News from Saint Thomas Church for the Week of March 1, 2020


In this week’s news…

The Rector’s Message

Rector Turner
The Reverend Canon Carl Turner

Dear friends,

“No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.”

Words of the great Saint John Chrysostom which remind us that all piety should be directed to making a difference; a difference to ourselves by deepening our faith and a difference to others, thus making our religious observance pro-active. This is the message of the prophets of the Old Testament and of prophets in our own times. On Ash Wednesday, we heard the prophet Isaiah link fasting with social justice:

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?” (Isaiah 58:6-7)

Many years later, following the example of Jesus that religious observance (including fasting, alms-giving, and prayer) should make a difference to others as well as to ourselves, the emerging Church continued in that tradition:

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)

Many of you who attended Fr. Spencer’s talks on Ignatian Spirituality just before Lent said how much you learned and how informative they were. Ignatius understood that his spiritual exercises were only valuable if they were linked with making a difference to those around us.

“The Gospel demands a life freed from egoism and self-seeking, from all attempts to seek one’s own advantage and from every form of exploitation of one’s neighbor. It demands a life in which the justice of the Gospel shines out in a willingness. . . to recognize and respect the rights of all, especially the poor and the powerless.” (From the Ignatian General Congregation 32)

Putting our faith into action and ensuring our spiritual lives are rooted in Christ means that we will be living out our baptismal covenant. So often, Lent can seem like a chore and so often we feel miserable because we fail. We need to set ourselves realistic goals this Lent and take on things we know we can achieve. Remember the words of Teresa of Calcutta:

“We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

Affectionately,

Carl
Your priest and pastor.

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Stations of the Cross in Lent

Come and walk the Way of the Cross.

Ever since the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, went on the first pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Christians have walked the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, recalling the events of that first Good Friday. At Saint Thomas Church, we will start in the Chantry Chapel and walk around our church, singing, listening to scripture, and praying. We will arrive at the Resurrection Chapel where we will conclude with a shortened mass; thus, our communion will become the 15th station – the Resurrection. If you have never experienced the Stations of the Cross in the context of the mass, come and walk the way with us.

We will walk the Way of the Cross every Friday in Lent at 5:30pm.

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Lent at Saint Thomas Church

Remember that thou art dust…

This Lent, St. Thomas’s Church invites you to share in a rich array of opportunities to discover where God seeks to meet you through our Lenten worship program, study and education, as well as times for quiet reflection and pilgrimage at other churches in Midtown. Please join us as we make our way through the pain and sorrow of Good Friday to encounter the new life and sustained hope of the Easter dawn!

Here is a list of all of the special parish activities for the first full week in Lent:

The First Sunday in Lent, March 1

  • 8am Said Eucharist
  • 9am Sung Eucharist and Sermon
  • 11am Choral Eucharist and Sermon
  • 4 pm Choral Evensong and Sermon

Sunday Theology Class: “The Classics of Christian Spirituality: George Herbert”
with Fr. Bennett and Fr. Brown, 10am on the fifth floor

Sunday Sermon Series at 4 pm, “The Seven Virtues”
“Gentleness and Brotherly Love,” Fr. Bennett

Healing Prayer and Anointing of the Sick

    • Sunday March 1, after the 11am Mass
    • Tuesday March 3, during and after the 12:10pm Mass

Devotional Study

Monday March 2, 12:45-2pm

Choral Evensong

Wednesday, March 4, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 5, 5:30 p.m.

Holy Hour

Wednesday March 4, 11:00-11:55am

Weekday Services in Lent

Monday March 2 to Friday March 6: 8am, 12:10pm & 5:30pm.

Prayers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fifth Avenue
Monday March 2-Saturday March 7, 12pm

Stations of the Cross with Mass
Friday March 6, 5:30pm, beginning in the Chantry Chapel

Confessions

Saturday March 7, 11am-11:45am, or by appointment

To learn more about the complete schedule of Lenten seasonal offerings, please follow this link.

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Lenten Devotional Studies

Join us during Lent for two small group discussions of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book for 2020, “Saying Yes to Life,” by Ruth Valerio. The groups will meet on Mondays and Fridays during Lent from 12:45 to 2 p.m. on the second floor of the Parish House. Father Moretz will lead the group meeting on Mondays; participants are invited to bring their lunch. Father Bennett will lead the group meeting on Fridays; a simple soup and bread lunch will be provided. Copies of the Lent Book are available for purchase in the parish bookstore. Please email Fr. Bennett for more information.

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Holy Hour in Lent

We will be offering guided prayer, meditation, and silence before the Blessed Sacrament each Wednesday at 11am. We are delighted that most weeks, Sr. Promise Atelon SSM will offer meditations for us. This service is designed to help us find stillness in a busy world.

These Holy Hours will take place in the Resurrection Chapel on Wednesdays from 11:00-11:55am.

Our first Holy Hour of Lent will be Wednesday, March 4.

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“The Seven Virtues,” A Sermon Series for Lent

The Seven Windows represented in the stained glass windows of Saint Thomas Church

Join us for our 4pm services of Sunday Evensong in Lent (and just before) as we make our way through a series on “The Seven Virtues.” This particular list of virtues is inspired by one of our parish’s stained glass windows (see above) which brings these virtues to life in the Rector’s Office. This series will be preached by members of our clergy.

  • March 1: Gentleness and Brotherly Love – Fr Bennett
  • March 8: Diligence – Mo Turner
  • March 15: Purity – Fr Moretz
  • March 22: Patience – Sr Promise
  • March 29: Liberality – Fr Cheng

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Ordination of Sr. Promise Atelon, SSM

Sr. Promise Atelon, SSM

Our intern from General Seminary, Sister Promise Atelon, SSM, who is pursuing her “Wisdom Year” here at St. Thomas Church as part of her studies, is going to be ordained to be a Transitional Deacon. The Right Reverend Mary D. Glasspool will ordain her and two other ordinands during a service at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (1047 Amsterdam Ave.) on Saturday, March 7 at 10:30am. You are warmly invited to attend this special event in the life of our parish and the diocese.

Also, after the 11am service on Sunday, March 8, we will celebrate the newly ordained Sr. Promise with a special coffee hour.

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A Little Experiment to Help the Choir

The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys

Each successive Director of Music has asked if it is possible for the line of people waiting for Communion at the High Altar to not stand in the middle of the choir stalls, thus blocking the sight lines of those who sing on Decani. When the music is complex, this is even more problematic. Of course, when we have an orchestra in that space, we have to have communion standing at the Chancel step. Rather than introduce that practice regularly, the Head Usher, the Director of Music, and the Rector have discussed what might be possible.

During Lent and Easter, we will trial lining up for communion just a little differently. Most people will stand and wait just beneath the Chancel Steps, and only a few people in the Choir area itself. Ushers will be there to guide.

Please be patient on the first few Sundays that we try this, as it will feel a little different. However, it means that parishioners will still enjoy walking through the choir as the choir is singing and receiving communion kneeling at the High Altar.

After Easter we will review the practice.

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