Good day,

This is going out much later in the day than usual this Monday since I’ve had a jam-packed day – including a drive to South Porcupine. I’m now stuffed full of a delicious dinner, cooked by my dad, and I’m feeling like I should nap but I’ll write this email instead. 

Mark Your Calendars (and please note the change of date)! The gathering for church lay leadership is Friday, November 17, 5:30pm to 7pm at Zion Lutheran Church (corner of Upton and Wellington in the Soo). I’ve called it: “Deepening Spirituality Through Prayer”. We’ll enjoy supper together while we chat and learn about the ancient prayer hours – some of which are closely linked to our current worship services. We’ll hear from Alison Weir – our Diocesan Warden of Lay Readers – and then we’ll round off our time together with a beautiful Evening Prayer. Supper will be ham soup or vegetarian soup, buns, dessert, coffee, and tea. Please let me know if you’ll be attending so that I know how much soup to make (Plus I’m going to hit up a few other people to bring the buns and dessert). The poster is below. Please print, if you can, and share with your congregations.

Also of Note: There is a service of Holy Eucharist this Wednesday, November 8, 7pm in the Lady Chapel at Bishophurst. Please enter using the ramp leading to the side door.

Coming Quickly: Christmas baking for sale – 30 pieces of deliciousness for just $15!! You can let me know if you’d like some or you can buy them from a couple of lovely St. Joseph & St. George parishioners on Sunday, Nov.19, 11am-2pm at the Legion in Richards Landing. (Plenty of time to buy cookies and get home for the Grey Cup). 

Guild of St. Joseph Men’s Breakfast is Saturday, November 18, 8:30am at the Trinity Centre across from Holy Trinity Church on Northern Ave. in the Soo.

Pastie Luncheon, Dec.2, at St. George in Echo Bay. 11am-1:30pm. Just $15 per person (less for youth, free for under 5 years of age).

A Liturgical Note For You:

Since Remembrance Day ceremonies, and possibly Remembrance Sunday services are approaching, a reminder: although clergy are not to pin anything on their stoles or chasubles, it is okay for Lay Readers to pin a poppy on their Lay Reader scarf and it is okay for clergy to pin a poppy on their tippet. 

Marking Remembrance Day: As Remembrance Day is nearly upon us, we note that this is a very important and solemn occasion that we should, indeed, mark with ceremony. You can check with your closest Legion Branch to find out the details of the ceremonies taking place on November 11.  What about in our churches? There are a couple of options. Churches could choose to have a Remembrance Day service on November 11 and then process to a war memorial, cenotaph, or graveyard for prayers of remembrance.   The other option is to observe Sunday, November 12 as Remembrance Sunday, using the Propers for All Souls’ Day and naming the parishioners who have died during the past year as well as those who died in the wars. These parishioners could be named during the Prayers of the People or during the Litany for the departed. The Church of England provides one here: The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (1/2 way down the page). If you have already had an All Souls’ Day worship service, you could stick to only naming those who died during wars on this Sunday.  Please note that Remembrance Sunday is not a Remembrance Day service – it is not meant to replace the cenotaph service or Legion Branch service that takes place on November 11.  Remembrance Sunday is the commemoration of the departed within the context of the usual Sunday Feast of our Lord. An Act of Remembrance may take place at the end of the service prior to the blessing and sending of the Church.  

By the way, it is notable that the armistice was signed on November 11. Have a look at the entry below that date…

For Your Devotions

Tuesday, November 7th is the commemoration of Willibrord, the Archbishop of Utrecht, Holland, and missionary who died in 738. We actually don’t know very much about Willibrord but I find it amazing that way back then someone born in England could study in both France and Ireland when traveling must’ve been difficult, lengthy, and dangerous. Speaking of dangerous, Willibrord began his missionary work in Frisia in 690 and had to leave the region several times because of war. He actually died a natural death but other missionaries to the area weren’t so lucky (Boniface was martyred in 754).    http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/279.html

Friday, November 10th is the memorial of Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher of the Faith who died in 461.  Leo was the bishop of Rome from 440-461 and is best known for two things. The first is that he was an ardent defender of orthodoxy (i.e. true worship). He wrote against the heresy which said Christ only had one nature because his human nature was completely absorbed into his divine nature. We believe that Christ was fully human and fully divine at the same time which is what Leo wrote in his famous “Tome” used at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 to condemn the heresy. Stemming from this is the second thing for which Leo is known. He vigorously supported “papal supremacy”.  Other bishops who supported this position had his tome declared as “the voice of Peter”.  This was one of the causes of the strain and eventual split between the churches of East and West. For more info:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Leo-I

Saturday, November 11th is the memorial of Martin, Bishop of Tours, died 397. Martin, against his will, was a soldier in the Roman army. While a soldier and a catechumen (learning the faith in order to be baptized), legend says Martin tore his cloak in half in order to share with a beggar. Martin dreamed that night that it was Christ who was clothed in the half cloak given to the beggar and, when Martin awoke, his cloak had been restored to wholeness.  Martin petitioned the Roman emperor to leave the army saying that he was Christ’s soldier and not allowed to fight with weapons other than the word of God. He was charged with cowardice but offered to stand at the front of the battle line armed only with the sign of the cross. He was eventually allowed to leave the army. On Remembrance Day, as we remember all those who died or suffered harm during the conflicts of our world, I pray that humanity will embrace the way of God’s kingdom so that all swords will be beaten into plowshares and every spear be made into pruning shears (Is.2:4). More info on p.340  http://c2892002f453b41e8581-48246336d122ce2b0bccb7a98e224e96.r74.cf2.rackcdn.com/ForAlltheSaints.pdf

In the hope of Christ,

Susan