Calendar

Bishop of Rheims
b. 437
d. January 13, 533

Remi converted Clovis, King of the Franks, and with that conversion events were set into motion for large chunks of western Europe to follow.

The Episcopal Church does not celebrate Remi's feast day on the date of his death, which is the general rule. Instead, it celebrates his feast on the day his remains were translated to a new abbey church by Pope Leo IX (August 1, 1049).

Collect:

O God, who by the teaching of thy faithful servant and bishop Remigius didst turn the nation of the Franks from vain idolatry to the worship of thee, the true and living God, in the fullness of the catholic faith: Grant that we who glory in the name of Christian may show forth our faith in worthy deeds; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Generally, one Saturday per month is set aside to commemorate the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Collect:

O Almighty God, who didst endue with singular grace the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to hallow our bodies in purity, and our souls in humility and love; through the same our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

We celebrate today our patron saint, Thomas, and rededicate ourselves to Christ and our mission as a parish. [We also remember Thomas on his feast day, December 21] . Our current church building was dedicated on the first Sunday in October in 1913.

The Feast of Dedication serves as the launch for the Every Member Canvass for 2012. We encourage you to pledge for 2012 during the months of October and November in 2011. You may pledge online here. Or, if you prefer, complete the card attached to the EMC Brochure and drop it in the offering plate or mail it in.

On Sunday, November 6, we will have a special EMC Coffee Hour in the Parish House, at which time we will display the "tiles" created as part of the EMC Tiles Project. Please consider participating. Even if you live outside the country and know us only via the webcasts, you can still participate and mail your paper tile to us.

Collect:

Everliving God, who didst strengthen thine apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in thy Son’s resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in thy sight; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Friar, Founder of the Order of Friars Minor (aka Franciscans)
b. 1182
d. October 3, 1226

The Rector gave an excellent summary of the life of Francis in his sermon Blessing the Things We Fear (2007). And Fr Andrew uses the example of Francis to encourage us to choose generosity over caution in his sermon Fools for Christ's Sake (2006).

Lesser Feasts and Fasts of the Episcopal Church (2000) ends its summary of his life as follows:

Francis left few writings; but, of these, his spirit of joyous faith comes through most truly in the “Canticle of the Sun,” which he composed at Clare’s convent of St. Damian’s.

The Hymnal version [Hymns 406 & 407] ends:
Most High, omnipotent, good Lord,
to thee be ceaseless praise outpoured,
and blessing without measure.
Let creatures all give thanks to thee,
and serve in great humility."

The Rector quotes more from the "Canticle of the Sun" in his 2003 sermon Why Pray for the Dead?

Collect:

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant unto thy people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of thee delight in thy whole creation with perfectness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Priest, Translator
b. 1494
d. 1536

William Tyndale is one of many translators of the scriptures who we celebrate at this time of year. Recently, we remembered Jerome, and soon we'll remember Samuel Issac Joseph Schereschewsky and Henry Martyn.

Lesser Feasts & Fasts of the Episcopal Church (2000) summarizes William Tyndale as follows:

"Tyndale was determined to translate the Scriptures into English, but, despairing of official support, he left for Germany in 1524. From this point on, his life reads like a cloak-and-dagger story, as King Henry the Eighth, Cardinal Wolsey, and others, sought to destroy his work of translation and put him to death. He was finally betrayed by one whom he had befriended, and in Brussels, on October 6, 1536, he was strangled at the stake, and his body was burned.

William Tyndale was a man of a single passion, to translate the Bible into English; so that, as he said to a prominent Churchman, “If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more scripture than thou doest.” His accomplished work is his glory. Before his betrayal and death, he had finished and revised his translation of the New Testament, and had completed a translation of the Pentateuch and of Jonah and, though he did not live to see them published, of the historical books from Joshua through 2 Chronicles. His work has been called “a well of English undefiled.” Some eighty per cent of his version has survived in the language of later and more familiar versions, such as the Authorized (King James) Version of 1611."

If you prefer the Father's many mansions to his many rooms, you can thank Tyndale, and you might also enjoy Fr Austin's 2005 sermon With God, at Rest and not at Rest.

Collect:

Almighty God, who didst plant in the heart of thy servant William Tyndale a consuming passion to bring the Scriptures to people in their native tongue, and didst endow him with the gift of powerful and graceful expression and with strength to persevere against all obstacles: Reveal to us, we pray thee, thy saving Word, as we read and study the Scriptures, and hear them calling us to repentance and life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.