
Addoliad ar Ail Sul yr Ystwyll
Yn ystod y pandemig, mae'r Esgob yn darparu deunydd i gefnogi addoliad ar yr aelwyd ar brif wyliau. Mae hyn yn cynnwys trefn o wasanaeth ar gyfer Litwrgi'r Gair, a myfyrdod wedi'i recordio. Mae testun y myfyrdod hefyd ar gael yma.
Darlleniadau
Datgyddiad 5:1-10
A gwelais yn llaw dde yr hwn oedd yn eistedd ar yr orsedd sgrôl a'i hysgrifen ar yr wyneb ac ar y cefn, wedi ei selio â saith sêl. A gwelais angel nerthol yn cyhoeddi â llef uchel, “Pwy sydd deilwng i agor y sgrôl ac i ddatod ei seliau?” Nid oedd neb yn y nef nac ar y ddaear na than y ddaear a allai agor y sgrôl nac edrych arni. Yr oeddwn i'n wylo'n hidl am na chafwyd neb yn deilwng i agor y sgrôl nac i edrych arni. A dywedodd un o'r henuriaid wrthyf, “Paid ag wylo; wele, y mae'r Llew o lwyth Jwda, Gwreiddyn Dafydd, wedi gorchfygu ac ennill yr hawl i agor y sgrôl a'i saith sêl.”
Gwelais Oen yn sefyll yn y canol, gyda'r pedwar creadur byw, rhwng yr orsedd a'r henuriaid. Yr oedd yr Oen fel un wedi ei ladd, ac yr oedd ganddo saith o gyrn a saith o lygaid; y rhain yw saith ysbryd Duw, sydd wedi eu hanfon i'r holl ddaear. Daeth yr Oen a chymryd y sgrôl o law dde yr hwn oedd yn eistedd ar yr orsedd. Ac wedi iddo gymryd y sgrôl, syrthiodd y pedwar creadur byw a'r pedwar henuriad ar hugain o flaen yr Oen, ac yr oedd gan bob un ohonynt delyn, a ffiolau aur yn llawn o arogldarth; y rhain yw gweddïau'r saint. Ac yr oeddent yn canu cân newydd fel hyn:
“Teilwng wyt ti i gymryd y sgrôl
ac i agor ei seliau,
oherwydd ti a laddwyd ac a brynaist i Dduw â'th waed
rai o bob llwyth ac iaith a phobl a chenedl,
a gwnaethost hwy yn urdd frenhinol ac yn offeiriaid i'n Duw ni;
ac fe deyrnasant hwy ar y ddaear.”
Ioan 1:43-51
Trannoeth, penderfynodd Iesu ymadael a mynd i Galilea. Cafodd hyd i Philip, ac meddai wrtho, “Canlyn fi.” Gŵr o Bethsaida, tref Andreas a Pedr, oedd Philip. Cafodd Philip hyd i Nathanael a dweud wrtho, “Yr ydym wedi darganfod y gŵr yr ysgrifennodd Moses yn y Gyfraith amdano, a'r proffwydi hefyd, Iesu fab Joseff o Nasareth.” Dywedodd Nathanael wrtho, “A all dim da ddod o Nasareth?” “Tyrd i weld,” ebe Philip wrtho. Gwelodd Iesu Nathanael yn dod tuag ato, ac meddai amdano, “Dyma Israeliad gwerth yr enw, heb ddim twyll ynddo.” Gofynnodd Nathanael iddo, “Sut yr wyt yn f'adnabod i?” Atebodd Iesu ef: “Gwelais di cyn i Philip alw arnat, pan oeddit dan y ffigysbren.” “Rabbi,” meddai Nathanael wrtho, “ti yw Mab Duw, ti yw Brenin Israel.” Atebodd Iesu ef: “A wyt yn credu oherwydd i mi ddweud wrthyt fy mod wedi dy weld dan y ffigysbren? Cei weld pethau mwy na hyn.” Ac meddai wrtho, “Yn wir, yn wir, rwy'n dweud wrthych, cewch weld y nef wedi agor, ac angylion Duw yn esgyn ac yn disgyn ar Fab y Dyn.”
Dyfyniadau o’r Beibl Cymraeg Newydd a’r Beibl Cymraeg Newydd Diwygiedig 2004 hawlfraint Cymdeithas (Brydeinig a Thramor) y Beibl. Cedwir pob hawl.
Testun myfyrdod yr Esgob
Yn deilwng o agor y llyfr
Alan Bennett y dychanwr, sy’n cael y clod am y dywediad: ‘Mae bywyd yn debyg iawn i dun o sardîns – rydyn ni i gyd yn chwilio am yr allwedd.’ Da, ynte? Ac fel pob hiwmor, mae yna fwy nag elfen o wirionedd ynddo.
Agwedd y Cristion ar fywyd, wrth gwrs, yw ei fod yn rhodd gan Dduw ac yn gwneud synnwyr pan fydd Duw yn ei ganol. Mae’r efengyl, y newyddion da, yn dweud wrthym fod Iesu nid yn unig un yn dangos sut beth fyddai bywyd gyda Duw ond ei fod yn gwneud iddo ddigwydd. Mae’i farwolaeth a’i atgyfodiad yn agor rhywbeth a fyddai, fel arall, ar gau i ni.
Daw’n darlleniad o’r Testament Newydd o Ddatguddiad 5 ac mae’n ddarn pur o ddrama. Mae’r cyflwyno llun sy’n trafod rhai cwestiynau allweddol. Mewn ffordd, mae’n ateb y cwestiwn y mae Bennet yn ei ofyn. Rydych chi’n gweld, yn nhymor yr Ystwyll, ein bod yn cael ein gwahodd i feddwl sut beth yw Duw: Ystyr Ystwyll yw ‘amlygiad’, hynny yw, datgelu Duw trwy Iesu. Ac, i’n helpu ateb y cwestiwn hwnnw, mae yna ddau air o’r darlleniad heddiw : ‘Goresgyn’ a ‘Phrynu’. Mae’r ddau yn eiriau eithaf ‘mawr’ ac yn swnio, wel, yn grefyddol iawn. Ond mae ganddyn nhw afael cryf hefyd ar ffydd pob dydd.
Yng nghyd-destun ein sefyllfa ni, gyda chymaint o orbryder ac o ansicrwydd yn dal o’n cwmpas, beth sydd gan y geiriau hyn i’w cynnig?
Y gair cyntaf 'goresgyn'. Rwyf wrth fy modd gyda’r disgrifiad sydd yn y darlleniad – mae fel rhyw fath o olygfa mewn llys. 'Pwy allai gamu ymlaen ac achub y dydd’, yw’r gri ac mae pawb sydd yno’n wylofain oherwydd eu bod nhw’n gwybod nad oes neb na dim ar gael. Mae fel petai popeth ar ben. Ond yna, mae rhywun yn gwaeddi: ‘mae’r Llew o Lwyth Judah yma, oni fydd y Llew’n gallu?
Ac yna, mae rhywbeth annisgwyl iawn yn digwydd. Mae’n ein sylw’n cael ei dynnu. Rydym ni’n chwilio am y Llew, y concwerwr, yr unig un sy’n deilwng o agor y llyfr. Ac yna rydyn ni’n gweld yr oen sydd wedi’i ladd. Dim rhyfelwr na grym mawr. Rydym yn gweld creadur wedi’i dorri, oen, gyda’i gorff wedi’i guro a’i gleisio.
Ac mae hyn yn ddrama fawr. Oherwydd, dyma, wrth gwrs, Iesu, gyda’i fuddugoliaeth wedi'i selio nid drwy chwalu gelynion na dinistrio'r gwrthwynebwyr drwy fflam neu gleddyf. Dyma’r un, yng ngeiriau Sant Pedr, ‘yr oedd Duw wedi rhagwybod amdano cyn seilio’r byd’ (1 Pedr 1:20) y byddai’i fywyd yn cael ei roi i ollwng pobl yn rhydd. Y ddrama o’n blaen yw iachawdwriaeth dynol ryw a ddaeth o ddyn yn marw’n erchyll mewn anobaith ar y groes a’i atgyfodiad yn cyhoeddi nad yw hwn yn neb llai na Mab Duw. Rydym yn cael ein hachub a’n tynnu i ryfeddod cariad Duw trwy hoelion miniog a bedd gwag yn datgan marwolaeth marwolaeth a dinistr uffern.
Wrth i ni ganolbwyntio ar ddifrifoldeb sefyllfa Covid a'r pryderon mae’n ei achosi, mae yna berygl i ni golli peth o hyn. Mae yna bethau mwy na Covid yn cael eu cynnig: mae yna faddeuant a chynnig dechrau o’r newydd, waeth faint mae’n bywydau’n ymddangos wedi’u difetha. Mae beiau’r gorffennol yn cael ei setlo, drws agored, nid gydag amheuon blin am y darlun mawr, ond yn dangos dyfodol ble byddwn ni’n cael ein cynnal gan gariad cryf, cadarn Duw.
Tybed a ydym ni, yn ddealladwy, wedi bod ormod mewn niwl tywyll pryder a heb dreulio digon o amser yn harddwch yn y gras a’r addewid tragwyddol digyfnewid yma.
Nid yw’r ail air yn llai gogoneddus. Y gair yw ‘prynu’, gair sy’n codi mewn mannau eraill yn y Testament Newydd (Marc 10:45). Ac oddi fewn iddo mae'r pŵer i brynu'n ôl. Metaffor yw hyn, wrth gwrs, felly does dim rhaid egluro gormod. Ond mae’r arian yma sy’n gallu ail brynu bywydau dynol yn bwysig iawn.
Gadewch i mi ddyfynnu ychydig o eiriau o’r emyn enwog:
Dyma gariad fel y moroedd,
Tosturiaethau fel y lli:
Tywysog Bywyd pur yn marw
Marw i brynu'n bywyd ni.
Pwy all beidio â chofio amdano?
Pwy all beidio â thraethu'i glod?
Dyma gariad nad â'n angof
Tra fo nefoedd wen yn bod.
Mae yma deimlad bod y gair ‘prynu’ ychydig bach yn annifyr oherwydd ei fod dweud rhywbeth wrthyf amdanaf i fy hun. Y gwir yw, i ddyfynnu Sant Paul, fod pob un ohonom, heblaw ef ei hun ‘heb obaith a heb Dduw yn y byd’ (Effesiaid 2:12). Rwyf angen fy achub! Mae fy ‘llanastr’ i angen ei dacluso. Ond y newyddion da sy’n cael ei gynnig i ni yw mai dyma’r union beth y mae Duw, yng Nghrist, yn ei wneud. Yr hyn na allwn i ei wneud, fe wnaeth Crist drosof.
Ac, i osod y pethau hyn unwaith eto yn nhymor yr Ystwyll, rydyn ni’n gweld mai dyma beth yw Duw. Ar ddechrau'r flwyddyn fel hyn, fe hoffwn eich gwahodd i ffydd yr Ystwyll: Mae yna rywun sy’n gwneud mwy na chadw eich cefn, mae yna rywun sydd wedi sefyll yn eich lle, wedi marw dros eich pechodau, yn byw dros eich dyfodol. Does yma ddim lladdwr dicllon yn difa’n gelynion , dim ond oen a gafodd ei ladd, yr oen sy’n dwyn ymaith bechodau’r byd.
Mae wedi goresgyn ac wedi prynu. Ac iddo ef rydym yn ddyledus am bopeth. Amen
Worship on the Second Sunday of Epiphany
During the pandemic, the Bishop is providing material to support worship at home on the major festivals. This includes an order of service for a Liturgy of the Word, and a recorded meditation. The text of the meditation is also available here.
Readings
Revelation 5:1-10
Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals; and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’
Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. They sing a new song:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;
you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God,
and they will reign on earth.’
John 1:43-51
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
From The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
The text of the Bishop's meditation
Worthy to open the book
Alan Bennett the satirist is credited with saying: ‘Life is rather like a tin of sardines - we're all of us looking for the key.’ It’s good isn’t it? And like all good humour, there is more than an element of truth in it.
The Christian take on life of course is that it is both the gift of God and makes sense when God is at its heart. The gospel, the good news tells us that Jesus is not only the one who shows what life with God might look like but makes it happen. His death and resurrection open what would otherwise be closed to us.
Our New Testament reading is from Revelation 5 and it’s a piece of pure drama. It provides a picture which addresses key questions. In a sense, it’s the answer to the question Bennett asked. You see in the season of Epiphany we are invited to think about what God is like: Epiphany means manifestation, that is revealing of God through Jesus. And to help us answer that question there are two words from the reading today which might do that: ‘Conquered’ and ‘Ransomed’. Both are quite ‘big’ words and sound, well, very religious. But they have strong traction too with everyday faith.
In the context of our situation when there is still so much anxiety and uncertainty, what do these words offer?
That first word ‘conquered’. I love the description we’re given in the reading – it’s like some sort of great court scene. ‘Who can step up to the plate and save the day’, goes the cry and the assembled numbers all wail because they know the storeroom is empty. All seems lost. But then someone raises the shout: ‘the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is here, can’t he do it’?
And then something quite unexpected happens. Our gaze is shifted away. We look for this Lion, this conqueror who alone is worthy to open the book. And there we see a lamb who has been slaughtered. No warrior or great power. But we see a broken creature, a lamb whose body is battered and bruised.
And this is the great drama. Because this is of course Jesus, whose victory is sealed not by vanquishing enemies, destroying opposition with flame or sword. This is the one, in the words of St Peter, ‘chosen before the creation of the world’ (1 Peter 1:20) whose life laid down would set people free. The drama is that played out before us is the salvation of humankind wrought by a man dying on a cross desperately and terribly whose resurrection announces that this is none other than the Son of God. We are rescued and drawn into the wonder of God’s love by piercing nails and an empty grave declaring the death of death and hells destruction.
With our focus on the gravity of the Covid situation and the worries this creates, we might miss some of this. There are things bigger than Covid being offered here: there is forgiveness and the offer of a new start however ruined our lives might seem. There is a settlement of past faults, an open door marked not by gnawing doubts about the big picture but a future in which we are held by the strong steady love of God.
I wonder if we have dwelt, understandably, too long in the dark mists of worry and not spent enough time in the beauty of this unchanging eternal grace and promise?
The second word is no less glorious. It’s the word ‘ransomed’ a word used elsewhere in the New Testament (Mark 10:45). And it contains within it the power to buy back. It’s a metaphor of course so doesn’t need much unpacking. But the currency which effects this re-purchasing of human lives is very important.
Let me quote some words from a well-known hymn:
Here is love, vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven's eternal days
There’s a sense in which that word ‘ransom’ has some discomfort about it because it tells me something about myself. The truth is, to quote St Paul, that all of us apart from him are ‘without hope and without God in the world’ (Ephesians 2:12). I need the rescuing! My ‘mess’ needs sorting. But the good news offered to us is that God, in Christ, does that very thing. What I could not, Christ did for me.
And to place these things again in the season of Epiphany we see this is what God is like. Early in the year I want to invite you to this Epiphanic faith: There is someone who more than ‘has your back’, there is one who has stood in your stead, died for your sins, lives for you your future. And this is no wrathful slayer of enemies, but the lamb that was slain, the lamb who takes away the sins of the world.
He has conquered and ransomed. It is to him we owe our all. Amen