Hello,
The next $5 Monthly Meal is Fri., Nov.6, 5pm in the Trinity Centre. We’re having beef roast with potatoes and carrots, and lemon squares for dessert. Call 705-254-1692 or email me (susan.montague2@gmail.com) to let me know you’re coming.
The annual Snowflake Tea and Bake Sale is Saturday, Nov.14, in the Trinity Centre, 11am – 2pm; $15.
Elvis is in the Building! Saturday, Nov.21: Come enjoy a couple of hours (2pm – 4pm) of fabulous tunes and fellowship for just $5. Elvis impersonator, Mike Catling, will be sharing his talent with us. Hotdogs $2 and other snacks and drinks available. In the new Trinity Tower Common Room. Enter through the church doors (north entrance of 360 Northern Ave. E; off Old Garden River Road). Call 705-254-1692 or email me (susan.montague2@gmail.com) to reserve your tickets.
Next movie night is Friday, Nov.27, 6pm in the Trinity Centre. We’ll be watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. $5 entry and all the snacks you can eat.
“Muffins & Market” is Saturday, December 5 in the Trinity Centre, 10am – 2pm; with various vendors, “new to you” table, baking, etc. Come enjoy a coffee (or tea) and muffin and browse the tables.
A Liturgical Note For You: More About the Word ‘BLESSING’
Part Two – Blessing People
People believe that to be blessed means to receive something from God. That’s sort of true but not in the way you might think. Have you ever wondered how we could possibly bless God? We say it our liturgies quite often but what do we mean by that? The Hebrew word for blessing (barak) means “to kneel”. Why is that? That seems a strange connection, doesn’t it? Well, it’s what the Hebrew people did on their knees that is the root of the meaning. They adored God on their knees (among other prayer postures since standing actually is the more prevalent prayer posture. And, just to get side-tracked for a moment, the #1 prayer posture is…lying down [because the majority of people who pray do so most often at night as they’re lying in bed]).
So, to bless is to adore. We adore God (we bless God) – Yes, we certainly do. Now you know what receiving blessings from God means then, don’t you? God adores us. “Blessed are the poor”…Adored by God are the poor! It’s very enlightening – and inspiring – when you know what to be blessed truly means. In love, God lavishes gifts upon us but it would be a mistake to think that meant material things. Money doesn’t buy happiness, right? The most famous Jewish blessing is known as “Aaron’s blessing”: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). This was God’s instruction to Moses and to Aaron on how to pass along God’s blessing (adoration) to the Hebrew people. An important part of the blessing is not actually the blessing itself but, rather, God’s explanation of the blessing. God says, “So they [Aaron and his sons] shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them (Numbers 6:27). Putting God’s name on the Israelites was the exact same thing as putting God’s presence on the Israelites. The blessing was the way in which to be given God’s presence to carry with you. It’s powerful stuff, this blessing! It is a connection with God, asking God for protection, kindness, guidance, and peace – and all because God was actually with you. Wow…so, God adores us and is always with us. This is something we know but did we connect it to being blessed by God? Now you know.
Perhaps this makes you wonder, then, what to be cursed means. If being blessed means to be adored by God and have God’s presence, the logical answer would be that to be cursed would mean the opposite, right? Yes, absolutely right. To be cursed doesn’t mean that bad things will happen to you just like being blessed doesn’t mean you’ll be showered with material goods. The Hebrew word that we translate as “curse” means to think of something/someone as insignificant, a trifling.
So, I’m hoping you’re getting the idea that this is all about relationship. To be blessed is to be adored by God, in relationship with God. To be cursed is to be without God, thought of as trivial, not in relationship with God. Which one we are – blessed or cursed – is always our choice. God is always ready to love (bless) all those who turn to him.
For Your Devotions:
Monday, October 19 is the Holy Day of St. Luke the Evangelist. It was transferred from Sunday. Those churches – like our Cathedral – who have Luke as their patron saint would have been the only ones celebrating this gospel writer on his usual day of Oct.18. The link I’ve provided has a great video that provides many fascinating facts about this man who is believed to be the Luke – the beloved physician – mentioned in Paul’s writings and who was the only one who remained with Paul to the end. Because of our modern concept of ‘physicians’ we think that Luke must have been independent and well-off but, it was actually common at that time to train household slaves in medicine so that the family would have access to their own private doctor. For more info: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=76
Friday, October 23rd is the memorial of James of Jerusalem. There are a few by the name of James in the New Testament. This one is the brother of Jesus. Despite his earlier misgivings about Jesus’ ministry, James became hugely important to the young Christian Church and was martyred in about 62 AD for confessing his faith in Jesus as the Messiah. He was thrown off one of the parapets of the Temple and then stoned to finish the job. His martyrdom made it into historical accounts other than the Bible! See p.314 here: https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/ForAlltheSaints.pdf
In the joy of Christ,
Susan
