Chancellor’s Diary

by Fr. John Jillions

September 13, 2012

Prefeast of the Elevation of the Cross

Tomorrow is the feast of the Elevation of the Cross and we therefore have a rich set of readings today.

Hebrews 3:1-4 underlines the faithfulness of Jesus to his vocation. He is the apostle, from the Greek word meaning…

September 12, 2012

The First Apostolic Mission

“And He called to them the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics…So they…

September 11, 2012

9/11 and Grace

I do not set aside the grace of God. (Gal 2:21)

Before being ordained a priest in 1984, I used to work for Bankers Trust in New York, next to the Twin Towers. At lunchtime I would often walk across the pedestrian bridge that connected the bank to the World Trade Center and get something to eat from…

September 7, 2012

Ridicule

And they ridiculed Him.
(Mark 5:40)

Jesus repeatedly faced ridicule, mockery and insults. In today’s gospel about Jairus’ daughter, it was obvious to everyone around her that the little girl was dead, not “sleeping,” as Jesus said. “And they ridiculed him.” Jesus takes this in stride…

September 6, 2012

Good News for All

Galatians is St Paul’s most biting and passionate letter. More than any other it shows what he most valued and was willing to fight for. The situation in Galatia was this. Paul had brought the Good News to Gentiles (non-Jews) in this province in Asia Minor. The core of this gospel was…

On hiatus until Thursday

I am back home in Ottawa for Labour Day weekend, a wedding, completing a book-editing project and dealing with long-neglected domestic duties around the house. The Chancellor’s Diary will resume publication on Thursday, September 6th. May God bless the start of the school year for all students, parents, teachers, school administrators, support staff…

August 30, 2012

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”—because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”…

August 29, 2012

“He must increase, but I must decrease”

The Acts reading today for the Beheading of John the Baptist comes from Saint Paul’s first missionary sermon in Asia Minor, when he was invited to preach in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch. His words about the promised Messiah electrified the…

August 28, 2012

Apostles and Money

Today’s gospel recounts the choosing of the twelve apostles. Jesus “called to him those whom he desired…and he appointed twelve to be with him.” And among those he chose was Judas Iscariot, his betrayer. I find this strangely comforting because it means that even Jesus was not a…

August 24, 2012

Maturing Wine

In today’s epistle, Paul is still dealing with the aftermath of the troubling situation in Corinth that provoked a sharp earlier letter. We don’t know what it was precisely but it involved someone who had caused grievous offense and been let off too easily, while the person who had been wronged…

August 23, 2012

Communal Healing and Personal Prayer

“And He healed many…“And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:34,35)

12th All-American Council
12th All American Sobor, 1965, one-day council at Holy Protection of the…

August 22, 2012

“Widen Your Hearts”

“Then you shall see and be radiant, your hearts shall thrill and be enlarged.” (Isaiah 60:5)

Saint Paul is gently—at this point—chiding the Corinthians for being self-preoccupied, like children. To mature as Christians they will need…

August 21, 2012

Ambassadors and Fishermen

In the verse just before the beginning of today’s epistle St Paul says, “the love of Christ controls us.” Paul’s decisions, big and small, are colored by his deep love for Christ. He consciously retools the way he looks out on the…

August 16, 2012

False Prophets

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24).

Jesus repeatedly warns his disciples about the seductive power of false prophets. These are…

August 15, 2012

Unseen Intercession

“For all these things we give thanks to Thee…for all things of which we know and of which we know not, whether manifest or unseen” (Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom)

I love that line in the marriage service that says, “…the prayers of…

August 14, 2012

Binding Heavy Burdens on Others

For most of this week the gospel comes from Matthew 23, Jesus’ terrible indictment of religious hypocrisy that we hear as well in Holy Week. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…” He repeats this six times in a devastating rebuke to self-importance. This is…

August 10, 2012

The Scriptures and the Power of God

“You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22: 29)

Jesus repeatedly rebukes those we could call “authorized” teachers for their narrow approach to scripture and their refusal to acknowledge the sovereign power of God to…

August 9, 2012

  • St Herman of Alaska
  • 2 Corinthians 1:1-7
  • Matthew 21:43-46
  • Feelings of Weakness and Superiority

    I find the opening chapter of St Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians to be one of the most moving in his epistles (especially 1:1-11). He admits his feelings of distress, fear, despair and desire for comfort and encouragement. “For we were so…

August 8, 2012

Courage

στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἀνδρίζεσθε (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Selwyn College
Main gate at Selwyn College.

“Stand firm in the faith, be courageous.” In 1995-2003 I lived in Cambridge, England. For the first part of that time I was studying at Tyndale House, a biblical research library,…