Invocation and Refuge

by

Brother Thomas Faulkenbury

From 1988 to 2000 I served various Christian congregations as a priest and then as Bishop.  During that period I was required to write a weekly sermon, although I prefer the Anglican term ‘homily’.  Since my semi-retirement, I have been ‘freed’ of that obligation.  As the catalyst, not the spiritual leader, but merely the catalyst of the Sangha and the Cadhan brotherhood, I feel a personal need to offer the thoughts of my heart on occasion… to deliver a homily from one Brother to other Brothers.  I pray that you will allow me this luxury.

This Sunday morning, per my arbitrary schedule of meditating on the Holy Books of the world religions, I focused on various Invocations… calling on God, giving thanks, and affirming the efficacious influence of Absolute Reality in human life.

The first thing that struck me was the way we address that Absolute Reality.  We ‘name’ it Vivifier, Exalted One, All-enlightened One, Lord of the Worlds, our Father, Wise Lord, Soul of the Creation, Supreme Being, the Real, among many others.

We also use adjectives to ascribe characteristics to this Absolute Reality…  glorious splendor, beneficent, merciful, compassionate, glorified, sanctified, blessed, holy, and so on.

We call upon this Ultimate Reality to illuminate our minds, to show us the path, to forgive our failures, to lead us away from evil, to establish ‘his’ kingdom, to establish peace, and to align earth’s ways with heaven’s will.

All the words seem so insufficient to convey what we feel, what we desire, what we so desperately need….  Refuge, from the Latin, meaning a place to flee back to.  We call this Ultimate Reality by many names, we ascribe to it many characteristics, we seek many things from it.  But, in the final analysis, we go to it for shelter, for protection.

In the words of the Khuddaka Patha from Buddhism:

To the Buddha I go for refuge.

To the Dharma I go for refuge.

To the Sangha I go for refuge.

May refuge in Absolute Reality be our meditation for the week.

May all sentient beings attain enlightenment.

May the Lord make His face to shine upon you.

I bow to your Buddha-nature.

I bow to the Christ within you.

Be at peace, my Brothers,

/\Brother Thomas+