Office

The Anglican Spiritual Tradition, parts 1 and 2

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By Martin Thornton

PART ONE
There is good reason for dividing this lecture into two unequal parts. I must first offer a brief resumé of what I take the Anglican spiritual tradition to be; then I should like to look rather more fully at the contemporary impact of our tradition, concluding with a somewhat dangerous game of attempting to read the signs of its future unfolding.

Pedantic haggling over the meaning of words is not the most exciting exercise, but it is apparent already that some attention must be given to that most ambiguous and abused term “Tradition”; paradosis, traditio, literally a giving-over, or handing-over. Handing-over be it noted and not handing-down.

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Why set-prayer?

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What, exactly, is the ontological basis for set-prayer? The primary set-prayer for Christians, of course, is the Our Father. And it is from those words of Jesus that the Divine Office derives its raison d’etre. We often (and justifably) hear about the existential basis for set-prayer, as well as its scriptural basis. For example, the existential … Read more

What does ‘Regula’ mean?

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Note: An earlier form of this essay was published originally by Saint Paul’s, Riverside. For more, also see the online slideshow: The Prayer Book as Regula. “Prayer must be seen as a theological complex of life, a spiritual and recollective continuum made up of a totality of prayers, offices, meditations, liturgical actions and the rest. It is … Read more

The Daily Office of Readings

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Concerning the Daily Office of Readings The threefold Regula—Divine Office, Mass, personal Devotion—is the ascetical application of the doctrine of Holy Trinity. In plain terms, the Divine Office praises God transcendent, the Mass communicates with God incarnate, and personal Devotion recollects God immanent. Included in personal Devotion is a the Daily Office of Readings to invite the Holy Spirit, who … Read more

Martin Thornton and the Divine Office

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Martin Thornton had many insights in the purpose, nature, and practice of the Divine Office. Of all the topics of corporate spiritual life/journey—broadly speaking, what how Thornton defined “ascetic”—it is the topic of Divine Office, more broadly the threefold Regula, that received the most attention in his work, which was always the fruit of tremendous erudition, insight, and reflection. … Read more

To Be Called by Jesus

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Homily delivered on the Solemnity of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, 2014 at Saint Paul’s, Riverside, Illinois. [display_podcast] “Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.” Immediately we should ask, “What does it mean to follow Jesus?” And furthermore, … Read more

Why pray the Office?

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One of the primary reasons to pray the Divine Office is because it works. Many Christians report just that, and they go further and call the daily Office one of the most important aspects of their spiritual life. It is the core of what “being religious” actually means, in terms of behavior. But what are we saying … Read more

Is the Psalter the heart of the Divine Office?

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It is often said, by way of catechesis, that the Psalms constitite the heart of the Divine Office. Herein, I propose a slight, yet ascetically significant, modification: instead, what if it the Psalms really are at the heart of the devotional life? Let me attempt to explain. Because Akenside Press has made a commitment to the … Read more

The Case for a Prologue Office of Praise

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“It is not sufficient to participate regularly in the Eucharist, with its unequal stress on individuality and formalism; rather we have to be eucharistic people. We have to live perpetually in the eucharistic context and this means preparation in the form of constant attempts to resolve the underlying paradoxes involved. The cosmic and the local, … Read more

Angels and the Catholic Imagination, part 3: Angels are Sacramental Beings

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[display_podcast] Angels and the Catholic Imagination, a homily series HOMILY I | HOMILY II Homily 3 of 3: “Angels are Sacramental Beings” Given at St Paul’s Parish, Riverside, Illinois We conclude this morning this three-part homily series on the Holy Angels with an exploration of the relationship between angels and ascetical theology. That is, the relationship between … Read more