Good day everyone. I hope you are enjoying a relaxing Labour Day (my day would be better if the Ti-Cats were winning…)

Hey…it’s September…time to register – if you haven’t already – for the annual Lay Readers/Church Leaders conference coming up at the end of this month. It is offered via Zoom and is free of charge. You can register simply by emailing your info to Dr. Carol Knox:   carolknox3@gmail.com (Please provide Carol with your name, email address, parish, deanery, and role in the Church). You can get more info here:   https://www.dioceseofalgoma.com/2023/07/11/2023-lay-readers-church-leaders-conference-information-now-available/

A Liturgical Note For You:

We are marking the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary this week so it is a good time to refresh your memory on some rules organizing how we mark these days liturgically.  First of all, the days on our calendar of observances are not moved – if they don’t fall on a Sunday, they are not moved to a Sunday (You can celebrate the Epiphany, the Day of Ascension, and All Saints Day twice – on the Sunday as well as on its fixed date but not solely on the Sunday).*  

For most of our observances, if they do happen to fall on a Sunday, they are not observed at all (except, perhaps, by a mention in the intercessions). The feasts of our Lord listed on p.16 of our BAS and other “Major Feasts” can be transferred to an open day within the week if they fall on the Sunday. There are very few days of observance that take precedence over our usual Sunday worship of the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of these days that does take precedence, if it falls on a Sunday, is the Holy Day of Saint Mary the Virgin (Aug.15).  

So now, this week, we have another day of observance for Mary but, if it happened to fall on a Sunday, then it would not be observed. Why is one calendar observance for Mary observed on a Sunday and another one not? We observe multiple days for Mary, Peter, Paul, and John but only those days considered to be significant events in Jesus’ life – our story of salvation – will be celebrated on a Sunday if it falls on a Sunday.  Mary’s day that takes precedence of a Sunday is the day we acknowledge she is carrying the Saviour of the World in her womb. 
*The feast of the Dedication of a Church, and the feast of its patron or title, may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter. 

For Your Devotions:

Monday, September 4th is the commemoration of the first recorded Anglican Eucharist in Canada, 1578. This Eucharist was celebrated on board the ship of the third Frobisher expedition to the Canadian Arctic. For more details about this and a couple of other landmark occasions, you can go here: https://www.anglican.ca/ask/faq/first-eucharist-canada/

Today is also Labour Day (Monday, September 4). Here are two Labour Day prayers for you:

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labour, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who want to work but are unable; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  OR…

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ dignified our labour by sharing our toil. Be with your people where they work; make those who carry on the industries and commerce of this land responsive to your purpose; and to all of us, give pride in what we do and a just return for our labour. Keep us mindful that our common good depends on each other’s toil; and in our rest grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday, September 8th is the memorial of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Although information like this is not in our Scriptures, there is a writing dating from about 150 AD which says that Mary’s mother, Anna, was barren until visited by an angel after which, Mary was conceived. You may have noticed that our calendar celebrations are marked on the day of the death of the person being acknowledged but Mary is one of just three people whose birthday is celebrated. To find out why, follow this link:  https://www.thoughtco.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-542466

In the joy of Christ,

Susan