Anglican Mainstream

LENT III:  Saint Arian and His Companions, 311

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: An Alexandrian martyr with Theoticus and three others. Arian was the governor of Thebes. He and his companions witnessed the martyrdom of Sts. Apollonius and Philemon in Alexandria and were converted. Upon confessing the faith, the men were thrown into the sea. These are but one of a group of martyrs in Alexandria from the years 257-390 who were persecuted either by the Arian heretics or the Roma persecutors.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY:  In considering the first lesson we are given pause today to come to terms without our own struggles of jealousy and envy -  In the story Judah convinces his father to trust Benjamin to his care and takes full responsibility (of course this didn’t work well when he had similar charge for Joseph). In God’s infinite wisdom the eleven bothers  find themselves in their brother Joseph’s house whom they betrayed and are worried and frightened (guilt from past sins) and their money had been put back in their sacks (part of Joseph’s test for honesty).Joseph only showed his interests in them and “their” father and then “met” Benjamin his full brother who he had not seen in 20 plus years.  Despite having the upper hand he did not act on his position instead struggles with his emotions as his brothers are seated in exact order of their ages. Despite the blessing Joseph placed upon Benjamin the brothers did not have the same envy they had 20 years prior with their now successful brother instead they rejoiced in their young brother’s good fortune. The brothers of the Tribes of Judah remind us again that living with such betrayal is a burdensome life and that acting our of jealously, envy or anger albeit for a moment can have a lifetime of repercussions.

PRAYER OF THE DAY: O Most gracious Father, thou Spring of an Eternal Charity, who hast so loved mankind, that thou didst open thy bosom, and send thy holy Son to convey thy mercies to us; and thou didst create Angels and Men, that thou might have objects to whom thou might communicate thy goodness: Give me grace to follow so glorious a precedent that I may never envy the prosperity of any one, but rejoice to honor him whom thou honors, to love him whom thou loves, to commend the virtuous, to discern the precious from the vile, giving honor to whom honor belongs, that I may go to heaven in the noblest way of rejoicing in the good of others.. Amen – - Blessed Jeremy Taylor

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE:  “You can out-distance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you”.  -– Rwandan Proverb

Lenten Discipline –   What have you coveted for yourself or denied another. Praise? A gift or reward?  Whatever it is release the coveting of it by giving it to another and do so anonymously.

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