Hi everyone!

We’ve just spent a large chunk of the day moving into our new Holy Trinity Church located in Trinity Tower. We also did a lot of moving on Friday and finished things up today. Now comes the task of getting things where they need to be. I’ve included some photos below for you…  As soon as we’re settled, we’ll be hosting an open house so that you can come have a look around if you’re in the area. Stay tuned for the day and time.

Coming Up:

$5 Monthly Meal: Barbecue at the Trinity Centre with strawberry shortcake for dessert, Friday August 7, 5pm for take out; 5:30pm for eat in. Please email susan.montague2@gmail.com or call 705-254-1692 to order before August 5.

Free public lecture at Thorneloe University, Thursday, Aug.20 at 7pm. “Ancient Wisdom for Living in a Modern Day Empire: Resisting Empire, Demanding Justice” by Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat and Dr. Brian Walsh.

Next Campfire Communion at the Christ Church rectory: Wednesday, August 27 with fellowship to follow.

Next movie night: Friday, August 28, 6pm. I haven’t chosen a movie yet (but I’m leaning toward High School Musical)…

If there are any other events going on, please let me know (susan.montague2@gmail.com)

A Liturgical Note For You:   

Learning Lessons from a Long Ago Misrepresentation

Mary Magdalene: Before we get to who Mary of Magdala is, let’s talk about who she is not. We all know that many people love to speculate and to judge which can lead to rumours. Before you know it, the speculations have become “fact”.  This tendency toward speculation and judgement has resulted in Mary Magdalene being one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented persons of the bible. There is absolutely no biblical evidence that she was ever Jesus’ wife, that she ever bore his children, and that she was ever a former prostitute forgiven and taken in by Jesus. Mary Magdalene was a strong, independent woman, and a devout follower of “The Way.”  Her testimony, her eye-witness account of Jesus’ resurrection, is crucial in our faith and in the story of our salvation. This is the way in which she deserves to be remembered and celebrated. It was Pope Gregory the Great who, on September 14, 591, cemented Mary of Magdala’s unsubstantiated reputation as a former prostitute. He declared, in his sermon that day, that she and Luke’s unnamed sinner anointing Jesus’ feet, and Mary of Bethany (who does the same thing in the Gospel of John) are one and the same person. This was likely done in order to have a wonderful success story – the horrible sinner is forgiven and becomes a devout follower. We don’t need to make unsupported connections to have a success story: Jesus forgives everyone who turns to him. Here is an article with more detail if you’d like to read it: https://uscatholic.org/articles/201603/who-framed-mary-magdalene/  Mary Magdalene as prostitute and Mary Magdalene as wife of Jesus are legends that developed long after the real Mary Magdalene lived and well after the Gospels were written. These theories may be interesting but they are not biblical. Here is another article that addresses both of these legends:  https://www.history.com/news/mary-magdalene-jesus-wife-prostitute-saint

For Your Devotions:   

Wednesday, July 22nd is the Holy Day of St. Mary Magdalene. She is one of Jesus’ most celebrated disciples. In fact, in the tradition of the Eastern Church, Mary Magdalene is regarded as the equal of an apostle.  According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus cured her of seven demons.  All four Gospel writers tell of her unwavering devotion to Jesus in staying with him while he hung on the cross and name Mary Magdalene as one of the women who went to the tomb early on Sunday morning. Both the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of John say she was the first to see Jesus after his resurrection. Mary of Magdala was a devout and loyal follower of Jesus. She likely had money and influence since she is known as Mary of Magdala – or Mary Magdalene – rather than simply Mary. She was probably one of the wealthy women on whom Jesus and the other disciples depended for financial support as they travelled about the countryside. For more information:   https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Mary-Magdalene

Saturday, July 25th is the Holy Day of St. James the Apostle.  James, his brother John (the sons of Zebedee), and Peter were the three disciples in Jesus’ inner circle. They witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration and went off alone with him in the Garden of Gethsemane.  James is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:2) – he was beheaded at the order of King Herod in 44 AD. For more information: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-James-son-of-Zebedee

In the joy of Christ,

Susan