Anno Domini 2025 February 18

Beloved of the Lord:

To-day is Tuesday, 18 February, in the year of our Lord 2025. The scheduled services are as-follows ~ note the term 'scheduled'. Should the weather intervene in our usual schedule, further announcements will be forth-coming.

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Bernadette of Lourdes.
  Immediately following, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Feria,
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, Feria, followed-by Supper & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Feria, using the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Stations of the Cross, Veneration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, Holy Communion, S. Joseph of Arimathea.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Sexagesima.

As-referenced above, the weather is threatening to once more interfere with our Service Schedule. Though the specifics vary minute-to-minute, the general circumstances have remained constant, in-that snow is expected sometime on Wednesday (tomorrow), continuing into the early-morning hours of Thursday. Based on what is currently being supposed, I see no reason to worry about- or change our Wednesday schedule (Mass at Noon plus ten minutes). An e-mail will be distributed on Thursday, concerning the services for that evening.

Healing is, perhaps, the most common miracle performed by our Lord. At some point in our lives, every one of us needs healing, either physical, or spiritual, or both. Perfect healing is only available from God.

Healing by God never comes but that prayer ~ supplication ~ precedes it. We must seek it out, whether from God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Ghost. Even in those Scriptural instances when Our Lord is petitioned directly by someone literally in-front of him, those requests are but prayers delivered in-person, so-to-speak.

As is the case in every area of prayer, we may ask the Saints to pray on our behalf, but we do not ask them to heal us. We simply ask that they offer prayers from the might of their sanctity for the self-same healing that we seek. Over the ages, certain diseases have been assigned to specific Saints ... Saint Blasius for throats, for-example, whose Feast and blessing we recently celebrated.

Speaking of Saint Blasius, of whom we may request prayers for healing for any ailments, not simply throats, his blessing may be sought and given at any time, not only on his Feast. Indeed, we gave it twice in the week of his Feast, for those who could not attend on the very day. I've long-considered appending the usual healing service to the end of every Mass at Saint Matthew's. This blessing only takes a few minutes to distribute to an entire 'rail of supplicants, so no great interference to our usual order- or length of service.

Think and pray over this. It could be done every day, or on select days, as part of a fixed schedule. Let me know what you think, and I'll institute this service, as a regular part of our schedule, in the near-future.

As a last thought, it must be noted that, whilst at the rail, you may ask for the blessing for someone who is not in-attendance, but requires healing, nevertheless. The prayer is said over you, and the holy oil applied to you, as you act as a surrogate for the one needing the blessing. Some have argued against this practice, but far better to err in the over-extension of Christ's mercy, than in the guarding of it, or so I have believed, and preached. I remain

in His praise,

The Rt. Rev'd T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2025 February 1

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 1 February, in the year of our Lord 2025. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Sunday (tomorrow): 8:30 AM, Deacon's Liturgy, Purification of the BVM. 10:00 AM, Mass, Purification of the BVM.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Blasius, Bishop & Martyr.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, Gilbert of Sempringham, Abbot.
  6:30 PM, Holy Rosary & Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, S. Agatha, Virgin & Martyr.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Titus, Bishop & Confessor, followed by Supper & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Romuald, Abbot, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, Holy Communion, S. John of Matha, Confessor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Epiphany V.

As you read above, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be the Feast at both Sunday services. This is one of the two Marian Feasts listed as days of Obligation in the Book of Common Prayer. For we Anglicans, it is also known as Candlemas, when the candles to be used in the Church are blessed, before being used.

It has been the custom for some years at Saint Matthew's that I drive to NOVA, and get all of the candles that we will use over the coming year. They are then Blessed on Candlemas, that all things may be done decently, and in-order. This year, Candlemas falls on a Sunday ~ it is a Feast of Obligation in the Church, meaning that the faithful are required to attend, which will be made easier this year, as it falls on the Sabbath.

The Feast commemorates the Purification of the BVM, and the presentation of Christ in the Temple which took place forty days after His birth, as the Jewish Law required. It was kept locally at Jerusalem from circa 350 on 14 February and later on 2 February. In 542 the Emperor Justinian ordered its Observance at Constantinople as a thanksgiving for the cessation of the plague, and it thence spread throughout the East, where it was called "The Meeting", i.e. of Christ with Simeon. Somewhat later, it began to be widely kept in the West.

The blessing of candles is now the distinctive rite on this day in the West. Beeswax candles, which are blessed, distributed, and lit whilst the Nunc Dimittis is sung, are carried in a procession commemorating entrance of Christ, the 'True Light' into the Temple. As it has been done in time-past, so do we now, at Saint Matthew's.

On Monday, we will observe the Feast of Saint Blasius. This is ~ for us ~ always accompanied by the blessing of throats. Given the season, and the state of things in the World, I hope to see many joining us to receive these gifts ~ the Holy Sacrament, and a Blessing against illness. I remain

in His praise,

The Rt. Rev'd T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2025 January 25

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 25 January, in the year of our Lord 2025. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Sunday (tomorrow): 8:30 & 10:00  AM , Mass, Epiphany III. Parish Brunch after the 10:00 Mass, at Uno's Pizzaria, in Kiln Creek.
• Monday: 10:00  AM, Mass, S. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor.
• Tuesday: NO SERVICES.
• Wednesday: 12:10  PM, Sext (Noonday Prayers).
• Thursday: 6:30  PM, Mass, Blessed Charles Stuart, King & Martyr. Soup and Supper to follow.
• Friday: 9:00  AM, Mass, S. John Bosco, Confessor, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00  AM, Holy Communion, S. Ignatius, Bishop & Martyr.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00  AM, Mass, Purification of the BVM.

Tomorrow, after the Ten o'clock Mass, there will be no coffee-hour. Instead, we will depart the Parish for our monthly Parish Brunch. It will be held at Uno's Pizzaria and Grill in the Kiln Creek Shopping Center. We've been there a number of times; join us for a good meal and good fellowship.

I will briefly be out of the Parish, this week. I make an annual trip to procure the candles that we burn throughout our liturgical year. The cost of the fuel is actually less than the freight, and we don't suffer any breakage when we pick the shipment up ourselves. There will be no services on Tuesday, but I'll be back in-time for the Mass, Meal and Study, on Thursday evening.

To my memory, since we began the daily Mass in AD 2017, we've never gone three consecutive days without services. Even when I'm on-vacation, Deacon Collins and Mr. Elsnau make certain that we never go more than a single day without a service of some-sort. I suspect that we could have met on Thursday, but some parishioners still had some doubts about driving. There were no Feasts of Obligation on the missed days, hence no need to force the issue of attendance.

Oftentimes the suggestion is made to say one's Morning- or Evening Office, on those days when we've no corporate services in the Parish. I fear that the 'Offices are largely forgotten, on the part of the laity of the Church. As Anglican Clergy, we are required to say our Daily Offices every day, without exception. At Saint Matthew's, we say one of the 'Offices at-least once-per-month, and usually more often than that, simply to give the faithful an opportunity to remember and recite these cornerstone prayers of the Anglican tradition.

It is noteworthy that these prayer services require no Clergy. Even when Clergy are present, and the prayer of Absolution is pronounced, the Clergy are to make the Sign of the Cross over themselves, and not over the people. The only prayer that requires modification in the absence of Clergy is the short form of the prayer of Absolution found in the Evening Office, which requires the substitution of 'our' for 'your' when there is neither Priest nor Bishop present.

Additionally, the 'Offices must be said, be spoken-aloud, whether in the Parish or at-home. They are never to be read silently. They must be given voice  ~ they must be living prayers, not merely rote exercises, done in-silence. Whether you are alone, as we Clergy often are, or in a group, or in the Parish, this rule ever applies.

The 'Offices, as we now know them, were compiled by Archbishop Cranmer, for eventual inclusion in the AD 1549 Book of Common Prayer. He condensed two of the Morning Offices and three of the 'Evening from the Medieval Monastic Tradition of the eight Hours of daily prayer practiced by the Brothers. Thus, from the limitless spiritual well that are the Religious Houses, we have these majestic Offices. Honour the past, and pray in the present, for the future. I remain

in His praise,

The Rt. Rev'd T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2025 January 18

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 18 January, in the year of our Lord 2025. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Sunday (tomorrow): 8:30  AM, Deacon's Liturgy, Epiphany II.
  10:00  AM, Mass, Epiphany II.
• Monday: 10:00  AM, Mass, Saints Fabian & Sebastian, Martyrs.
• Tuesday: 6:30  PM, monthly Parish Requiem.
• Wednesday: 12:10  PM, Mass, S. Vincent of Saragossa, Martyr.
• Thursday: 6:30  PM, Mass, Saint Raymond of Pennaforte, Confessor, Soup & Study to follow.
• Friday: 9:00  AM, Mass, Saint Timothy, Bishop & Martyr, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00  AM, Holy Communion, Conversion of Saint Paul.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00  AM, Mass, Epiphany III.

The next few weeks will be quiet, per the Kalendar  ~ a nice respite. However, three weeks from tomorrow, we will begin Pre-Lent, with Septuagesima Sunday. This seems awfully quick, though it isn't, really, as we will have Celebrated five of the potential six Sundays in Epiphanytide. Time marches-on....

One week from tomorrow, we will have the monthly Parish Brunch. After the Ten o'Clock Mass on that day (26 January), we will depart the Parish, and meet at Uno's Pizzaria, in Kiln Creek. We've been there a number of times, and it has always been a positive experience.

Jurisdiction-wise, the next gathering will be a Clericus, in Florida, at S. Martin's Parish, where Canon Sokol is the Rector. It will run over parts of four days, beginning with meetings on Wednesday, 19 March, and ending before Noon on Saturday, 22 March. The final event, on Saturday morning, will be a most joyous one, as Canon Sokol will be Consecrated a Bishop on that day. This will complete our efforts to build a solid base to support the future growth for which we pray, as we will then have Episcopal coverage for the entire South, from Florida to Virginia, and across to Oklahoma.

As I'm certain everyone is aware, I was Consecrated Bishop on 21 December, Ember Saturday in Advent, and the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle and Martyr. To-date, my Episcopal responsibilities have not interfered with Parish life, nor do I expect them to do so, in the immediate future. As the Convocation of Anglican Churches grows, that will change. Even then, however, Saint Matthew's will remain a clear priority for me.

Last Sunday was held the Annual Parish Meeting, which was a marvel, in several regards. Everyone who has served on the Vestry has heard me say that I dislike meetings, as a rule, and that the more quickly they can be completed the better. I've always striven to keep the 'Annual Meeting to thirty minutes, or less. I've come very close, but, previously, have never met that goal. This time the meeting was opened, fully conducted, and closed, in nineteen minutes! Let us fervently pray that this pattern continues.

Of business, the financial report for the year just-ended, and the proposed budget for the coming year, were the chief items. AD 2024 was a very good year for the Parish. We had an excellent report on income, and we added a number of new, voting members. The reports were accepted, and the budget was passed. The full minutes will be posted on the bulletin board.

In a recent 'Weekly Post, prayer was discussed. Clearly, by the successes of last year, many of you are praying for Saint Matthew's. Our first priority, as a family in God, must always be to pray for our Parish. This year, I would ask that you also, as often as possible, pray for the CAC. We have done all that we may to build the superstructure. Now, please, pray that the people will come. I remain

in His praise,

The Rt. Rev'd T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2025 January 8

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Wednesday, 8 January, in the year of our Lord 2025. SAFETY NOTICE ~ there is a small, white sedan, parked behind the Parish, close to the building, not in a parking-space. Leaving-out the long tale, the owner is scheduled to pick it up by Friday. I only mention it so that no one will go zipping-about the building, not expecting it to be there. The scheduled services are as-follows.

• Wednesday (today): 12:10 PM, Mass, Of the Octave of the Epiphany.
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's monthly Morning Prayer, breakfast to follow.
  6:30 PM, Mass, Of the Octave, Supper and Study to follow.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Of the Octave.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, administration of the Blessed Sacrament, NO MASS.
  Immediately following, vestry meeting.
• Sunday: ONE MASS, 10:00 AM, Epiphany I.
  Followed immediately by the Annual Parish Meeting, in the Nave.
  Followed immediately by a potluck in the Parish Hall.

Yes, that time of year has come again ~ the Annual Parish Meeting is hard upon us. Fortunately, there are no weighty matters before us; thus, we should be able to have a blissfully short session, followed by a leisurely luncheon. As-per usual, there will be only one Mass this Sunday. The meeting and potluck will follow.

In terms of Liturgical and other forms of corporate prayer, the Anglican tradition is at-least as fine as any other in Christendom, not to mention as ancient. However, as is both my duty and my wont, I must mention, and exhort, private, or personal prayer. A life of faith cannot exist without individual prayer.

Individual prayer may well, and generally should, form a part of our services. In the Mass, along with the prescribed prayers, there is ample opportunity, intentionally provided, and in the People's Anglican Missal, urged, with instructions given, for individual petitions. We may pray for forgiveness of our sins, for a right reception of the Holy Sacrament, for the Clergy offering this Sacrifice for us, for our Parish, that others may discover our Parish, and the Salvation carried within the Sacraments ... the list is virtually endless.

There is no situation wherein we, as Christians, can 'do nothing' for those in serious or dire circumstances ... we may ALWAYS pray for them. One of the most frequently overlooked opportunities for prayer is that of thanksgiving. How often do we pray thanks for our blessings, great or small? How often do we express joy in prayer for the many, many gifts that God gives to us?

Pray for Holy Mother, the Church. Pray for your Parish, your family in God. Pray for others (a large category, from your neighbour to your nation). Lastly, pray for yourself ~ your thanksgivings, your needs, and yes, even your wants. God will hear them all.

Pray without ceasing ~ the hallmark of all great and true followers of the Christ. I remain

in His praise,

The Rt. Rev'd T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 December 31

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 31 December, the final day of the secular calendar, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Sylvester, Bishop & Confessor.
  6:30 PM, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Sung Mass with incense, the Feast of the Circumcision.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, Octave Day of the Feast of S. Stephen, Protodeacon and Protomartyr. 'Followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Octave day of S. John, Apostle & Evangelist.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Octave Day of the Holy Innocents.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 Am, Mass, Vigil of the Epiphany.

We have not only survived, but done quite well during this particular Season of Holy Days (from which is derived holidays). Of-course, we will very soon plunge-into Epiphanytide, followed even more quickly by Great Lent. Thanks be to God for the Kalendar, which keeps us focussed-upon those things that are needful for our salvation and health.

Speaking of the Kalendar, our 2025 Ordo Kalendars are now for sale. They are still only $15.00; please see Charlotte Haden to get your copy, and those you wish to purchase for gifts ~ they make wonderful tools for the teaching of the Faith.

Our Annual Parish Meeting is just-under two weeks from now. It falls on Sunday, 12 January, in the year of our Lord 2025. On that Sunday, there will be only one Mass, at 10:00 AM. The Parish Meeting will be held in the Nave. Afterwards, we will stroll down the hallway, to the Parish Hall, where we will enjoy another wonderful meal prepared by all y'all.

I repeat again my thanks to the people ~ who are the Parish ~ of Saint Matthew's, not only for the immense and generous aid rendered for- and during my Consecration to the Episcopacy, but also for the love and support rendered to me during the time that I've been both Interim and Rector of Saint Matthew's. This July will mark the Fourteenth Anniversary of my arrival here ... time doth indeed fly.

My Consecration is not mine alone, but belongs as-much to the Parish as it does to me. Without the continual encouragement of a strong and healthy Parish, no man may ever be Consecrated a Bishop, nor should he be, if he cannot do his part to support such a relationship. Congratulations to all of Saint Matthew's, for having done your part in promoting another Heir to the Apostles, to sustain and govern His one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I remain

in His praise,

The Rt. Rev'd T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 December 24

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 24 December, in the year of our Lord 2024. It is also Christ Mass Eve! The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 11:00 PM, Midnight Mass (first Mass of Christ Mass).
• Wednesday: 10:00 AM, Sung Mass, Christ Mass Day,
• Pontifical High Mass, from the Throne.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Sung Mass, S. Stephen, Proto-Deacon, Proto-Martyr. NO SOUP AND STUDY, MASS ONLY.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Sung Mass, S. John Evangelist, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, Sung Mass, Holy Innocents.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Christ Mass I. Parish Brunch following 10:00 AM service.

Merry Christ Mass everyone! As-noted above, there are some shifts from our usual schedule. The first Mass of Christ Mass will be celebrated tonight at 11:00 PM, so that the Mass will carry-into the new day. On Thursday, we will celebrate the Feast of S. Stephen, but will not have Soup and Study following. After Thursday, we will return to our usual schedule of services.

As likely all of you know, I was Consecrated a Bishop this past Saturday, 21 December, the Feast of S. Thomas, Apostle and Martyr, and the Winter Embertide Saturday. It was a wonderful service, with a delicious pot-luck following. Archbishop Barton was the Chief Consecrator, with Bishop Brown assisting. The Most Reverend Thomas J. Kleppinger sent Letters Permissory.

I look-forward to seeing all y'all tonight and tomorrow ~ hopefully, some of you will make both services! Our 10:00 AM Mass on Christ Mass Day will be a special event, as we will have sufficient Clergy available to Celebrate a Pontifical High Mass, something seldom seen these days. This has been a beautiful, light-filled Season, and the brightest of all lights, the Light of the World, will be soon with us, and that right soon. I remain

in His praise,

The Rt. Rev'd T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 December 17

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 17 December, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 6:30 PM, Mass, monthly Parish Requiem.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Ember Wednesday in Advent.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, Feria, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: NO SERVICES.
  10:00 AM, practice for the Consecration.
  12:00 PM (noon), cleaning and other prep for the Consecration.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, Consecration of the Rector as a Bishop in God's one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Potluck to follow.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity IV.

As-noted above, Friday and Saturday will deviate from the normal schedule. The other days will retain their usual order. Friday morning will see the practice for the Consecration, which will not take two hours, but likely less than that. At Noon, the ladies will prepare and clean the Parish, in-anticipation of the Consecration, to be held the next day, Saturday, at 10:00 AM.

Last week, we discussed some aspects of the Episcopacy. There a few more points that should be addressed. As-with any advancement that expands personal authority, there are pitfalls to being made a Bishop. Even the brief history of the so-called Continuing Movement is replete with stories, generally running 'I knew so-and-so for years, when he was a Priest, and everybody loved him, but then he got the pointy hat, and changed overnight, not for the better.'

Although this is something of an oversimplification, in my opinion the chief culprit is vanity. We see this in the Priesthood as-well; men mistaking God's gift of an Ordinal Sacrament for an affirmation of their own, personal superiority. God gives the blessing, and, at the man's death it returns to the Father. We, in a sense, borrow it, use it ~ ideally ~ for His glory, and then return it.

It is the same, though magnified, in the Episcopacy. No one deserves to be a Bishop. In His mercy, and through the necessary equipping of His Church, God makes men Bishops. They continue to worship, praise, adore and serve Him, and then they die.

Yet, no matter the character of the Bishop, we must always respect the office. In a similar way to that in which the Holy Ghost, as the breath of God, passed over the waters at the Creation, so too are our modern Bishops the breath of the Apostles, carrying their will to serve and sacrifice for the Father down through the ages. In the best case, they give their all for Holy Mother, the Church. Let us pray that this ever remains the case.

In our Parish, virtually nothing will change as a result of my Elevation. I will still, when here, be functioning as the Rector of Saint Matthew's. Continuing to call me Father is perfectly acceptable for members of the Parish to do. Yes, some of my vestments will change, again not for personal glory, but because I must now, more than ever, show-forth the presence and role of the Episcopacy, and respect it.

This occurrence is, in my mind, as-much a reflection on the Parish as it is on myself. It is an honour for- and to Saint Matthew's. This will be a new time for us, and will bring new adventures. Let's get started! I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 December 10

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 10 December, in the year of or Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, Of the Octave of the Conception of the BVM.
  6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Of the Octave.
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer & Breakfast.
  6:30 PM, Mass, Of the Octave, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Lucy, Virgin & Martyr, using the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Veneration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Ambrose, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Gaudete Sunday (Advent III)

For the first time in a bit, our weekly schedule follows the normal pattern. Perhaps the fact that this Sunday will be the Rose Sunday for Advent makes it a bit out of the ordinary, but we do see it every year, so not really any sort of variation from the overall Kalendar. Speaking of the Kalendar, our AD 2025 Kalendar has been sent to the printer. We are hopeful that they will be available before the end of this calendar year.

Inasmuch as the Consecration will soon be upon us (Saturday, 21 December, 10:00 AM), it might be fruitful to have a discussion on Bishops, and the Episcopacy (the construct concerning Bishops, just as Priesthood for Priests). Bishops, as we know and recognise them in our time, did not exist in the Apostolic Church. Yes, of-course, there were Bishops, but the modern form and function of them had not yet evolved.

A Bishop ~ from the Greek 'Overseer' ~ in those days was clearly the authority in the Church, having received his mandate from the Apostolic Succession, a truth that has been with us from the earliest time. Yet, the claim that S. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome is overreaching, even if we limit ourselves to the notion of physical territoriality assigned to the episcopacy, as this is, again, a notion that had not yet been born. Even S. Linus, to whom first Bishop of Rome is often assigned by those of us who reject Roman claims for S. Peter on a variety of grounds, fails this test of our understanding that a Bishop is responsible for a geographical region, which we now call a Diocese.

There has never been, nor shall there ever be, a human office that surpasses that of Bishop. One who is even slightly familiar with the topic might now question what about Archbishops, Metropolitans, Popes, and the like? As the early Church began to grow, that suspect seed endemic to all organisations ~ bureaucracy ~ began to be present in Holy Church. Thus, after the idea had become common that a Bishop was assigned to a certain geography, when those geographies became both adjacent and numerous, as in the case of a major urban centre like Rome, someone had to be responsible for overall organisation, settling disputes and the like. Hence, a Metropolitan Bishop, Overseeing, as it were, a metropolis, and the dioceses therein.

Bishops, then, are equal in theological authority and description. Even the Pope, which position has amassed vast authority and power in recent centuries, retains as his essential title Bishop of Rome. The idea of Petrine Centrality ~ that Peter ruled the Apostles, and his successors, the claimed Bishops of Rome, ruled the Church ~ is incredibly new. Archbishop Haverland makes an excellent discussion of this in his book. This notion was the product of Vatican I, one of the Councils of the Church claimed by Rome, but rejected by the Eastern Orthodox and we Anglicans. This council was held in AD 1871.

In our times, we commonly encounter three sorts of Bishops. These are separated by the authority given to them, but, here again, in the higher term, a Bishop is a Bishop is a Bishop. We most usually think of the Bishop Ordinary. This man is assigned the oversight of a Diocese. He it is who visits your parish, Confirms your children, Receives converts, and is the Father in God to your Diocese, your Clergy, and ultimately to you yourself.

A Bishop Coadjutor is a man who has been elected, by a Diocese, to be the immediate and lawful successor of the current Bishop Ordinary. These are elected for a variety of reasons. Regardless, when the current 'Ordinary dies, retires, steps-down, or is otherwise ~ God forbid ~ removed from his Office, the 'Coadjutor, having been previously and duly elected, immediately assumes the position of Bishop Ordinary, without having to call an Electoral Synod.

The last sort currently, commonly encountered, is the Bishop Suffragen. These men are elected to serve as assistants, in those matters which are properly the purview of Bishops. Occasionally, they are elected to assist an Archbishop in his Office and Duties, to represent him in Episcopal matters. I was originally elected as a Bishop Suffragen, to assist Archbishop Barton in his Office, as a member of his staff, until other events intervened, making it necessary that I take the role of a Bishop Ordinary. A 'Suffragen most commonly serves in a Diocese, making parochial visits, Confirming and Receiving, to ease the workload of the 'Ordinary.

Bishops have, from the very first, been both the crown and the conflict in Holy Mother, the Church. They are not conflict by their existence, but by the things up to which they sometimes get. Bishops are men, and, like all human beings, are subject to sinful whims and temptations. Hopefully these are the types of things that are small, and commonplace. Historically, regrettably, some have perpetrated monstrous disasters within and upon Holy Church. As my time approaches to join their number, I beg your prayers, that my works shall all be begun and ended in prayer, and that I shall ever do the will of the Father, and not of mine self, apart from Him. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 November 4

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Monday, 4 November, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (tomorrow): 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Elizabeth. Mother of S. John Baptist.
  6:30 PM, Holy Rosary, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, S. Leonard, Abbot.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Willibrord, Bishop & Confessor, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, All Anglican Martyrs & Saints, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Theodore, Martyr.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XXIV.

As you'll no-doubt have noticed, from the schedule of services above, I will not be travelling this week. So, the schedule will remain in its usual configuration. The comfort of the usual shall prevail.

Let us all keep in our prayers the Annual Convention of the Diocese of Fort Worth, taking-place at the end of this week. There is a strong potential for new policies, new directions in the Anglican presence in the United States, as a result of what is decided at this convention. I strongly suspect that, as 'Fort Worth goes, so shall we, and some few others go, as we take steps towards Anglican Unity; true, organic unity.

I call upon all of us to renew, or to begin, prayers for Holy Mother, the Church. These prayers can address many aspects, many elements of the Church. They can concern themselves with the most immediate level, if you will, of Holy Church ~ our own Parish. Perhaps you'll feel called to pray for our Diocese of the Holy Sacrament, in all of the work that lays before it. The CAC can always use our prayers and intentions. Also, the greater Churches, larger than are we, some of whom seem to be heading towards the enactment of our Lord's greatest commands, concerning the unification, indeed the restoration, of God's ONE, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

If we do not begin to emphasise these matters in our own prayers, in our own petitions to God, the likelihood that we will actually begin to commit real-world actions in-support of our intentions, is slim-to-none. All things begin and end in prayer. Let us, therefore, begin this great work today, in each of our hearts, by consecrating some of each of our prayer-time to it. Only in this way may we begin. Only in this way may we build. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 October 29

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 29 October, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, Bl. James Hannington, Bishop & Martyr.
  6:30 PM, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Feria of Trinity XXII.
• Thursday: NO SERVICES; Trunk-or-Treat from 5:30 ~ 7:30 PM (Come early to set-up).
• Friday, All Saint's Day: 9:00 AM, Sung Mass, with Gregorian Canon, followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
  6:30 PM, Said Mass.
• Saturday, All Soul's Day: 10:00 AM, Mass, Requiem I.
  5:00 PM, Mass, Requiem III.
• Sunday: 8:30 AM, Deacon's Liturgy, Trinity XXIII.
  10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XXIII.

As you can see, we are now entering the busy season of the Church. Things in that vein will commence on Thursday evening, All Saint's Eve, or the Vigil of All Saints, with our annual Trunk-or-Treat, in-front of the Parish. We line-up cars at the bottom of the drive, trunks facing Main Street, and dispense goodies to the wee wanderers that come-by the Parish. We show-up around 5:00 PM, get set-up, and dispense treats from 5:30 'til '7:00 or 7:30 PM.

The next day is, of-course, All Saint's Day. We will have our usual 9:00 AM service, with the Gregorian Canon, saying the Mass for 'All Saints. The Mass will be sung. After the Mass, we'll continue the standard schedule, with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, for one-hour after the conclusion of the Mass. For those unable to attend the morning celebration of the Mass, it will be repeated at 6:30 PM.

Saturday brings us to All Soul's Day. At 10:00 AM, we will say the First of the three authorised Mass-settings for this day. Since the Missal directs that the Second Mass be used for regular observances for the Dead, which we do monthly at S. Matthew's, the Third Mass will be said at 5:00 Saturday evening.

We have recently made several changes to our weekly schedule of services. The first is that on the First- and Third Sundays, Deacon Collins will say a Deacon's Liturgy, at the 8:30 Service. Deacons are neither able to Bless nor Consecrate, but are able to distribute the Holy Sacrament, after it has been consecrated by a Priest, or a Bishop.

This can be an invaluable service, particularly when the Priest is away, or ill, or for other reasons is unable to say the Mass. Including it in our regular schedule gives the Parish an opportunity to become familiar with the service, and keeps our Deacon in fighting trim, so-to-speak, with regular opportunities to practice the Liturgy. On Sundays when we have a Deacon's Liturgy, Dcn. Collins will preach at both services.

Our long-standing 5:00 PM time-slot for the Saturday evening Mass has been moved to 10:00 AM. Originally intended to serve as an anticipatory Mass for those unable to attend on Sunday mornings, it was seldom used for that purpose, and wound-up being the Mass for the ladies who prepare the Church for the Sunday services. This move will allow them to complete their tasks earlier in the day, freeing up their personal time in the evenings. PLEASE NOTE that, in the interest of time, a full Mass is not said on Saturdays, unless a major Feast Day fall thereon; we simply distribute the Sacrament, the ladies having already spent the netter part of an hour in labora for the Parish. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 October 25

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Friday, 25 October, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Saturday (tomorrow): 10:00 AM, Mass, Bl. Alfred the Great, King & Confessor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Christ the King.

Please note the change above, marked in red. From tomorrow forward, inclusive, the Saturday Mass will take-place at 10:00 AM. The old time was originally chosen as a nod to the old, Roman custom of anticipatory Mass. If you knew that you could not attend on Sunday, you could fulfill your Sabbath obligation by receiving the Sacrament on Saturday evening. However, that being a relatively uncommon practice in Anglican circles, it has rarely, if ever, been used as-such, here at Saint Matthew's. Now, you may attend Mass on Saturday morning, and have the rest of the day free.

This Sunday, after the 10:00 Mass, there will be no coffee-hour. We will, instead, depart the Parish for the County Grill, on the George Washington Memorial Highway, just over the York County line. This is our monthly Parish Brunch, usually held on the last Sunday of the month. Come and join us, even if if you attend the early service!

Starting yesterday, and ending tomorrow, Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church is holding their annual Fall Greekfest. This is a major fundraiser for their Parish ~ let us support our brother- and sister Christians in their work for our Lord. Go and get your lamb-shank today!

We've all heard the saying that familiarity breeds contempt. Although we hope that this is not always true, it often is. Here, at S. Matthew's, we offer the Holy Sacrament, usually eight times per week. I doubt that there is another Parish, of any Church, within hundreds of miles of us, that can claim the same.

I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of this tremendous gift, and to urge all of us to take greater advantage of it. The human body may consume all manner of things to sustain its existence. The human soul, however, has only one food of which it may partake to insure its survival ~ the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus, the Christ.

We should all present ourselves at the table of our Lord as often as we may. It should be our greatest priority, every day of our mortal life. If we fail to prepare ourselves in this life, for the next, we shall never see it. At-least, we shall never see the parts of it that we wish, but only those that we do not. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Rector, Saint Matthew's Parish

Anno Domini 2024 September 21, Ember Saturday

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 21 September, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, Ember Saturday.
• Sunday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Feast of Saint Matthew, observed, with Confirmations, followed by pot-luck.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Linus, Bishop & Martyr.
• Tuesday: 6:30 PM, monthly Parish Requiem.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Blessed Launcelot Andrewes, Bishop & Confessor.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, Feria, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, SS, Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Wenceslas, Prince & Martyr.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Michael & All Angels, commemorate Trinity XVIII.

Tomorrow is a day of celebration! Bishop Nalls wrote very recently that he was unable to be here, but Archbishop Barton saved the day, by granting me Faculties to do the Confirmations in his stead. Though not typically an Anglican practice, it is well-attested for both the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Once more, the traditional practices of Holy Mother, the Church, find us in our hour of need.

REMEMBER, there is only one Mass, tomorrow, at 10:00 AM, as-noted in the schedule above. We will Confirm four new members ~ members in every sense of the word ~ into Holy Church, which is the Body of Christ; into her most holy Sacrament; and into our family of Saint Matthew's. Once the Mass has concluded, we will repair to the Parish Hall for a typical, wonderful repast prepared by loving hands for our Parish.

Let us take tomorrow as a day free from the world. We shall all be in the Kingdom of God, in His light, His truth, His grace. Leave all that troubles you at the door, and enter-into the love of our Lord, as we celebrate four more souls for the Kingdom! I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 September 14

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 14 September, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Sung Mass, Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
• Sunday: 8:30 AM, Mass, Trinity XVI.
  10:00 AM, Mass, Seven Sorrows of the BVM.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Cyprian, Bishop & Martyr.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Hildegard, Virgin & Doctor.
  6:30 PM, Sung Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Ember Wednesday.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Theodore of Tarsus, Bishop & Confessor, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Ember Friday, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Ember Saturday.
• Sunday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. Patronal Feast, visitation of Bp. Nalls, Confirmations.

Tomorrow, at the 10:00 Mass, Danny Head will receive the Rite of Holy Baptism. He will become the newest member in the family of Christ that is Saint Matthew's Parish. Please join us as we welcome him.

A week from tomorrow will be a banner day for our Parish. Bp. Nalls will make his first annual visitation, to help us celebrate the Feast of our Name Day, Saint Matthew. Also on that day, we will have a number of Confirmations. That will be a most joyous day for us!

On that Sunday, 22 September, there will be ONE MASS, AT 10:00. After Mass and Confirmations, we will have a pot-luck in the Parish Hall. 'A day of feasting, in several senses, to be sure.

In lesser news, on Wednesday evening, the House of Bishops for the Convocation of Anglican Churches unanimously elected me as the Suffragen Bishop to the Archbishop. Last night, the National Council confirmed the election by their unanimous vote. The canonical process is thereby completed.

I AM NOT LEAVING SAINT MATTHEW'S! Inasmuch as I am already on the Archbishop's Staff, my obligations to the greater Church will not be much more than they are now. Weekday travel will occasionally be necessary, but I see no reason that there should be any disruption to our Sunday services.

I have requested, and received approval from the Archbishop, for 21 December as the date for the Consecration. Anciently, Priests and Deacons were only Ordained at the Ember Seasons; I see nothing amiss in making a similar requirement of Bishops. Further, that will be the date of the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle and Martyr; an additional and happy benefit of the day, it being my name-day.

The Consecration will take place at Saint Matthew's. The 21st will be a Saturday, this year. Details have yet to be fixed, but I imagine a 10:00 AM starting-point, so as to finish the overall festivities in-time for those who are also travelling on that day. As things are finalised, more precise information will be distributed.

I ask your prayers on my behalf, as I undertake another, deeper level of sacrifice for Holy Mother, the Church. There are those who focus only on the pomp and prestige of becoming a Bishop. Holy Scripture warns us against such.

For my part, though I do not think it a terrible thing, it does entail the assumption of greater burdens in the service of our Lord. Less of my time and energies will be mine, to spend as I please. The reduction of my will ~ I must diminish, so that He may increase ~ can be only a good thing. Perhaps, someday, the 'I' shall vanish, leaving only the perfect grace and love and peace of the good and faithful servant, when I reach that distant shore. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder, Bishop-Elect

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 September 9

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Monday, 9 September, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Monday (today): 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Peter Claver, Confessor.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, Feria.
  6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, SS. Protus & Hyacinth, Martyrs.
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer.
  6:30 PM, Mass, Holy Name of Mary, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass. Feria, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Sung Mass, Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
• Sunday: 8:30 AM, Trinity XVI.
  10:00 AM, Mass, Seven Sorrows of the BVM.

There are four Marian Feasts this month, two of which fall on Sundays. These Feasts are of-precedence, meaning that they replace a Sunday in Trinitytide. We have celebrated the first (The Nativity of the BVM), and the second (The Seven Sorrows of the BVM) will fall on this Sunday.

Two Sundays from now, on 22 September, Bishop Nalls will join us at Saint Matthew's. Not-only is this our annual Celebration of the Feast of Saint Matthew, but we will also Confirm several folks, and Receive others, into the family of The Christ that is our Parish. There will be one Mass on that day, at 10:00 AM. Following the Mass, there will be a potluck in the Parish Hall. Come one, come all, bring food and fellowship to share!

Holy Confirmation is one of the seven Sacraments of Holy Church. Strangely, it is not listed as one required for salvation, those being limited to Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. I suppose that this is due to these having perfectly clear scriptural provenance, coming from none other than Jesus, the Christ, Himself.

Even in the Ancient Church, one had to complete Confirmation ~ the right teaching and subsequent understanding of the Faith ~ before being admitted to the Holy Communion. In modern times, the Roman Catholic Church has restored this order in their RCIA program, Confirmation and first reception of the Holy Sacrament occurring at the end of the process. We, of-course, as Anglicans, never abandoned this ancient practice.

The act of Receiving someone into the Church indicates that they have been Confirmed in a tradition ~ Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox ~ that we accept as being valid per the Holy Tradition of the undivided Church. However, having left that church body, and joined ours, they must publically accept our understanding and teaching of that Tradition ... must swear allegiance, if you will, to the Anglican way of thinking, being, and doing, in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, the Christ.

This will be a joyous event for us all! Please come, and please feel free to invite guests to this celebration of the life of our Parish. Do not forget Archbishop Barton's challenge to personally invite people to worship and joy with us. This is, and has always been, the single most effective means of fostering church growth. Go ye out therefore, and do it. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 September 3

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 3 September, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, Feria.
  6:30 PM, Holy Rosary, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Feria.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Lawrence Justinian, Bishop & Confessor, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Feria, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: NO SERVICES.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Nativity of the BVM.

You'll note that there are no services scheduled for this-coming Saturday. I will be in Amherst, saying the Requiem Mass for Elizabeth Nalls, the wife of our Bishop, Charles Nalls. The schedule there, much-less the return travel to Newport News, makes my getting-back in-time for the usual Saturday afternoon Mass questionable. Our Sunday schedule will proceed as-per usual.

The Requiem will commence at 11:00 AM. At that hour, please join us in prayer, no-matter where you may be. Please pray for the holy progress of Elizabeth's soul. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 August 27

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 27 August, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 6:30 PM, Mass, monthly Parish Requiem.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Deacon's Liturgy, S. Augustine of Hippo, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer, followed by Supper and a Movie.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Deacon's Liturgy, S. Rose of Lima, followed by
  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Aidan, Bishop & Confessor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XIV.

As you will note, there are a number of changes in our schedule for this week. Inasmuch as I'll be out-of-town Wednesday through Friday, there will be no Mass said in the Parish on those days. The most holy Sacrament will be available, by Deacon's Liturgy, on Wednesday and Friday. Evening Prayer will be said on Thursday evening. After that Office, supper as-per-usual, followed not by our usual study session, but by a movie! Come and enjoy some fellowship, along with Christian entertainment, on Thursday evening.

THE SATURDAY MASS WILL BE AT 9:00 AM. This will be followed by our quarterly vestry meeting. As a reminder, all are welcome to attend vestry meetings. Thanks be to God, this should be one of our preferred, brief meetings, as there are no controversies in the greater Church to cause us any bother.

Although we know that, in the Early, persecuted Church, Deacons were dispatched with the Holy Sacrament to carry it to those who would not otherwise receive it, little if anything is known what liturgy may or may not have attended this distribution. Additionally, Holy Church could not afford to gather in great numbers, for fear of discovery, and the destruction that would follow. Thus, Deacons were established 'to serve at table' ~ not sandwiches, as some of our protestant brethren would have you believe, but rather the food of Salvation.

After persecution against the Church ended, Deacons fell-into disuse, so-to-speak, in the Western Church. Although always numbered amongst the Major holy Orders, the Office of Deacon was, for some centuries, merely a transitional step from 'lay to ordained service, in-anticipation of becoming a Priest. Indeed, in both the Roman and Anglican systems, one was simply made a Deacon after having completed their middler year of seminary.

In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, this was not the case. They ~ more appropriately ~ regarded (and still do) becoming a Deacon as a major shift in the fundamental being of the man upon whom it was bestowed. He became a part of Holy Orders, leaving lay life behind. He had been changed; he had been made a Sacrament.

When you ask a Cleric of the Eastern Churches when he was Ordained, he will give you the date of his Diaconal Ordination. In the West, we typically give that of the Priesthood. While we all know that every Priest, every Bishop, will always be a Deacon, we have lost that deeper sense maintained in the East of the sacred nature of Holy Orders as a whole. Even the ordinal rite in the West refers to it as an inferior order. Perhaps this should change. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 August 22

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Thursday. 22 August, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Thursday (today): 6:30 PM, Mass, Octave Day of the Assumption, followed by Soup and Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Vigil of S. Bartholomew, with the Gregorian Canom.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Bartholomew, Apostle & Martyr.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XIII. Parish Brunch following 10:00 Mass.

As-noted in our schedule, the monthly Parish Brunch will fall on this-coming Sunday, after the 10:00 Mass. We will meet at UNO, in the Kiln Creek shopping center. We've eaten there a number of times previously, with no complaints!

Although it is a way off, remember that we will be hosting the AD 2025 Synod for the CAC. Everything, including the timing, has been left to our discretion. We've not yet had any internal discussions on this, but I ask that everyone keep it in their prayers.

We are now at the half-way point of Trinitytide, which occupies the second-half of our Christian year. In it, we study the ways and teachings of Holy Mother, the Church. This is chiefly accomplished through the many Pauline Epistles, and their corresponding, illustrative Gospel readings.

The first day of the Christian year, which commences, naturally-enough, the first-half of the Kalendar, is the first Sunday in Advent. This will be upon us sooner than we think, as this year it will fall on 1 December. The Seasons ~ or 'tides ~ of this first part of the Kalendar trace our Lord's incarnation; His earthly life. Throughout it, we learn directly from the Son of God what it means to be His servant, to be a Christian.

Perhaps the central lesson of Trinitytide is the distinction between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law; between heavenly things and earthly things, between supernatural things and material things. The first time that this lesson was clearly presented was on Trinity VIII. This-past Sunday, we saw another explicit reference to the idea ~ the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

As we pass-through this yearly cycle of teachings, be always mindful of where we are in the Kalendar, for in so-doing, it may serve as a reminder to check our own lives, as-to where we are in-relation to God, and the lessons being taught us. I remain

in His praise,

The Venerable T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 August 6

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 6 August, in the year of our Lord 2024. Of-course, as it is every year, today is the Feast of the Transfiguration. Every Parish should celebrate the Mass on this day; everyone in every Parish should attend. The scheduled Services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, Feast of the Transfiguration.
  Immediately following, Rosary & Sung Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Holy Name of Jesus.
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer & breakfast.
  6:30 PM, Mass, Bl. John Mason Neale, Confessor, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. John Vianney, Confessor, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Veneration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr, followed by a meal of roasted meats with fixin's.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Deacon's Liturgy, Trinity XI.

Sunday this-coming I'll be in Glen Allen, with the good folks of Saint Athanasius Parish. Deacon Collins will handle the Sunday services, here at Saint Matthew's. These Deacon's Liturgies will be at the usual Mass times.

On the first of November, at Grace Church, in Kentucky, we will be Consecrating the first Bishop for our Diocese of the Philippines. This will be a joyous event, celebrating not only growth for the CAC, but progress in the life of the Philippine Church. I'll be attending that service, participating as the Master of Ceremonies for the Consecration.

The Transfiguration is a Red Letter day in the Book of Common Prayer, requiring all to attend Church on that day. It is described in the first three Gospels as an historic event. It is also alluded-to in 2 Peter. Tradition locates it on Mount Tabor, but many scholars prefer Mount Hermon, while some have even suggested the Mount of Olives.

In the Kalendar, the Feast occurs on 6 August. It was first celebrated in the East, where it appears to have begun as a local, unofficial Feast, and became widely adopted well before AD 1000. In the West, where the Feast was not introduced 'til a much later date, its general observance goes back to AD 1457, when Callistus III ordered its universal celebration in commemoration of the victory gained over the Turks at Belgrade on 6 August, AD 1456.

The Transfiguration was significant as showing the testimony of the Jewish Law and Prophets to the Messiah-ship of Christ, and furnishing a further Divine proclamation of our Lord's sonship. It also served as a foreshadowing of His future glory. Let us join-together at 5:30 this-evening, as we celebrate His glory, and the grace it provides to us, in the Divine Liturgy. I remain

in His praise,

The Ven. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 July 30

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 30 July, in the year of our Lord 2024.The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, Feria.
  6:30 PM, sung Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM: Mass, S. Ignatius of Loyola, Confessor.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Peter's Chains (Lammas Day), Soup & Supper to follow.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Nicodemus, Confessor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity X.

As is often the case in these Summer months, there are no looming events on the horizon. The next will fall on 22 September, when Bishop Nalls will join us for our Patronal Feast. On that day, we will both Receive and Confirm new members for the Parish. There will be one Mass at 10:00 AM; a potluck will follow in the Parish Hall.

Our recently-completed Synod was a triumph of the Spirit over the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. I've attended many Synods, over the years, most of them larger than that just-concluded. Indeed, I've even enjoyed attending some of them. None of them, however, came close to the that unity of heart and spirit we experienced in Amherst. There was never a disagreement, no disunity concerning the direction of the Church. We came together in Spirit, in music, in liturgy, and in prayer to define our way forward in the service of our Lord.

The first steps along that path have been taken. Canonical amendments were submitted, briefly explained, and passed in their entirety with a single ballot. Several promotions were announced, and the advancement of men to serve as Bishops in our overseas ministries, having already been approved by the House of Bishops, were made known.

The over-arching promise, which permeated all to which we aspired, was our concordat of communio in sacris with The Diocese of Fort Worth. The promise that they both hold and offer to other Anglicans has, and will continue to grow, in breadth and meaning. The Canon to the Ordinary of The Diocese of Fort Worth, The Rev'd Canon Joel E. Hampton, SSC, was with us throughout the Synod. We are bound to them, and they to us, in the future that awaits.

Pray thanks to God for all that has happened in the last two months. Both the good and the difficult have been essential for our current place, and coming progress. I remain

in His praise,

The Ven. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish