WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – April 11th – Fr. Thomas.

The seminary I attended for three years had a rich liturgical and spiritual identity. In addition to the daily Mass, Morning and Evening Prayer and Compline (night prayers) were sung in the chapel on a regular basis. Students presided over Morning and Evening Prayer with a rotation list of “officiants.” On one particular weekday, a first year student presided at Evening Prayer and after the second reading and canticle, launched into the Apostle’s Creed with the customary first line, “I Believe in God.” (He apparently forgot that we didn’t say the Creed on weekdays.) Suddenly there came a loud knock on the Principal’s prayer desk in the rear of the chapel, with his deep rich voice, “Not on Thursdays we don’t!” Well, at least liturgically we didn’t, but hopefully all present did believe and practice the words of the Creed, not only on the weekend but every day of the week.

As I’m fond of saying, our Easter faith is not simply for one day, or one season, but a way of life throughout the entire year. To give that same seminary Principal, Dr. Alec Vidler, the last word, “We have for the most part ceased to be aware of another world, an eternal kingdom of heaven; we have ceased to take it seriously. All our interest has been in this world; it never entered our heads that here we are and always shall be “exiles of the Dispersion.” Our horizons make no provision for an unseen world of mystery where all things are being made new, and where we might be even more at home than we are in this world. The time may be coming when we shall realize as we have not done yet that this world is not and cannot be our home, but that we have as a result of the work of Christ, “a better country, that is a heavenly one, and that we might already in this world be living and working as citizens of that imperishable kingdom.”

NOTICES:

Video Viewing Options for Sunday’s mass – there are three different ways to view our videos: 1) our church website; 2) our Facebook page; and 3) our YouTube channel.

Sandwiches for St. George’s: Please bring your sandwiches to St. David’s west side parking lot each Thursday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Opportunities for Giving – there are several options that safely and efficiently expedite your generous donations: electronic bank transfers or automatic bank transfers via personal accounts or credit/debit cards; personal checks delivered by USPS; and our favorite through joining our giving family online through our website or at https://www.myEoffering.com with our secure vendor Church Envelope Budget Company, who provides you with yearly offering envelopes. Please do NOT leave any envelopes with checks/cash unattended at church mailboxes.

Sunday School is still in operation with the necessary protocols in place.

Forward Day by Day brochures for the next quarter are now available in the narthex.

Tuesdays: Holy Eucharist 8:30 am.
Wednesdays: Holy Eucharist and Rosary 6:30 pm.

PLEASE PRAY – For the sick: Alfredo, Andi, Barbara, Beth, Calvin, Cindy, Danny, Donna, Francis, Irene, Jeanne, Joaquin, Kip, Max, Miguel, Patricia. For birthday celebrations: Dale Pugliese, Shirley Fenner, Gabriel Falco, Kerry Jackson, Madge Tinglin. For anniversary celebrations: David and Leila South, Walter and Georgette Dzubiak. For our expectant mother: Andi.