #291

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

INTENSITY: METTLE MAKER #291

“Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap.” Luke 12:24

Self-defense: The fourth week of the month is always weapon week. Set a goal to execute 200 strikes per day (100 with each hand) using either a mock weapon vs. your heavy bag or with a live weapon vs. a pell or weapon post. If a carpenter can drive nails all day, 7 days a week for 30 years and call it a job well done, you should be able to summon up enough intensity to play pretend combat for 5 minutes every day for one lousy week. Get there.

Fitness: What’s “intensity level” in weightlifting terms? If the max you can bench press for 1 rep (“1RM”) is 160 lbs. then you should be able to do a set of 10 with 75% of that number, or 10 x 120 lbs. The percentage of 1RM is generally referred to as “intensity level.” The higher the intensity level the higher the drain on your central nervous system (CNS). If you’re a power lifter, you like intensity. Lifting is your sport. “Intensity means gains bro!” CNS drain from lifting is expected and accepted. But if you’re a martial artist or a tennis player, and you’re lifting at more than about 75%, the CNS drain will tend to steal the intensity from your martial arts training, your tennis training, or what-have-you. Put your intensity where it belongs! Need help tweaking your program, or want help designing one from scratch? Enroll in the free Heritage Self-Defense Distance Learning Program or maybe click here to sign up for the free Heritage Fitness Program. Did I mention they’re both free?

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Snow tracking is fun. Done that lately?

Wildwood: Lots of snow this week in the East and Southeast, plenty right here in Richmond, VA. Something about the snow really makes being in the woods more intense. Perhaps it’s because it’s relatively rare where I live. Anyway, snow tracking is great fun. You can spot animal tracks with incredible ease, and snow dampens the sound of your approach if you’re careful and slow in your stalking so that every footfall doesn’t make a scrunch that is. You might even be able to sprinkle salt on a rabbit’s tail. The old timers used to say that sprinkling salt on a wild animal’s tail made them way easier to catch. Why not test out the axiom and have some fun in the bargain? By the way, do you know how to appropriately camouflage yourself in snowy conditions? Unless you’re a soldier trying to make yourself invisible to aerial recon, the best plan is to wear white pants (and boots if you have them) with a camo jacket. Common sense really. Just look out into the snowy woods. White on the bottom, camo on top, right?

Spirit: Here is another meditation from my forthcoming book tentatively titled The Art of Dying Well: Forty Memento Mori Meditations.

Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life? If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?” Luke 12-22-25 American Standard Version

The Raven is the dire black bird that leads the spirits of the departed toward the afterlife in the old myths. Whenever the Raven enters the story, he reminds us that every breath may be our last and, as everyone knows but few embody, those who live their lives steeped in this knowledge live to the fullest. Just as the raven was the first bird released to find dry land after the flood, in the old art of Alchemy, the raven was the first of the animals associated with the four stages of development in the Great Work – the perfection of the soul in preparation to meet one’s maker and the fabrication of the heal-all known as the Philosopher’s Stone.

Rest assured the Jesus Christ, the Word Made Flesh, the Author of Life, did not randomly select the raven for his sermon. Let, therefore, the knocks and rattles of the Raven’s eerie call be as a proclamation to you. Fear not death. But rather take flight!

If this sort of thing interests you, come to this blog every Sunday for Holy Communion and worship with us, and click the button on the right to subscribe to the church newsletter.

Holy Communion 1/16/22: What is Wine? (John 2:1-11)

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, 1/16/22. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Sunday 1/16/22

Readings: Is 62:1-5, Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10, 1 Cor 12:4-11, Jn 2:1-11

John 2:1-11 (American Standard Version)

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 Now there were six waterpots of stone set there after the Jews’ manner of purifying, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the [a]ruler of the feast. And they bare it. 9 And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water [b]now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom, 10 and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

 Brothers and sisters, what is wine?  Wine is water that has fallen to earth from the clouds, been drawn up into grapevines along with minerals and nutrients, and made into the juice of the grape by action of the sun on the leaves.  Then, with ingenuity and patience, the juice is fermented, aged and decanted by skilled artisans.  Wine is water transformed through the cooperation of nature, man and the grace of God’s creation.

What is special about wine?  In Jesus’ time, not all water was safe to drink.  Without modern detection and treatment methods it wasn’t uncommon for people to suffer from poisoning by bacteria, parasites, and excessive minerals in or near water sources.  But the grapevines filter the water of parasites and minerals, and fermentation kills harmful bacteria. Wine was always pure and safe to drink.  And, on top of all that, wine is delicious and brings with it warmth and joy.

Wine was and is a rather miraculous thing.  But why is providing wine to a wedding banquet the perfect way for the Son of God to begin his ministry?  A wedding, my friends, is an event where a couple and their families are joined together under the blessings of God.  And as they are celebrating, the old wine runs out.  Jesus changes the water in the ritual washing pots into wine.  The message he is sending is that the old way of doing things was good, but they have become empty; they need to be filled up with something miraculous, something greater.  Is it good to wash ourselves, to purify the outside?  Sure it is.  But we should also purify the inside.  We should drink in purity, we should celebrate and be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

This miracle is pointing to a new wedding – the wedding of humanity to God through the miracle of Jesus Christ.  It’s not accidental that this miracle was performed on the third day after Jesus entered Galilee.  Wine is symbolic of blood.  This is a foreshadowing of his rise on the third day after his crucifixion.  And just as the servants and the waiters are aware of the miracle but the headwaiter and the guests are not, the apostles and servants of Jesus Christ will be privy to the Mysteries of the Resurrection that we celebrate today in Holy Communion – and may hope to be honored guests at the greatest celebration possible, which is resurrection into the Kingdom of God in the time to come.

CLIMB: METTLE MAKER #290

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

CLIMB: METTLE MAKER #290

Can you finish this in under 20 minutes with good form?

Self-defense and Fitness combo: See if you can get through this mobility grinder in under 20 minutes: Bear Walks (25 x 4 yards), Crawl (8 x 4 yards, belly no higher than 4” from the dirt), Get-ups (25), Prisoner Get-ups (25), Shoulder Roll (25), Side Deadfall (25), and Sprints (50 x 4 yards). If you think this was fun, you should enroll in the free Heritage Self-Defense Distance Learning Program or maybe click here to sign up for the free Heritage Fitness Program. Did I mention they’re both free?

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Wildwood: Can you identify the tree on the right? I spotted this small but perfect specimen this week. If you can’t, you should think about signing up for the Wildwood nature appreciation and survival program. Like all our programs, its free. Here are a couple of hints. If you see the white top of this tree in the distance, you may have found a water source. And this is the tree that Zacchaeus climbed and sat in order to get a better view of Jesus.

Spirit: Here is another excerpt from my forthcoming book, “The Craft of Dying Well.“

“In the world there will be tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

During his time on earth, Christ was as fully human as you are. He died, rose from the tomb after three days, and promises you a share in his resurrection. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) who takes you by the hand that you might go with him to dwell in his father’s house. Death is but your entry into the suffering of the cross. To fear your demise is to doubt Christ’s victory over death. Fear not. Christ has vanquished death, and you will also.

If this sort of thing interests you, come to this blog every Sunday for Holy Communion and worship with us, and click the button on the right to subscribe to the church newsletter.

Holy Communion for the Baptism of the Lord 2022

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Baptism of the Lord 2022. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Baptism of the Lord – Saturday 1/9/22

Readings: Is 42:1-4, 6-7, Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10, Acts 10:34-38, Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

Lk 3:15-16, 21-22 (American Standard Version)

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ; 16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not [a]worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you [b]in the Holy Spirit and in fire.

 21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Friends, they say “Love hurts.”  But really only distortions of love hurt, like lust, desire, possessiveness, puppy love and unrequited or one-sided love.  These cause all manner of problems in our lives -- arguments, fights, disputes, self-harm, jealousy – you know, all the drama, upset and catastrophe we’ve seen depicted in stories from the Old Testament to Shakespeare to modern reality TV shows.  Particularly painful and dangerous is the situation in which one person loves the other but are not loved in return.  For the loved party, this can lead to deep feelings of guilt and misplaced obligation.  To the unloved party this can feel like dying, like drowning, like being lost at sea. 

In the flood story, when mankind does not love God properly, the waters rise and drown the world in the oceans of chaos.  Only Noah and his family, who love and trust God, are spared.  Their seed is the seed of the human race.  In Genesis 8:12, Noah releases a dove from the ark.  When it does not return, he knows the flood waters have receded.  Probably Noah follows the dove in the direction of dry land, a common practice of sailors in ancient times. 

Noah and his family’s properly ordered love for God – symbolized by a dove – leads them out of the seas of chaos to the dry, stable land.  A married couple at a fancy wedding may release a bevy of doves to symbolize their properly ordered love for one another.  A husband and wife’s true love – filled up with respect, caring, patience and devotion – leads the family through the stormy seas of life to dry and stable land also.  And when the children love the parents in return?  When the family loves the church, and the church loves God?  This is the bedrock of society.

How fitting it is that the Holy Spirit should descend on Jesus in the form of a dove after he’s baptized by John.  The lost dove that guided Noah and his family in Genesis has returned to bless the perfect love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father.  The waters which destroyed a sinful humanity receded for Noah and have become the saving waters of baptism.  The mortal dove of Noah has become the dove of the Holy Spirit.

You see now my friends, that if the properly ordered love of an earthly family is capable of great things, then the perfectly ordered love of the Holy Spirit is capable of miracles untold!

WORKMAN: METTLE MAKER #289

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

WORKMAN: METTLE MAKER #289

Those of us who work sitting (or at best standing) behind desks can’t imagine how it’s possible for a manual laborer to toil all day in the soul-sucking heat of summer or the aching cold of winter. Those who hold a tool for at most five or ten minutes at a stretch, to put up a curtain rod or perhaps hang a picture, can’t comprehend how a man can swing a hammer from dawn to dusk or move a couple of tons of dirt or gravel in a few hours with just a shovel and a wheelbarrow.

Right now you may think that many capabilities are beyond your reach. But the carpenter begins his career as a helper, carrying tools, hauling wood, and fetching nails, working his way up over the course of years. It takes years for a landscaper or construction worker to develops his muscles and hone his technique.

Daily effort and a workmanlike approach is the key to success in all things.

Work.

~Excerpt from my forthcoming book, The Craft of Dying Well

Self-defense: Put on work gloves and safety goggles, pick up your live training knife, and get in front of your forging post or pell. Put in four rounds of Double-slash and Stab. Alternate hands each round, aim at both high and low targets, and vary your slashes (2-8, 8-2, 2-6, 6-2, 3-7, 7-3, etc. ). Be sure to select a specific point for your stab — aim for a tiny knot or make a pea-sized dot with a marking pen. If any of this doesn’t make any sense, you should question your training methods. Consider enrolling in the Heritage Self-Defense Distance Learning Program (it's free by the way because we’re a charity).

Fitness: Form matters. The old-timers were really big on form, and many of the current greats are too. Try doing 12 each of the following calisthenics with perfect form on a 10-second pace per rep (4 count up, 2-count hold, 4-count down): Push-ups, Zombie Squats, Jackknifes, Neck Crunches, Sit-Outs, and Back Bridges. If this doesn’t take at least 12 minutes you’re going too fast, and if you’re not a little sore tomorrow I’ll eat my hat. Want more? Click here to sign up for the free Heritage Fitness Program. Did I mention it’s free?

Wildwood: How do you develop cold tolerance better than a dog’s? By regularly going outside in the cold while wearing the least amount of clothing you can stand (within safe limits of course) . Did you read the quote at the top of the page? No? Go read it, I’ll wait. Good. Still don’t believe me? Dig this:

“The Powhatans [native Indians of Virginia], being active outdoor people, dealt with winter cold as long as possible by merely acclimatizing and oiling themselves. [John] Smith was amazed at the men’s ability to go about nearly naked in weather such that “a dogge would scarse have endured it.” However, when they finally bundled up they wore fur cloaks called “matchcoats.”” [p. 69]

“[T]he English did notice that the Indians washed every morning in the nearest stream, whatever the weather, after which they staged a prayer ritual. They told the English they washed themselves and even their small children in order to make them hardy and inured to cold.” [p. 78]

~Rountree, Helen C. The Powhatans of Virginia (1989, University of Oklahoma Press)

And lastly, go read this great article by Mark Hatmaker about cold tolerance. Get there. Want more? Sign up for the Heritage Wildwood distance learning program..

Spirit: Here is another excerpt from my forthcoming book, The Craft of Dying Well.

“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” ~1 Corinthians 15:55-57.

Assume your meditative posture of choice and set a timer for 10+ minutes. Any posture will do (in a chair, cross-legged, kneeling, seiza, virasana, doesn’t matter) as long as your back is straight and your hands are close to your body so your arms don’t get tired. Breathe in as you silently ask, “Where, O Death, is your victory?’ Hesitate with lungs full as you silently ask “Where, O Death, is your sting?” Repeat as you breathe out and hesitate with lungs empty. Keep airways open when you hesitate full and empty — don’t clamp down. As you do this, imagine every possible way you could be suffered to die. By slow and painful disease, in a bed in an old-folk’s home abandoned by family, freezing to death in cardboard box under the overpass, shot, stabbed, car accident, tortured by terrorists, by every method your mind can conjure — especially the ones that terrify you the most. Begin to do the work of hardening yourself to the inevitability of death, for only by banishing the fear of death do we truly live.

If this sort of thing interests you, come to this blog every Sunday for Holy Communion and worship with us.

Holy Communion for the Epiphany of the Lord 2022

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Epiphany of the Lord 2022. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Epiphany of the Lord – Saturday 1/2/22

Readings: Is 60:1-6, Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13, Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6, Mt 2:1-12

A star rises in the east and the wise men come to worship the King of the Jews.  We often speak of three wise men because there are three gifts and because an obscure Greek manuscript lists three by name, but in some faith traditions they are numbered up to twelve.  We can’t really be sure about that detail.  And in the popular imagination, we picture them riding on horses or camels, literally following a star in the distance until they stumble upon the holy family with the newborn Jesus. 

But that can’t be right because, in the story, when the wise men see the star they go to Jerusalem and begin to make inquiries.  How do they know to go to Jerusalem?  They are magi, and a magi is a Persian astrologer-priest.  In those days, astrology (fortune telling by the stars and planets) and astronomy (the study of celestial objects and phenomena) were one and the same.  So, when this star rises they consult their astrological charts and past predictions and they point to Bethlehem.

When they arrive, and Herod gets wind of their inquiries, he brings together the chief priests and scribes who quote Micah 5:1. “And thou Bethlehem…of thee shall come forth a… shepherd of my people Israel.”  Herod sends the wise men to Bethlehem to investigate. And the Gospel says that the star, “went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.”  All celestial objects near the elliptic, that is the plane the zodiac, rise in the east and set in the west, take about twelve hours to move from horizon to horizon, and are roughly overhead at midnight.  It’s only about five or ten miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, depending which sides of the two cities your journey begins and ends.  It’s certainly conceivable that, once it was good and dark, they set out on foot (as many people did in those days), headed toward a star in the eastern distance.  That’s a two or three-hour walk.  As they walked, the star rose and came toward them; and by the time they found the holy family, the star appeared to be directly above. 

Isn’t that something?  Isn’t it really fun to see that there’s nothing at all impossible about the story as we read it here?  Sure.  But how is it significant, and what can we learn from it? 

The magi were the most educated class in the pagan world at that time, and their greatest scientists.  These were the men kings like Herod relied upon to tell time by the stars, to determine when the earth would process and winter would begin, so that crops could be planted after the first frost and harvested at the right time, and so forth.  Entire nations lived and died by the measurements of the magi.

God, by making the movements of a particular star coincide with the birth of his Son, has revealed the birth of Jesus to the greatest scientific minds of the day.  He has revealed himself as the Celestial Mover of the heavens.  And by drawing Herod into his divine plan, such that Herod brings together the best and brightest of the region – the Jewish priests and scribes as well as the great Persian astrologers and philosophers – God takes his place as King of Heaven and Earth. 

Let this be a sign for us.  Let’s never claim that science is at odds with religion, because clearly it is not.  It doesn’t matter if we are educated or uneducated, Jew or gentile, for as St. Paul said, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor male and female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).   Let all of us, from the humblest shepherd to the most educated scientist, from the richest to the poorest, seek out Bethlehem and pay homage to the King.

Resolutions: Mettle Maker #288

What is the weekly mettle maker? It’s a weekly shot in the arm, a semi-fortnightly kick in the pants — your helpful hebdomadal heckler, hammering away at you to stop hemming and hawing and hurdle headlong into becoming your own hero!

Resolutions: METTLE MAKER #288

Sorry we missed posting a mettle maker last week. Wait a minute — actually I’m not sorry at all — it was Christmas Day! I had no business blogging, and you would’ve had no business reading a blog, on just about the most important holiday (second to Easter?) in the Western World.

Today is pretty important too, mainly because today is the day most people start their New Year’s resolutions. But let me tell you kids, there ain’t nothing like a brush with death (like my heart attack two weeks ago) to remind you that if something’s important enough to warrant making a resolution, do not put it off until the start of a new year.

Whatever you want to do, do it now.

In the words of the great Theodore Roosevelt,

“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”

I’m not letting a little heart attack stand between me and my dreams — I’m not even going to let it slow me down.

Whatever you’ve got standing in your way, start finding a way to work around it, with it, or in spite of it.

Self-defense: Sometimes a micro-dose of consistency is just what you need to start engraining consistent practice habits for the long haul. The coming week is striking week. Resolve to work your heavy bag every day this week for at least 3 rounds per day. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to put in at least 3 rounds twice the week after. From there — if you want to have punching and kicking power that’ll put bullies, killers and thugs on their butts — make sure that you work your heavy bag at least twice a week for the foreseeable future.

Fitness: If you can’t do it for a 100 years without your body falling apart, it’s not sustainable. Whatever you do, don’t start 2021 with guns blazing. Training at redline for weeks at a time is a recipe for injury and reduced performance. Come up with a sensible training plan that averages out to about 75% effort over the long haul and that exceeds 90% effort no more than 1/4 of the time. Look at your plan and make an evaluation. If you need help designing a plan, click here to sign up for the free Heritage Fitness Program. Did I mention it’s free?

Wildwood: Primitive skills are like a language that’s used to communicate the world. You can’t get fluent in French, let’s say, without speaking French with native speakers on a daily basis. Well you can’t get fluent in outdoor skills if you only practice once or week or go hiking once a month. For the coming week, try practicing as often as you can throughout the day. Every time you climb your stairs at home, practice your stalking skills by trying not to let the steps creak. When you go to the supermarket, practice your plant ID skills by seeing how many of the plants and flowers you can identify in the floral section. Next time you get in your car, practice your tracking skills by trying to determine how many critters came into contact with it based on animal prints, droppings, webs, insect trails, and so forth.

Spirit: The symbol of Heritage Arts is the hourglass. Where the top half of the hourglass meets the bottom is the place where the ideal meets the real, where the theoretical meats the actual, and where ultimate success is realized if the timing is right. This embodies the Greek concept of kairos which is the perfect or most opportune time for a proper action, like planting time or harvest time, the time for setting sail on a voyage, the time for breaking ground on a building project, the time for a wedding, etc. Kairos is the Greek word for time found in Mark 1:15 in the Greek New Testament. And since Mark was the first gospel written, these are the first recorded words attributed to Jesus: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).”

In other words, the perfect time to encounter God is always right now.

Holy Communion for the Nativity of the Lord 2021

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Nativity of the Lord 2021 (recorded the afternoon of 12/25/21). To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, or support our educational mission, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Nativity of the Lord 2021

Readings: Is 52:7-10, Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6, Heb 1:1-6, Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

Brothers and sisters, the prologue of the Gospel of John describes Christ’s nature as the Word of God – the Way, the Truth and Life – and explains that if we accept Christ, who is the light of the human race, we can become children of God.

It can be hard to see his light because the modern world is so full of lesser, very distracting lights, stars, and luminaries of all kinds.  Everywhere we turn there are headlights, streetlights, and stoplights; movie stars, YouTube stars, social media and news luminaries, and political meteors; cell phone screens, video game screens, TV screens, VR goggles, and the list goes on.  On all sides, blinking lights and shiny toys distract and attract our attention.  And let’s not forget the worst light of all, the light of Lucifer – whose name means “light bringer” – who rather than reflecting the light of Christ, illuminates instead our hearts’ desires for more – more fun, more food, more pleasure, power, fame, and “likes.”  Distracted and re-directed by all of these different lights, we increasingly find ourselves led astray into discord, dispute, depression and disbelief in in Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Let us pause here and now on Christmas Day to focus our attention on Jesus Christ, the light of the human race, and to celebrate the day when his light first dawned on the earth.  Because Jesus Christ is eternal, his light shines on all places, at all times, and for all people.  And if we can look away from the distracting, worldly lights on every side and gaze toward the fixed point that is the light of Christ – if we can all walk together toward God – we can all grow closer.  God draws all things toward one another by drawing them into himself.  The nearer we get to him, the nearer we get to one another.

Stop looking down and look upward toward Christ.  Join hands with your families, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens – and walk toward the light born in Bethlehem.  You see, we are not born brothers and sisters by flesh and blood, or the will of men can never unite us. We are made brothers and sisters only if we accept that we are all children of God.

Holy Communion 12/19/21 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the fourth Sunday of Advent 12/19/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Text of today’s homily below.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you. And if you’d like to assist in the beautification, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent – Sunday 12/19/21

Readings: Mi 5:1-4a, Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19, Heb 10:5-10, Lk 1:39-45

Luke 1:39-45 - American Standard Version

39 And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; 42 and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? 44 For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that [a]believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.

Friends, today’s Gospel reading is the story of St. Mary visiting her relative Elizabeth who is also pregnant.  Mary carries the Savior, while Elizabeth carries the St. John the Baptist, and when Mary arrives, the unborn baby John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb.

Isn’t this a quaint story?  Sure, of course it is.  It’s just the kind of story people love to tell, especially expectant mothers.  You can just imagine this story being retold by Mary and Elizabeth, and by all of their girlfriends.  “Did you hear what happened when Mary visited Elizabeth?  Don’t you know, as soon as she came into the room, baby John started kicking like crazy!  Isn’t that something?”

But rest assured, brothers and sisters, this is more than a charming tale meant to warm our hearts.  Is it okay for it to be that?  Yes, certainly it is.  But like every story in the Bible there are deeper levels at which this story can be read and interpreted.  And one of those ways touches each and every one of us.

Because we all carry within us hidden potentials that are waiting to be born.  These can be literal children, of course, but they can also be projects, ideas, businesses, speeches, conversations, donations and good works, and so on.  We also have the potential to give birth to bad things, negative things, unhealthy things.  But if we are like Elizabeth and the baby John inside her – if we allow ourselves to be open and receptive to the presence of Jesus Christ – to what beautiful and miraculous things might we give birth?  If we allow our hearts to leap, and kick and stir, and we if we dare to bring into the world potentials that resonate with Jesus Christ, how wondrous that would be!

Don’t forget, brothers and sisters, that Elizabeth was up in years, and so was her husband Zechariah.  But, by the grace of God, she conceived a son despite being past her prime.  Have you given up on your hopes and dreams of a greater life in Christ?  Have you despaired on giving birth to something great?  I implore you my friends to let Jesus in!  Let the things that are unborn in you leap for joy at the approach of Jesus Christ, and bring them into the world!

You don’t have to rock the world – you don’t have to raise a million dollars for charity or quit your job and go overseas on a mission, although those things are great if that’s what you have stirring inside you.  Anything dream or goal can be done in Christ, to the glory of God the Father, and with the guidance of the Holy Ghost.  Remember always that it is in God that we live, and move, and have our being; therefore, all things may be done in Christ.  And as long as there is breath in your body, through him, and with him and in him, all good things are possible.

Resilience: Mettle Maker #287

Before we get to the weekly mettle-maker, a reminder that Spirit Month is in full swing! There are still two more events you can participate in this month…

Christmas Carols and Cheer (Dec. 23rd from 6 PM to 7 PM). Join us at West End Manor Civic Association. Sit around the fire bowl, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider, and sing Christmas carols! Open to the public. No registration required.

Virtual Open House (Thu. Dec. 30th. 6 PM to 7 PM). A public Zoom call for friends both old and new. Pose questions, make suggestions, or just chew the fat, chat, or kick the cow pat. Click here to join the call. Use passcode 967346.

Resilience: METTLE MAKER #287

Resilience is on my mind this week in the wake of Monday’s heart attack. I still can’t believe I hiked to the top of Tuscarora Overlook on Saturday and had a cardiac event on Monday — what the heck? Anyway, I’m doing fine now. No surgery needed at this stage, just some meds. Please take note that exercise, a healthy diet and clean living can neither erase the effects of previous bad habits nor overcome genetic predispositions and funky anatomy — so take corrective action and see your doctor for a check-up. Am I ashamed of the abuse I heaped on my body in the past? Yep. But I’m proud of the fact that I overcame my bad habits, and I’m happy to report that my spiritual, martial, and survival training protected me from panic during the event, kept me patient and positive at the hospital, and are insulating me from depression and negativity. Now, on with the show!

Self-defense: Next week is wrestling week, so here’s a simple wrestling drill for you. If you’re training solo, get out your floor bag and set your timer for three rounds. Cycle through the following: Bottom Scissors (squeeze to failure), Bearhug (squeeze to failure with proper forearm and/or fist placement), Back Bridges (4 reps), and Grinding/Cramming (reverse to top position and grinds, crams, gouges, etc. for about a minute). Reverse and repeat for the duration. If you’re training with partner, keep the grinding at low power — just hard enough so that you and partner know that you’re hitting the right spots — and alternate roles. If you’re training solo, get your floor bag and get to work.

Fitness: Mark Hatmaker points out that if you can’t do it every day it ain’t sustainable. In order to be and remain resilient, you have to have a little in the tank when you need it. Training in the red line with too much frequency leaves you in a depleted state. Take a look at your training log. Are you a tortoise or a hare? Would a graph of your training look like a heartbeat — lots of blanks punctuated with spikes — or a mildly undulating waveform? Remember kids - Sloane’s teddy wins the race (it’s a “sure thing”). Adjust accordingly. If you have a serious health event (like, I don’t know, a heart attack?), it’s good to be well-trained but rested, and to have a few pounds of fat on your bones.

Wildwood: Do you have an emergency kit in your purse, fanny pack, or shoulder bag when you’re about town or going on a short hike? You can put one together for pennies. Here’s a picture of mine. It’s not much bigger than my hand. I had one in a plastic case which finally gave up the ghost. So I sent to the dollar store and bought a $1 make-up bag. Clockwise from upper left: saline eye drops, adhesive bandages and butterfly closures, tweezers, Benadryl, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, petroleum jelly (for lips, hands, fire-starting, etc.), needle and thread, mini fishing tackle kit, lighter, water purification tablets, and a lighter. Get there.

Spirit: When was the last time you experienced wonder? Wonder is the experience of something new, unusual, strange, extraordinary, mysterious, or downright miraculous. It’s akin to surprise, astonishment, admiration, or amazement, but its closest synonym is awe. Wonder makes you feel small. But unlike the other emotions that make you feel small by pushing you down – embarrassment, defeat, shame, guilt, and so on – wonder is a positive emotion that makes you feel small in a good way by drawing you upward into and toward something larger and fuller than yourself. The experience of wonder makes you happy, humble, and inquisitive, simultaneously aligning you with a higher power and igniting the desire for deeper understanding. This is why Socrates rightly said, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”

Heritage Arts Camp-out at Douthat

This weekend was the Heritage Arts Camp-out. For a little background on the hike, visit the founder’s blog.