Did you miss us? Well, we're back for the first full week of Lent Madness action! Hopefully you survived the past 24 hours with no voting -- we know it can be tough on the Lenten psyche.
One thing you may not know is that our Bracket Czar, Adam Thomas, wakes up early every morning to updated the online bracket. This is a great service to you, faithful voters, because he also posts links to all the previous battles. This will come in especially handy in subsequent rounds when you want to revisit those early rounds as you make an educated choice based on the all saintly write-ups.
In case you missed the news on Facebook or Twitter, Mechtild of Magdeburg easily swept past Isaac the Syrian on Saturday 77% to 23% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen. A few folks have lamented about the lack of close contests in the first round. This happens sometimes but...just wait.
John Wycliffe
“The morning star of the English Reformation,” John Wycliffe is best known for his translations of the Vulgate into Middle English and his attempts to reform church structures in England. A philosopher, theologian, professor, and translator, Wycliffe was condemned by the Council of Constance after his death—his bones were dug up and burned.
Born in England in the mid-1320s, Wycliffe centered his life and work at Oxford University—his intellectual home and frequently his physical address. He came of age during the Black Death, living through the upheaval caused by the plague. The dramatic changes caused by the Black Death prompted many cultural questions, and Wycliffe extended his questioning into theology and church organization. Wycliffe was drawn to the Platonist spirit of Augustine of Hippo—students frequently referred to him as “John of Augustine.” Under the influence of both Plato and Augustine, Wycliffe added his voice to a growing undercurrent in medieval theology that questioned the political power, the wealth, and control of the clergy embodied in the hierarchy based in Rome.
Contrary to popular belief, there was no official blanket ban on translating the scriptures into the languages of the common people. However, most of these texts either contained commentary clarifying Church teaching or were paraphrases written from the perspective of Church teaching. Wycliffe rejected any kind of clerical control and issued his new literal translation in order to separate the word of scripture from the Church’s interpretation of it. This position drew the wrath of church authorities and a condemnation by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Arundel.
Wycliffe protested the wealth and political power of the Church and advocated for a religious institution stripped of its wealth, lands, and titles that would be under the authority of the king and the nobles. Not surprisingly, theologically sympathetic, powerful nobles protected him from enemy clerics. Toward the end of his life, Wycliffe’s teachings against the conventional understanding of the sacraments, including the physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the necessity of confession, turned many of his former political allies against him.
Collect for John Wycliffe
Stir up in us, O God, the zeal for your Word that inspired your servant John Wycliffe that we, like him, may boldly challenge stifling systems and cling to the promises of your power and presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Moses the Black
Moses the Black was born in Ethiopia around 330. As a young man he left Ethiopia for adventures in Egypt. A servant to a wealthy Egyptian landowner, Moses surreptitiously stole from his boss, lining his pockets with the profits. When the man discovered Moses’ perfidy, he expelled Moses from his house.
Moses, a large and formidable man, gathered around him other bandits. Together they robbed and harassed people living in the Egyptian countryside. As he was fleeing the authorities, he took refuge among monks in Sketes, a desert community outside of Alexandria. Inspired by their contented piety, Moses converted to Christianity and renounced violence and carousing.
Sometime later, when four robbers assaulted the monastery, Moses stood his ground and tied up the would-be thieves, bringing them to the brothers to ask advice about the robbers’ punishment. He suggested that it would not be very Christian to repay violence with violence. The robbers were so moved by the compassion of the monks that they joined the monastery. On another occasion, Moses was summoned to a council to pass judgment on a brother. Going to council reluctantly, Moses carried a leaking jug of water into the meeting. His brothers were perplexed; Moses replied that his sins follow behind him but he did not see them and yet he was coming to judge another. The brothers were moved by this gesture and forgave the offending monk.
Moses ultimately became abbot of a community in the desert, and despite enduring racist stereotyping, he was later ordained a priest. In 405 he was warned of marauding Berbers plotting to attack his monastery. Moses sent all but a few of the monks from the monastery, insisting that the building and the brothers would not respond to any attacks with violence. “Those that live by the sword die by the sword,” he reminded his brothers. He and the remaining cohort of monks welcomed the bandits with open arms and were killed.
In his recounting of the ancient church, historian Salminius Sozomen remarked of Moses, “No one else ever made such a change from evil to excellence.” Moses is a shining example of the transformative power of the gospel and is the patron saint of nonviolence.
Collect for Moses the Black
Almighty God, whose blessed Son guides our footsteps in the way of peace: Deliver us from paths of hatred and violence, that we, following the example of your servant Moses, may serve you with singleness of heart and attain to the tranquility of the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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285 comments on “John Wycliffe vs. Moses the Black”
This was the toughest one of the season so far. I'm going with Wycliffee as a serious reformer and proponent of letting people find the voice of God through the Bible for themselves. I hate to vote against a saint of nonviolence, but impact wise, I think John W holds the upper hand.
Speaking truth to power seems a very current and important message to me right now. Wycliffe!
In todays world of violence and war we need Moses to help us remember we are al Go's children and are called to care for each other.
Lets go Moses!!!!!
I would have voted for Wycliffe, but I was disturbed to see that he would have put the church under the auspices of the king and nobility. That's not any better than the church's own hierarchy!
So I will thank John for his work and vote for Moses and his sins!
I voted for Moses the Black because He was once a thief but was moved by the piety of the monks and changed his heart also my friend did a project on him
Moses the Black is among my very favorite of the Desert Christians, so he gets my vote.
I voted for Moses the Black because I did a project on him.
These choices are tough. All pious men.
I was all in for Wycliffe but in the end it became all about non violence so I voted for Moses the Black. Challenging choice though which is what I like.
Same here. I thought this match-up would be a one with a close finish but I see that Moses is running away with the win. I appreciated learning about him for the first time today.
My vote goes to Moses. We so need followers of violence to become followers of the love of Christ, or, at the very least, followers of love. I also am a sucker for stories about monks and monasteries, having just finished "The Beautiful Mystery" by Louise Penny. Moses represents a beautiful mystery, for sure.
I think I've read that Louise Penny book too. Set in a remote Canadian monastery and involving Gregorian chant, if I recall correctly. Beautiful book.
MOSES THE BLACK FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Tough choice today. In the end I voted for Moses because of his embrace of the Christ-like way of nonviolence--also put into practice by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., who is also a saint in my book. We urgently need to adopt this way today.
How can one *not* vote for the Morning Star of the Reformation!?
Easy, my real and Facebook friend. Moses gives us a powerful witness of nonviolence. Wycliffe's wanting to put the church under the kings did it for me.
A number of years ago I heard a talk by a Wycliffe society translator. She and her family had lived 19 years in New Guinea learning an indigenous language so they could translate the Bible and bring the word of God to those people. There are Wycliffe translators all over the world still spending their lives in remote cultures for the purpose of carrying on Wycliffe's work and bringing the story of God's love and redemption to people who had never heard it. I was amazed and humbled by the commitment and sacrifice. For his ongoing influence in bringing Gods love to those people, I voted for Wycliffe.
Agreed. One of my aunts has been with WBT in a supporting role for almost 4 decades, first in Central America and then in Texas, so I'm most familiar with Wycliffe Americas, but as a child I learned much about people groups all over the globe from reading the WBT newsletter that came regularly in the mail as well as waiting for those thin-paper envelopes labeled "Air Mail" and containing the latest letter from my aunt, back in those pre-email days.
I had to read the comments to decide. I am voting for Moses. He recognized what was wrong with himself and changed it. If we all did that, much that is wrong in our church would take care of itself. The image of the leaking jug of sins falling unseen behind us will stay with me.
Wycliffe was a brave man of his time..and did well to translate for the people ...BUT Moses is needed today as a patron of non violence and peace..the collect in his honor is one to read..daily.
If those of us who love.....OK, who are obsessed with LENT MADNESS, and emulate the lives of Moses the Black and his followers, maybe we can be models of peace and non-violence in a world seemingly run amok with violent language and behavior. Being actively involved in peacemaking efforts as well as contemplating the writings of scholars like Wycliffe are both meaningful ways to observe Lent.
I'm for the brave and brainy man; those nasty people who somehow change are not reliable. Wycliffe is, through thick and thin.
Moses died for the sake of peace. That seems reliable to me.
I vote for John Wycliffe, because the translation of the Bible into language that can be understood by the reader/hearer is so critically important to the life of the Church as the Body of Christ. We join him as translators every time we prepare a sermon or counsel a suffering soul.
I voted for Wycliffe for the same reason, plus I have a special spot in my heart for translators...
Both personal transformation and effective organizational structure are necessary for social change. As an example of what we need right now, these two are equally wonderful. I chose Moses though, because he speaks directly to what I need personally right now to effectively stand up to what is happening politically.
As a biblical storyteller, a performer of the text itself, I really should vote for Wycliffe. But in the current political climate, we need to lift up men such as Moses.
We need the example of Moses the Black. Our world needs his example of nonviolence!
My vote for Wycliffe reflects my experience with God's spirit. Moses was a saint martyr for his people. His life is an outstanding dramatic example of Christian response to immediate crises. I, like many, live in a day-by-day need for guidance. Wycliffe provided that for my forebears, that led to my present life in Grace.
Check out the following for the actual truth: http://catholicexchange.com/the-untold-story-of-how-catholics-first-translated-scripture-into-english
One of the smaller campaigns of my liturgical life is to change the designation in our Calendar from "Moses the Black" to "Moses the Ethiopian." The former title can leave the impression that Black saints are such a rarity that their complexion causes them to stand out in the great communion. The latter is more in keeping with the way we designate others, e.g. "Hildegard of Bingen."
Good point, Paula.
I was touched by both of these, but I had to vote for the one who reached out to people, human beings in need of love and compassion, versus institutions which, with a few notable exceptions, no one individual can change. And so I went with Moses.
I came ready to vote for Wycliffe, whom I know of and admired. I voted for Moses the Black, unknown to me previously, whose story here moved me and uplifted me. Bless you, Lent Madness.
I had to chose Wycliff because I've read much of his translation (a pre-1660 English emphasis in grad scchool will do that to you), and I've traced it's effects on the people of that time. Church history and English history would be very different without him. He was both a devout and a brave man.
I once tried to read a few verses of his translation, but it was more like reading a foreign language than anything close to our modern English, which would probably confound Shakespeare as much as most of us non-English majors are confounded by his works.
Wycliffe probably has had more of an effect on our lives today directly, but I voted for Moses the Black. He put hid life on the line for his faith and he turned around his own life and inspired those around him.