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LENT COURSE

Our Lady & St. Anne, Caversham

Six Profiles of Jesus of Nazareth

Evening 2 – 26 February

Jesus of Nazareth & the [Jesus] Christ of Faith (Texts)

Christological Hymns from the New Testament

Though he was in the form of God,

Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,

being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form,

he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

Philippians 2, 6 – 11

[Paul wrote these words c. AD 63 but the hymn itself is probably a generation earlier, c. AD 40]

Let us give thanks to the Father,

who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness,

And transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,

for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through him and for him.

He was before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church;

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he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether in earth or in heaven,

making peace by the blood of the cross.

Colossians 1, 12 – 20

[This was a liturgical hymn, possibly used at baptisms, adopted by Paul: the letter to the Colossians is to be dated between AD 61 and 66]

Symbols & Professions of Faith

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, has been crucified under Pontius Pilate, died [and was buried], who, on the third day rose again, alive, from the dead, ascended into heaven and took His seat at the right hand of the Father, and shall come to judge the living and the dead? [A baptismal profession of faith, written probably by a Syrian priest, at Rome c.

215 – 17]

In all the professions of faith from the first four centuries of Christianity the only reference to any neutral (non-theological) statement about Jesus of Nazareth is:

[he] was born of [the Virgin] Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

Hymns & Sacred Songs

Jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast; but sweeter far thy face to see,

and in thy presence rest.

Jesus, our only joy be thou, as thou our prize wilt be;

Jesu, be thou our glory now, and through eternity.

11th century, tr. Edward Caswall (1814 – 78)

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Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed,

where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed;

Mary was that Mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,

who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable and his cradle was a stall;

with the poor, and mean, and lowly, lived on earth our Saviour holy.

For he is our childhood’s pattern,

day by day like us he grew; he was little, weak and helpless, tears and smiles like us he knew; and he feeleth for our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness.

Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818 – 95)

There is a green hill far away,

without a city wall, where the dear Lord was crucified

who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell, what pains he had to bear, but we believe it was for us he hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven,

he died to make us good; that we might go at last to heaven,

saved by his precious blood.

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There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin;

he only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in.

Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818 – 95)

Prayers to Jesus

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;

Body of Christ, be my salvation; Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;

Water of Christ’s side, was out my stains; Passion of Christ, my comfort be;

O good Jesu, listen to me; In thy wounds I fain would hide, Ne’er to be parted from thy side;

Guard me, should the foe assail me; Call me when my life shall fail me;

Bid me come to thee above, With thy saints to sing thy love,

World without end. AMEN

Anima Christi Attributed to Pope John XXII but frequently (and wrongly) ascribed to St. Ignatius of Loyola, who included it in his Spiritual Exercises.

The above translation is by John Henry Newman.

My good and dearest Jesus, lo, I kneel before you beseeching and praying you with all the ardour of my soul to engrave deep and vivid impressions of faith, hope and charity upon my heart, with true repentance for my sins, and a very

firm resolve to make amends. Meanwhile I ponder over your five wounds, dwelling upon them with deep compassion and grief, and recalling the words that

the prophet David long ago put into your mouth, good Jesus, concerning yourself: They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have counted all my

bones.

En ego [origin & date uncertain], inspired by Psalm 21, 17. 19 One of the prayers suggested to priests after they have celebrated Mass.