Good day,

Below is information about the upcoming performance at the cathedral: Unto Us a Child is Born. This will be in memory of The Rev. Canon Rosalie Goos.

Through Advent: Zoom Bible Studies, Wednesdays at 7pm, beginning on Wednesday, November 20 and running through December 18.

Advent Retreat: “Advent: What Are We Waiting For? Refuelling the Passion of the Thriving Early Church” Saturday, November 23, 9am – noon at the Trinity Centre. 

Anglican Women – Annual gathering at St. Luke’s Cathedral for Holy Eucharist followed by a light lunch is Thursday, Nov.28, 11:30am.  

Christmas Market at the Trinity Centre: Saturday, November 30, 11am – 3pm. $7 chili lunch, freshly baked cinnamon buns for just $2, craft tables, jams and pickles, “new to you”, bake table, and more!! 

A Liturgical Note For You: Why Do We Call Sundays, and Other Christian Celebrations, Feasts?

We call our major Christian observances “feasts” and “all Sundays of the year are feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ” (BAS, p.15). Why do we use the word “feast” to label what we do when we gather as the Church on these days? The word “feast” came into use in the English language around the 1300’s and comes from the Old French verb “fester” meaning “to feast, make merry, to observe (a holiday or special day)”. Its noun counterpart is “feste” which means “a religious festival”.  From our earliest times as worshippers of God, the appointed feasts and festivals of the Lord (Hebrew “chag”) were community sacred gatherings for worship and rejoicing. Notice that “sacred” doesn’t mean quiet and dull – these were gatherings of joy. Each Sunday, our worship service of Holy Eucharist together is a feast in honour and celebration and remembrance of the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ – a joyous occasion of prayer and praise.  It is God’s dinner party in God’s kingdom. “Lift up your hearts!” We uplift our hearts and minds and bodies (that includes your head of course – there’s no looking down in sombre unworthiness at God’s dinner table. The meal we share is the meal God provides in the fulness of his kingdom, opened to us through Jesus Christ.) That is most definitely cause for celebration!

Did you know that the word “fanatic” (usually shortened to “fan”) is also related to the word feast? The word is from the Latin fanaticus meaning “mad, enthusiastic, inspired by a god,” but also, originally, “pertaining to a temple,” from the Latin fanum (“temple, shrine, consecrated place,”) and is related to the Latin word festus (“festive”).  There you have it…Let’s be fans at the feast every Sunday. (You can find this information at the Online Etymology Dictionary.)

For Your Devotions:

Monday, 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

Tuesday, November 12th is the commemoration of Charles Simeon, Church of England presbyter who died in 1836. “High Church” and “Evangelical” at the same time? Charles Simeon did it (and was criticized by people at both ends of the spectrum). He was educated at Cambridge and spent his entire ministry there as well. His influence is best summed up by this quotation from the Gregorian website:  The influence of Simeon and his friends was thus described by the historian William Edward Hartpole Lecky: “They gradually changed the whole spirit of the English Church. They infused into it a new fire and passion of devotion, kindled a spirit of fervent philanthropy, raised the standard of clerical duty, and completely altered the whole tone and tendency of the preaching of its ministers.” We need more of all of that these days for sure!  For more information…  http://prayer.forwardmovement.org/the_calendar_response.php?id=401112

Thursday, November 14th is the commemoration of Samuel Seabury, the 1st Anglican Bishop in North America, died 1784.  Seabury was a medical doctor and a priest at the same time – talk about busy! He was chosen by the clergy of Connecticut in 1783 to be their bishop but, at that time, the Law forbade the Archbishop of Canterbury to consecrate a ‘foreigner.’  To get around this little glitch, Seabury traveled to Scotland to be consecrated in the disestablished Episcopal Church in Scotland. To read more, check this out:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Seabury

Saturday, November 16th is the commemoration of Margaret, Queen of Scotland, Helper of the Poor, died 1093.  As queen, Margaret gave out large sums of money to help the disadvantaged people of Scotland. More importantly (and this still rings true today), Margaret made sure that institutions already set up to help the poor, actually helped the poor! For more information plus a wonderful reflection on being a ‘helper of the poor’, go here:  https://www.ssje.org/2017/11/16/helper-of-the-poor-br-david-vryhof/

In the joy of Christ,

Susan