Worship Calendar

Collect:

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Parish House Offices are closed today so that our staff may celebrate Independence Day weekend. There is a single celebration of the Eucharist at 12:10pm in the Chantry Chapel. You may enter through the Fifth Avenue doors, which will be open from approximately 11am to 1pm.

Collect:

O God, who hast taught us to keep all thy commandments by loving thee and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to thee with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect:

O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee, and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 10)

Bishop of Pennsylvania
b. 1748
d. 1846

William White was the first Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA.

Collect:

Collect:

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion, we beseech thee, upon our infirmities, and those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, mercifully give us for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 11)

Monastic and Teacher
b. 324
d. 379

This day we commemorate Macrina (the Younger), who is the granddaughter of Macrina (the Elder), the daughter of Saint Basil (the Elder), and the sister of Saint Basil the Great and other saintly siblings.

Collect:

Merciful God, thou didst call thy servant Macrina to reveal in her life and her teaching the riches of thy grace and truth: May we, following her example, seek after thy wisdom and live according to her way; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Fr Andrew, the Rector Emeritus, delivered a sermon about Saint Mary Magdalene in 2007, when her day of commemoration fell on a Sunday. You may read it here.

Collect:

Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by thy grace we may be healed of all our infirmities and know thee in the power of his endless life; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Priest and Mystic
b. 1380
d. 1471

Author of The Imitation of Christ, a meditative book of devotion which, according to Lesser Feasts and Fasts of the Episcopal Church, has been translated into more languages than any other book, save for the Bible itself.

For an example of how his works influence Christian thought and theology even to this day, see Why Pray for the Dead? in the Sermon Archive.

Collect:

Holy Father, who hast nourished and strengthened thy Church by the inspired writings of thy servant Thomas a Kempis: Grant that we may learn from him to know what is necessary to be known, to love what is to be loved, to praise what highly pleaseth thee, and always to seek to know and follow thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today we remember Saint James (the Greater), the brother of John, who along with John and Peter, appeared to be set apart from the other disciples quite frequently. For example, it was Peter, James and John with the Lord at his Transfiguration.

James is "the Greater" to contrast him with the other one of the twelve also named James. James (the Lesser) is commemorated with Saint Philip in May. 

►In 2010, when the Feast of Saint James fell on a Sunday, Fr Austin preached a sermon entitled How to Get Close to Jesus.

Collect:

O gracious God, we remember before thee this day thy servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that thou wilt pour out upon the leaders of thy Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among thy people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Holy Scripture tells us nothing about Mary's parents. In the second century, an aprocophal text called the Protevangelium of James gave an account of her parents, Joachim and Anne, which tradition accepted over the years. Pope Urban the Sixth, in 1378, fixed Anne's feast day to follow the Feast of Saint James, and Joachim was joined with Anne on this day beginning in 1969.

Though we know nothing about them personally from Scripture itself, we do know this: they raised a daughter who would become Mother of God.

Collect:

Almighty God, heavenly Father, we remember in thanksgiving this day the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and we pray that we all may be made one in the heavenly family of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Priest and Ecumenist
Sixth Rector of Grace Church, New York City
b. 1838
d. 1909

Authored the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral which can be found in the historical documents section of the 1979 Prayer Book. He also wrote the collect we use during worship on Monday in Holy Week.

Collect:

O Lord our God, we thank thee for instilling in the heart of thy servant William Reed Huntington a fervent love for thy Church and its mission in the world; and we pray that, with unflagging faith in thy promises, we may make known to all people thy blessed gift of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary and Martha were the sisters of Lazarus. On this, Scripture is clear. Roman Catholics believe Mary of Bethany is the same person as Mary Magdalene; on this, Scripture is not clear. The Episcopal Church has a separate feast day for Saint Mary Magdalene.

Worth reading (or listening to) is Fr Daniels' 2010 sermon on the siblings entitled Martha and Mary.

Collect:

O God, heavenly Father, whose Son Jesus Christ enjoyed rest and refreshment in the home of Mary and Martha of Bethany: Give us the will to love thee, open our hearts to hear thee, and strengthen our hands to serve thee in others for his sake; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Politician, Philanthropist and Abolitionist
b. 1759
d. 1833

Lesser Feasts and Fasts describes the contribution of William Wilberforce in this way:

He gave himself unstintingly to the promotion of overseas missions, popular education, and the reformation of public manners and morals. He also supported parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation. Above all, his fame rests upon his persistent, uncompromising, and single-minded crusade for the abolition of slavery and the slave-trade. That sordid traffic was abolished in 1807. He died just one month before Parliament put an end to slavery in the British dominions. One of the last letters written by John Wesley was addressed to Wilberforce. In it Wesley gave him his blessing for his noble enterprise.

Collect:

Let thy continual mercy, O Lord, enkindle in thy Church the never-failing gift of love, that, following the example of thy servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Priest, Monastic and Founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
b. 1491
d. 1556

Collect:

Almighty God, from whom all good things come: Thou didst call Ignatius of Loyola to the service of thy Divine Majesty and to find thee in all things. Inspired by his example and strengthened by his companionship, may we labor without counting the cost and seek no reward other than knowing that we do thy will; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.