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惭耻蝉颈肠:听Veni Sancte Spiritus - Come holy ghost our souls inspire (Plainsong)
Ex Cathedra
CD: A New Heaven : 1000 Years of Sacred Choral Music (Ex Cathedra)

Introduction: Rev Richard Carter

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Worship. In the Revd Richard Carter from St Martin-in-the-Fields and leader of the Nazareth Community. This week we explore the ancient calling of religious life. Ever since those first disciples聽 heard Jesus鈥� call to leave everything behind and follow him - both men and women have experienced that deep inner and often radical calling to leave聽 family and home and their former ambitions behind and devote themselves to following the path of Jesus Christ in community.

The monastic promises or vows a brother or sister takes, often seem so counter cultural - so diametrically opposed to the values of our world. These may include- poverty, chastity, obedience, the dedication to prayer and silence, the focus on charity, hospitality and care for the poor - and these demands do not fit easily with modern western lifestyles where often the predominant message is that success depends upon possession and ownership, wealth and choice and power.

And yet have we not all struggling under the weight of the contradictions and stresses of our own lives at moments glimpsed a calling to a greater freedom, generosity and fulness of life. The sense, deep within, that a better way of living and a humbler more perfect way of loving is possible.

Remember Jesus鈥檚 words to the rich young man who came to him saying 鈥淚 have kept all the commandments, what do I still lack鈥� And Jesus replies 鈥淚f you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give your money to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven then come and follow me鈥�.

So what do you in your life really seek? It is a great question. St Augustine responded after many years to that question with this profound realisation: 鈥淟ord you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.

Let us pray

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything
To do it as for Thee.

Timothy Radcliffe is a Dominican Friar, a worldwide order, called the Order of Preachers. He is based at Blackfriars in Oxford and I asked him about his life.

Reflection: Fr Timothy Radcliffe

惭耻蝉颈肠:听I, the Lord of sea and sky
Wells Cathedral Choir
CD: The English Anthem 1 (Hyperion)

Reading: Acts 2.42-46

Reflection: Sister Grace and Sister Helen (The Order of the Holy Paraclete, Whitby, North Yorkshire)

惭耻蝉颈肠:听Ubi caritas 鈥� Ola Gjeilo
Voces8
CD: Lux 鈥� Voces8 (Decca)

Reflection: Sister Aba (The Order of the Holy Paraclete, Ghana)

Reading: Matthew 25.34-36

Prayer: Sister Grace

Reflection:聽Sister Maria (The Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul)

惭耻蝉颈肠:听The Beatitudes 鈥� Philip Stopford
Ecclesium Singers
CD: Love never ends 鈥� Sacred Music by Philip Stopford (Priory)

Reading 鈥� Matthew 5.1-5

Richard Carter
Religious community life is not just something of the past. Much of the wisdom and spiritual depth of the monastic way of life and the importance of contemplative prayer is so much needed in our church today and is being rediscovered and can revitalise our faith. The Nazareth Community is one such community which began in 2018. It is a gathered community which meets at St Martin-in-the-Fields but also online, keeping a simple contemporary rule of life based on 7 Ss Silence, Service, Scripture, Sacrament, Sharing, Sabbath Time and Staying With. We try to live simply, generously and prayerfully and it is a community that is enriched by those from different parts of the world some of whom are migrants and refugees and have become part of our community.

惭耻蝉颈肠:听Da Pacem Domine 鈥� Arvo Part
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
CD: Arvo Part - Da Pacem (Harmonia Mundi USA)

Reflections from members of the Nazareth Community

Reading: John 15.12-17

Richard Carter
The call to the religious is at its heart the call to love one another as Christ has loved us. It is a call to live with the humility of the beatitudes and a courage that comes from God alone. Our preacher for today is Fr Timothy Radcliff who began this Sunday worship by speaking about the freedom that the love of Christ brings. For Timothy the call into friendship is at the heart of the Gospel. It is when the me becomes us.

Homily: Fr Timothy Radcliffe

惭耻蝉颈肠:听Love Song (After JE) (Edit) - Max Richter
CD: In a landscape 鈥� Max Richter (Universal)

Prayers

Lord鈥檚 Prayer

Blessing