Dear Friends,
Happy New Year!
Last Sunday, I was delighted that so many of you joined us in church; we had over 300 worshippers in person at 11 a.m. For the Sunday after Christmas, that was so encouraging. The number of visitors during the week and those attending the daily Mass have also been exceptional, but the most notable thing has been the spirit of prayerfulness in the church, with so many of our visitors sitting still or kneeling close to the Christmas Crèche, clearly deep in prayer and contemplation. On New Year’s Day, a number of them joined us for the noontime Mass, and we had 45 communicants! This prayerfulness is a gift of the Christmas season that we should all endeavor to cultivate during 2025.
On Sunday, we shall anticipate the great Feast of the Epiphany and reflect on the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child.
On Sunday, January 19, we shall keep a commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the 11 a.m. service with special readings and prayers. At the 4 p.m. service, we will hold a Celebration of Thanksgiving for Marriage. We invite all married couples to renew their marriage vows during the service, which will be followed by cake and sparkling wine or soft drinks in the narthex. We ask married couples to register for the celebration.
Soon, we will begin another Pilgrims’ Course. If you are interested in knowing more about the Christian faith, refreshing your understanding of the faith, or supporting our pilgrims seeking baptism, confirmation, or reception into our church, please register. You can find the details below. As usual, a simple hot meal will be available at 6:30 p.m., after Evensong, and the class runs from 7 to 8 p.m., both in person and online.
Finally, here is a prayer for the New Year as Christmastide comes to a close:
The Work of Christmas Begins
When the carols have been stilled,
When the star-topped tree is taken down,
When family and friends are gone home,
When we are back to our schedules
The work of Christmas begins:
To welcome the refugee,
To heal a broken planet,
To feed the hungry,
To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear,
To share our gifts,
To seek justice and peace for all people,
To bring Christ’s light to the world.
– by Michael Dougherty, a variation on Howard Thurman’s ‘When the Song of the Angels is Stilled’
Affectionately,
Your Priest and Pastor,
Carl
