Do unto others

In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate...

Continue reading

Alban

Verses from today’ reading: Wisdom 3: 1-9 The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,     and no torment shall touch them. 5 Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,     because God tried them 8 They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,     and the Lord shall be their King forever....

Continue reading

“There is no one who is righteous”

Saturday morning’s passage from the daily office (Romans 3:9-20) lists a whole catalogue of accusations that different writers of the Old Testament marshalled against the Gentiles.  Here, the author applies them to all the Roman Christians hearing or reading the letter—Jews and Greeks alike—as evidence of the need to rely,...

Continue reading

Spiritual Inheritance

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is...

Continue reading

Mizeki

              “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.  But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!  Are...

Continue reading

First, do no harm

  “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of...

Continue reading

Community

A small icon sits on my desk, a copy of The Trinity done in the early 15th century by Andrei Rublev.  The original is in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, but another copy can be found in the Meditation Chapel at the Cathedral.  The icon is also known by the...

Continue reading

Rich

The rich man toils as his wealth accumulates,     and when he rests he fills himself with his dainties. The poor man toils as his livelihood diminishes,     and when he rests he becomes needy. He who loves gold will not be justified,     and he who pursues money will be led astray...

Continue reading

Under the sun

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the skilful; but time and chance happen to them all. For no one can anticipate the time...

Continue reading

St Columba and Iona

In a week’s time, a group of pilgrims from the Cathedral would have been on their way for a pilgrimage to Iona, a tiny island in the inner Hebrides, off the coast of Mull on the West of Scotland.  Seen from here in Montreal, or even from London England, Iona...

Continue reading

Blessed are the…

There’s a meme going around where Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor,” and someone interrupts him, “no, Jesus, blessed are all people.” The meme poignantly illustrates the insensitivity of the phrase “all lives matter” as aresponse to Black communities’ pain and anger. But the meme also brings two key Gospel...

Continue reading