good evening and welcome to the orchard in the dinery garden at canterbury cathedral as we end our day september the 13th a sunday and we end as usual with the little service of compline to complete our day this september the 13th september the 14th is an important time of the christian year the 14th is the feast of the exaltation of the holy cross and during these two days in 335 the church of the holy sepulchre in jerusalem was consecrated it had been built by the emperor constantine and his mother helena who on a pilgrimage in the year 326 had with excavations there discovered what was accepted to be the holy cross and parts of that had been sent to rome passed to constantinople and part remained in jerusalem well that feast we keep tomorrow but tonight i'm remembering the fact that it was on this night that saint francis in meditation on the mountain la verna all alone received the stigmata and i'm just going to read a little bit before we say our compliment and give thanks for saint francis because he was two years from his death and had a premonition of that when he received the stigmata i'm reading from a lovely book god's fool by julian greene which i've always enjoyed reading and this chapter is about the stigmata francis is in a cave on the mountain top in deep meditation and has been for some days and three of the brothers leo angelo and ruffino are taking care of him but they are lodging a little way down in a different place on the mountainside in front of the cave where francis slept a crevice opens up bristling with tall birches that seem to be growing there to conceal the horror of the precipice a wooden bridge spanning the void makes it possible to cross over that cleft where it's best not to look down if you get dizzy easily the bridge is two planks laid across the chasm on the other side a path leads to a rocky platform that francis chose for setting up a little rudimentary hermitage his three companions leo angelo and ruffino took care of all these modest operations here he was so far away from the place where his brothers stayed that even if he cried out no one would hear him leo watched over him as best he could giving him all the attention a mother gives her child but he had no more right than the others to disturb the solitary without francis's express permission in the morning leo brought francis bread and a jug of water at midnight he went a little way down the path to the hermitage and recited the first verse of matins and if francis in tone the next one then brother leo would come otherwise the silence told him to go away the rest of the time was devoted to meditation on the sufferings of christ the hermitage became another golgotha because francis wanted to share with christ all the tortures of his passion to fill them with the same intensity to identify himself with him as far as was humanly possible was this the transforming union or nothing like it so many mystics have begged for love and for the pain that accompanies it but because the two were mingled together on the cross what went on in the cave where francis experienced the unheard of grace of union with the crucified savior we would have no idea if brother leo hadn't disobeyed francis's strict prohibition and seen many things he also had words that were destined to remain secret the essence of the commonly accepted version can be reduced to this on the feast of the exaltation of the holy cross during the night a seraph with wings of fire bearing the image of the crucified swooped down from heaven on francis as he was contemplating outside his cave and imprinted on his flesh the marks of the nails as well as the lance wound in the right side one fact that seems beyond doubting is that the whole population of the region round about saw the summit of mount laverna enveloped with light as if the sun had already risen as for brother leo he too saw a ball of fire falling from the heights down onto francis's face then rising up to heaven [Music] brother leo the most serious of the witnesses one could say almost the only one is the source of everything that we know about the stigmata he saw with the eyes of love but for his part francis never wanted people to talk about them and jealously hid the wounds from sight because the wounds that were like were like mouths that said too much in the last days of the month of september francis regretfully decided to leave la verna he had no doubt in his mind about elias's prediction he was going to die and he wanted to use the time remaining to him by saying farewell to his beloved earth and above all by preaching the gospel one more time to the towns and villages he knew so well tomorrow we shall keep the feast of the exaltation of the holy cross and remind ourselves by that sign of all that our savior suffered for us in his messiahship remind ourselves too that across the world those who belong in different denominations to the body of christ suffer the same wounds but also the same glory that their master suffered and francis is an enormous witness of that his love of creation but his embracing of christ's vocation we remember it with thanksgiving on this eve of the feast of the holy cross as we say compliment together the lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end amen be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist steadfast in the faith but thou o lord have mercy upon us thanks be to god our help is in the name of the lord who hath made heaven and earth we confess to god almighty the father the son and the holy ghost before the whole company of heaven that we have sinned exceedingly in thought word and deed through our own fault our own grievous fault therefore we pray god to have mercy upon us almighty god have mercy upon us forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life amen turn us o god our savior and let thine anger cease from us oh god make speed to save us o lord make haste to help us glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen so we say psalm 31 psalm 1 134 in the o lord have i put my trust let me never be put to confusion deliver me in thy righteousness bow down thine ear to me make haste to deliver me and be thou my strong rock and house of defense that thou mayest save me for thou art my strong rock and my castle be thou also my guide and lead me for thy name's sake draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strength into thy hands i commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me o lord thou god of truth glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen behold now praise the lord all ye servants of the lord ye that by night stand in the house of the lord even in the courts of the house of our god lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the lord the lord that made heaven and earth give thee blessing out of zion glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen thou o lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not o lord our god thanks be to god into thy hands o lord i commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me o lord thou god of truth glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost into thy hands o lord i commend my spirit before the ending of the day creator of the world we pray that with thy won'ted favor thou wouldst be our guard and keeper now from all ill dreams defend our eyes from nightly fears and fantasies tread underfoot our ghostly foe that no pollution we may know oh father that we ask be done through jesus christ thine only son who with the holy ghost and thee thus live and reign eternally amen keep me o lord as the apple of an eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings so at this point in our service of compline we light a candle for those whom we have known and loved for those who have formed us by their own example in our faith and for those who have died recently particularly those of whom we are aware and those known to us [Applause] rest eternal grant unto them o lord and let light perpetual shine upon them may they rest in peace and rise in glory amen save us our lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace lord now let his son thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of thy people israel glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen save us o lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace let us pray lord have mercy upon us christ have mercy upon us lord have mercy upon us our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever are men we will lay us down in peace and take our rest blessed art thou o lord god of our forebears and to be praised and glorified forever let us bless the father the son and the holy ghost let us praise and exalt him above all forever blessed art thou o lord in the firmament of heaven to be praised and glorified and exalted above all forever the almighty and merciful lord guard us and give us his blessing amen save our lord to keep us this night without sin oh lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us o lord let thy mercy lighten upon us says our trust is in thee oh lord hear our prayer and let our cry come unto thee visit we beseech the o lord our homes and drive far from them all snares of the enemy let thy holy angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace and may thy blessing be upon us ever more through jesus christ our lord amen be present so merciful lord and protect us through the silent hours of this night so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may repose upon thy eternal changelessness through jesus christ our lord amen moment of silence for your own prayers at the end of this sunday [Music] the peace of god which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god and of his son jesus christ our lord the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you upon those whom you love and those whom you would pray for this night and always amen the song of sin francis of assisi which we normally know as the canticle of the sun most high all-powerful good lord to you be praise glory honor and all blessing or only to you most high do they belong and no one is worthy to call upon your name may you be praised my lord with all your creatures especially brother son through whom you lighten the day for us he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor he signifies you almost high be praised my lord for sister moon and the stars clear and precious and lovely they are formed in heaven be praised my lord for brother wind for air and clouds clear skies and all weathers by which you give sustenance to your creatures be praised my lord for sister water who is very useful and humble and precious and pure be praised my lord for brother fire by whom the night is illumined for us he is beautiful and cheerful and full of power and strength be praised my lord for our sister mother earth who sustains and governs us and produces diverse fruits and coloured flowers and grass be praised my lord by all those who forgive for love of you and who bear weakness and tribulation blessed are those who bear them in peace for you most high they will be crowned [Applause] be praised my lord for our sister the death of the body from which no one living is able to flee but woe to those who are dying in mortal sin blessed are those who are found doing your most holy will for the second death will do them no harm praise and bless my lord and give him thanks and serve him with great humility [Applause] [Music] so you