The Song of Love/ Y Gân o Gariad
A Pastoral Letter to all the Faithful/ Llythyr Bugeiliol at yr holl Ffyddloniaid
For Holy Week 2020/ Ar gyfer yr Wythnos Fawr 2020
I am already feeling disappointed that the lockdown means that celebrations of Easter, the Queen of Feasts, will be muted this week. Just when I would be preparing for the moving ceremonies of the Chrism Eucharist and Easter Vigil, not to mention Good Friday, I am conscious of the need to minister to a scattered family, where the future is more unclear than ever before. At the same time, I am given a huge privilege and opportunity, with the help of colleagues, to speak to all of you through the recording of liturgies (see https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/coronavirus/digital-prayer-and-worship/worship-from-esgobty/ ), so that services will be available for the Triduum – the three great days of the liturgy of the Passion) and also through this pastoral letter, with the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of our Salvation in Jesus Christ.
Rwyf eisoes yn teimlo’n siomedig fod y cyfyngiadau symud yn golygu y bydd dathliadau’r Pasg, Brenhines y Gwyliau, yn dawelach yr wythnos hon. Ar yr union adeg pan fyddwn ni’n paratoi ar gyfer y seremonïau teimladol Ewcharist y Crism a Noswyl y Pasg, heb sôn am Ddydd Gwener y Groglith, rwy’n sylweddoli fod angen gweinidogaethu i deulu sydd ar wasgar, a hynny pan mae’r dyfodol yn fwy aneglur nag erioed o’r blaen. Ar yr un pryd, rwy’n cael y fraint a’r cyfle anferth, gyda chymorth cydweithwyr, o siarad gyda phob un ohonoch trwy recordiad o’r litwrgiau (gweler https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/coronavirus/digital-prayer-and-worship/worship-from-esgobty/ ), er mwyn i’r gwasanaethau fod ar gael ar gyfer y Triduum – tri diwrnod mawr litwrgi’r Dioddefaint), a hefyd trwy’r llythyr bugeiliol hwn, gyda’r cyfle i gyhoeddi Newyddion Da ein Hiachawdwriaeth yng Nghrist Iesu.
One of my very favourite hymns is “My Song is Love Unknown” by Samuel Crossman, written in 1664:
Un o fy holl emynau yw “My Song is Love Unknown” gan Samuel Crossman, cyfansoddwyd ym 1664.
My song is Love unknown,
My Saviour’s Love to me,
Love to the loveless shown,
that they might lovely be,
O, who am I, that for my sake,
My Lord should take frail flesh, and die?
It might be said that these coming three days teach us all we need to know about Love. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, when we remember the “Mandatum”, the command of Jesus: “Love one another, as I have loved you.” He demonstrated that love symbolically by washing the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper. He, who was Rabbi and Master, attended to the most basic needs of the disciples in caring for their tiredness, dustiness, and weariness. It is the nature of Love to care for the needs of the beloved. Love is more than emotion, it is an act of will, an act which “cherishes”.
Mae’n bosibl dweud fod y tri diwrnod sydd ar ddod yn dysgu popeth y dylem ni wybod am Gariad. Yfory yw Dydd Iau Cablyd, pan fyddwn ni’n cofio’r “Mandatwm”, gorchymyn Iesu: “Carwch eich gilydd fel y cerais i chwi.” Dangosodd y cariad hwnnw’n symbolaidd drwy olchi traed y disgyblion yn y Swper Olaf. Fe, a oedd yn Rabbi ac yn Feistr, yn talu sylw i anghenion mwyaf sylfaenol ei ddisgyblion wrth ofalu amdanyn nhw yn eu blinder a’u budreddi. Natur Cariad yw gofalu am anghenion yr anwylyd. Mae cariad yn fwy nag emosiwn, mae’n weithred o ewyllys, gweithred sy’n “anwylo”.
On God’s Friday we see the cost of love – God gives himself up entirely for the pain and sin of the world. There are versions of the Christian faith that somehow manage to make God look sadistic – a vengeful father determined to inflict pain on someone, anyone so that the price of sin might be paid – but let us remember that in the Christian faith it is God himself incarnate in Christ who is crucified: God takes on to himself the pain, the hurt, the cost of sin. It doesn’t matter how intolerable the burden of the brokenness of the world is, God takes it on his own shoulders. “He has forgiven you all your sins: Christ has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it over his own head on the cross.” (Colossians 2.13-15, Philip’s Translation)
Ar Ddydd Gwener Duw rydym yn gweld pris cariad – mae Duw yn rhoi ei hunan yn llwyr dros boen a phechod y byd. Mae yna fersiynau o’r ffydd Cristnogol sy’n llwyddo, rywsut, i wneud i Dduw edrych yn sadydd – y tad dialgar, yn benderfynol o beri poen i rywun, unrhyw un er mwyn talu’r pris am bechod – ond gadewch i ni gofio, yn y ffydd Gristnogol, mai Duw ei hun, wedi’i ymgnawdoli yng Nghrist, sy’n cael ei groeshoelio: Mae Duw ei hunan yn cymryd arno’i hun y boen, y brifo, y pris am bechod. Waeth pa mor annioddefol yw baich y byd toriedig, mae Duw yn ei gymryd ar ei ysgwyddau ei hun. “Mae wedi maddau pechodau pob un ohonoch: Mae Crist wedi difa’n llwyr y dystiolaeth ddamniol, y cyfreithiau a’r gorchmynion sydd wedi’u torri ac a oedd yn hongian dros ein pennau, ac mae wedi’u dileu’n gyfan gwbl drwy ei hoelio dros ei ben ei hunan ar y groes.” (Colossiaid 2.13-15, Cyfieithiad o gyfieithiad Philip)
On Easter Eve, running into Easter Day, we see the prize of Love, which is new Life. “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in Our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15.57) It is impossible for darkness, sin, death and evil to hold God down, and Christ is raised from death, the firstborn of many children (Romans 8.29), for his love is shown to us “that we might lovely be.” God’s love recreates the universe, and we are invited to the party at the end of time.
Ar noswyl y Pasg, ychydig cyn Sul y Pasg, rydym yn gweld gwobr Cariad, sef Bywyd newydd. “Ond i Dduw y bo’r diolch, yr hwn sy’n rhoi’r fuddugoliaeth i ni trwy ein Harglwydd Iesu Grist.” (1 Corinthians 15.57) Mae’n amhosibl i dywyllwch, pechod, marwolaeth a drygioni gadw Duw i lawr, ac mae Crist wedi codi o farw’n fyw, y cyntafanedig ymhlith brodyr lawer (Rhufeiniaid 8.29), oherwydd mae ei gariad wedi dangos i ni “mor hawddgar y gallwn ni fod.” Mae cariad Duw yn ail greu’r bydysawd ac rydym ninau’n cael gwahoddiad i’r parti ar ddiwedd amser.
To be a Christian is to plant ourselves firmly under the banner of Love: to accept what God’s love has done for us in Christ, and to become channels of that love in the world. We are called to love extravagantly because God loved us. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4.10) “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” (1 John 4.7)
Bod yn Gristion yw ein gosod ni’n hunain yn gadarn o dan faner Cariad: derbyn beth mae cariad Duw wedi’i wneud i ni yng Nghrist ac i ddod yn ffrydiau o’r cariad hwnnw yn y byd. Rydym ni’n cael ein galw i garu’n afradlon oherwydd bod Duw wedi ein caru ni. “Yn hyn y mae cariad: nid ein bod ni’n caru Duw, ond ei fod ef wedi ein caru ni, ac anfon ei Fab i fod yn foddion ein puredigaeth oddi wrth ein pechodau.” (1 Ioan 4.10) “Gyfeillion annwyl, gadewch i ni garu ein gilydd, oherwydd o Dduw y mae cariad.” 1 Ioan 4.7:
We may not be able to meet together publicly and physically in the coming days, but I urge you to make the journey of love alongside one another spiritually – to know that, as you make that journey, the Teulu Asaph makes that journey with you in the same way and at the same time. As we reflect on Jesus’ readiness to lay aside his robes, and gird himself as a slave to wash the feet of his disciples, let us commit to serve the Servant King. As we find a way to explore the desolation of the Cross, let us resolve, in the face of fear or of difficulty, to spend and to be spent in the name of God’s love for the world. In the darkness turned to light which is Easter, let us rise to new life and commitment as followers of the Lord. And let us know that we can do these things because he gives us such grace that this might be so: “For I am sure that he that began this good work in you will bring it to completion.” (Philippians 1.6)
Efallai na fyddwn ni’n gallu cyfarfod ein gilydd yn gyhoeddus nac yn gorfforol yn ystod y dyddiau i ddod, ond rwy’n eich annog i wneud y daith o gariad gyda’ch gilydd, yn ysbrydol – yn gwybod, wrth i chi fynd ar y daith honno, fod Teulu Asaph hefyd yn teithio gyda chi ar yr union un ffordd, yn union yr un pryd. Wrth i ni fyfyrio ar barodrwydd Iesu i roi’i ddillad ar naill ochr a gwisgo gwisg caethwas i olchi traed ei ddisgyblion, gadewch i ni ymrwymo i wasanaethu’r Brenin Tlawd. Wrth i ni ganfod ffordd i archwilio trallod y Groes, gadewch i ni benderfynu, yn wyneb ofn neu anhawster, ddefnyddio a chael ein defnyddio yn enw cariad Duw dros y byd. Yn y tywyllwch sydd wedi troi’n oleuni’r Pasg, gadewch i ni godi i fywyd ac ymrwymiad newydd fel dilynwyr yr Arglwydd. A gadewch i ni wybod y gallwn ni wneud y pethau hyn oherwydd mae’n rhoi’r gras i ni fel y gallai hyn fod: “Yr wyf yn sicr o hyn yma, y bydd i’r hwn a ddechreuodd waith da ynoch ei gwblhau.“ (Philipiaid 1.6)
My song is Love unknown,
My Saviour’s Love to me,
Love to the loveless shown,
that they might lovely be,
O, who am I, that for my sake,
My Lord should take frail flesh, and die.
The woman behind the counter of the shop said to me the other week (I haven’t been out much more recently): “What can I do for you, my lovely?” She said it so casually, and yet I am God’s lovely, and you are God’s lovely, and we are God’s lovely, not because of our own loveliness, which may be rather elusive, but because in Christ, our identity is a sure inheritance. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8.32)
Dywedodd y wraig y tu ôl i gownter y siop wrthyf yr wythnos o’r blaen (dydw i ddim wedi bod allan yn ddiweddar): “Beth alla i wneud i chi, del?” Dywedodd y peth mor ddidaro, ac eto ‘del’ Duw ydw i, rydych chi’’n ‘ddel’ i Dduw, mae pawb ohonom yn ‘ddel’ Duw. Nid oherwydd ein bod ni’n ‘ddel’ ynom ni ein hunain, a allai fod braidd yn anodd ei ganfod, ond oherwydd, yng Nghrist, mae pwy a beth ydym ni’n etifeddiaeth sicr. “Ni arbedodd Duw ei Fab ei hun, ond ei draddodi i farwolaeth trosom ni oll. Ac os rhoddodd ei Fab, sut y gall beidio â rhoi pob peth i ni gydag ef?” (Rhufeiniaid 8.32)
With every blessing for the Triduum and Easter,
Gyda phob bendith dros y Triduum a’r Pasg,
