Tomorrow is the feast of the Annunciation, when we remember the Angel Gabriel’s world-changing visit to Mary announcing her pregnancy. And so in preparation for that I thought today was a good moment to step back and reflect on hymns glorifying Mary, which are some of the most cherished in the Eastern and Roman Churches, … Continue reading More Honourable than the Cherubim: Axion Estin
In many churches, the second half the twentieth century was marked by a lot of wrangling and division surrounding liturgy: Whether to update the language, and if so, whether to update the theology of the prayers at the same time. In my own Anglican world, this was particularly divisive and resulted in less of a … Continue reading Not in Our Own Righteousness: The Prayer of Humble Access
Believe it or not, today marks the last Sunday in Lent. In all Christian liturgical traditions, it’s customary to use the end of Lent (whether in this case the last Sunday within the season, or in the East, the very last day of it, the Saturday before Palm Sunday) to reflect on the story of … Continue reading A Foretaste of the Resurrection: A Reflection on John 11.1-45
These past few days, in reflecting on prayers from the Eucharistic liturgy, a common theme has been preparing us for an encounter with God’s glory. The various Anaphorae all tell the Christian story in a way that builds up to the dramatic summoning of the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine, but also … Continue reading Worthy is the Lamb: Agnus Dei
The Eucharist is a rite full of symbolism, to the extent that any and every act within it can take on added meaning. This is true for even the most practical actions, like the breaking of the bead. Just as we saw with the Eucharistic Prayers, in contemporary times, this is a place where my … Continue reading Communion in Christ’s Body Once Broken: The Breaking of the Bread
Matthew Root 