Chapter 2 (Monday of the First Week of Advent)

‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:

‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

‘And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:

‘I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

‘And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:

‘I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling-block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practise fornication. So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.

‘And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze:

‘I know your works—your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practise fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call “the deep things of Satan”, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; only hold fast to what you have until I come. To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end,
I will give authority over the nations;
to rule them with an iron rod,
   as when clay pots are shattered—
even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Commentary

John indicates that he writes for all the churches the things which he addresses to them individually; for it was not the Church of the Ephesians alone, which, if it did not repent, was to be removed from its place; nor was Satan's seat at Pergamos alone, and not rather in every place. In like manner also, the other things of the several churches are common to every church. (St. Bede the Venerable)

We need to say how the interpretations of these names tally with the universal Church. Ephesus translates to “my will” or “my counsel”: and whose counsel, but that of the one who casteth away the counsels of princes, but his counsel standeth forever? (Ps. 32:10-11) Moreover, the Church is the will of God, to which it is said through the prophet, Thou shalt be called My will. (Is. 62:4) Note also that will pertains to love, while counsel pertains to correction. Indeed, someone is the will of God when they submit to the Creator not out of fear of punishment, but willingly; whereas if someone wants to join neither for fear nor for love, they are given a speech of correction through the action of divine mercy so that they may abandon their error and receive the counsel of salvation. Smyrna translates to “their canticle,” that is the elect’s, and that canticle is the new commandment. Therefore the Church sings this canticle every day when it fulfills the new commandment by loving God and neighbor. Pergamus translates to “separating their horns”: and whose horns but Christ’s and the Devil’s? So by Christ’s horns is represented his kingdom, that is the Church, and by the Devil’s horns, it is also his kingdom that is represented, that is the wicked. Hear therefore the separation of the horns: I will break all the horns of sinners, and the horns of the just shall be exalted. (Ps. 74:11)   Thyatira means “enlightened”: and what other enlightened one are we to understand, but the one to whom it is said by Isaiah, Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem? (Is. 60:1) It is appropriate for the Church to be called enlightened, so that it should remember that it used to be darkness; whence the apostle to its members: You were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. (Eph. 5:8)   Sardis means “for the prince of beauty,” and “fitted” or “prepared” is implied. The prince of beauty is the one about whom the Psalmist says, beautiful above the sons of men. (Ps. 44:3) And who is prepared for him, if not the one about whom the prophet says to the same prince, The queen stood on thy right hand, in gilded clothing; surrounded with variety? (Ps. 44:10)   Philadelphia translates to “saving the inheritance for the Lord.” From this it is right to understand the Church of the elect, which strives to save itself with divine help. Indeed it is about this inheritance that it is said, I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance. (Ps. 2:8)   Laodicea translates to “tribe lovely to the Lord” or “they were in vomit”: this interpretation shows the good mingled with the wicked in the Church. (Alcuin of York)

The hidden manna is immortality; the white gem is adoption to be the child of God; the new name written on the stone is Christian. (Victorinus of Pettau)

Musical Selections

Vincenti dabo edere de ligno vitæ, quod est in Paradiso Dei mei.

I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of my God.

Manna absconditum, et dabo illi calculum candidum: et in calculo nomen novum scriptum, alleluia

The hidden manna. And I will give to him a white emblem, and on the emblem, a new name has been written, alleluia.

Qui vicerit, non lædetur a morte secunda.

Whoever will prevail, he shall not be harmed by the second death.

Vestietur vestimentis albis, et non delebo nomen eius de Libro vitæ.

So shall he be clothed in white vestments. And I will not delete his name from the Book of Life.

 

The Overcomers (Michael Card)

I know your deeds, I've seen your service
I recognize the reputation of your lives
But I know you live near Satan's shadow
And I have seen your faithful struggles to survive

And to the one who overcomes I'll give the manna
He'll have a pure white stone with his own secret name
She will possess the morning star in all its splendor
All this and more for them because they overcame
All this and more for them because they overcame

So just hold on, do not grow weary
For I am He who searches hearts and minds
Behold I'm standing at the door and I am knocking
And the one who hears and opens it will find

That the one who overcomes will rule the nations
On the throne he'll sit beside me dressed in white
She will become a column in God's holy temple
They will all eat freely from the Tree of Life
They will all eat freely from the Tree of Life

The overcomers come to understand
That they are precious poems printed
In the palms of His hands

And to the one who overcomes I'll give the manna
He'll have a pure white stone with his own secret name
She will possess the morning star in all its splendor
All this and more for them because they overcame

And to the one who overcomes I'll give the manna
He'll have a pure white stone with his own secret name
She will possess the morning star in all its splendor
All this and more for them because they overcame
All this and more for them because they overcame
All this and more for them because they overcame

 

Christ is the morning star, The light of God that shines from afar; The Son of God in human form revealed, The wound of Adam’s sin for ever healed.

For God, who formed mankind of clay Will bring forth our salvation that day When he, who made all things since time began, Will send his Son, to live on earth as man.

And when he comes, a child on earth, The sun and stars will shine at his birth, To light a world that long in darkness lay: The light of God, the gift of Christmas Day.

Christ is the morning star.

And when he comes again as King, Then heav’n and all creation shall sing; With saints in glory seated round his throne We’ll see his face, and know as we are known.

Christ is the morning star. (John Rutter)

 

COLLECT

Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God,
as we await the advent of Christ your Son,
so that, when he comes and knocks,
he may find us watchful in prayer
and exultant in his praise.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.