A Prayer for Pope Leo XIV from the Church of England
Almighty God,
shepherd and guardian of all,
We pray for your servant Pope Leo.
Grant him grace to follow in the footsteps
of the Good Shepherd,
to preach the Gospel with boldness,
to build up your people in unity and peace,
and to serve them with humility and love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Mouse is a creature
Of great personal valour.
For this is a true case–
Cat takes female mouse,
Male mouse will not depart,
but stands threat’ning and daring.
If you will let her go,
I will engage you,
As prodigious a creature as you are.
For the Mouse is a creature
Of great personal valour.
For the Mouse is of
An hospitable disposition.
Dear Friends,
What have a cat called Jeoffry and a courageous mouse have to do with the Choir of Men and Boys? They appear in one of the most extraordinary cantatas composed by Benjamin Britten and beloved of the late Gerre Hancock – Rejoice in the Lamb – which is at the heart of Dr. Filsell’s last concert with us on Thursday, May 15 at 7:30pm. The cantata is based on an extraordinary poem titled Jubilate Agno by the English poet Christopher Smart, who died in 1771. While Benjamin Britten was visiting the United States, his friend W. H. Auden introduced him to the poem, and Britten set 48 lines to music as a commission for the 50th anniversary of St. Matthew’s Church, Northampton in 1943. With extraordinary themes of animals praising God, letters of the alphabet reflecting the glory of God, and musical instruments and words that rhyme with them, it is an exhilarating piece, and any chorister who has sung it never forgets it! Please click on the image of the cat and mouse above to buy your tickets for the final concert of the season and hear some incredible music and celebrate the talent of Dr. Jeremy Filsell who has re-built our choir through some difficult times, not least a global pandemic.
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah for the heart of God,
And from the hand of the artist inimitable,
And from the echo of the heavenly harp
In sweetness magnifical and mighty.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.
On Sunday we welcome a good friend of our Parish, Bishop Allen Shin. Please note that the main service will be at 10am with the Choir of Men and Boys and the Noble Singers, during which Bishop Shin will baptize, confirm, and receive new members of our church. Come and support our Pilgrims – youth and adult – who have journeyed together over the past five months preparing for this special day. Bishop Shin will join us for our Parish Brunch after the service and then he will celebrate the Korean Language Mass at 1:30pm during which he will baptize two more children. There are only a few tickets left for the Parish Brunch at $25 and you can register by clicking this link before 5pm on Saturday.
Sunday is also Mothers’ Day in the USA and we give thanks for our mothers and grandmothers, but also pray for those for whom this day is sad – when we remember those who have died, those who have lost children, and those for whom motherhood was not possible. You can ask for an 8-day candle to be lit at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fifth Avenue if you want to remember or give thanks for someone dear to you.
On Sunday at 4pm Evensong, we welcome Fr. Nathan Humphrey, the Rector of St. Thomas’s Anglican Church in Toronto as our preacher. The Choir will be singing Rejoice in the Lamb as the anthem so it will be a very special service.
Finally, we have two more visitors next week:
Richard Tanner, and his wife Pippa, will be coming to attend Jeremy’s final concert and take part in a number of meetings. Richard will be in Church on May 18, so you will be able to say hello at the coffee hours after the 9am and 11am services.
The Dean of Canterbury The Very Rev. David Monteith will also be with us for the Annual Meeting of the Board of the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral in the US. He will be giving an illustrated talk on Wednesday, May 14 at 6:30pm.
Dean David will share the challenges and joys of leading Canterbury Cathedral – a building which holds 1,400 years of history – in the 21st century. The Cathedral has just launched a new strategic plan, which will help guide the next decade of the Cathedral’s mission, preserving its history as an ancient site and the center of the Anglican Communion, while serving the community and answering the questions about what role the church can and should play in modern life. The talk will be followed by a reception of drinks and canapés with some of the American Friends of Canterbury Cathedral, and all are welcome to attend – there is no charge for the reception.
Please click here to register for the talk and reception.
Rejoice in God, O ye Tongues;
Give the glory to the Lord,
And the Lamb.
Nations, and languages,
And every Creature
In which is the breath of Life.
Let man and beast appear before him,
And magnify his name together.
Your Priest and Pastor,
Carl
