Sweetest Saviour, I come to thee upon thy invitation, and thy commandment; I could not come to thee but by thee; O let me never go from thee any more, but enter into my heart; feed me with thy word; sustain me with thy Spirit; refresh me with thy comforts, and let me in this divine mystery receive thee, my dearest Saviour: and be thou my wisdom and my righteousness, my sanctification and redemption.

Let me receive this holy nutriment, as the earnest of an eternal inheritance, as a defensative against all spiritual danger, for the eviction of all the powers of the enemy: as an incentive of holy love, and a strengthening of my faith for the increasing of a holy hope, and the consummation of a heavenly love; that thou being one with me, and I with thee, I may, by thee, be gracious in the eyes of thy heavenly Father, and may receive my portion among the inheritance of sons, O eternal and most gracious Saviour and Redeemer Jesus. Amen, Amen. - Jeremy Taylor, Devotions to be used upon the Morning of Communion

This wouldn't happen if she followed Lenten fast

brethren, if the Lord endured suffering for our souls although He is the Lord of the whole world, to Whom God said at the foundation of the world:

Let us make man in our image and likeness,

how then did He allow Himself to suffer at the hands of men?

Here is the reason. The Prophets, with His grace, prophesied concerning Him, and He, to destroy death and manifest the Resurrection from the dead, allowed Himself to suffer because He must necessarily be manifested in the flesh. It was also to fulfill the promise made to the fathers, and prepare for Himself the new people; also to show, while still on earth, that, having effected the Resurrection, He Himself will be the judge. - Epistle of Barnabas 5.5

#Patristics #Christology #Soteriology

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Who was the guilty?
Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason,
Jesus, hath undone thee.
'Twas I, Lord Jesus,
I it was denied thee:
I crucified thee.

-Johann Crueger, 1640

See, O Lord, my tribulations and the afflictions of my soul,
for I am burdened by my many sins. Return, grant pardon and lead me back to You,
for You said, “Return to Me and I will return to you.”
Have mercy on me for I am languishing;
Help me for I am so wretched,
Shine on me for I am so dark
Guide me for I have gone astray;
I am filled with sins and uncountable transgressions,
I am floundering and tossed about in torrents of iniquity.
But I take refuge in You,
Reach out Your hand to me as You did to Peter.
I call upon You to justify me as You did that tax-collector;
Pardon my transgressions as You did those of the thief.
Open to me the gate to the Way of Life,
and bring me into the royal bridal-chamber.

St Ephrem the Syrian

#Patristics #Soteriology #Penance

I will keep Thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

Numbered with the transgressors, O Christ, Thou dost free us all from the guilt brought upon us of old by the deceiver.

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By keeping Thy words.

Fairer in His beauty than all mortal men, He appears now as a corpse without form or comeliness, He who has made beautiful the nature of all things.

With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments.

How could hell endure Thy coming, O Saviour? Was it not shattered and struck blind by the dazzling radiance of Thy light?

O Saviour, as thou hang'st upon the tree;
I turne my backe to thee, but to receive
Corrections,
till thy mercies bid thee leave.
O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee,
Burne off my rusts, and my deformity,
Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace,
That thou may'st know mee,
and I'll turne my face. -John Donne, Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward

#Anglican #Soteriology #Christology

I raise up my eyes to You, O Lord,
along with my whole heart,
I implore You, O Christ God, Only-Begotten Son of God.

You who willingly descended from [Your] ineffable glory,
took on the form of a servant and, without guilt,
[and] because of our condemnation, You endured [even] to take on the punishment of the cross and death for the salvation of Your creatures.

Now You who have such love toward the race of mankind and who wish that all men should live,
and come to the knowledge of truth,
have mercy on me who am such a great sinner,
O merciful Lord and Lover of mankind

-Ephrem the Syrian, Armenian prayers

#Patristics #Christology #Soteriology #Penance

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Today is Good Friday.

Remember He who was numbered among transgressors and took on punishment for our sins. Today He who hung the stars is hung on a tree.

May these prayers on Christ's sufferings posted today help us see His Love. He paid no small price for our ransom. May we who sin always treasure it in our hearts.

Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have sought Thy testimonies.

The whole creation was altered by Thy Passion: for all things suffered with Thee, knowing, O Word, that Thou holdest all in unity.

Princes also did sit and speak against me: but Thy servant did meditate on Thy statutes.

All-devouring hell received within himself the Rock of Life, and cast forth all the dead that he had swallowed since the beginning of the world.

Thy testimonies also are my study: and Thy statutes are my counsellors.

Thou wast laid in a new tomb, O Christ, and hast made new the nature of mortal man, rising from the dead by Thy divine power.

My soul has cleaved unto the dust: quicken Thou me according to Thy word.

To earth hast Thou come down, O Master, to save Adam: and not finding him on earth, Thou hast descended into hell, seeking him there.

I remembered this multitude and my home—

long might I lead them from captivity to home,

upwards to my homeland,

so that they should possess the glories of the Lord and the majesty of his magnificence.

They should dwell in delights,

having the fruits of glory by the thousands.

I interceded for you when men stuck me with spears upon the cross,

upon the gallows.

The young man struck me there—

and I came soon upwards to the eternal joys and to the Holy Lord. -

Christ and Satan, 499 - 511

Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things

Today is Holy Saturday. Christ descended into Hades. He raised up Adam with Himself and granted joy to Eve instead of sorrow.

Today Christ trampled death by death and bestowed life in the tomb.The teeth of Hades are shattered and it groans out, My dominion has been shattered

Because of today, we are freed from death. We who are dead in our sins are given life.

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Today is Easter Sunday, our Passover Lamb has risen.

Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and in the tombs bestowing life

Now we see this through a glass darkly. But tomorrow we will behold this face to face in its full glory and splendour.

Christ is Risen