Saturday, April 30, 2022

Sunday, May First


Sunday, May 1, 2022

Join us for “at church” or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, May 1, The Third Sunday of Easter, at St. Alban’s, St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas. 

Holy Eucharist, Rite Two
St. Alban’s  - 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.* 
St. Thomas' on the Bayou - 10:00 a.m.* 
St. Patrick’s – 11:00 a.m.*
* These liturgies will be Live-Streamed on Facebook for those who choose to remain at home. Download a pdf of the leaflet to print or to use on your phone or tablet with this link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mkbwv7ffXS8Zw4Wdc3Yh-uxnAMgkckXV/view?usp=sharing
  
La Santa Eucaristía: Rito Dos
Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas – Domingo - 5:00 p.m. (transmitido en Facebook)
 
Zoom Compline - All Welcome
Sunday - 8:00 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83861688528?pwd=WFdBcndxV3hzbUpETDNTSFFzc3Z0QT09
Meeting ID: 838 6168 8528
Passcode: 800
or dial in at +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799

We hope to “see” you all on Sunday as you are most comfortable!

Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+

Art from Clip Art, Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications – ltp.org

A Collect for Saturdays


 

Friday, April 29, 2022

Catherine of Siena

Catherine of Siena, Mystic and Prophetic Witness, 1380

The Collect:

Almighty and everlasting God, who kindled the flame of thy love in the heart of your servant Catherine of Siena: Grant unto us the same strength of conviction and power of love that, as we rejoice in her triumph, we may profit by her example; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Catherine Benincasa, born in 1347, was the youngest (one of my sources says the 23rd) of twenty-five children of a wealthy dyer of Sienna (or Siena). At the age of six, she had a vision of Christ in glory, surrounded by His saints. From that time on, she spent most of her time in prayer and meditation, over the opposition of her parents, who wanted her to be more like the average girl of her social class. Eventually they gave in, and at the age of sixteen she joined the Third Order of St. Dominic (First Order = friars, Second Order = nuns, Third Order = laypersons), where she became a nurse, caring for patients with leprosy and advanced cancer whom other nurses disliked to treat.

She began to acquire a reputation as a person of insight and sound judgement, and many persons from all walks of life sought her spiritual advice, both in person and by letter. (We have a book containing about four hundred letters from her to bishops, kings, scholars, merchants, and obscure peasants.) She persuaded many priests who were living in luxury to give away their goods and to live simply.

In her day, the popes, officially Bishops of Rome, had been living for about seventy years, not at Rome but at Avignon in France, where they were under the political control of the King of France (the Avignon Papacy, sometimes called the Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy, began when Philip the Fair, King of France, captured Rome and the Pope in 1303). Catherine visited Avignon in 1376 and told Pope Gregory XI that he had no business to live away from Rome. He heeded her advice, and moved to Rome. She then acted as his ambassador to Florence, and was able to reconcile a quarrel between the Pope and the leaders of that city. She then retired to Sienna, where she wrote a book called the Dialog, an account of her visions and other spiritual experiences, with advice on cultivating a life of prayer.

After Gregory's death in 1378, the Cardinals, mostly French, elected an Italian Pope, Urban VI, who on attaining office turned out to be arrogant and abrasive and tyrannical, and perhaps to have other faults as well. The Cardinals met again elsewhere, declared that the first election had been under duress from the Roman mob and therefore invalid, and elected a new Pope, Clement VII, who established his residence at Avignon. Catherine worked tirelessly, both to persuade Urban to mend his ways (her letters to him are respectful but severe and uncompromising -- as one historian has said, she perfected the art of kissing the Pope's feet while simultaneously twisting his arm), and to persuade others that the peace and unity of the Church required the recognition of Urban as lawful Pope. Despite her efforts, the Papal Schism continued until 1417. It greatly weakened the prestige of the Bishops of Rome, and thus helped to pave the way for the Protestant Reformation a century later.

Catherine is known (1) as a mystic, a contemplative who devoted herself to prayer, (2) as a humanitarian, a nurse who undertook to alleviate the suffering of the poor and the sick; (3) as an activist, a renewer of Church and society, who took a strong stand on the issues affecting society in her day, and who never hesitated (in the old Quaker phrase) "to speak truth to power"; (4) as an adviser and counselor, with a wide range of interests, who always made time for troubled and uncertain persons who told her their problems -- large and trivial, religious and secular.

The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Catherine_Siena.htm

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holocaust Remembrance Day

The internationally recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom Hashoah. When the actual date of Yom Hashoah falls on a Friday, the state of Israel observes Yom Hashoah on the preceding Thursday. When it falls on a Sunday, Yom Hashoah is observed on the following Monday. In the United States, Days of Remembrance runs from the Sunday before Yom Hashoah through the following Sunday.

To Learn more, click here to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website - https://www.ushmm.org/

This video provides an overview of the Holocaust, Days of Remembrance, and why we as a nation remember this history. See - https://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-remembrance/resources/why-we-remember 

Let us pray.

God of the past, present, and future, we remember today the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution, and all those who have been targeted and killed in subsequent genocides.

We remember those who, having survived genocide, share their stories with us: We give thanks to You for the lessons of human stories, both in their suffering and in their joy. 

We remember those who stood up against injustice and saved lives: We give thanks to You for their example.

Together we acknowledge the sacrifice of those that stood together with those who suffered during the Holocaust and other genocides.

And we affirm that every life is loved by You and sacred. 

Yet, during the Holocaust too many failed to stand together with their neighbors. Oppression stains Your world and contradicts Your love.

So we pray that You will inspire us now as we stand together on this day in the love that we know of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us commit to remembering: And glorify God in our words and actions.

We make these prayers in the name of Christ Jesus who, through His life, death, and resurrection, journeys with us into the eternal hope of Your truth and light. 

Amen.

#HolocaustRemembrance  #WeRemember

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Zita of Tuscany

Join us today for Holy Eucharist at 12:10 p.m. at St. Alban’s and learn about more about Zita of Tuscany.

Remember, we have no Evening Prayer or Video Class via Zoom this evening. All the local clergy are traveling to Shreveport to attend the installation of Michael Cannon as the new rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Shreveport. Please say a pray for Father Michael and all the folks at St. Paul’s. 

Zita of Tuscany, Worker of Charity, 1271

The Collect:

Merciful God, who has given to us all things necessary for life and godliness; Grant that we, like your servant Zita, may be faithful in the exercise of our duties and that, whatever you give us to do, we may do it heartily to you for the honor and glory of your Name; through him who has called us to virtue, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Zita (c. 1212 – 27 April 1272) is an Italian saint, the patron saint of maids and domestic servants. She is often appealed to in order to help find lost keys.

Zita was born in Tuscany in the village of Monsagrati, not far from Lucca where, at the age of 12, she became a servant in the Fatinelli household. For a long time, she was unjustly despised, overburdened, reviled, and often beaten by her employers and fellow servants for her hard work and obvious goodness. The incessant ill-usage, however, was powerless to deprive her of her inward peace, her love of those who wronged her, and her respect for her employers. By this meek and humble self-restraint, Zita at last succeeded in overcoming the malice of her fellow-servants and her employers, so much so that she was placed in charge of all the affairs of the house. Her faith had enabled her to persevere against their abuse, and her constant piety gradually moved the family to a religious awakening.

Zita often said to others that devotion is false if slothful. She considered her work as an employment assigned to her by God, and as part of her penance, and obeyed her master and mistress in all things as being placed over her by God. She always rose several hours before the rest of the family and employed in prayer a considerable part of the time which others gave to sleep.

One anecdote relates a story of Zita giving her own food or that of her master to the poor. On one morning, Zita left her chore of baking bread to tend to someone in need. Some of the other servants made sure the Fatinelli family was aware of what happened; when they went to investigate, they claimed to have found angels in the Fatinelli kitchen, baking the bread for her.

According to another story, a housemaid who worked with her, maybe jealous of the affection Zita received from everybody, told their master that Zita used to steal from the Fatinellis what she gave to the poor. One day her master met Zita while she was going to see a needy family, with her apron full of things for them. He asked Zita what she was carrying and she answered that she was carrying only flowers and fronds. When she loosened her apron, flowers fell at her feet. *

* The Lectionary, via Wikipedia, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Zita.html

Monday, April 25, 2022

Saint Mark

Saint Mark the Evangelist

The Collect:


Almighty God, by the hand of Mark the evangelist you have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The book of Acts mentions a Mark, or John Mark, a kinsman of Barnabas (Col 4:10). The house of his mother Mary was a meeting place for Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). When Paul and Barnabas, who had been in Antioch, came to Jerusalem, they brought Mark back to Antioch with them (12:25), and he accompanied them on their first missionary journey (13:5), but left them prematurely and returned to Jerusalem (13:13). When Paul and Barnabas were about to set out on a second missionary journey, Barnabas proposed to take Mark, but Paul thought him unreliable, so that eventually Barnabas made one journey taking Mark, and Paul another journey taking Silas (15:36-40). Mark is not mentioned again in Acts. However, it appears that he became more reliable, for Paul mentions him as a trusted assistant in Colossians 4:10 and again in 2 Timothy 4:11.

The Apostle Peter had a co-worker whom he refers to as "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). Papias, an early second century writer, in describing the origins of the Gospels, tells us that Mark was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote down ("but not in order") the stories that he had heard Peter tell in his preaching about the life and teachings of Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark, in describing the arrest of Jesus (14:51f), speaks of a young man who followed the arresting party, wearing only a linen cloth wrapped around his body, whom the arresting party tried to seize, but who left the cloth in their hands and fled naked. It is speculated that this young man was the writer himself, since the detail is hardly worth mentioning if he were not.

Tradition has it that after the death of Peter, Mark left Rome and went to preach in Alexandria, Egypt, where he was eventually martyred.

It is natural to identify the John Mark of Acts with the Gospel-writer and interpreter of Peter, and this identification is standard in liturgical references to Mark. However, "Mark" is the commonest of Latin first names, and they may well have been separate persons.

Mark's symbol in art is a Lion, usually winged. In the book of Revelation, the visionary sees about the throne of God four winged creatures: a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. (Compare with the cherubs in Ezek 1 and 10.) It has customarily been supposed that these represent the four Gospels, or the four Evangelists (Gospel-writers). One way of matching them is to say that the man stands for Matthew, whose narrative begins with the human genealogy of Jesus; that the lion stands for Mark, whose narrative begins with John the Baptist crying out in the desert (a lion roars in the desert); that the ox, a sacrificial animal, stands for Luke, whose narrative begins in the Temple, and that the eagle stands for John, whose narrative begins in Heaven, with the eternal Word. How old this correspondence is I do not know. I have seen it in an illustrated Gospel-book from the early 800's. An alternative assignment, which I think to be far more recent, calls Matthew the lion (because he portrays Christ as the Messiah, the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, "the lion of the tribe of Judah"), Mark the ox (because he portrays Christ the servant, constantly doing the work for which he was sent), Luke the man (because he portrays the humanity and compassion of Christ), and John the eagle (because he portrays Christ as the eternal Word, who came down from Heaven). *

The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Mark.htm

Saturday, April 23, 2022

The Second Sunday of Easter


Sunday, April 24, 2022


Join us for “at church” or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, April 24, The Second Sunday of Easter, at St. Alban’s, St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas.


Holy Eucharist, Rite Two

St. Alban’s  - 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.* 

St. Thomas' on the Bayou - 10:00 a.m.* 

St. Patrick’s – 11:00 a.m.*


* These liturgies will be Live-Streamed on Facebook for those who choose to remain at home. Download a pdf of the leaflet to print or to use on your phone or tablet with this link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jV6oCgFOO6rImM5j4rVCuQ73uJ7YYGeO/view?usp=sharing


La Santa Eucaristía: Rito Dos

Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas – Domingo - 5:00 p.m. *               


Zoom Compline - All Welcome 

Sunday -  8:00 p.m. 


Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83861688528?pwd=WFdBcndxV3hzbUpETDNTSFFzc3Z0QT09

Meeting ID: 838 6168 8528

Passcode: 800

or dial in at  +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799


We hope to “see” you all on Sunday as you are most comfortable!


Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+


Art from Clip Art, Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications – ltp.org

Saturday in Easter Week


Saturday in Easter Week

Blessed Eastertide! There are appointed proper readings for each day of the week following Easter, until we reach The Second Sunday of Easter. You can find the readings full readings at this link - 
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/ Each day, we will share the collect of the day and some art inspired by the day's Gospel reading.

The Collect:

We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Art - José de Ribera: The Penitent Magdalene or Vanitas - According to the tenets of the church at the time of this painting, Mary Magdalene was an example of the repentant sinner and consequently a symbol of the Sacrament of Penance. According to legend, Mary led a dissolute life until her encounter with Christ. Mary Magdalen was a witness of Christ who renounced the pleasures of the flesh for a life of penance and contemplation. Penitent Magdalene or Penitent Magdalen refers to a post-biblical period in the life of Mary Magdalene, according to medieval legend. Mary became one of Christ’s most devoted followers and he absolved her of her former sins. 


Perhaps a painting like this captures the grief of Mary, which was transformed by her experience on Easter morning!


Friday, April 22, 2022

Earth Day

It is Earth Day - Say a prayer for our home and pledge yourself to its care.

Friday in Easter Week


Friday in Easter Week

Blessed Eastertide! There are appointed proper readings for each day of the week following Easter, until we reach The Second Sunday of Easter. You can find the readings full readings at this link - 
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/ Each day, we will share the collect of the day and some art inspired by the day's Gospel reading.

The Collect:

Almighty Father, who gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification: Give us grace so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Thursday in Easter Week


Thursday in Easter Week

Blessed Eastertide! There are appointed proper readings for each day of the week following Easter, until we reach The Second Sunday of Easter. You can find the readings full readings at this link - 
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/ Each day, we will share the collect of the day and some art inspired by the day's Gospel reading.

The Collect:

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Wednesday in Easter Week Eucharist and Evening Prayer


Wednesday in Easter Week

Blessed Eastertide! There are appointed proper readings for each day of the week following Easter, until we reach The Second Sunday of Easter. You can find the readings full readings at this link -
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/ Each day, we will share the collect of the day and some art inspired by the day's Gospel reading.

Join us today at St. Alban’s for Holy Eucharist - Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 12:10 p.m.

or join all our Monroe Episcopal churches tonight for 
Zoom Evening Prayer & Video Study - Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. with Father Whit+.

Zoom Evening Prayer
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86781577595?pwd=VjNnZTZnUFFadkJPc3VOVTh3K21Idz09

Meeting ID: 867 8157 7595
Passcode: 530
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 779

The Collect:

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Tuesday in Easter Week


Tuesday in Easter Week

Blessed Eastertide! There are appointed proper readings for each day of the week following Easter, until we reach The Second Sunday of Easter. You can find the readings full readings at this link -
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/ Each day, we will share the collect of the day and some art inspired by the day's Gospel reading.

The Collect:

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

Monday, April 18, 2022

Monday in Easter Week

Monday in Easter Week

Blessed Eastertide!  There are appointed proper readings for each day of the week following Easter, until we reach The Second Sunday of Easter. You can find the readings full readings at this link - https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/  Each day, we will share the collect of day and some art inspired by the day's Gospel reading.

The Collect:

Grant that we pray, Almighty God, that we who celebrate with awe the Paschal feast may be found worthy to attain to everlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Saturday, April 16, 2022

Easter


Sunday, April 17, 2022, Easter

Join us for “at church” or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, April 17, The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day, at St. Alban’s, St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas.
 
Holy Eucharist, Rite Two
St. Alban’s & Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas - 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.*
with Egg Hunt at 9:15 a.m.
St. Thomas' - 10:00 a.m.* with Egg Hunt at 11:15 a.m.
St. Patrick’s – 11:00 a.m.*

* These liturgies will be Live-Streamed on Facebook for those who choose to remain at home. Download a pdf of the leaflet to print or to use on your phone or tablet with this link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gwNVkdW0Vr01oJFvIr91tcgVKEc-1GCw/view?usp=sharing

Zoom Compline - resumes on April 24
Sunday - 8:00 p.m.

We hope to “see” you all on Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection!

Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+

Art from Clip Art, Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications – ltp.org

Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday

The Collect:

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so may we await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Rest today and then join all the Episcopal Churches of our area as we celebrate The Great Vigil of Easter tonight at Grace Episcopal Church at 8:00 p.m. The Rev’d Don Smith will celebrate, and The Very Rev’d Dawnell Stodghill will preach.

Art from Clip Art, Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications – ltp.org


Friday, April 15, 2022

Good Friday


Good Friday

The Collect:

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We have many worship opportunities in the area!

Join St. Aban’s for The Good Friday Liturgy today at Noon or at 6:00 p.m. The Way of the Cross follows the evening liturgy and will be offered bilingually.

Join Canterbury@ULM at 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas’ on the Bayou for live Stations of the Cross or for The Good Friday Liturgy at 6:00 p.m.

Join St. Patrick’s in West Monroe for The Good Friday Liturgy at Noon.

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Maundy Thursday


Maundy Thursday

The Collect:

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” John 13:13-17

Join us tonight, April 14, Maundy Thursday, for Holy Eucharist and foot washing at 6:00 p.m.

Art - Ford Madox Brown, Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_washing_Peter%27s_feet.jpg

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Wednesday of Holy Week

Wednesday of Holy Week

The Collect:

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.  John 13:21-22

Join us today at St. Alban's for Holy Eucharist at 12;10 p.m. or at Evening Prayer today at 6:00 p.m. as we reflect on betraying Jesus, and pray that it might not be us.


Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Tuesday in Holy Week

Tuesday in Holy Week

The Collect:

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

Join us tonight at St. Alban’s for Evening Prayer at 6:00 p.m.

Art- Van Gogh’s Wheat Field (Wikimedia)


Monday, April 11, 2022

A Prayer of Thanks

 

A Prayer of Thanks

As we worshiped together yesterday, surrounded by the beautiful red, and green of Palm Sunday - and as I read aloud the moving Passion narrative from Luke's Gospel - I was overwhelmed with a sense of love, and thankfulness for all of you and for the richness of friendship, support, and love that you all bring to my life, and the life of my family. Thank you for allowing me to be your priest!

Blessed Holy Week all! 



Monday in Holy Week


Monday in Holy Week

The Collect:

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Join our EfM Class for Evening Prayer tonight at St. Alban's at 6;00 p.m.

Saturday, April 9, 2022

Palm Sunday, Holy Week, & Easter

 



Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pastor and Theologian, 1945

The Collect:

Embolden our lives, O Lord, and inspire our faiths, that we, following the example of your servant Dietrich Bonhoeffer, might embrace your call with undivided hearts; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Bonhoeffer was born in 1906, son of a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Berlin. He was an outstanding student, and at the age of 25 became a lecturer in systematic theology at the same University. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Bonhoeffer became a leading spokesman for the Confessing Church, the center of Protestant resistance to the Nazis. He organized and for a time led the underground seminary of the Confessing Church. His book Life Together describes the life of the Christian community in that seminary, and his book The Cost of Discipleship attacks what he calls "cheap grace," meaning grace used as an excuse for moral laxity. Bonhoeffer had been taught not to "resist the powers that be," but he came to believe that to do so was sometimes the right choice. In 1939 his brother-in-law introduced him to a group planning the overthrow of Hitler, and he made significant contributions to their work. (He was at this time an employee of the Military Intelligence Department.) He was arrested in April 1943 and imprisoned in Berlin. After the failure of the attempt on Hitler's life in April 1944, he was sent first to Buchenwald and then to Schoenberg Prison. His life was spared, because he had a relative who stood high in the government; but then this relative was himself implicated in anti-Nazi plots. On Sunday 8 April 1945, he had just finished conducting a service of worship at Schoenberg, when two soldiers came in, saying, "Prisoner Bonhoeffer, make ready and come with us," the standard summons to a condemned prisoner. As he left, he said to another prisoner, "This is the end -- but for me, the beginning -- of life." He was hanged the next day, less than a week before the Allies reached the camp. *

 * The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/DBonhoeffer.htm

Friday, April 8, 2022

This Sunday is Palm Sunday



Sunday, April 10, 2022

Join us “at church” or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, April 10, The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, at St. Alban’s, St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas.


Holy Eucharist
St. Alban’s - 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
St. Thomas' - 10:00 a.m.*
St. Patrick’s – 11:00 a.m.*
* These liturgies will be Live-Streamed on Facebook for those who choose to remain at home. Download a pdf of the leaflet to print or to use on your phone or tablet with this link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ebZAbekHLqgfzUeLO-e_AQyjtbSl3uTF/view?usp=sharing

Oración de la tarde diaria a través de Zoom
Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas – Domingo - 5:00 p.m.

Oración Vespertina Diaria a través de Zoom - Únete aqui
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89906444437?pwd=bmdXYW9kNjVicVJHU3Fkb3BrMitKZz09
ID de reunión: 899 0644 4437
Contraseña: 500
o llame al +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799

Zoom Compline - All Welcome
Sunday - 8:00 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83861688528?pwd=WFdBcndxV3hzbUpETDNTSFFzc3Z0QT09
Meeting ID: 838 6168 8528
Passcode: 800
or dial in at +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799

We hope to “see” you all on Sunday as you are most comfortable!

Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+

Art from Clip Art, Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications – ltp.org

William Augustus Muhlenberg

William Augustus Muhlenberg, Priest, 1877

The Collect:

Open the eyes of your church, O Lord, to the plight of the poor and neglected, the homeless and destitute, the old and the sick, the lonely and those who have none to care for them. Give to us the vision and compassion with which you so richly endowed your servant William Augustus Muhlenberg, that we may labor tirelessly to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

William A. Muhlenberg was born in Philadelphia on 16 September 1796, to a distinguished German Lutheran family. Attracted to the Episcopal Church by its use of English, he was ordained in 1817. He was active in promoting the Sunday School movement, and concerned that the Church should minister to all social groups. He wrote hymns and compiled hymnals, greatly expanding the range of music in Episcopal churches. In 1828 he founded, and for twenty years headed, Flushing Institute (later St Paul's College), a boys' school in Flushing, New York. There he made extensive use of music, flowers, vestments, and an emphasis on the Church year and on sacramental worship, with the weekly reception of the sacrament of Holy Communion, while at the same time preaching with great force and conviction the Reformation doctrines of grace and of justification by faith. Out of his ministry came inspiration for the establishment of Church schools and hospitals, and an outreach to the poor. In 1846 he founded the Church of the Holy Communion in New York City, with a parish school, a parish unemployment fund, and trips to the country for poor city children. He called himself an "Evangelical Catholic," and by his firm stand for Evangelical Faith, Apostolic Order, and Corporal Works of Mercy, he spoke to all parties in the Church while belonging to none. As one writer has said, "There was not a significant area of the Church's life, during his ministry, that he did not elevate and strengthen by the pureness of his life and the vigor of his consecrated imagination."

The Lectionary, James Kiefer, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/WAMuhlenberg.htm

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Thanks!

Thanks to all the folks who worked SO hard to make St. Alban's and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas' co-hosted Lenten Wednesday Eucharist and Supper such a huge success! Our bi-lingual liturgy, and fellowship time worked because of our cooks, readers, clean-up crew, musicians, iPad operator, ushers, and greeters. Thanks also to all our clergy & lay guests from near and far!

Thanks also to The Rev'd Deacon Bette Jo Kauffman for a fantastic sermon delivered in Spanish and English!

Tikhon

Tikhon, Bishop and Ecumenist, 1925

The Collect:


Holy God, holy and mighty, you call us together into one communion and fellowship: Open our eyes, we pray, as you opened the eyes of your servant Tikhon, that we may see the faithfulness of others as we strive to be steadfast in the faith delivered to us, that the world may see and know you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise unto ages of ages. Amen.

Saint Tikhon of Moscow (January 19, 1865 - April 7, 1925), born Vasily Ivanovich Belavin, was the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia of the Russian Orthodox Church during the early years of the Soviet Union, 1917 through 1925.

From 1878 to 1883, Vasily studied at the Pskov Theological Seminary. In 1888, at the age of 23, he graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy as a layman. He then returned to the Pskov Seminary and became an instructor of Moral and Dogmatic Theology. In 1891, at the age of 26, he took monastic vows and was given the name Tikhon in honor of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. Tikhon was consecrated Bishop of Lublin on October 19, 1897. On September 14, 1898, Bishop Tikhon was made Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska. As head of the Russian Orthodox Church in America he reorganized the diocese and changed its name from "Diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska" to "Diocese of the Aleutians and North America" in 1900. While living in the United States Archbishop Tikhon was made a citizen of the United States.

In 1907, he returned to Russia, and was appointed Bishop of Yaroslavl. St. Tikhon was transferred to Vilnius, Lithuania on December 22, 1913. On June 21, 1917, he was elected the ruling bishop of Moscow by the Diocesan Congress of clergy and laity. On August 15, 1917, Archbishop Tikhon was raised to the dignity of Metropolitan of Moscow. On November 5 of the same year, after an election as one of the three candidates for the Patriarchate, Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev announced that Metropolitan Tikhon had been selected for the position after a drawing of lots as the new Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. During the Russian Civil War the Patriarch was widely seen as anti-Bolshevik and many members of Orthodox clergy were jailed or executed by the new regime. Tikhon openly condemned the killings of the tsar's family in 1918, and protested against violent attacks by the Bolsheviks on the Church.

After the establishment of the USSR the Patriarch was accused of being a saboteur by the Communist government, for which he was imprisoned from April 1922 until June 1923 in Donskoy Monastery. Among acts incriminated to him was his public protest against nationalization of the property of the Church. This persecution caused international resonance and was a subject of several notes to the Soviet government. Under pressure, Patriarch Tikhon issued several messages to the believers, in which he stated in part that he is "no longer an enemy to the Soviet power". Despite his declaration of loyalty, he continued to enjoy the trust of the Orthodox community in Russia.

In 1924 the Patriarch fell ill and was hospitalized. On 5 April 1925, he served his last Divine Liturgy, and died two days later. He was considered a martyr for the faith.

He was glorified a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1989. This canonisation process is generally considered an example of the thaw in Church-Soviet relations in the Glasnost era. Tikhon's relics may be revered at the Donskoy Monastery of Moscow.

The Lectionary, via Wikipedia, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Tikhon.htm

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Today at St. Alban's

Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Lent

The Collect:

Almighty God our heavenly Father, renew in us the gifts of your mercy; increase our faith, strengthen our hope, enlighten our understanding, widen our charity, and make us ready to serve you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The proper readings for today are Daniel 3:14–20,24–28, Canticle 2 or 13, and John 8:31–42.

“Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32

To find out more, join us today at St. Alban’s for Holy Eucharist at 12;15 p.m.

Or for another take on the readings for the day, join us tonight for our Lenten Eucharist and Supper at 6:00 p.m. Co-hosted by St. Alban’s and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas - The Rev’d T. Whitfield Stodghill, III will celebrate, and The Rev’d Deacon Bette Jo Kauffman will preach at the bilingual Eucharist (English and Spanish). Supper follows.

Miércoles de la Quinta Semana de Cuaresma La Colecta: Dios todopoderoso, nuestro Padre celestial, renueva en nosotros los dones de tu misericordia; aumenta nuestra fe, fortalece nuestra esperanza, ilumina nuestro entendimiento, amplía nuestra caridad y prepáranos para servirte; por Jesucristo nuestro Señor, que vive y reina contigo y el Espíritu Santo, un solo Dios, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén. Las lecturas adecuadas para hoy son Daniel 3:14–20, 24–28, Cántico [2] o 13 y Juan 8:31–42. “Jesús dijo a los judíos que habían creído en él: “Si permanecéis en mi palabra, seréis verdaderamente mis discípulos; y conoceréis la verdad, y la verdad os hará libres.” Juan 8:31-32 Para obtener más información, únase a nosotros hoy en St. Alban para la Sagrada Eucaristía a las 12:15 p.m. O para otra perspectiva de las lecturas del día, únase a nosotros esta noche para nuestra Eucaristía y Cena de Cuaresma a las 6:00 p.m. Co-auspiciado por St. Alban's y La Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas - El reverendo T. Whitfield Stodghill, III celebrará, y La Reverenda Diácona Bette Jo Kauffman predicará en la eucaristía bilingüe (inglés y español). Sigue la cena.


Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Harriet Starr Cannon

Harriet Starr Cannon, Monastic, 1896

The Collect:

Gracious God, who called Harriet Starr Cannon and her companions to revive the monastic vocation in the Episcopal Church and to dedicate their lives to you: Grant that we, after their example, may ever surrender ourselves to the revelation of your holy will; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Harriet Starr Cannon (May 7, 1823--Apr. 5, 1896) was the first superior of the Sisters of St. Mary, one of the first orders of Anglican nuns.

She was born in Charleston, SC, of parents who had moved there from Connecticut. They died when she was just a year old, so she and her older sister grew up in Bridgeport, Conn., where they lived with relatives. Her sister married and moved to California, and Harriet made plans to move there also, but on the eve of her planned departure, she received word that her sister had died. This crisis was resolved the following year, in 1856, when she joined the Sisters of the Holy Communion in New York, an Episcopal order of deaconesses recently founded by William Augustus Muhlenberg and Anne Ayres. After a few years there, she grew to desire more spirituality in the order, in addition to the work among the poor. So she and a few others left to form a new order, the Sisters of St. Mary.

The order was formally founded in 1865 and was dedicated both to prayer and service. Their initial primary areas of service were St. Mary's Free Hospital for Poor Children and the House of Mercy, a home for "wayward" girls and young women. This latter endeavor, after it moved to larger quarters in what is now Inwood Park in Manhattan in 1891, primarily housed girls sent there by the courts for indefinite sentences, and was no stranger to controversy.

The Sisters also established a number of schools around the country, and were the "Martyrs of Memphis" during a yellow fever epidemic there. The order expanded rapidly, numbering over 100 by the time of Sr. Harriet's death, in 1896.

In its early days, the order was strongly supported by Morgan Dix, rector of Trinity Church, New York, who wrote a short biography of Sr. Harriet at the time of her death.

The Lectionary, via Wikipedia, http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/harriet_cannon.htm

Monday, April 4, 2022

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Pastor and Martyr, 1968

The Collect:

Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may strive to secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Washington National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." Strength to Love, 1963. 

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964. *

* These three quotes are  from the South Wall of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7:05 p.m. King's birthday was finally approved as a federal holiday in 1983, and all 50 states made it a state government holiday by 2000. Officially, King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta. But the King holiday is marked every year on the third Monday in January.