Saturday, March 12, 2022, Profession in Initial Vows in SSJE of Todd Patten Blackham

PROFESSION IN INITIAL VOWS IN THE

SOCIETY OF SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST

TODD PATTEN BLACKHAM, SSJE THE SOCIETY OF SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST 980 Memorial Drive • Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 • 617.876.3037 • www.SSJE.org

Today we welcome Brother Todd’s family and friends to this profession liturgy. We request you wear a mask throughout the service while joining the Brothers in worship and in singing the hymns.

Holy Communion will be administered at three stations. Please make your way to the nearest one. You may remove your mask just before you receive Holy Communion. Please put your mask back on as you return to your seat.

Cover icon of the crucifixion by the hand of Rebecca Taylor

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THE PROFESSION IN INITIAL VOWS OF TODD PATTEN BLACKHAM, SSJE SATURDAY, 12 OF MARCH AT ELEVEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING

Prelude

Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott

Entrance Hymn

Lift high the cross

Dietrich Buxtehude Next page (p. 4)

Opening Acclamation Superior All

Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Song of Praise

Glory to God

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Collect Superior All

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Superior

Let us pray.

Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illumined by the teaching of your evangelist John the Beloved, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Entrance Hymn

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Lift high the cross

Hymnal 473

Hymn of Praise

Glory to God

Cowley Mass (James Woodman)

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THE WORD OF GOD First Reading

Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one-tenth to you.”

Gradual

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Psalm 116

Second Reading

Philippians 3:7–11

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.

More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

The Gospel

John 19:25b–30

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.

When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The Sermon

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Prayers of the People Litanist

With all our heart and with all our mind let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”

For the whole creation, of which Christ is the Life and the unquenchable Light, let us pray to the Lord.

People

Lord, have mercy.

For the Church of God, that it may be sanctified in the truth and healed of its brokenness and division, so that all may be one, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who serve the Church as its leaders, especially James our Superior, Alan and Gayle, our bishops; and Frank our Bishop Visitor, let us pray to the Lord.

For all those whom Christ has made his friends, who abide in him as the True Vine, that they may bear much fruit, let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who have been led by the Spirit into monastic life, that they may bear faithful witness to Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, let us pray to the Lord.

For the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, that we may be inspired by the life and words of the Beloved Disciple to live in intimacy with God, in brotherly love, and with zeal for the good news of freedom and life, let us pray to the Lord For our brother Todd who now seeks to dedicate his life as a Brother in our Society by professing the vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience, let us pray to the Lord.

For his family and friends, and for all those who have taught and encouraged him in the Christian way, and helped to nurture his vocation to the religious life, let us pray to the Lord.

For those whom he serves in our ministries of preaching and hospitality, and in his ministry to students, by the power of the grace given to him, let us pray to the Lord.

For all the departed, especially those who have gone before us as members of this Society, for our own forebears, and for those who have none to pray for them, let us pray to the Lord.

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For the gift of the prayers of the saints and angels to uphold us, especially the prayers of the ever Blessed Virgin Mary, of John the Beloved Disciple who cared for her, St. James the Great, St. Paul of Tarsus, Saint Gregory the Great, Richard Meux Benson, our founder, and all the saints, let us pray to the Lord.

That we may all come to be with Christ where he is, may see his glory and share his life for all eternity, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God. People

To you, O Lord our God.

Presider

O Lord Jesus Christ, you became poor for our sake, that we might be made rich through your poverty: Guide and sanctify, we pray, those whom you call to follow you under the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, that by their prayer and service they may enrich your Church, and by their life and worship may glorify your Name. Amen.

The congregation is seated.

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THE PROFESSION Novice Guardian

Superior

Brothers, I present to you Todd Patten Blackham, who has completed his novitiate in our community. We have tested his vocation to the religious life and believe that God is calling him to be a Brother in our Society. We have confirmed by election that we are ready to allow him to profess the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. Thanks be to God for the graces we have received together in these years of testing and discernment.

Todd, the whole community rejoices when a new Brother is ready to make these vows. Our joy comes from the Holy Spirit who lives and moves among us, the Spirit whose grace and power enables us to give ourselves wholly to Christ. The same Spirit by whom you were born again is leading you to express your baptismal commitment through the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. Listen as we bear witness to their meaning.

First Brother

Todd, the poverty we profess springs from the heart of God, who is self-giving Love. It is not a barren emptiness, but a living expression of the mind of Christ in us. In the vow of poverty we renounce personal ownership, holding all things in common and seeking to make our life together a reflection of the life of the Trinity and the Communion of Saints. We bind ourselves to simplicity of life, cherishing the essential gifts of life and rejoicing in the goodness of ordinary things and the beauty of creation. We pledge ourselves to be faithful and generous stewards of God’s gifts and to be the allies and servants of those who endure the hardships of material poverty and exclusion. In the vow of poverty we deepen our commitment to the way of the cross, knowing that grace upon grace is hidden in the experience of darkness, suffering, loss and death.

Todd

I believe that the Father is calling me to offer my whole self in this way.

Brothers

Thanks be to God.

Second Brother

Todd, through our vow of celibacy we offer ourselves as members of this community to be completely available to Christ. We commit ourselves to remain single forever. In our vow we offer our creative energy for relationship and union, our power to love, and our sexuality, to Christ, trusting that he will bless, shape and use these gifts. We do not turn away from the loss that renunciation of marriage or partnership brings, but we do open ourselves in prayer to the joy of union with the Lord who dwells in our hearts, and to the graces of friendship among the members of his body, especially our Brothers in the community.

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Todd

I believe that this is the way Christ is calling me to follow him.

Brothers

Thanks be to God.

Third Brother

Todd, in our vow of obedience we pledge to unite in a common response to God by embracing and fulfilling the Rule of the Society. We promise as a body to work together to discern God’s will and act in concert to God’s glory. The vow binds us to cooperate with the Superior in carrying out our mission. It is a pledge to listen to the voice of the Spirit speaking within the heart and to respond to God’s invitations to self-surrender. Obedience is only possible because Christ dwells in us and we dwell in him through baptism. His obedience is active within us, drawing us into union with the Father.

Todd

I believe that the Spirit is moving me to commit myself in this vow.

Brothers

Thanks be to God.

Superior

Todd, God calls us into an enduring fellowship in this Society by giving us the courage to make lifelong vows. A community of men who pledge to stay together until death is a powerful sign to the world of the grace that enables those who love Christ to abide until he comes. So great is the gravity of the choice of life commitment that we wait upon God until we are certain that a Brother has indeed been given the grace to freely make this decision. As you pledge to live by these vows for three years is your heart set on the further goal of life commitment?

Todd

Yes, it is. I pray that in these years of initial profession Christ will give me the freedom and courage to choose life-long commitment.

Superior

The years of initial profession are dedicated to further formation in the religious life. Are you ready to develop your gifts for ministry through study and training?

Will you seek to intensify your self-offering in daily life and work?

Yes, this is my desire.

Todd Superior

Will you seek to develop personal responsibility for your own growth, and a strong sense of accountability, so that you can play a full part in the life of the community? Will you take responsibility for the greater role you will play in the community’s decision-making as a member of the Chapter?

Todd

Yes, I gladly accept these new responsibilities.

Superior

Certain Brothers will be appointed as companions on the way to help you make progress and discern the action of grace in your life. Will you accept their support faithfully?

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Todd

Yes, I will rely on their companionship.

Superior

Todd, what do you seek from us, your Brothers in the community?

Todd

Brothers, will you open your heart to me as I make these vows and support me as I go forward in this life with your prayers?

Brothers

We will.

Todd

Will you share with me your experience of service so that I can fulfill my gifts as a minister of the New Covenant?

Brothers

We will.

Todd

Will you bear with my failings and forgive my sins, and help me grow to maturity as a living branch of the True Vine?

Brothers

We will.

Todd

Will you love me as a friend and Brother given to you by Christ?

Brothers

We will. This is Christ’s commandment, that we love one another as he has loved us.

Todd turns towards the people to express his readiness for profession and bid the prayers of the whole congregation.

Todd

The Congregation

Friends, I believe that God has given me the grace to dedicate my life to him as a member of this brotherhood, and I freely choose to embrace the Rule of the Society and commit myself to the life of poverty, celibacy and obedience for the coming three years. As I prepare to make these vows, will you all join with me and kneel in prayer to call upon the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, who gives us the power to be faithful to our promises?

We will.

All kneel in silent prayer.

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Hymnal 504

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire

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All stand, except Todd who remains kneeling. He recites the form of profession.

Todd

Before the whole company of heaven, and in the presence of this congregation, I, Todd Patten Blackham, give myself to Almighty God and promise to him and to you, my Brother, the Superior of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, and to your successors in this office, that I will live throughout the coming three years in the observance of Poverty, Celibacy and Obedience, according to the Rule of this Society, in readiness for life commitment.

After reciting the form of profession, Todd and the Superior move to the altar to sign and date it. Todd then returns to his place, removes his scapular, and gives his novice cord to the Novice Guardian.

A Brother in Life Vows

Todd, receive this cord tied with three knots that signify the vows you have made. As you gird yourself with the cord, this ancient sign of readiness, these three knots will remind you of your vows and your commitment to abide faithfully until Christ comes.

The newly professed Brother girds himself with the new cord, puts his scapular on, and then kneels for a blessing. The Superior begins a benediction in which the whole community joins.

Superior

May God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, bless you.

Brothers

May God confirm your heart’s desire to abide in Christ always; may he fill you with gifts for worship and service, bind you to our brotherhood, and make you a blessing to those around you, to the glory of his name. Amen.

The newly professed Brother stands.

Superior People

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The newly professed Brother exchanges the peace with all the Brothers in turn, beginning with the Superior. Then all exchange the peace with those around them.

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Offertory Hymn

When I survey the wondrous cross

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THE HOLY COMMUNION The Great Thanksgiving Sanctus

The Lord’s Prayer

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Cowley Mass (James Woodman)

Hymnal S 148, alt.

Agnus Dei

Cowley Mass (James Woodman)

Invitation Presider Behold what you are.

People May we become what we receive.

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Post-Communion Hymn

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Abide with me

Hymnal 662, alt.

Post-Communion Prayer Presider All

Almighty Father, we thank you for feeding us with the holy food of the Body and Blood of your Son, and for uniting us through him in the fellowship of your Holy Spirit.

We thank you for calling Todd to devote himself to your glory in this community, and for giving him the grace to make the vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience for three years.

May the holy gifts we receive in this Eucharist nourish us with the grace to persevere together in your service, so that we may remain steadfast until the coming of Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Blessing and Dismissal Postlude

Prelude on “Eventide”

James Woodman

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 Br. James Koester, Presider & Preacher Mr. James Woodman, Monastery Organist 

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