The Sanctification of Anglican Christians
Father, we pray for the Unity of Christians. Forgive us the sin which separates us and maintains divisions among us. May your Spirit penetrate all our souls and draw us closer to Christ in holiness. Today we pray for all Anglican Christians. Give Anglicans and all Christians an ever greater holiness and lead us all along your path, to unity in the love and truth of Christ.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer
The Sanctification of Orthodox Christians
Father, we pray for the Unity of Christians. Forgive us the sin which separates us and maintains divisions among us. May your Spirit penetrate all our souls and draw us closer to Christ in holiness. Today we pray for all Orthodox Christians. Give Orthodox and all Christians an ever greater holiness and lead us all along your path, to unity in the love and truth of Christ.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Paul Couturier, Apostle of Unity
You, the one
From whom on different paths
All of us have come.
To whom on different paths
All of us are going.
Make strong in our hearts what unites us.
Build bridges across all that divides us;
United make us rejoice in our diversity.
At one in our witness to your peace,
A rainbow of your glory.
Amen.
-- Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB
Today Father Mervyn presided and preached at the Parish Mass as Father Martin was attending to his other duties as Chaplain to the ATC. In his sermon Father Mervyn reminded us that we need to have a personal encounter with Jesus. We need to listen to when he speaks to us in the “still small voice of calm and we need to be able to respond like Samuel “Speak for your servant is listening.”Last week’s Saturday Shop took £177 plus the revenue from a Sale of New and Nearly New Toys in aid of St. Richard’s Hospice.
REMINDER: Tuesday 17th January 7.30 p.m. THE ROSARY
IN MEMORIAM
Jo Molesworth will be received into church at 2.30 p.m. on Monday 23rd January.
The Requiem Mass will be at 1.30 p.m. followed by the Committal at Corbetts Tey Crematorium at 3.20 p.m. The Committal will be followed by a wake in St. Augustine’s Church Hall.
Donations in memory of Jo can be given to Father Martin for St. Augustine Church Funds.
Today we celebrated the great Solemnity of the Epiphany or as the Book of Common Prayer used to use as it’s other title “The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles”. As we arrived for Mass we heard the sad news that Jo, the oldest member of our congregation, had died earlier this morning. Jo had been at the Saturday Shop yesterday. She was just 19 days away from her 100th birthday.
Father Mervyn presided and Father Martin concelebrated and preached. At the begining of Mass, three members of the congregation brought gifts of Gold, Frankincence and Myrrh to the crib where we stopped for a station.
Although several of our usual congregation were away today because of sickness or family commitments we had a nearly full church.
Tonight we will conclude our Epiphany celebrations with Solemn Evensong & Benediction.
Today we celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Father Martin presided and Father Mervyn concelebrated and preached. In his sermon Father Mervyn pointed out that in reality we were celebrating several different things which might at first glance seem unrelated. We were celebrating Mary as Mother of God, the Circumcision of and naming of Jesus, and New Years Day. Our first Reading, the Aaronic Blessing related how God had made himself known. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. The last line of the blessing God pronounced to Moses was, “May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you his peace.”
Mary’s role is explained very concisely by St Paul in his Letter to the Galatians, ”God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law.” As we start a New Year the one thing we all want for 2012 is peace; the peace of God which passes all human understanding. It is through Mary, that Jesus is born and who, through Mary, is revealed to the world: he uncovers His face and bring us his peace.
THE AMOUNT RAISED FOR THE CHILDREN’S SOCIETY THROUGH THE CHRISTINGLE ETC IS £380.62.
Starting on Friday 27th January – THE 4TH FRIDAY CLUB.
Meetings start at 1.00 p.m. until 3.00 p.m. and may include Bible Study, Ethics, Philosophy and Moral Values. The first topic is EUTHANASIA.
The Saturday Shop reopens this Saturday
