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Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by taking part in Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side asking the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog tries to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As Luke 24:45 says: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

November 1, 2025 – We call it “Halloween,” but few know the October 31 Eve is just one of three days called the Halloween “Triduum.” (Meaning three days.) It’s also called Allhallowtide:

The word Allhallowtide was first used in 1471, and is derived from three words: the Old English word hallow, meaning ‘holy’, the word tide, meaning ‘time’ or ‘season’ [see Eastertide or Christmastide] and all (from Old English eall) meaning “every.” The latter part of the word Hallowmas is derived from the word Mass. The words hallow and saint are synonyms.

And speaking of Old English, its word for “saint” was halig, which as an adjective meant holy or sacred. It eventually became “hallow” – as easier to say? – which led to the main triduum event, All Hallows’ Day, November 1. (What we now call “All Saints’ Day.”) And since the night before a big day is often called its evening or “eve” – think Christmas Eve – the full old-timey name for the night before November 1 was All Hallows’ Evening. (Or “Eve.”) In time that got shortened to All Hallows’ E’en, then to Hallows’ E’en – dropping the “all” – and finally just “Halloween.”

So much for etymology, but what about all those weird things people do on All Hallows’ E’en? And what’s it all about anyway? Is it just an excuse for wearing crazy costumes, getting lots of candy or watching really creepy movies, as so many seem to think?

Actually, Wikipedia said the three days are times “to remember the dead, including martyrs, saints, and all faithful departed Christians.” The main day of the three is November 1, now called All Saints Day, but previously called Hallowmas. It was established sometime between 731 and 741 – over 1,300 years ago – “perhaps by Pope Gregory III.”

Put another way, November 1 honors “all the saints and martyrs, both known and unknown.” In other words, special people in the Church. (A saint is defined as one “having an exceptional degree of holiness,” while a martyr is someone “killed because of their testimony of Jesus.”) On the other hand, November 2 – All Souls’ Day – was designed to honor “all faithful Christians … unknown in the wider fellowship of the church, especially family members and friends.’” In other words, the rest of us poor schmucks. (That is, those who have gone on before.) Also, consider this:

Given that many Christian cemeteries are interdenominational in nature, All Souls Day observances often have an ecumenical dimension, with believers from various Christian denominations praying together and cooperating to adorn graves.

Another note: Ecumenism means that Christians even from far different denominations “should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity.” Which would be a nice change of pace for this year’s November 2.

But again, what about all those strange “Eve of All Hallow’s” customs? It seems they started with the old-time idea that evil spirits were strongest during the long nights of winter. And that on the night of October 31 the “barriers between our world and the spirit world” were at their most permeable; the barrier between this world and the next was at is lowest point. Which brings up the masks and costumes that are a big part of Halloween. In the old days people wore masks or costumes to disguise their identities. The idea was to keep the ghosts or spirits – coming from the netherworld – “from recognizing live people in this ‘material world.’”

The same is true of bonfires; literally bonefires, fires where bones were burned. One idea? Evil spirits could be driven away with fire and noise. Also, old-timers thought the fires brought comfort to “souls in purgatory and people prayed for them as they held burning straw up high.”

Then there are those pumpkins. Some other old-time people set out carved pumpkins on their windowsills to keep “harmful spirits” out of their home. But yet another tradition said  jack-o’-lanterns “represented Christian souls in purgatory.” And while today jack-o’-lanterns are made from pumpkins, they were originally carved from large turnips.

In turn, both the jack-o’-lantern and Will-o’-the-wisp – see a Japanese interpretation at right – are tied in with the strange ghostly light known as ignis fatuus. (From the Medieval Latin for “foolish fire.”) That refers to the “atmospheric ghost light seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached:”

Tradition had it that this ghostly light – seen by travelers at night and “especially over bogs, swamps or marshes – resembled a flickering lamp. The flickering lamp then receded if you approached it, and so it “drew travelers from their safe paths,” to their doom…

And about traveling on All Hallows E’en. (Holding a candle.) If you hiked from 11:00 p.m. until midnight, your had to be careful. If your candle kept burning, that was a good omen. (The traveler would be safe in the upcoming “season of darkness.”) But if the candle went out, “the omen was bad indeed.” (The thought was that the candle had been blown out by witches…)

But once again, the Halloween Triduum officially ends on November 2, All Souls’ Day. The idea iss to remember the souls of the dear departed, illustrated by the painting below. Good Christians remember deceased relatives on the day, and – in many churches – the following Sunday includes a memorial service for those who died in the past year. Which should make for the Good News of Halloween. Accordingly, here’s wishing you:

A Happy “All Hallow’s Triduum!”

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The upper image is courtesy of Allhallowtide – Wikipedia, with the caption:  “A graveyard outside a Lutheran church in Röke, Sweden on the feast of All Hallows. Flowers and lighted candles are placed by relatives on the graves of their deceased loved ones.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from 2018’s The THREE days of Hallowe’en, The Halloween Triduum – 2019, On the Hallowe’en “Triduum” – 2021, and On Halloween 2023 – and a Sheol “rabbit trail.”

The lower image is courtesy of All Souls’ Day – Wikipedia.  The caption: “All Souls’ Day by William Bouguereau.” See also Allhallowtide, and All Saints’ Day – Wikipedia.

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As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (See John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Book of Common Prayer version.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency…

So in plain words, I take issue with what I call “Christian first graders.” Those who choose to stay in a kind of elementary-school first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not make it narrow. Also, there’s the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

I’ve written on boot-camp Christians, the Literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible offers so much more than a narrow reading gives… (Unless you want to stay a buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians” see Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?” The gist of that post: Starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally the “liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“What the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the theological reflection method using four sources of spiritual development: scripture, tradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR?

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October 23 is the Feast Day for James, brother of Jesus, also known as St. James of Jerusalem. (Where he ended up later in life.) He’s one of several “Jameses” in the New Testament…

…about which there seems to be some confusion, not least of all on my part. He’s sometimes confused with James, the son of Zebedee, also called James the Greater, “to distinguish him from James, son of Alphaeus (James the Less)…

And if that wasn’t confusing enough, this James of Jerusalem is also known as “James the Just.” (Because of how pious he became in response to the Crucifixion; he changed from not believing in Jesus to becoming one of His most devoted followers. See John 7:5, that Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe His claims – “even His own brothers did not believe in Him” – from which some infer that this James “was not a disciple of the Lord until after the Resurrection.”)

But while many New Testament writers refer to him as brother of Jesus, Catholic teaching holds that he was actually a cousin, or step-brother “from a previous marriage of Joseph.” And tradition holds that for many years he was the leader of the Christian congregation in Jerusalem, and that he wrote the Epistle of James. (“Although the Epistle itself does not state this explicitly.”)

And speaking of confusion, there appear to be at least three men named James mentioned in the New Testament, and possibly as many as eight. That led me in past posts to confuse him with “St. James the Greater,” whose feast day is July 25. (Among other things, James the Greater is the “patron saint of pilgrims,” especially Camino pilgrims like me.)

This James is mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus, who calls him “the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ.” Josephus also reports that he was much respected even by the Pharisees for his piety and strict observance of the Law. However, his enemies took advantage of an interval between Roman governors in 62 AD to have him put to death. His death is also reported by the second-century Christian writer Hegesippus.

For more enlightenment on this topic see Men Named James in the New Testament – Agape Bible Study, detailed in the notes. More to the point, the James remembered on October 23 is – as noted – said to have written the Epistle of James. Other New Testament books – the Pauline epistles and Acts of the Apostles  – show him as key to the Christians of Jerusalem.

When Paul arrives in Jerusalem to deliver the money he raised for the faithful there, it is to James that he speaks, and it is James who insists that Paul ritually cleanse himself at Herod’s Temple to prove his faith…  Paul describes James as being one of the persons to whom the risen Christ showed himself … and in Galatians 2:9 Paul lists James with Cephas (better known as Peter) and John the Apostle as the three “pillars” of the Church.

There’s also confusion on how he died. “According to Josephus James was stoned to death by Ananus ben Ananus.” But Clement of Alexandria relates that ‘James was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, and was beaten to death with a club.’” Either way, he was important.

Next up, Saints Simon and Jude, two of the other 12 Apostles, whose Feast Day is October 28.

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The upper image is courtesy of St. James Of Jerusalem Brother Of Jesus – Image Results.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For more on this “James” in the New Testament, see St. James of Jerusalem at The Lectionary – Satucket. Or James, brother of Jesus – Wikipedia. I also borrowed from On Saints Luke, and James of Jerusalem – 2021. And re: Men Named James in the New Testament. The site listed the following men named James in the New Testament:  1) James the son of Zebedee and brother of the Apostle St. John (James the Greater);  2) James the “brother” of Jesus (whose Feast Day is October 23);  3) the Apostle James, “son of Alphaeus;”  and 4) James, the father of the Apostle Jude. Other sources indicate there were as many as six “Jameses” in the Bible.

See also Hegesippus (chronicler) – Wikipedia: “Hegesippus’ works are now entirely lost, save eight passages concerning Church history quoted by Eusebius… Through Eusebius, Hegesippus was also known to Jerome, who is responsible for the idea that Hegesippus “wrote a history of all ecclesiastical events from the passion of our Lord down to his own period,” c[irca] 110 – c. 180 AD.

The lower image is courtesy of Saints Simon And Jude Images – Image Results.

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October 14, 2025 – Saturday, October 18 is the feast of St Luke, Evangelist. He wrote the third and last “synoptic” gospel. (See below.) The first one – Mark’s – was written “as early as the mid 50s.” (A.D.) Matthew’s came somewhere between 61 and 70 A.D. But scholars like Isaac Asimov say Luke wrote his Gospel some time later, between 71 and 80 A.D. As to those “synoptics:”

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are considered synoptic gospels on the basis of many similarities between them that are not shared by the Gospel of John. “Synoptic” means here that they can be “seen” or “read together…” The synoptic gospels are the source of many popular stories, parables, and sermons, such as Jesus’ humble birth in Bethlehem, the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, the Last Supper, and the Great Commission… The fourth gospel [John], presents a very different picture of Jesus and his ministry…

(See Gospel – Wikipedia.) Getting back to Asimov, he said Mark was written for “the ordinary Christian of Jewish background” and Matthew for “those learned in Old Testament lore.” But Luke wrote his Gospel for Gentiles sympathetic to Christianity and considering conversion. Then too Luke treated Roman authorities more gently than the first two gospels, and Jesus Himself is portrayed as more sympathetic to Gentiles than in Matthew or Mark.

Luke the Evangelist – Wikipedia added that he is “believed by many scholars to be a Greek physician who lived in the Greek city of Antioch in Ancient Syria.” The article added that going back as far as the early church fathers, Luke is considered to have written“both the Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.” (Originally one work called Luke-Acts.) Also:

Based on his accurate description of towns, cities and islands, as well as correctly naming various official titles, archaeologist Sir William Ramsay wrote that “Luke is a historian of the first rank [and] should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.” Professor of Classics at Auckland University, E.M. Blaiklock, wrote: “For accuracy of detail, and for evocation of atmosphere, Luke stands, in fact, with Thucydides. The Acts of the Apostles is not shoddy product of pious imagining, but a trustworthy record… it was the spadework of archaeology which first revealed the truth.”  New Testament scholar Colin Hemer [also attested to] the historical nature and accuracy of Luke’s writings. (Emphasis added.)

Note also Luke 21:5-36, on “Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times,” known as the Little Apocalypse. See The Son of Man and the Little Apocalypse|Catholic World:

[T]he Olivet Discourse, sometimes called a “little apocalypse” … because it contains difficult teachings by Jesus about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 and the final day of judgment. Like The Apocalypse of John the Revelator [the Book of Revelation], the little apocalypse is filled with strong imagery and a complex web of allusions drawn from the Old Testament, especially from the prophets.  

(See too Wikipedia on the Olivet Discourse; Jesus saying His followers “will suffer tribulation and persecution before the ultimate triumph of the Kingdom of God.”) 

Not that there’s any connection to current events or anything…

Some other notes: Luke is commonly thought to be the only non-Jewish writer with a “book” in the New Testament. (It includes numerous letters.) And he wrote more pages in the New Testament than anyone else. While Luke’s Gospel and Acts occupy a total of sixty pages, “all the letters traditionally attributed to Paul (not counting Hebrews) total fifty-six.”

And the rest of the acts of Luke, are they not described in the chronicles of some past posts? (Which is being interpreted: “See the Notes for links thereto.”) Including the idea that Luke was also a painter, and beyond that painted Mary, the mother of Jesus, as shown below.

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Some final thoughts, thoughts that occurred during a service at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville NC last October 5: It struck me that I’m a writer, and that my writing can be described as mostly about my “journeys with Jesus.” Which includes the metaphoric physical journeys I describe in a companion blog. (Long hikes on the Camino de Santiago, etc.). But it also includes the journeys I’ve made through the Bible – 16 full trips and-counting – starting in 1992 via the Daily Office. (The two-year cycle of Bible readings by which you go the whole Bible one time in two years, and the psalms and Gospels three to four times in those two years.)

Another, simple thought for these troubling times: “Moses said love your neighbor, Jesus said love your enemy, and Paul said Christ died for the Ungodly – whoever you think they may be.” In these times of political (and religious) polarization it pays to have a nice, simple sound bite. And this simple mantra may both help you defend yourself – and may even spread the Gospel…

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The upper image is courtesy of St. Luke – Image Results. It goes with a page, “Catholic Prayers.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: “And the rest of the acts of Luke, are they not described in the chronicles of some past posts?” An allusion to 2 Kings 20:20, “And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah … are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?” See also 2 Kings 8:23, 2 Kings 15:6,26, and 2 Kings 16:19.

Re: “Which is being interpreted.” I.e., for this post I borrowed from 2014’s On St. Luke – physician, historian, artist, On St. Luke – 2015, 2022’s On Luke, James the Just and Halloween, and St. Luke’s day – 2023. (With the image I borrowed for the top of this post-page.) See also the St. Luke article on the The Lectionary – Satucket website.

The Asimov quotes are from Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (Two Volumes in One),  Avenel Books (1981), at pages 912-15.

The lower image is courtesy of St. Luke Painting The Virgin – Image Results, with the caption: “‘Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Mary #1’ is a painting by Central European Painter which was uploaded on October 23rd, 2020.”

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September 27, 2025 – Next Monday, September 29, is the Feast Day for “St. Michael and All Angels,” also called Michaelmas. “In the Christian angelology of some traditions, the Archangel Michael is considered as the greatest of all the angels; being particularly honored for defeating satan [Satan] in the war in heaven.” I’ll get to Saint Michael in a bit, but first a few words about angels in general. For one thing, there are good angels and bad angels.

As it says in Revelation 12:7, “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.” (With the dragon being Satan, as clarified in Revelation 12:9.*) But let’s stick with the good angels for this post.

For example, in Matthew 18:10 Jesus warns not to despise children because “their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Then there are guardian angels, “a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation.” (Is our nation’s guardian angel working overtime these days?) And there are said to be three levels (“spheres”) of angels, inside each of which there are three orders. See Wikipedia for the full list of orders and sub-orders, but they include Seraphim and Cherubim, the latter seen at left.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that “the existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith.” And turning to other sources, consider the theologian Emanuel Swedenborg, who said all angels “originate from the human race, and there is not one angel in heaven who first did not live in a material body. Moreover, all children who die not only enter heaven but eventually become angels.”

As for those guardian angels (Swedenborg added), they should be approached with caution: “Due to man’s sinful nature it is dangerous to have open direct communication with angels and they can only be seen when one’s spiritual sight has been opened.” (All the more reason to read the Bible on a daily basis, and understand it with an open mind, per Luke 24:45.)

And then there are archangels, which brings us back to Saint Michael. The word is used twice in the New Testament, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9. Further, the term “appears only in the singular, never plural, and only in specific reference to Michael.” Further – for those of us (theoretically and statistically) closer to life’s end than the beginning – he is the “Christian angel of death: at the hour of death, Saint Michael descends and gives each person the chance to redeem oneself before passing.” (Something I didn’t know but found quite comforting, for those who may need that extra chance: “Who’d be stupid enough to pass up that deal?”)  

And as noted, Michael is mentioned most prominently in Revelation 12:7-10:

[T]here was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels. And prevailed not… [T]he great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying … the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

See Michael (archangel) – Wikipedia, which added that he is also mentioned three times in the Book of Daniel, once as a “great prince who stands up for the children of your people.” But now comes the tricky part, for me anyway. I attend the Episcopal Church, part of the Anglican Communion. We use the Book of Common Prayer, and it says the idea of purgatory is both a “Romish doctrine” and “repugnant to the Word of God.” But I’m willing to be flexible.

The thing is, without purgatory your dying day is pass-fail. No Via Media, no “way between two extremes.” You’re either in or out. You go to heaven or “down, down the down-down way.”  But with purgatory you get another chance, an “intermediate state after physical death,” where some ultimately destined for heaven can first undergo “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” And so, like I said, I’m willing to be flexible. So here’s to Michael (archangel), and his reaching out to save souls in purgatory.”

“Hey, I’ll take all the help I can get!”

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The upper image is courtesy of Saint Michael in the Catholic Church – Wikipedia. The full caption: “St. Michael’s church in Hammerfest, Norway, the northernmost Catholic church in the world.” (To which I like to add, jokingly, “It’s okay. Catholics are almost Episcopalians! And they sure got Gregorian chant right.”) Then too the Catholic Church – Wikipedia link added this:

Saint Michael is one of the angels presumed present at the hour of death. Traditionally, he is charged to assist the dying and accompany them to their particular judgment, where he serves as an advocate.

But see also 1st John 2:1, “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ.” (BTW: I’ve compared Jesus with “the Ultimate Public Defender.”)

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from 2014’s St. Matthew, and 2018’s On Holy Cross, Matthew, and Michael – “Archangel.” Also from 2023’s An update – “Feast Days in France.” (It included notes on St Matthew, Evangelist and St Michael and All Angels, and some on hiking the Robert Louis Stevenson Trail.) Also, Angels in Christianity – Wikipedia. And for future reference (future posts on this feast day), see St. Michael & All Angels on the The Lectionary – Satucket website. It includes “Everything You Never Wanted to Know about Angels,” along with information about the Nine Choirs and “Cherubs, Griffins, and Grimm Shifts.” (Which is being interpreted: “I had to work my way through a number of such readings, this morning, September 29, leading to this update.”

On dragons in the Bible, see What the Bible Says About the Meaning of Dragons: “In the Bible, the term ‘dragon’ often symbolizes chaos, evil, and opposition to God, particularly representing Satan or the forces of darkness… The imagery utilized in these verses evokes a sense of impending threat and turmoil, indicating that the forces of darkness are ever-present in the lives of believers and the history of salvation.” (And is that so hard to believe these days?)

Re:  Purgatory as a “Romish doctrine.”  See page 872 of the BCP, or The Online Book of Common Prayer under Historical Documents of the Church, Articles of Religion, Part XXII:

The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well
of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and
grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

But another note on Purgatory and the Episcopal Church:  “Although denying the existence of purgatory as formulated in Roman Catholic doctrine, the Anglican and Methodist traditions … affirm the existence of an intermediate state, Hades, and thus pray for the dead.”  The latter will be addressed later this month, as noted in 2017’s On the THREE days of Hallowe’en.

Re: “Theoretically and statistically closer to life’s end.” I’ve noted that – if the Lord wills and I help with right diet and good exercise – I hope to live to 120, like Moses, with “eye undimmed and vigor unabated,” like it says at the end of Deuteronomy. See From two years ago – “Will I live to 141?”

See also – on the “way between two extremes” – Via Media – The Episcopal Church, and Via media – Wikipedia, on the Latin phrase meaning “the middle road” or the “way between (and avoiding or reconciling) two extremes… Its use in English is highly associated with Anglican self-characterization, or as a philosophical maxim for life akin to the golden mean which advocates moderation in all thoughts and actions.” And the “[it went] down, down the down-down way” is what my brother said many years ago after he flushed our grandmother’s expensive watch down the toilet.

The lower image is courtesy of the Wikipedia article, with the full caption: “Guido Reni‘s painting in Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome, 1636 is also reproduced in mosaic at the St. Michael Altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican.”

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September 20, 2025 – As indicated in the last post, September 21 is normally the feast day for St Matthew, Evangelist. But this year it’s like Holy Cross Day, because this year it too also fell on a Sunday. Meaning that – like Holy Cross Day – it too was transferred to the following Monday. (This year St. Matthew’s day will be celebrated on September 22.)

With that out of the way, we can begin his story with Matthew 9:9-13:

As Jesus went on from there [Capernaum], he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.  “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Which turned out to be good news for pretty much all of us, because in Jesus’ time tax collectors were “lower than dirt.” That is, in His time tax collectors were social outcasts. “Devout Jews avoided them because they were usually dishonest (the job carried no salary, and they were expected to make their profits by cheating the people from whom they collected taxes).”

Thus, throughout the Gospels, we find tax collectors (publicans) mentioned as a standard type of sinful and despised outcast. Matthew brought many of his former associates to meet Jesus, and social outcasts in general were shown that the love of Jesus extended even to them.

Get that? “The love of Jesus extended even to them.” (For more see Tax collector – Wikipedia.) And as noted in 2014’s On St. Matthew, a tax collector like Matthew was “sure to be hated above all men as a merciless leech who would take the shirt off a dying child.” Further, in Jesus’ time “the word ‘publican’” – or tax collector – was “used as representing an extreme of wickedness in the Sermon on the Mount.” In plain words tax collectors worked for Rome’s forces of occupation and so were viewed as collaborators, “Quislings,” and traitors to their country:

Tax collectors, also known as publicans, are mentioned many times in the Bible (mainly in the New Testament). They were reviled by the Jews of Jesus’ day because of their greed and collaboration with the Roman occupiers. Tax collectors amassed personal wealth by demanding tax payments in excess of what Rome levied and keeping the difference. They worked for tax farmers. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus sympathizes with the tax collector Zacchaeus, causing outrage from the crowds that Jesus would rather be the guest of a sinner than of a more respectable or “righteous” person. 

So what’s the good news in all this? Just that by accepting the forgiveness and grace offered by Jesus, Matthew the hated tax-collecting, collaborating Quisling got magically transformed. Magically transformed into a Gospel writer of the first magnitude, much like Saul, who got magically transformed into Paul through his Damascus Road Experience. (Where he was changed from an enemy of the early Church to its foremost spokesman.)

Which means that “if those two could be so magically transformed, so can we!”

Or as a biographer wrote of Thomas Merton, he was an ordinary man with more than his fair share of human faults, but it was just such “base metal which, in the marvelous alchemy of the spiritual journey, became transmuted into gold.” Or transformed, like it says in Philippians 3:21, on Jesus, “who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.”

Which brings up a point. I Googled “transfigure synonyms” and at the top got “transform into something more beautiful or elevated.” And isn’t that what Jesus wants? So don’t stay in your spiritual cocoon. Get transformed from a creepy-crawly caterpillar into “high-flying mode.”

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The upper image is courtesy of Brugghen, Hendrick ter – The Calling of St. Matthew. See also Matthew the Apostle – Wikipedia.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

Re: Matthew and “from there.” I figured Matthew 9:9 referred to Nazareth as Jesus’ own city. But see Matthew 9:1 in the Bible Hub link, where Jesus healed a paralyzed man: “Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.” The Commentary notes: “‘His own town’ refers to Capernaum, which served as Jesus’ base of operations during His Galilean ministry… This town is where Jesus performed many miracles and taught in the synagogue, fulfilling prophecies about the Messiah’s ministry in Galilee.”

For this post I borrowed from 2014’s St. Matthew, and 2018’s On Holy Cross, Matthew, and Michael – “Archangel.” Also from 2023’s An update – “Feast Days in France.” (It included notes on St Matthew, Evangelist and St Michael and All Angels, and some on hiking the Robert Louis Stevenson Trail.) See also Holy Cross Day – The Episcopal Church, and Celebrating Holy Cross Day | Holy Apostles.

The lower image is courtesy of Metamorphosis Caterpillar To Butterfly – Image Results. I used it in On the Transfiguration – 2025, and my August 2023, “Love one another” – get Transfigured (too). 

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The next major feast – Holy Cross Day – normally comes on September 14, but this year it’s transferred to Monday, September 15. (As happens with many such feast days.) And Holy Cross Day is one of several Feasts of the Cross, recalling the cross used to crucify Jesus:

In English, it is called The Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the official translation of the Roman Missal, while the 1973 translation called it The Triumph of the Cross. In some parts of the Anglican Communion the feast is called Holy Cross Day…

Historically, the feast is associated with the dedication – in the year 335, nearly seven hundred years ago, on September 14 – of a complex of buildings built by the Emperor Constantine in Jerusalem on the site of the Crucifixion. Constantine’s mother Helena supervised construction and during the work “a relic believed to be the cross was discovered.” In turn, although the “authenticity of alleged relics of the cross may be questionable, Holy Cross Day provides an opportunity for a joyous celebration of Christ’s redeeming death on a cross.”

Which leads to a side note: That last August 14, while hiking the Canterbury Trail in England, I visited the “Church of the Holy Rood,” in Holybourne. And “rood was originally the only Old English word for the instrument of Jesus Christ‘s death.” (How’s that for a segue?)

Holybourne is a village in Alton, in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire. It’s 1.3 miles northeast of the center of Alton, with a population around 1,500. The town was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Haliborne and appears in 1418 as Halybourn. In turn, the Church of the Holy Rood has foundations dating from the 12th century.

We came across the church not long after leaving the Alton House Hotel, near the famous Jane Austen House. (About a mile and a half later.) But back to Holy Cross Day: It honors “Christ’s self-offering on the cross for our salvation. The collect for Holy Cross Day recalls that Christ ‘was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world unto himself.'”

Which means we have a lot of work to do to make that happen.

But wait, there’s more! Coming up later this month are feast days for St. Matthew, Evangelist, on September 21, and for St. Michael and All Angels on September 29, so stay tuned.

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The upper image is courtesy of Church of the Holy Rood, Holybourne – Wikimedia Commons. See also Holybourne – Wikipedia, and Rood – Wikipedia.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from 2018’s On Holy Cross, Matthew, and Michael – “Archangel.” Also from 2023’s An update – “Feast Days in France.” (It included notes on St Matthew, Evangelist and St Michael and All Angels, and some on hiking the Robert Louis Stevenson Trail.) See also Holy Cross Day – The Episcopal Church, and Celebrating Holy Cross Day | Holy Apostles.

Also, and for reference and use in future posts, see the link Holy Cross Day in the “Lectionary Page Satucket” website. It contains deep background on the practice of making the sign of the Cross: “Tertullian, in his De Corona (3:2), written around AD 211, says that Christians seldom do anything significant without making the sign of the cross. Certainly by his time the practice was well established.” (With references to Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation.) As for the significance, we today put our “personal mark on something to show that it belongs to us.” By making the sign of the Cross we signify “that we belong to Him,” Jesus. (I should note that I’ve had problems doing posts on Holy Cross Day because of a dearth of information, which is no longer true.)

I borrowed the lower image from the 2018 post, and added, “I’ll take all the help I can get!” It included notes on Purgatory as a “Romish doctrine,” per page 872 of the BCP, or Online Book of Common Prayer under Historical Documents of the Church, Articles of Religion, Part XXII:

The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well
of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and
grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

But here’s another note on Purgatory and the Episcopal Church:  “Although denying the existence of purgatory as formulated in Roman Catholic doctrine, the Anglican and Methodist traditions … affirm the existence of an intermediate state, Hades, and thus pray for the dead.” (As noted in further posts like 2017’s THREE days of Hallowe’en.)

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August 4, 2025 – The next major feast day happens on August 6, The Transfiguration of Jesus. At 6:30 that Wednesday morning – if all goes according to schedule – I’ll arrive in London. (No doubt all bleary-eyed and jet-lagged from another long red-eye flight from Atlanta.) I’ll be arriving in London to meet up with my brother and his wife, and early the next week start hiking the Canterbury Trail – called the Pilgrims’ Way by locals – from Winchester to Canterbury.

But back to the Transfiguration, what has been called the greatest miracle in history. That’s because unlike His other miracles, this one happened to Jesus. (Not Him helping others.)

About eight days after Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they [Peter, John and James] saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem…

That’s from Luke 9:28-36, and as noted this miracle is unique among those listed in the “Canonical gospels, in that the miracle happens to Jesus himself.” And that’s why St. Thomas Aquinas considered the Transfiguration “the greatest miracle in the world.”

Another view: The meaning and importance of the transfiguration. Answer: Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets, but “God’s voice from heaven – ‘Listen to Him!’ – clearly showed that the Law and the Prophets must give way to Jesus.” As in Jesus brought in the new and living way to replace the old: “He is the fulfillment of the Law and the countless prophecies in the Old Testament.” Beyond that, Peter, James and John – who witnessed it – told the other disciples, and through them to “countless millions down through the centuries.”

So you could say that Peter, James and John got “transfigured” themselves.

Which means that while this was indeed a dramatic event – for Jesus – it can also mean that just such a dramatic event can happen to you. It can mean that you yourself can have such an exalting, glorifying spiritual experience, just like Peter, James and John.

In other words, by accepting Jesus – via John 6:37 and Romans 10:9 – you yourself can undergo a spiritual metamorphosis, like the kind a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. So in your journey through the present trials and tribulations, do you want to stay a caterpillar, or become a butterfly? I’m thinking such a transformation is what the Jesus Faith is all about.

In other words, the August 6 feast day could mean you too can be transfigured, just like Jesus, and through Him like Peter, James and John. See for example Bible Verses about Transformed into His Likeness, like 2d Corinthians 3:18. It says we true Christians “are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Or Philippians 3:21, which talks of the power of Jesus, “who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.” Or 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”

Which brings up an interesting point. I Googled “transfigure synonyms” and at the top got “transform into something more beautiful or elevated.” And isn’t that what Jesus calls us to do? He does indeed love and accept us just as we are, but He doesn’t want us to stay that way. For one thing, how could we perform greater miracles than Jesus if we stay “just as we are?”

Which opens up a whole new can of worms, but for now let’s focus on transforming from caterpillars to butterflies. And a closing note: I’ll try to update my own process of “getting all Jesus-upped,” while hiking the Canterbury Trail in England. So wish me luck and stay tuned…

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The upper image is courtesy of Mount Hermon Images – Image Results. See also, What is the Mount of Transfiguration? – BibleAsk: “The Gospels do not specify exactly which mountain was the location,” but several ave been proposed. “One traditional site is Mount Tabor, located in Lower Galilee.” Early church fathers thought so, but it is “not a particularly tall mountain (about 1,800 feet high), and by the time of Jesus, it was likely inhabited and even had a fortress, which would make privacy difficult:”

Another possible location is Mount Hermon, which is much higher (over 9,000 feet) and is located near Caesarea Philippi, the place where Jesus was just before the transfiguration (Matthew 16:13). Some scholars believe that Mount Hermon fits better geographically and contextually.

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For this post I borrowed from the 2015 post, Transfiguration – The Greatest Miracle in the World, The Transfiguration of Jesus – 2016, On Saint James the Pilgrim – and “Transfiguration 2021,” and The Transfiguration – 2024.

“Another long red-eye flight.” I flew over to London last May, to check things out.

The “law and prophets” are two of the three parts of the Hebrew Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament. The three parts are the Torah (the five Books of Moses), the Nevi’im (the Books of the Prophets), and the Ketuvim, or Writings. Thus the acronym “TaNaK.” The Writings include Psalms, Proverbs and Job, along with Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther. (Wikipedia.)

“Listen to him.” Luke 9:35, “A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 

On transfigure see also TRANSFIGURE Synonyms | Collins English Thesaurus.

“Just as we are.” The link is to Just as I Am (hymn) – Wikipedia, about what “became an altar call song in the Billy Graham crusades in the latter half of the twentieth century.” 

“Get all Jesus-upped.” An expression my hiking brother used to describe my proposed trip to Jerusalem back in 2019. (See for example From Jerusalem to Assisi – 2022, or type in “Jerusalem” in the search box above right.) Also, if I can succeed in doing an update on a post on my tablet over in England, I’ll put it at the top of the latest post, “so stay tuned.”

The lower image is courtesy of Metamorphosis Caterpillar To Butterfly – Image Results. I used it in my August 2023, “Love one another” – get Transfigured (too). (Where I mentioned Crossfire Christians):

The way I see it, that name can help in those situations – so common these days – where someone demands, “What are your politics?” Are you a Conservative or – heaven forbid – a Liberal? Here’s a good new answer that just occurred to me: “Who Me? I’m just trying to stay out of the crossfire. So I’m a Crossfire Christian.* You know, like Jesus?”

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July 19, 2025 – Next Tuesday, July 22, is the Feast Day for Mary Magdalene. Which means that for the first time in a really long time I’m doing a Feast-Day post before that day rolls around. (I won’t explain it “ex post facto.”) Turning to this Mary – the name was quite common in Jesus’ time – she was said to be a prominent follower of Jesus and to have been healed by Him. She is also said to have supported His ministry financially, and was there at the Crucifixion and Burial. But while she played a key role among his female disciples, for the most part “there is limited information about her life.” And much of that was limited information was bad.

As the Collect for her day says, Jesus “restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection.” She did that, and set an example for us all.

And she did all that despite what some said was a sordid past and a really lousy reputation.

For starters, “Mary” was as noted an extremely common name at the time. This particular Mary was said to have been born in Magdala, which is where she got her name: “Mary from Magdala,” or Magdalene. Unfortunately it’s not clear where Magdala is, but most scholars assume it’s “the place the Talmud calls Magdala Nunayya.” (“Magdala of the fishes.”) And the consensus is also that this is the site noted in Matthew 15:39, on what happened after Jesus fed the 4,000:

And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into the boat and came to the region of Magadan. [Below left.]

As Wikipedia noted, this particular Mary has long had a bad reputation. In Western Christianity, she’s known as “repentant prostitute or loose woman.” But the consensus now is that such claims are unfounded. Consider what Isaac Asimov said.

He first noted that Magdala is usually considered a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and may have been a suburb of Tiberias. He also noted this Mary “has been considered, in tradition, to have been a prostitute and to have repented as a result of her meeting with Jesus.” (Thus the “devils” in Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2 “might then be considered devils of lust.”)

Asimov also noted some confusion that arose from the placement of the story of Mary’s “devils” coming right after the story of the woman washing the feet of Jesus with her tears and drying them with her hair. Wikipedia also noted there’s long been a mix-up between Mary from Magdala and the “unnamed sinner who anoints Jesus’ feet in Luke 7:36-50:”

Mary Magdalene, the anointing sinner of Luke, and Mary of Bethany, who in John 11:1-2 also anoints Jesus’ feet, were long regarded as the same person. Though Mary Magdalene is named in each of the four gospels … none of the clear references to her indicate that she was a prostitute or notable for a sinful way of life, nor link her with Mary of Bethany.

Asimov put it this way: The sinner in Luke 7:36-50 “was, indeed, a prostitute in all likelihood,” but there was no direct link in the Bible between this woman and Mary Magdalene. He added that to be “possessed by devils” – as this Mary was said to be – would be considered today as “mental illness, rather than anything else.” Thus to Asimov, Mary Magdalene would be more accurately considered “a cured madwoman rather than a reformed prostitute.”

But wait, there’s more! She also gave us – inadvertently – the negative term “maudlin,” meaning effusively sad, full of self-pity or “extremely sentimental.” (“Maudlin” is an alteration of the name Magdalene, referring to this Mary as “frequently depicted as a tearful penitent,” as shown in the painting above.) But she overcame all that bad press by her own series of transforming pilgrimages. Unfortunately, much of that change-of-opinion happened long after she died.

That posthumous journey – in its way – led “to a personal transformation,” a transforming of how we see Mary today. For example, Mary of Magdala | FutureChurch noted that for centuries she was “perhaps the most maligned and misunderstood figure in early Christianity:”

Since the fourth century, she has been portrayed as a prostitute and public sinner…   Paintings, some little more than pious pornography, reinforce the mistaken belief that sexuality, especially female sexuality, is shameful, sinful, and worthy of repentance. Yet the actual biblical account of Mary of Magdala paints a far different portrait than that of the bare-breasted reformed harlot of Renaissance art.

But if you think about it – and read the Gospels – this Mary showed tons more courage than the male disciples when push came to shove. While those 11 men cowered in their room, hiding lest the Romans punish them as well, Mary alone went to the empty tomb. John 20:1: “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.” Thus one indisputable fact about Mary is that she was both the first person to visit the empty tomb and the first person to see the risen Jesus. (John 20:11-16.) That’s why St. Augustine called her the “Apostle to the Apostles.”

Then too that may account for all the stories of her “sordid past.” Did jealous men – then and later – try to cover up their own cowardice or their own bias, by sullying her reputation? So one lesson from all this? Keep on “pilgriming.” Good results can keep coming even after you die!

But the important thing to remember is that this Mary personally experienced the Risen Jesus, and so was the first among the millions who’ve had that experience. As the Wesleyan Quadrilateral says, aside from Bible itself, a personal experience of the Risen Jesus “is the strongest proof of Christianity.” And Mary of Magdala was the first of all that followed.

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The upper image is courtesy of wikipedia.org/wiki/Penitent_Magdalene_(Titian,_1565):

The Penitent Magdalene is a 1565 oil painting by Titian of saint Mary Magdalene, now in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.  Unlike his 1533 version of the same subject, Titian has covered Mary’s nudity and introduced a vase, an open book and a skull as a memento mori.  Its coloring is more mature than the earlier work, using colors harmoni[z]ing with character.  In the background the sky is bathed in the rays of the setting sun, with a dark rock contrasting with the brightly lit figure of Mary.

That is, Titian did a “racier” version in 1533. See Penitent Magdalene (Titian, 1533) – Wikipedia. Also, for more on this Mary see also MARY MAGDALENE, Bible Woman: first witness to Resurrection, and What Did Mary Magdalene look like?

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

Feast days are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

In a pure legal sense, “ex post facto” refers to a law that “retroactively changes the legal consequences or status of actions that were committed, or relationships that existed, before the enactment of the law. In criminal law, it may criminalize actions that were legal when committed.” (Wikipedia.) But the original Latin translates “(from) a thing done afterward.” Legal Information Institute.

For this post I borrowed from 2014’s On Mary Magdalene, “Apostle to the Apostles,” 2023’s St. James (2023), Pilgrimage, and “Maudlin’s Journey.” See also Mary Magdalene – Wikipedia.

Re: Isaac Asimov. The quotes on Mary are from Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (Two Volumes in One),  Avenel Books (1981), at pages 899-902. Asimov (1920-1992) was “an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.” His list of books included those on “astronomy, mathematics, the Bible, William Shakespeare’s writing, and chemistry.” He was a long-time member of Mensa, “albeit reluctantly;  he described some members of that organization as ‘brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs.’” See Isaac Asimov – Wikipedia.

Re: Experiencing the Risen Jesus. See Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, referring to “a methodology for theological reflection that is credited to John Wesley, leader of the Methodist movement in the late 18th Century… This method based its teaching on four sources as the basis of theological and doctrinal development, scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.”  Also, a complete quote:

Apart from scripture, experience is the strongest proof of Christianity… Wesley insisted that we cannot have reasonable assurance of something unless we have experienced it personally. [He] was assured of both justification and sanctification because he had experienced them in his own life. What Christianity promised … was accomplished in his soul. Furthermore, Christianity (considered as an inward principle) is the completion of all those promises. Although traditional proof is complex, experience is simple: “One thing I know; I was blind, but now I see.” Although tradition establishes the evidence a long way off, experience makes it present to all persons. As for the proof of justification and sanctification Wesley states that Christianity is an experience of holiness and happiness, the image of God impressed on a created spirit, a fountain of peace and love springing up into everlasting life.

The lower image is courtesy of File: Rembrandt – The Risen Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalen.  See also On Easter Season – AND BEYOND.

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