Further Thoughts on the Readings
The Sunday called Quinquagesima
Our journey to Jerusalem, our Lent, is to be a journey into light, a journey into understanding the mystery of divine love in the passion of Christ. Can the lessons and the disciplines of Lent really do that for us? Certainly, that seems far-fetched, but then, that is the way of faith. God gives much in return for little; he gives all in return for nothing. All in return for nothing: that is the divine charity which, as St. Paul explains in today's Epistle, is to be the very essence of our life as Christians. Faith is an excellent thing, no doubt, and so is hope, but they are only a beginning. In heaven there is no faith; in heaven there is no hope, because heaven is the knowledge and possession of that eternal good, towards which faith and hope can only aim. In heaven there is only charity, the bond of love which unites lover and beloved. Without that love, all our powers are worthless: "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal," or noisy nonsense. With the best gift of charity, we have eternal life. "For what shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8.35).
Therefore our journey of Lent is not just a journey of faith and hope, but a journey of love, a journey whereby we become more firm in that bond of love which unites us to God. It is a journey whereby we grow up in love. "When I was a child, I spake as a child," says St. Paul. We are like children who babble aimlessly. Lent is a time to grow up and put away childish things.
The disciplines of Lent are a serious matter, being fundamentally a matter of the nourishment of our childish souls. I suppose that no age has ever been so diet-conscious as our own. Almost everyone looks at the package to see what noxious additives lurk within. But what thought do we take for spiritual nutriment? Wouldn't it be a good idea to try to wean ourselves a little bit from the poisonous sweets of self-indulgence and worldly preoccupation? Sometimes children imagine that they could eat sweets exclusively forever. "But when I became a man, I put away childish things." Wouldn't we be better off with a little more time for prayer, and a little less for empty chatter, a little more time for the Word of God and a little less for trivial words? Habits are formed by disciplines; and the habit of charity, the habit of heaven is not formed by self-indulgence, and the endless pursuit of worldly ends. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21) There is one pearl of great price, and, like the merchant in the parable, we may have to sell quite a lot to buy it.
Jesus bids us to go up with him to Jerusalem, and to find our treasure there. May he open our blind eyes, and give us grace to do just that.
Robert Crouse
excerpt from A Sermon for Quinquagesima
for more see www.lectionarycentral.com and click on “Quinquagesima”
Parish Announcements
Prayer – Please remember the following persons in your prayers this week:
Our Armed Forces in Afghanistan; For the safety of our lobster fishermen.
The Sick: Anson Conrad; Marjorie Edwards, Art Frauzel, Jerry Fultz, Karen Micivar, Maurice Finney, Percy Pernette, David Phillips, Juanita Smith, Dominic Williams.
Missions: Our World Vision Children; The Bishop McAllister College, Uganda
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Melbourne (Victoria Australia) Bps: Philip Freier; Stephen Hale; Philip Huggins; John Wilson; Paul White
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: Greater Glace Bay Pastoral Unit Rev Vernon Reid and Bong; Rev Stacey LeMoine, Assoc Priest [on leave], Ted
Diocese of Moosonee: St. Paul'/St. Matthew's, Hearst; St. Luke's, Hornepayne; Rev Doug Richardson and Christine
This WeekDaily Bible Readings
Morning Prayer / Evening PrayerMonday / Gen. 31:1-21 / Mt. 23:13-39 / Gen. 31:22-32:2 / Rom. 12
Tuesday / Gen. 32:3-30 / Mt. 24:1-28 / Gen. 33 / Rom. 13
Ash Wednesday / Isa. 57:15-21 / Mk. 2:13-22 / Isa. 58 / Heb. 3:12-14:13
Thursday / Gen. 35:1-20 / Mt. 24:29-51 / Gen. 37 / Rom. 14
Friday / Gen. 39 / Mt. 25:1-30 / Gen. 40 / Rom. 15
Saturday / Gen. 41:1-40 / Mt. 25:31-46 / Gen. 41:41-57 / Rom. 16
Tuesday February 24 – Feast of St. Matthias the Apostle
10:00am / St. John’s West Dublin / Holy Communion
Wednesday February 25 – Ash Wednesday
9:00am
12:00pm
7:00pm / St. Michael’s – Petite Riviere
St. Alban’s – Vogler’s Cove
New Dublin at St. James – LaHave / HC & Ashes
Penitential Rite
EP & Ashes
Next Sunday
Sunday March 1 – The First Sunday in Lent
(note the new time for the early morning service)
9:00am
11:00am
7:00pm / St. Peter’s West LaHave
St. Mary’s Crousetown
St. Paul’s Cherry Hill / Holy Communion Holy Communion Evening Prayer
There will be a Lenten Study at St. Michael’s Rectory in Petite Riviere starting March 4. There will be more information next Sunday.
Welcome to Worship
The Anglican Parishes of Petite Riviere & New Dublin
The Sunday called QuinquagesimaFebruary 25, AD 2009
Detail of Christ healing a blind man, Nicolas Poussin 1650.
THEN Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished …And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
Luke 18:31, 34
Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2-4
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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
Salvator Mundi
can be said in the place of the Venite in Morning Prayer during Lent
(Lent starts on Wednesday this week)
O SAVIOUR of the world who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us : save us and help us we humbly beseech thee O Lord.
2 Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish : hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.
3 Let the pitifulness of thy great mercy : loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.
4 Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer : O save us that we may praise thee we humbly beseech thee.
5 Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory : look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech thee.
6 Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus : abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.
7 And when thou shalt appear with pow'r and great glory : may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Holy Communion9:30am – St. Mark’s Broad Cove
11:00am – St. Michal’s Petite Riviere
Opening Hymn…………….#400 Rejoice today with one accord
The Lord’s Prayer and Collect for Purity……………………p. 67
Summary of the Law…………………………...…………….p. 69
Collect……………………………………………...……….p. 136
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 13:1ff ……………………..p. 136
Gradual Hymn……………….#472 Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost
Gospel: St. Luke 18:31ff……...... p. 137
Nicene Creed…………...……………………………...... p. 71
Sermon
Offertory Hymn…...#104 O Holy Spirit, whom our Master sent
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…..#245 Sweet feast of love divine [#59 Franconia]
The Lord’s Prayer and Thanksgiving………………………...p. 85
The Gloria……………………………………………………p. 86
Blessing
Closing Hymn………...... #426 I feel the winds of God to-day
Evening Prayer
700pm – St. John’s West Dublin
Opening Hymn…………….#400 Rejoice today with one accord
Opening Sentences
Exhortation, Confession and Absolution………………..pp. 18, 19
Lord’s Prayer
Opening Versicles and Responses……………………………p. 20
Psalm: 103…..……..……...... p. 460
First Lesson
Magnificat (sung)…………………...……………………...... p. 21
Second Lesson
Nunc Dimittis (sung)………………………………………p. 22
Apostles Creed (said)
Collects……………………………………………pp. 136, 23, 24
Hymn………………….…….#472 Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost
Sermon
Offertory Hymn…...#104 O Holy Spirit, whom our Master sent
Prayers and Grace
Closing Hymn………...... #426 I feel the winds of God to-day
QUINQUAGESIMA
WHAT is this gift of charity? I stand before the altar today, I spread out my hands as though to call down something from the skies, and I ask for charity. In asking I say that unless I receive it, I may seem to myself to be alive, but God will see that I am dead. Am I dead, then, or am I alive in his eyes? Have I this gift? Will God give it me? What is it, to begin with? Not only doing the decent and helpful thing, for, says Christ’s apostle, I might go to the extreme of visible generosity, I might give all my goods to feed the poor, and yet lack charity. Still less is it mere tolerance and a show of amiability. It means that a caring for God and my neighbour becomes the stuff of my being, the mainspring of my will, not something joined on from outside. God does not have love, he is love, and to have love we also must become it. Why then, if to be alive I must have love thus, it is plain enough that I am dead. Let me be dead; I come to this sacrament to take part in the resurrection. I throw myself into the hands of God, and God is known to be God by this token: he raises the dead. Austin Farrer
The Crown of the Year