An Advent & Christmas Tradition

 From our friends at Grace Episcopal!

Blessing of the Animals

 

Bendición de los animales - Miércoles 5 de octubre de 2022
Entrada circular - 5:30 p.m.

First October Sunday!

Sunday, October 2, 2022 

Join us at church or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, October 2, 2022, The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 22, 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.*

Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas - 5:00 p.m.* (Spanish)

* 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/1X0XvpfGdZFfakAggjoEtmBmJnJ0HuTxj/view?usp=sharing           
        
Zoom Compline - All Welcome 
Sunday -  8:00 p.m.

 
Join Zoom Compline
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!

Dawnell+, Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+

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

Paula and Eustochium of Rome

Join us today, Wednesday, September 28, at St. Alban's for Holy Eucharist at 12:10 p.m., or tonight for Evening Prayer to learn more about Paula and Eustochium of Rome, Monastics and Scholars. 

Zoom Evening Prayer & Study - 5:30 p.m. with Father Whit+

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

Meeting ID: 867 8157 7595

Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 779

Passcode: 530

Paula and Eustochium of Rome, Monastics and Scholars, 404 and c. 419

The Collect:

Compel us, O God, to attend diligently to your Word, as did your faithful servants Paula and Eustochium; that, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we may find it profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness; and that thereby we may be made wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Paula of Rome (AD 347–404) was an ancient Roman saint and early Desert Mother.

A member of one of the richest senatorial families, Paula was the daughter of Blesilla and Rogatus. In her mid teens, Paula was married to the nobleman Toxotius, with whom she had four daughters and a boy.

At the age of 32, Paula was widowed. She continued to dedicate herself to her family, but became more interested in religion as time went on. Through the influence of Saint Marcella and her group, Paula became an enthusiastic member of this semi-monastic group of women. In 382, she met Saint Jerome, who had come to Rome.

A year after the death of her husband, Paula pursued a pilgrimage to tour all of the holy sights traveling with large entourages of both men and women including her daughter Eustochium and Jerome himself. In conclusion to her journey, Paula decided to remain in Bethlehem to develop a monastery and spiritual retreat with Jerome. Once settling in Bethlehem, Paula and Jerome built a double monastery including one for Paula and her nuns and another for Jerome and his monks. The addition of a roadside hostel was also constructed to serve as an economic source to fund the monasteries. Once completed, the monastery segregated each gender from one another during manual labor and meals, but practiced prayer in the same locale. During its functioning, Jerome and Paula's retreat attracted large crowds of visitors both from Christian backgrounds and general travelers from a variety of regions including Ethiopia, Persia, and India. Along with this, aristocratic refugees were also drawn to the locale due to Jerome's extensive network of followers.

Paula is noted as maintaining her ascetic devotion through intensive studies of the Old and New Testaments, often under the guidance of Jerome. With this, she also practiced a strict fasting regimen, abstinence, and pursued a destitute lifestyle “to preserve a singular attachment to God” as stated by Jerome. While practicing this life of isolation, Paula still continued to interact with local clergy and bishops and maintained devout attention to teaching the nuns under her sovereignty. Paula, through these practices, became a recognized figure in the Christian community. Upon her death on January 26 404 AD, her funeral was noted as having a significant portion of the Palestine population arrive in her honor. A year after her passing, Paula obtained the title of Saint recognized by the Latin Church.

Eustochium (c. 368 – September 28, 419 or 420), was Paula's daughter and is also venerated as a saint and was an early Desert Mother.

Eustochium spoke Latin and Classical Greek with equal ease and was able to read the scriptures in the Hebrew text. Many of Jerome's Biblical commentaries owe their existence to her influence and to her he dedicated his commentaries on the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel.

The letters which Jerome wrote for her instruction and spiritual advancement are, according to his own testimony, very numerous. After the death of Paula in 404, Eustochium assumed the direction of the nunneries. Her task was a difficult one on account of the impoverished condition of the temporal affairs which was brought about by the lavish almsgiving of Paula.

* Wikipedia, via The Lectionary - 

http://satucket.com/lectionary/paula&eustochium.html 

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Sunday, September 25, 2022 

Join us at church or “virtually” for worship this Sunday, September 25, 2022, The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 21, at St. Alban’s, St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, and Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas. 

Holy Eucharist, Rite Two
St. Alban’s  - 10:30 a.m. only* - Followed by Fall Kickoff & BBQ with 
    Iglesia Episcopal La Esperanza de Familias Unidas
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/1Vgqp1_HMRSncws-6IhuC2now_YpWp7TC/view?usp=sharing                  

Zoom Compline - Does not meet this week… 

Sunday -  8:00 p.m. - Resumes next Sunday!

We hope to see you all on Sunday!

Dawnell+, Rita+, Rob+ and Whit+

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

Tomorrow!

 

Holy Cross Day

Join us today, Wednesday, September 14, at St. Alban's for Holy Eucharist at 12:10 p.m. to celebrate Holy Cross Day. 

Zoom Evening Prayer and class resume next week!

Holy Cross Day

The Collect:

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

And from The Book of Occasional Services, The Way of the Cross, Ninth Station.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you: 

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

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.  Amen.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us.