All nurturing God, you commanded us through the prophets to
do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you. Your Son taught us that if we reject and turn
aside the foreigner, we have rejected and turned Him aside. Open our hearts to those less fortunate,
especially those different from us. Open the eyes of the President of the United
States and help him turn from all wicked and lying counselors who would tell
him to harden his heart against those in need.
In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
Fragmentary Glimpses of Grace and Mystery in an Imperfect Life
The Author
Blog Archive
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2017
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January
(11)
- A Prayer
- Hints of Glory
- You Too Once were Aliens
- The Power and the Wisdom (Epiphany 3A)
- Religion and Politics: Better Angels or Demons (le...
- Forgiveness according to King (midweek)
- Shine with Radiance (Epiphany 2A)
- Treasures Old and New (Mid-week Message)
- Afloat (Epiphany 1A)
- One Person, Two Natures in Union (Midweek Message)
- The Fuller Minstrel (Trinitarian article)
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January
(11)
Links
- Mission St. Clare on-line Daily Office
- St. Bede's Breviary
- Episcopal Diocese of Oregon
- The Episcopal Church
- TEC 1979 BCP
- The Lectionary Page (RCL)
- The Book of Common Prayer
- Society of Catholic Priests -- North American Province
- The Anglican Communion
- Project Canterbury
- The Church of England
- CoE Common Worship
About Me
- Father Tony
- Ashland, Oregon, United States
- The Rev. Dr. Anthony A. Hutchinson: I am an Episcopal/Anglican priest retired from full-time ministry and also a retired US foreign service officer (1986-2011). I am Anglo-Catholic in faith and liturgical style, and am committed to a welcoming Church that embodies grace in its life and practice. I was ordained and first served as a priest in Hong Kong, and later in Beijing, and was rector at Trinity Episcopal Parish in Ashland Oregon 1/1/2012- 1/9/2022. In retirement I am working on The Ashland Bible, a translation of the entire Bible from Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic into modern inclusive vernacular English in cadences and register suitable for public reading.
Why "Elliptical Glory" for Fragmentary Glimpses?
Ascension (H Siddons Mowbray; Smithsonian American Art Museum; note elliptial glory behind Christ)
This web log is intended to share homilies, some liturgical materials I have prepared or adapted (prayers, litanies, etc.), and occasional journal entries.
"Elliptical" can mean "fragmentary, with words missing," or "in the shape of a flattened circle." While "glory" refers to the brilliance surrounding the Deity, it can also refer to the grace that reflects such radiance in life. In Christian iconography, a "glory" is the whole body halo around the Christ or the Blessed Virgin in paintings and statuary.
"Elliptical" can mean "fragmentary, with words missing," or "in the shape of a flattened circle." While "glory" refers to the brilliance surrounding the Deity, it can also refer to the grace that reflects such radiance in life. In Christian iconography, a "glory" is the whole body halo around the Christ or the Blessed Virgin in paintings and statuary.
Our Lady of the Assumption (Taddeo Gaddi, 1350)
When pointed at the ends, a "glory" in this sense is also called a mandorla (from the Italian for "almond"), or a vesica piscis (a "fish's [air] bladder) .
Christ as Teacher, with angels of the Four Gospels (Cluny Coffret)
In geometry, an ellipse is a curve traced out by a point that is required to move so that the sum of its distances from two fixed points (called foci) remains constant. If the foci are identical with each other, the ellipse is a circle; if the two foci are distinct from each other, the ellipse looks like a flattened or elongated circle.
Elliptical Orbit
According to Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion, an object in orbit follows an ellipse, with the center of mass as one of the foci. The ellipse was called “imperfect” by theologians who originally objected to its use by Kepler to refine Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the solar system, as opposed to the “perfect” circles of Aristotelian geocentric cosmology. "Elliptical" can thus also imply the 'imperfect' path between two centers, or falling toward the true center, but moving forward fast enough to avoid collision, but slowly enough to prevent escape.
A vesica piscis is created by the overlapping of two circles and since before Christianity has been a general symbol for the intersection of the spiritual and phenomenal realms. It is oriented vertically in Christian iconography as a glory, representing the intersection of the divine and the human in the person of Jesus, the fruit of the Blessed Virgin's womb.
The Vesica Piscis in vertical orientation.
Main Chancel Window and high altar, St.John's Cathedral Hong Kong (Note Occulted Rayed Elliptical Glory Around Christ)
High Altar and reredos at Washington National Cathedral, with Christ in elliptical glory at center
Christ in Glory, with Angels of the Four Gospels (from codex Bruschsal)
Followers
Christus Docens
Vesica Piscis in the Tympan of the South doorway, Ely Cathedral
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