FL Article -- "He was a sinner"

[James_Gale]

The May 2016 Forum Letter arrived in my mailbox today.  As I read Pr. Johnson's lead article, I thought about this part of the ritual used to mark the death of Habsburg emperors and high-ranking princes.  This ritual played out (for the last time?) in 2011 upon the death at 98 of Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary.  Much of the ritual surrounding the funeral very much focuses on the life and achievement of the deceased.  However, this ritual at a Capuchin Church in Vienna, has a different emphasis.


The person at the head of the procession knocks on the door three times.  Each time, the senior Capuchin asks, "who seeks entry"?  The person at the head of the procession first lists Prince Otto's many royal and aristocratic titles.  The old Capuchin responds, "We do not know him."  He does not open the church door.  The second time, the person at the head of the procession lists Citizen Otto's many impressive achievements and offices.  (He very much supported democracy and Austria's lead role in what is now the European Union.)  Again, the old Capuchin says, "We do not know him."  The church door remains closed.  The third time, the person leading the procession answers the question -- "Who seeks entry?" -- by saying "Otto, a mortal, sinful man."  With that, the Capuchin leader bids the party to enter into the church.

[revjagow]

That'll preach!

[David Garner]

This is eerily similar to our Rush Procession at the Divine Liturgy of Pascha.  The entire parish proceeds around the church, and comes to the front door, where the Gospel is read.  Then the priest knocks on the door and says, echoing Psalm 24:

"Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter in." 

From inside the parish comes the response:

"Who is the King of glory?"

The priest then says:

"The Lord strong and mighty; the Lord mighty in war."

The priest knocks a second time:

"Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter in." 

Again comes the response from inside:

"Who is the King of glory?"

"The Lord strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in war."

The priest knocks a third time:

"Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter in."

A third time comes the response:

"Who is the King of glory?"

This time the priest responds:

"The Lord of Hosts; He is the King of glory!"

And then the doors are opened and light comes flooding out and Pascha begins with the Troparion: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!"

I love, though, the twist from Christ, the King of Glory, Who is not recognized in His worldly power but rather as God Himself, to the sinner, not recognized by his worldly power, but rather as penitent seeking entry to the Kingdom by the mercy of the same Lord of Hosts.  Very, very nice.  Thank you for sharing.

[Birkholz]

The May 2016 Forum Letter arrived in my mailbox today.  As I read Pr. Johnson's lead article, I thought about this part of the ritual used to mark the death of Habsburg emperors and high-ranking princes.  This ritual played out (for the last time?) in 2011 upon the death at 98 of Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary.  Much of the ritual surrounding the funeral very much focuses on the life and achievement of the deceased.  However, this ritual at a Capuchin Church in Vienna, has a different emphasis.


The person at the head of the procession knocks on the door three times.  Each time, the senior Capuchin asks, "who seeks entry"?  The person at the head of the procession first lists Prince Otto's many royal and aristocratic titles.  The old Capuchin responds, "We do not know him."  He does not open the church door.  The second time, the person at the head of the procession lists Citizen Otto's many impressive achievements and offices.  (He very much supported democracy and Austria's lead role in what is now the European Union.)  Again, the old Capuchin says, "We do not know him."  The church door remains closed.  The third time, the person leading the procession answers the question -- "Who seeks entry?" -- by saying "Otto, a mortal, sinful man."  With that, the Capuchin leader bids the party to enter into the church.

Dr. Scott Bruzek used this as the opening to Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn's funeral sermon.

The sermon starts at 1:02:50 of the video: http://livestream.com/concordiasem/events/3887285/videos/80590289

[James_Gale]

The May 2016 Forum Letter arrived in my mailbox today.  As I read Pr. Johnson's lead article, I thought about this part of the ritual used to mark the death of Habsburg emperors and high-ranking princes.  This ritual played out (for the last time?) in 2011 upon the death at 98 of Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary.  Much of the ritual surrounding the funeral very much focuses on the life and achievement of the deceased.  However, this ritual at a Capuchin Church in Vienna, has a different emphasis.


The person at the head of the procession knocks on the door three times.  Each time, the senior Capuchin asks, "who seeks entry"?  The person at the head of the procession first lists Prince Otto's many royal and aristocratic titles.  The old Capuchin responds, "We do not know him."  He does not open the church door.  The second time, the person at the head of the procession lists Citizen Otto's many impressive achievements and offices.  (He very much supported democracy and Austria's lead role in what is now the European Union.)  Again, the old Capuchin says, "We do not know him."  The church door remains closed.  The third time, the person leading the procession answers the question -- "Who seeks entry?" -- by saying "Otto, a mortal, sinful man."  With that, the Capuchin leader bids the party to enter into the church.

Dr. Scott Bruzek used this as the opening to Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn's funeral sermon.

The sermon starts at 1:02:50 of the video: http://livestream.com/concordiasem/events/3887285/videos/80590289

Good stuff.  Thanks for sharing.

[Team Hesse]

I have been to the crypt....heard the story there and used it in the first funeral sermon I ever preached and several times since...


Other than their anti-Lutheranism in past centuries, there is a great deal to admire about the Habsburgs.


Lou

[J. Thomas Shelley]

Yet another piece of evidence--along with onion domed churches, Byzantine tonality in Germanic hymns, six red candles on German "Advent pyramids", etc--that the Orthodox heritage of Switzerland, Germany, and Austria did not vanish with Charlemagne.

[readselerttoo]

This is eerily similar to our Rush Procession at the Divine Liturgy of Pascha.  The entire parish proceeds around the church, and comes to the front door, where the Gospel is read.  Then the priest knocks on the door and says, echoing Psalm 24:

"Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter in." 

From inside the parish comes the response:

"Who is the King of glory?"

The priest then says:

"The Lord strong and mighty; the Lord mighty in war."

The priest knocks a second time:

"Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter in." 

Again comes the response from inside:

"Who is the King of glory?"

"The Lord strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in war."

The priest knocks a third time:

"Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter in."

A third time comes the response:

"Who is the King of glory?"

This time the priest responds:

"The Lord of Hosts; He is the King of glory!"

And then the doors are opened and light comes flooding out and Pascha begins with the Troparion: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!"

I love, though, the twist from Christ, the King of Glory, Who is not recognized in His worldly power but rather as God Himself, to the sinner, not recognized by his worldly power, but rather as penitent seeking entry to the Kingdom by the mercy of the same Lord of Hosts.  Very, very nice.  Thank you for sharing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfbA7_vjWLg&list=PL01FBA1D708C61C72