Free Will... Do we have it or do we not?

SAINT OF THE DAY: Holy Men & Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints

Chad of Lichfield 

Bishop

672 

Collect for Chad of Lichfield

Heavenly Father, whose son our Lord Jesus Christ took the form of a servant for the sake of his brothers and sisters: Strengthen us with the prayers and example of your servant Chad, who became the least of all to minister to all; through the same Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns, with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Chad was born in Northern England around 634, one of four brothers dedicated to service in the church. Chad was trained by Aidan of Lindisfarne as a follower of the Celtic tradition in ritual. His elder brother Cedd had built a monastery at Lastingham, where he governed as abbot. 

At his death, Cedd left the abbacy to Chad. According to Bede, Chad was “a holy man, modest in his ways, learned in the Scriptures, and zealous in carrying out their teaching.” Impressed by Chad’s qualities, the king appointed him Bishop of York. Chad was ordained by “bishops of the British race who had not been canonically ordained,” Bede tells us. Chad was, Bede also notes, “a man who kept the church in truth and purity, humility, and temperance.” 

Following apostolic example, he traveled about his diocese on foot. The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Theodore, arrived in England four years after Chad’s ordination as bishop. Theodore made it clear that Chad’s ordination had been irregular, that is, not according to Roman custom, and Chad humbly offered to resign from office. “Indeed, I never believed myself worthy of it,” he said. 

Theodore, impressed by such humility, re-ordained him, and appointed him Bishop of Mercia and Northumbria. Chad continued his custom of traveling on foot until Theodore ordered him to ride, at least on longer journeys. When Chad hesitated, the Archbishop is said to have lifted him bodily onto the horse, “determined to compel him to ride when the need arose.” 

Chad administered his new diocese with devout concern. He built a monastery, and established monasticism at Barrow. In his see city of Lichfield, where he had an official dwelling, he preferred to read and meditate in a small house he had built nearby. Two and a half years after his re-ordination, plague broke out, killing many residents of the diocese including Chad himself, whose death Bede describes thus: “He joyfully beheld . . . the day of the Lord, whose coming he had always anxiously awaited. 

He was mindful to his end of all that the Lord did.” He died on March 2, 672, and was buried at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter in Lichfield.

Readings Appointed for Chad of Lichfield, Bishop

First Lesson: Leviticus 10:1–3
1Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. 2And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord meant when he said, “Through those who are near me I will show myself holy, and before all the people I will be glorified.” ’And Aaron was silent.

Psalm 103:13-18
13 As a father cares for his children, *so does the Lord care for those who fear him.
14 For he himself knows whereof we are made; *he remembers that we are but dust.
15 Our days are like the grass; *we flourish like a flower of the field;
16 When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *and its place shall know it no more.
17 But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever on those who fear him, 

        *and his righteousness on children’s children;
18 On those who keep his covenant *and remember his commandments and do them.

Second Lesson: Philippians 4:10-13
10 I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. 11 Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Gospel: Luke 14:1-14
1On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2 Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, ‘Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?’ 4 But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he said to them, ‘If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?’ 6 And they could not reply to this.

7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. 8‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.10But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’