Hello,

Just finishing off this week first…

$5 Monthly Meal: Friday, Feb. 6,5:50pm in the Trinity Centre; eat-in or take-out; spaghetti with meat sauce, carrot sticks, garlic bread, ice cream & strawberry puree. Please order in advance by replying to this email or phoning 705-254-1692.

Guild of St. Joseph Breakfast: Saturday, Feb.7 at 9am in the Trinity Centre.

Coming Up:

Lenten Prayer Study & Reflection: Thursday, Feb.12, 4-6pm in the Trinity Centre. Soup, buns, and dessert provided.

Canadian Men’s Olympic Curling Watch Party! Saturday, Feb.14 at 2pm in the Trinity Centre. Come enjoy hot dogs, and nachos, other snacks, and – of course – great curling.

Also on Feb.14, 5:30pm at Christ Church, SSM is a pasta supper followed by a worship service at 7pm including the renewal of marriage vows with Archbishop Anne. A poster was included in last week’s post if you need more information.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Suppers: Tuesday, Feb.17, 5-6:30pm in the Trinity Centre. I’m not 100% sure of the price yet ($8 or $10…)

Also, All Saints in Gore Bay is having a Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper from 5-7:30 PM at the church downstairs.

Movie Night!: Friday, Feb.20,6pm in the Trinity Centre; “Old Dogs” – a comedy starring John Travolta and Robin Williams. $5 entry and free snacks.

Online book study begins on Feb.25 and will run Wednesdays, 7pm, through Lent, into the Easter season. The book is called To Love and Serve: Anglican Beliefs and Practices.

A Liturgical Note For You:      A Glimpse of Our Future

Transfiguration Sunday: Last Sunday after the Epiphany (Feb.15). Although the long name sounds like this must be a very important day (and it is – all Sundays are important), the colour of this Sunday remains green – it is a part of the Ordinary Time (numbered time) we are currently marking until Lent begins. 

Why do we have a Transfiguration Sunday when we already have a day for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 6? The two days serve different purposes. Transfiguration Sunday is a part of our journey through the drama of our Salvation Story that unfolds in the liturgy across the Sundays of our Christian calendar. Our liturgy is always forward looking. For example, we celebrate Christ as our king – risen and ascended and reigning – on the Sunday before Advent begins, before Christ’s birth is celebrated. This aims our gaze forward not only to his birth but also to his reign in glory at the end of time. Likewise, Transfiguration Sunday reminds us of Christ’s coming glory – and of our glory through him – as Christ’s baptismal journey culminates in his death, resurrection, and ascension.  In Christ’s transfiguration, we are provided with a glimpse of what is in store for us and this hope of our salvation is the foundation for all that we do in preparation for the coming glory of Easter. Our penitence, disciplines, and devotions throughout Lent are all meant to bring us closer to our intended human fullness that we see in Christ’s transfiguration. 

Since the focus of the two days (Transfiguration Sunday and The Transfiguration of the Lord) differs, they share the story of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mount but they do not share the other scripture readings. On August 6, we concentrate on Jesus’ transfiguration – what this means in terms of the nature of Christ (he is God: Jesus is not only the messenger of our salvation but also the saving message itself). On Transfiguration Sunday, the focus is on the amazing reality that we, and our world, are being brought through this transformation into the glory of Christ through the glory of Christ.

Here is the Collect from the Church of England to assist in your worship:

Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.   

By the way, this would be the Sunday when parishioners returned last year’s palms (if they had taken them home to keep for the year) in order to burn them to make ashes for Ash Wednesday.

For Your Devotions:

Monday, February 9th is the commemoration of Hannah Grier Coome, Founder of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine, died in 1921. When her husband died, Hannah thought of returning to England to join an already established sisterhood but some people who knew her had other plans…They thought Canada could use a sisterhood of its own and convinced Hannah to stay. The new sisterhood started off in a former stable in Toronto and the rest is history, as they say. Here’s a sample of their work: “Shortly after, they acquired the house next door, on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Robinson Street, where they opened the first surgical hospital for women in Toronto. Since that time, our community has pioneered in training nurses, in convalescent care, and in rehabilitation; we have administered schools and an orphanage; worked with the mentally handicapped; ministered to the elderly; and worked with the poor in large cities and depressed rural areas.” Check out the website for more: https://ssjd.ca/history.html

 Saturday, February 14th is the memorial of Cyril and Methodius, Apostles to the Slavs, died in 869 and 885 respectively. Cyril and Methodius were brothers chosen to be missionaries to the Slavic people. They got into hot water for using Slavonic in the liturgy. It was a “no-no” to use anything other than the Latin liturgy in the Roman Church at that time. Luckily, Pope Adrian II sided with them and they were able to continue their evangelizing. Believe it or not, neither were martyred but, their disciples were forced into exile when Pope Stephen V banned the use of anything but Latin.  To learn more:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saints-Cyril-and-Methodius

In the hope of Christ,

Susan