+(Intro) This morning we remember St Athanasius one of the great doctors of the Church. He gave us the life of St Anthony as a model of asceticism, as one who struggled long with the powers of darkness. Let us take a moment to remember our sins as we begin into this celebration.
(After the gospel) As our collect reminded us, St Athanasius was an outstanding champion of Christ’s divinity as is strongly affirmed in our gospel today. Jesus tells us that if we know him, we will also know the Father and that whoever has seen him has seen the Father. Clearly, he is affirms his divinity and one wonders what must have gone on in the minds of those listening to him!
These words were not only challenging for the early Church but are so for Christians of all times. It is easy enough to say that the Christ is the Son of God, is truly divine but to live accordingly means far more. For as Jesus tells us “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
So let us pray that we may always do the works of Christ, have the faith to do even greater works than these for he tells us that if we ask anything in his name, he will do it.
Acts 13:44-52; John 14:7-14