Further Thoughts on the Readings
The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
In modern times, “glory” has become almost a bad word, especially if it is coupled with “seeking.” There is a prevalent superstition that glory-seeking is a mean, unworthy business. Good people, and especially Christians, are supposed to be committed to service without thought of reward. We’re not in it for the glory; we only want to serve. God’s love is disinterested, and so is ours.
But that is very bad psychology, and even worse theology. It’s important to notice a difference between us and God. God has no need of glory, but we do; in fact it’s our most fundamental need. Our desire for glory, however stunted or distorted, however side-tracked into vanities, is at basis the desire for the vision of God, the knowledge of God as he is in himself. We desire to be “partakers of that glory”; “to perceive with open face the glory of the Lord, and to be transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” (2 Corinthians 3.18) As St. Augustine puts it, “Thou hast made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” That is the desire of the whole creation, and the meaning of its motion. …
We are surely glory-seekers, and we must know how to do it. We have lots of devices for achieving vain glories, though there may be some question whether the game is worth the candle. Insofar as real glory is concerned, we hardly know how to go about it. “Sit down in the lowest seat,” says Jesus. The point is that the glory of God is not something we can put together, or seize for ourselves. We have only the desire; the glory must be given. The lowest seat is the position of humility — the humility of accepting what we cannot achieve. That is to say, the beginning of glory in us must be the free gift of God’s grace. “Friend, go up higher.”
This gift of grace in us is the seed of future glory. As St. Thomas Aquinas puts it, in his incomparably clear way: “Grace has five effects in us: First, our soul is healed; second, we will the good; third, we work effectively for it; fourth, we persevere; fifth, we break through to glory.”
Our part is the thankful acceptance of God’s grace, in word and sacrament, and in a thousand occasions of grace which surround us every day: in our work and leisure, in our associations with one another, in our troubles, and even in our sins. Through the manifold workings of his grace, “may the Lord of eternal glory make us partakers of his heavenly table.” “Then shalt thou have glory in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.” Robert Crouse
From a sermon for Trinity 17
See also www.lectionarycentral.com and click on “Trinity 17”
Parish Announcements
Prayer
Daily offices are prayed in the churches Tuesdays to Saturdays ‘til the end of September:
8:00am Morning Prayer at St. James’ LaHave;
5:00pm Evening Prayer at St. Mary’s Crousetown
Please remember the following persons in your prayers this week:
The Sick: Anson Conrad; Marjorie Edwards, Jerry Fultz, Maurice Finney, Andrea Lee, Albert Parsons,
Juanita Smith, Richard Zinck, Margaret Whynacht.
Grieving: Families of Perry Luddington, Edwin Sperry, Barbara Joyce, Lester Teal.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Anglican Church of Tanzania – Abp Donald Mtetemela
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer:
St. Andrew’s, Hantsport, Rev Michael Boyd
St. John’s, Wolfville (Horton), Rev Cathy Lee Cunningham Ritcey and Charlie; Rev Ann Watson, Deacon; Rev Dr. Bruce Matthews, Hon Assist, and Pamela
St. James’, Kentville, Archdeacon Lynn Uzans and Elmer
Rev Catherine Desloges, Assistant Priest, and Brian
Diocese of Moosonee: Church of the Apostles, Moosonee (Vacant)
Cursillo’s 25th Anniversary Celebrations (NS & PEI), Sept 19th—21st.
This Week’s Daily Bible Readings
Morning Prayer / Evening PrayerMonday / Eze. 9 / Col. 3:12-4:1 / Eze. 11:1-13 / Jn. 17
Tuesday / Eze. 12:1-16 / Col. 4:2-18 / Eze. 12:17-28 / Jn. 18:1-17
Wednesday / Eze. 13:1-16 / Philemon / Eze. 14 / Jn. 18:28-40
Thursday / Eze. 17 / 1 Thes. 1 / Eze. 20:1-26 / Jn. 19:1-30
Friday / Eze. 20:27-44 / 1 Thess.2:1-16 / Eze. 22:23-31 / Jn. 19:31-42
Saturday / Eze. 24:15-27 / 1 Thess.2:17-3:13 / Eze. 28:1-19 / Jn. 20
This Week
Wednesday September 17
A quarterly JOINT PARISHES MEETING is being planned for 7pm on Wednesday, September 17 at St. James’ LaHave for Parish Church wardens, treasurers, secretaries and anyone else who is interested.
Thursday September 18
Meeting of St. Peter’s Church at Jerry Fultz’ at 2pm re sale of Hall.
Next Sunday
Sunday September 21– Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
St. Matthew the Apostle
9:30am
11:00am
7:00pm / New Dublin at St. John's West Dublin
West Petite at St. Alban's Vogler's Cove
East Petite at St. Mary's Crousetown / Holy Communion
Holy Communion
Evening Prayer
Welcome to Worship
The Anglican Parishes of Petite Riviere & New Dublin
The Seventeenth Sunday after TrinitySeptember 14, AD 2008
Christ heals a man with dropsy, a man pulls an ox out of the pit. Jean de Sy 1372.
We will go into his dwelling-place, / and
fall low on our knees before his footstool.
Arise, O LORD, into thy resting-place, /
thou, and the ark of thy sanctification.
For the LORD hath chosen Sion; / he hath
longed for her to be an habitation for himself:
'This shall be my rest for ever: / here
will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
Psalm 132:7,8,14,15
Parish Directory
www.prnd.ca
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Moxley, Bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia & PEI
The Rt. Rev. Ron Cutler, Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of NS & PEI
both can be reached at:
5732 College Street, Halifax NS, B3H 1X3 Tel: (902) 420-0717
Website: www.nspeidiocese.ca
The Rev. David G. Phillips, Rector
St. Michael’s Rectory, 5822 Highway 331, Petite Riviere, NS, B4V 5Y3
Rectory: (902) 688-2228 E-mail:
The Rev. Canon Dr. Robert Crouse, Honorary Assistant Priest and Organist
R.R. #2 Italy Cross, NS, B0J 1V0 Website: www.prayerbook.ca/crouse
The Parish of Petite Riviere
Wardens:
Mr. George Hilchey 688-2117
Mr. Barry Smith 677-2070
Treasurer:
Mrs. Evelyn Baker 677-2727 / The Parish of New Dublin
Wardens:
Mr. Jerry Fultz 688-2778
Mr. Brady Himmelman 688-2531
Treasurer and Organist:
Mrs. Yvonne Haughn 688-2651
Assistant Organist: Mr. Paul Shields
TRINITY XVII
The Collect which is found in our Prayer Book was a change some time in the Middle Ages from the Collect appointed in the 7th century Gregorian Sacramentary. The following Collect was appointed originally to relate to the readings appointed for Trinity 17:
THE COLLECT.
O LORD, we beseech thee, absolve thy people from their offences; that through thy bountiful goodness we may be delivered from the bands of those sins, which by our frailty we have committed: grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
8:15am – St. Michael’s Petite Riviere
9:30am – St. Paul’s Cherry Hill
11:00am – St. James’ LaHave
Opening Hymn……....#348 Christ is made the sure Foundation
The Lord’s Prayer and Collect for Purity……………………p. 67
Summary of the Law ……………………...…………………p. 69
Collect……………………………………….…(see right column)
Lesson: Ephesians 4:1f……....………………….....p. 244
Gradual Hymn..…#470 (vs. 1-3) Love Divine, all loves excelling
Gospel: St. Luke 14:1f...... p. 244
Nicene Creed…………...……………………………...... p. 71
Sermon
Offertory Hymn…….#562 Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round
Intercession …………………………………………………..p. 75
Invitation, Confession, Absolution, Comfortable Words…...76-78
Sursum Corda……………………………………...…………p. 78
Sanctus and Benedictus………………………………………p. 81
Prayer of Consecration………………………………...……..p. 82
Prayer of Humble Access and Agnus Dei………….…...pp. 83-84
The Communion
Communion Hymn…...#560 May the grace of Christ our Saviour
The Lord’s Prayer and Thanksgiving………………………...p. 85
The Gloria...... p. 86
Blessing
Closing Hymn………….…..#588 In the Cross of Christ I glory
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR (a 13th century mystic)
Excerpt from chapter LXXIV of The Twelve Patriarchs
Concerning that kind of contemplation
which is above reason
And so when Benjamin is born, Rachel dies, because the mind, having been carried away to contemplation, experiences how great the failure of human reason is. Did not Rachel die and did not the sense of all human reason fail in the Apostle when he said: "Whether in the body or outside the body, I do not know; God knows" (2 Cor. 12:2)? Therefore, let no person suppose that he is able to penetrate to the splendor of that divine light by argumentation; let no person believe that he is able to comprehend it by human reasoning. For if it were possible to approach that divine light by some argument or other then it would not be inaccessible. And thereupon the Apostle indeed boasts not that he went to that but that without doubt he was snatched up: "I know," he says, "a man, whether in the body or outside the body I do not know; God knows; such a one was snatched up to the third heaven" (2 Cor. 12:2). ... Any soul is truly raised up to any of these heavens when, as it abandons the lowest things of earthly thoughts, it is transfixed in contemplation of these heavens. And so knowledge of self pertains to the first heaven; contemplation of God pertains to the third. And who do you think ascends to this third heaven, except he who also descends--the Son of man who is in heaven? And so, if there are those who ascend to the heavens and descend into the depths, nevertheless they do not ascend except perhaps to the first and second for they are not able to ascend to the third. Certainly men can be snatched up to this heaven, but they are not at all able to ascend by themselves... Moreover, we can conclude suitably enough from the death of his mother that we ought to understand by Benjamin that kind of contemplation which is above reason.