The Collect - Trinity 14

The Latin Collect
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, da nobis fidei, spei, et caritatis augmentum: et ut mereamur assequi quop promittis, fac nos amare quod praecipis.

The Collect of 1549
ALMIGHTYE and everlastyng God, geve unto us the increase of faythe, hope, and charitie; and that we may obteine that whiche thou doest promise; make us to love that whiche thou doest commaunde, through Jesus Christe our Lorde.

The Collect of 1662
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Commentary
Like as for the 13th Sunday after Trinity, Cranmer translates the collect from the Leonine Sacramentary. This Collect is used in the Noon prayer for adults as compiled by the Rev'd Dr. Charles Henry in the Nashotah Mission Manual for Sunday schools.

The Reflection.
A wander around museums of Palaeontology will present you with the skeletons of many an ancient creature arranged in a supposedly life-like pose. In the past, the arrangement of these bones was a largely hit and miss affair. Until a more complete skeleton was unearthed the iguanadon's characteristic pointed thumb was assumed to be a horn on its nose. it is only since our studies of animals have become more and more detailed that we have been able to get a more accurate picture of these gigantic beasts through the fragments of the skeletons. Until a more powerful technique comes along, we will never really know what colours they were or whether they had arrangments of feathers or fur.

Yet if we examine these dinosaur bones more closely, we find that they are not made of bone at all but the bone has been replaced with minerals. It is only because of this process that the bones actually remain for us to see today.

But even rock and minerals disappear in time. This is why skeletons are only partially found. Any longer and they too would disappear into dust. Nothing lasts for ever, does it? "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three." The more that these become part of us, the more we that we will abide because we take in more of the Divine Substance.

We are meant to become like God through faith, hope and charity. How far have we got?

------------------------Jonathan Munn