Hello,
I’m currently enjoying the sun coming out after a morning of rain in South Porcupine. It’s supposed to be 20 degrees here later…believe it when it happens…
Anyway, coming soon…
Christ Church Dessert Tea and Bake Table
Wednesday May 14th at 6:00 to 7:30PM
Adults $10.00 Children under 10: $5.00
Prayer Study, this Thursday, May 1, 4-5pm in the Trinity Centre. (Looking at distractions during prayer and what to do about it).
Down the road…Line Dancing “Fun”Raiser!! Friday, June 6, 6:30-8pm in the Trinity Centre. Just $5. Something for all ages and stages and even for those who just want to watch.
Two Things From APLM (Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission) that may interest some of you:
Please see our latest post about a webinar on Liturgy and Economic Justice with Gordon Lathrop.
The webinar will take place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025: 11 AM (Pacific), 12 Noon (Mountain), 1 PM (Central), 2 PM (Eastern), and 3 PM (Atlantic).
This webinar is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link.
Also, there is still space for our conference with Jesse Zink in Vancouver, BC in June, but you must register by May 7th. Please see more information here:
A Liturgical Note For You:
The Importance of Water in Easter: Yesterday (Sunday) was the final day of the Octave of Easter but we are still in the Great 50 Days of Easter. The Day of Pentecost is the 50th day of Easter. So…we continue to proclaim: “Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!” until, and on, the Day of Pentecost.
Why are we so happy about Jesus being risen? Because, since Jesus has new life in glory in God’s kingdom, so now do we. And we are given this amazing gift through the mystery of baptism.
Water is the most obvious symbol (though not the only symbol) of baptism. In fact, the word baptism comes from a Greek word that means “to plunge.” If you know your bible at all, as I’m sure you do, you’ll know that you cannot get very far without coming across a reference to water. From God’s Spirit moving over the waters at the time of creation to Noah and the flood to Jonah and the whale…the life-giving, life-taking images of water overflow from the Hebrew Scriptures and continue into the New Testament as well.
Jesus gives us a new twist on the thinking of water as the symbol of purification and cleanliness. When Jesus gets down on his knees and washes his disciples’ feet, water and washing also become for us a symbol of servanthood born of the love we are commanded to have for one another.
There are so many things to say about water as it is referenced throughout all of the bible – perhaps some that never struck you as important before. In Mark’s Gospel, when Jesus wants his disciples to be able to meet with him to eat the Passover meal, he uses water as a means for them to find their way to the right place. Jesus tells them that, when they go into the city, they will meet a man with a water jar. They are to follow that man to the chosen location (Mark 14:13). Through the waters of baptism, we, too, are led into the presence of Christ.
All that being said (and much left unsaid!), I pray that you will see plenty of water flowing into the baptismal font each Sunday of Easter.
For Your Devotions:
Calendar Observances are back with a vengeance after having nothing during the Octave of Easter…
Today (transferred from the Octave since it was actually supposed to be on Apr.25): the Holy Day of St. Mark the Evangelist. Mark – the author of our earliest Gospel, in the 60’s AD – is a name mentioned a number of times in the New Testament. He is believed to be a traveling companion of Paul and he is also speculated as being one of Jesus’ 72 disciples as well as the young man who runs away at the time of Jesus’ arrest. The Egyptian church names Mark as its founder and legend has it that Mark died in Alexandria. His symbol is a lion. Scholars believe Mark was writing during the first period of really intense Christian persecutions so for some interesting thoughts on how this shaped his Gospel, please read p.152: http://c2892002f453b41e8581-48246336d122ce2b0bccb7a98e224e96.r74.cf2.rackcdn.com/ForAlltheSaints.pdf
Tuesday, April 29th is the memorial of Catherine of Siena, Reformer and Spiritual Teacher, died 1380. Okay, I know it was a different world back then but, still, I find this amazing…Catherine was the 25th child born to her mother and her mother was just 40 years old at the time. Catherine was a twin, actually, but the other baby did not survive. From a young age, Catherine had religious visions and “entered” a Dominican monastery at 16 (She was a tertiary which means she took vows but stayed at home). She secluded herself for the first three years and saw only her confessor. News of her visions spread and people began traveling to her for advice. She never learned to write but dictated her well-known Dialogues and many letters. Her death, at age 33, came as a result of a fast she held in reaction to the schism that arose when two “popes” both claimed the title. She was going to fast until the church became unified again. For more: https://www.thoughtco.com/catherine-of-siena-3529726
Wednesday, April 30th is the commemoration of Marie de l’Incarnation, Educator and Spiritual Teacher, died 1672. After just two years of marriage, Marie’s husband died leaving her with their 6 month old son. She had mystical visions which called her to withdraw from the world. She put off joining a cloister until her son was 13. She decided her vocation was in the new world and travelled to Canada with two other Ursaline sisters to establish a school. They were, apparently, the first female missionaries in Canada. The rest of her life was dedicated to teaching young French and Indigenous girls and to writing theological and spiritual treatises. For more information: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marie-de-lincarnation
Thursday, May 1st is the Holy Day of St. Philip and St. James, Apostles. We don’t know much about either of these two men but we know that Philip answered Jesus’ call and then brought his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus as well. Of James, son of Alphaeus, we know that he witnessed the crucifixion at the foot of the cross. We do know that both men were dedicated to their Lord, Jesus Christ. To read more see p.158 of For All the Saints: http://c2892002f453b41e8581-48246336d122ce2b0bccb7a98e224e96.r74.cf2.rackcdn.com/ForAlltheSaints.pdf
Friday, May 2nd is the memorial of Athansius, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, died 373. Athanasius is known as the “Father of Orthodoxy” as well as “Pillar of the Church”. He fought vigorously against the heresy known as Arianism (not believing that Jesus was fully divine as well as being fully human) and his was a strong voice at the Council of Nicea (which, of course, sounds familiar because that is where the affirmation of our faith known as the Nicene Creed was first formulated.) For more info: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Athanasius
In the joy of Christ,
Susan
Deanery of Algoma 