Florence Li Tim-Oi
The Eve of the Conversion of St. Paul
Florence Li Tim-Oi
Almighty God, who pours out your Spirit upon your sons and daughters: Grant that we, following the example of your servant Florence Li Tim-Oi, chosen priest in your church, may with faithfulness, patience, and tenacity proclaim your holy gospel to all the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Above: From the wood carving on the front of the Rector’s stall in the chancel, we have the scene from the road to Damascus, which Paul recounts to King Agrippa in tomorrow’s lesson from Acts, “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,’Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ‚ÄúThen I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ ‚ÄúSo then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.” Pay close attention to how tonight’s two lessons fit into tomorrow’s lesson from Acts.
The Eve of the Conversion of Saint Paul
About Evensong: Based on the services held daily in the medieval Church, Choral Evensong as arranged in the Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church has been sung regularly since the Sixteenth Century. Many people who are new to worship at Saint Thomas prefer to come to Choral Evensong because it is relatively contemplative. The service includes readings (just as would occur at Evening Prayer) and prayers led by a priest. An anthem as well as a setting of the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis are sung by the choir. Read more about Choral Evensong here, or view the Choral Evensong Service Card posted to the bottom of this page, where links to the webcast can be found during and after the service.
‚ñ∫There is a brief Mass following Evensong. All baptized Christians are welcome to stay on to make their Holy Communion.
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