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‘Weekly Posts.
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
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 July 23
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is Tuesday, 23 July, 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, Vigil of S. James the Great, Apostle & Martyr.
- Thursday, Friday, Saturday: NO SERVICES.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity IX, monthly Parish Brunch following 10:00 Mass, at Schooners Grill, on Warwick.
As you literally just read, our Parish Brunch is Sunday this-coming. We will meet after the 10:00 Mass, for which there will be no coffee-hour. Schooners Grill will be our destination, on Warwick Blvd., past CNU, on the same side of the Street. There, we will break the fast together, as all Brothers and sisters in-Christ Jesus had ought to do.
The long-awaited, much-heralded CAC Synod will commence this Thursday (yes, two days hence) in Amherst, Virginia. The sponsoring Parish will be Church of the Epiphany, where Bishop Nalls is the Rector. The Friday-morning Mass will be sung by our own Altar-crew, including myself, Deacon Collins, and our Master of Ceremonies, Jim Elsnau.
We are taking nine people from Saint Matthew's! The is far-and-away the largest contingent that we've taken to Synod, even electoral Synods, during my tenure. I'm very thankful for all of those who have decided to join in this experience.
Inasmuch as this is our first Synod with the CAC, it is well that so many from the Parish will attend, and thus be able to experience everything first-hand, and then share their impressions with those who could not attend. It is also gratifying that the oft-repeated appeals were answered by so many who are willing-and-able to join with the greater Church in worship, praise, and works for the Kingdom.
I will see all those who are travelling to Amherst there, on Thursday. I beseech the prayers of those who will remain here, not only for our safe travels to-and-from, but that a successful, indeed a Sacred Synod, will be had and enjoyed by all who are in-attendance. I remain
in His praise,
The Venerable T. L. Crowder
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 July 16
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is Tuesday, 16 July, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:
-
Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
6:30 PM, sung Evensong. - Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, S. Alexius, Confessor.
- Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, Camillus of Lellis, Confessor.
Immediately followed by Soup & Study. - Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Vincent de Paul, Confessor, with the Gregorian Canon.
Immediately followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. - Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Margaret of Antioch, Virgin & Martyr.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity VIII.
Not Sunday this-coming, but the Sunday next-ensuing will be our monthly Parish Brunch. This month we will sample Schooner's Grill, past CNU, on the same side of Warwick Avenue. Please join us for the breaking of the fast, joining-together as all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus had ought to do.
Our National Synod for the Convocation of Anglican Churches is barely over a week from now. As I understand it, there are four-or-five rooms left at the Elston Inn, on the Campus of Sweet Briar College. Should those be occupied, there are some dorm rooms that will be made-available. In either case, please make an effort to attend these sessions.
There are several topics that I seldom address, some few of which are due to that over-blown sense of Anglican propriety, or nicety. I typically discuss one of these only annually. There is no particular reason to mention it now, other than that it simply crossed my mind. However, breaking with custom, today we have the dreaded Tithe.
Our tithe is not an option, not a nice extra thing that we do, not a way to stockpile pennies in Heaven. It is a scriptural commandment. Thus, yes, our salvation depends upon it, in-part, among other commandments that we are to live.
One of the Scriptural references mentions first fruits. As-such, we calculate our tithe on gross income, not net, nor otherwise adjusted. As God hath given unto us, so we bless Him, and His holy Church, in-return.
The generally accepted figure is ten-percent of our gross income. This is Scripturally supported, but don't forget The Book of Acts: the standard expressed therein was one-hundred percent ~ be happy with ten! That 'ten, of-course, is supposed to be a starting-point, not a goal.
Ours is a God of mercy. The tithe is always expressed in percentiles, not fixed amounts. Further, these are tenuous times. If you cannot keep to the ten-percent, give what you can. The widow's mite was accepted of our Lord ~ the amount is not the key to salvation, but the sincerity of the gift, the spirit in which it is given. Insincerity was they key to the downfall of Ananais and Sephira.
Love God, as He first loved us. In so doing, we honour him as He wishes us so to do. We are called to be His good, and faithful, servants. Amen. I remain
in His praise,
The Ven. T. L. Crowder, Vicar General
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 July 9
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is Tuesday, 9 July, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:
-
Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, Saint Thomas More, Martyr.
6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong. - Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Seven Holy Brothers, Martyrs.
- Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer & Breakfast.
6:30 PM, Mass, Solemnity of Saint Benedict, Abbot, followed by Soup & Study. - Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Saint John Gualbert, Abbot, with Gregorian Canon.
Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. - Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Saint Silas, Martyr.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity VII.
We are two weeks and two days from the commencement of the annual Convocation of Anglican Churches (CAC) Synod. The Synod will be held in Amherst, Virginia, on the campus of Sweet Briar College. All events, including meals, will be held there. Our lodging is at the Elston Inn, also located at the school.
EVERYONE who can possibly attend should do so. This Synod marks the beginning of a new life in Christ for Saint Matthew's. We have been in the wilderness, and are now come into the Valley of Peace.
Our entrance-into the CAC will rejuvenate both those who were here before us, and we ourselves. Yes, there are issues of administrivia that must be addressed, and that process is already well under-weigh. Some canonical items will be on the agenda for consideration during our approaching sessions. All necessary forms were e-mailed to you previously; they can be sent again, if needed, or hard-copies may be had at the Parish.
God speaks to us in many ways. We have His holy Scriptures, wherein His will for us is directly revealed. We have His holy tradition, those things that He has taught us via revelation through His most Holy Church. We have, perhaps most importantly, His holy Sacraments, the only way, per the words of our Lord Himself, that the Father's saving Grace comes to us. Thus, God communicates, in every sense of that word, with us in many ways.
The only avenue that extends from us to God-ward is prayer. I was reminded last week by one of our faithful of the power of prayer to achieve all things that are in-accord with the Father's designs. A day without prayer is unimaginable to me. I do occasionally worry that my prayer is too informal, more of a running monologue than the classic formats of thanksgiving, petition, etc., all of which latter should be done briefly.
Pray ~ pray to the Father, or to the Son, or to the Holy Ghost, individually; end in the name of Jesus, or that of the most holy Trinity. Pray for yourselves, your family, and all that you may know. Pray for Saint Matthew's, your family in God, and the seat of your faith and worship, that it will reach the unchurched, growing deeper in faith, and greater in numbers. Pray for the Clergy in the Parish, that they do all that they can and should do in-support of you, and of the greater Church, and of the Kingdom. Pray without ceasing,
in His praise,
The Ven. T. L. Crowder, Vicar General
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 June 29
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is 29 June, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows
- Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Sung Mass, SS. Peter and Paul, Martyrs; 22nd anniversary of Fr. Crowder's Priestly Ordination.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity V. Monthly Parish Brunch after the 10:00 Mass.
- Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Feast of the Precious Blood.
- Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, Visitation of the BVM.
6:30 PM, Holy Rosary, Sung Evensong. - Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Of the Octave of SS. Peter & Paul.
- Thursday: 10:00 AM, INDEPENDENCE DAY ~ Hilton Village Parade commences; Mass to follow.
NO OTHER SERVICES TODAY, including Soup & Study. - Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Vladimir of Russia, King & Confessor, with Gregorian Canon.
Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. - Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Octave Day of SS. Peter & Paul.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 PM, Mass, Trinity VI.
Tomorrow, immediately following the 10:00 Mass, we will will depart the Parish for our monthly Parish Brunch. This month, we'll be dining at the Crab Shack, located at the foot of the James River Bridge, not far from the Parish. Please join us, even if you attend the 8:30 service, in the breaking of the fast.
Independence Day this year falls on Thursday, of this week. We will meet at the the Parish, and depart at 9:45 AM for the staging area, which is just past Warwick Blvd., heading West on Main St. The parade commences at 10:00. This will be our first parade in many years without Pepper, but hopefully Toby will join us, to take up the banner.
This past week, all of you received an e-mail, which had appended to it the registration-form and other documents necessary for the CAC Synod. It will be held in Amherst, Virginia, over the 25th - 27th of July. If you were unable to open or print the attachments, there are hard-copies for your use at the Parish.
Again, I'm urging EVERYONE who has the time to attend the Synod. There is very little actual business to be conducted, but there will be several educational sessions, in-particular one on Church Music, which will end in a concert! As-such, there will be plenty of time for fellowship with all of our brothers and sisters attending from the various regions of the CAC.
The greater Church is entering-into a time of strong change, which will, I believe, continue for some while. Western Orthodoxy has, at long-last, begun seriously to say enough is enough to the corrupting strains that were introduced by the Episcopal Church, and others. Realignments are in-progress; realignments that will, I pray, result ~ in the not too distant future ~ in organic union as a singular Church. This should be our goal, and must be our prayer ~ to order Holy Church Undivided, as it once was, and our Lord intended it to be. I remain
in His praise,
The Ven. T. L. Crowder, Vicar General
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 June 25
Beloved of the Lord:
It is good to be back! I was at the West Coast for ten days, visiting family and friends. 'Many thanks to Deacon Collins and our Master of Ceremonies, Jim Elsnau, for insuring that the service schedule carried-on whilst I was away. The currently scheduled services are as-follows:
- Tuesday (today): 6:30 PM, Mass, monthly parish Requiem.
- Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, SS. John & Paul, Martyrs.
- Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. John Fisher, Martyr, followed by Soup & Study.
- Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Irenaeus, Bishop & Martyr, with Gregorian Canon.
Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. - Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, SS. Peter & Paul, Martyrs; Fr. Crowder's Priestly anniversary.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity V, commemorate S. Paul, Apostle & Martyr; monthly Parish Brunch following 10:00 Mass.
The monthly Parish Brunch will follow the 10:00 Mass, this-coming Sunday. We will leave the Parish, and meet nearby, at the Crab Shack, which is at the foot of the James River Bridge. Please join us, even if you attend the 8:30 service ~ come back, and break the fast with us!
I usually employ this space to relate theological, historical, or spiritual topics. However, this week, there are pressing, local matters that affect us all, and must be made-public. Rather than a sermon, these matters were largely presented Sunday, at both services. For those who were not there, here is the gist of what was said.
Several years-ago, after lengthy, numerous, and growing dissatisfaction with the ACC, our Parish, along with others, voted to leave the ACC. Initially, as was the historical precedent with other parishes in these circumstances, we clergy assumed that we would continue as ACC clergy. Without any previous attempt at communication, Bp. Lerow threatened all of us with Deposition, if we did not abandon our Cures. We refused, sought another ecclesial home, and were welcomed by Abp. Thomas Gordon, of the Orthodox Anglican Church.
Things appeared very well, initially. Over time, questions began to arise about the Church leadership, but these were never made public, as the seeming good-will and christian fellowship was enough to cover the concerns that were had. On 23 April, this year, Abp. Gordon, without any conversation-with or preparation-of the greater Church, resigned at 12:07 in the morning. A midnight resignation being extremely unusual at best, and highly suspect, at worst, much-less one that was a complete surprise to every member of the Church, clergy and lay, a firestorm of speculation and questioning was ignited.
Several amongst the clergy thought it best to bring the questions, that had simmered for some time, into the light, at the approaching General Convention. We prepared two motions: one to remove the finances from the control of the Abp., a state of affairs that exists in no other genuine Anglican Church, by electing a lay-member of the Church as Treasurer. The second motion was to nominate Bp. Nalls as a candidate to replace Abp. Gordon, who was clearly intent upon having his nominee as the only candidate, thereby depriving the Church of any sense of an actual election, from amongst a field of qualified clergy. Once he discovered that we intended to bring these questions into the light, for all to see and hear, at the General Convention, and before we'd even had the opportunity to formally present them, Bp. Nalls, myself, Fr. Westcott, Deacon Collins, and the Parishes of S. Matthew's and Church of the Epiphany were all summarily removed from the OAC by Abp. Gordon.
Several other parishes and their clergy left the OAC, when they discovered what had been done to us. Additionally, Abp. Barton of the Convocation of Anglican Churches, when he heard the news, immediately removed his jurisdiction from the OAC. All of the aforementioned have now joined, under the aegis of the CAC, in common-cause to serve the Christ in the Anglican tradition.
The best, however, was yet to come. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, which left the Episcopal Church years-ago, was also watching these events. Their Bishop, The Right Reverend Ryan Reed, called Bp. Nalls, and over the course of the conversation, suggested that we join-together in serving our Lord. He asked Bp. Nalls to write a Concordat of Inter-communion, which Bp. Nalls did, in one page (text below). This Concordat has now been signed by both parties, and has been made public by the DFW.
To my knowledge, this is the first such Concordat into which the DFW has entered. It is an extraordinary honour to have been asked and accepted as partners with the single largest Anglican Church in the United States. We are now on the greater front of the battle to preserve and promulgate the Anglo-Catholic faith.
Returning to local matters, as a result of the integration of parishes and clergy into the CAC, Abp. Barton asked that I accept the rank of Archdeacon, in the position of Vicar General for the CAC. With all due humility, I accepted. A new Diocese, Diocese of the Epiphany, will be delineated, and will have Bp. Nalls as its Ordinary.
Things are accelerating, and will likely continue to do so. History is beginning to move, and we are at the beginning, I believe, of a rising current in the life of Holy Mother, the Church. The choices we have made, resulting in the path we currently tread, will enable us to swim, if not guide, this wave of history. May Jesus, the Christ, be glorified in all that we are and do. I remain
in His praise,
The Ven. T. L. Crowder, Vicar General
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
Articles of Ecclesiastical Fellowship and Concordat of Communion
WHEREAS the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and the Convocation of Anglican Churches, adhere to the Old and New Testaments as the revealed Word of God; the Ecumenical Creeds; the Historic episcopate, priesthood and diaconate; and the historic Anglican liturgies, and further adhere to the doctrine, discipline, and worship set forth in the Articles of Religion of 1801, the Chicago (1886), and Lambeth (1888) statements of the Lambeth Quadrilateral and in acknowledgement of the Articles of Ecclesiastical Fellowship known as the Bartonville Agreement (1999); BE IT UNDERSTOOD THAT:
Article I. As evidence of our fellowship in Christ and the shared Standards of Faith existing between the above-named Jurisdictions, a delegation of clergy and laymen may be sent as observers to each other's Synods and/or Conventions.
Article II. Clergy and/or congregations of the above-named Jurisdictions shall not transfer their connection to the other without the mutual assent of the appropriate authority of said Jurisdictions.
Article III. The ecumenical officers of each Jurisdiction pledge to meet at least once a year to discuss ways of establishing a full confederation of traditional Anglican Jurisdictions in the United States.
Article IV. Recognizing they are working together in the same great cause, and on the same basis the above-named Jurisdictions pledge to each other their mutual communion (communio in sacris) cooperation and support by agreeing to foster growing fellowship among their respective congregations through joint youth events, spiritual retreats, charitable initiatives, worship services, and other godly activities.
Article V. Inter-Communion (communio in sacris) has the following three cardinal points:
- a. Each party recognizes the catholicity and independence of the other, and maintains its own.
- b. Each body agrees to admit members of the other to participate in the sacraments.
- c. Communion does not require from either party the acceptance of all doctrinal opinion, sacramental devotion, or liturgical practice characteristic of the other, but implies that each believes the other to hold all the essentials of the Catholic faith
THIS, the 5th Day of June, 2024, being the Feast of St. Boniface, at Fort Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Amherst, Virginia.
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 May 4
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is Saturday, 4 May, in the year of four Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:
-
Sunday (tomorrow): 8:30 AM, BCP Eucharist, Easter V.
10:00 AM, Mass, Votive of the Rogations, with Procession & Beating of the Bounds. - Monday: SERVICES CANCELLED.
- Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Stanislas, Bishop & Martyr.
6:30 PM, Holy Rosary & Evensong. - Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Vigil of the Ascension.
- Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer & breakfast.
6:30 PM, Sung Mass, Ascension Day, followed by Soup & Study. - Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Of the Octave of the Ascension, using the Gregorian Canon.
10:00 AM, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. - Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Of the Octave.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Sunday in the Octave of the Ascension.
PLEASE NOTE that there will be no services on Monday, 6 May, This Thursday we'll enjoy our monthly men's Morning Prayer and breakfast, at 8:00 AM. Also, a festive Cinqo de Mayo to those who celebrate that day.
As-noted above, we will have a procession tomorrow, during the Ten o'clock Mass. Processions, for well-over a thousand years, played a central and vital role in the life of Holy Mother Church. We've largely lost them in America; in other parts of the World, especially outside the "first-world" countries, they still play an integral role. Have we advanced too far, become too cynical in our cosmopolitan views, to bother with such? I'd like to say No!, but may not be able to escape that conclusion, upon honest reflection....
In the early Church, almost all customs, especially liturgical ones, were local in nature. Over time, these localities developed-into dioceses. Thus, each diocese began to have its own rites and ceremonies, with even some variations in the Mass itself. As these were formulated, they began to be written into books. Each Diocese had their own Baptismals, Sacramentaries, Ordinals, and Processionals, among others. Indeed, for the complete sacramental and liturgical life of a given diocese, it might take nearly twenty such books to contain all that was deemed necessary to completely live the life of the Church.
Processions are of two types, festival and penitential. Strictly speaking, in the West, there are processions on all Sundays and principal festivals before the High Celebration of the Eucharist. Hence, processional hymns, or the chanting of the processional verses in the minor propers, are remnants of this practice. Practically speaking, however, processions occur only on festivals. Even in the ancient English use, processions were to be held after Evensong, on feasts and on all Saturdays from Easter to Advent.
Processions are frequently held in the open air as acts of witness, e.g. on Good Friday or before a parochial mission. Rogationtide processions ~ like tomorrow's ~ are often through the fields to pray for God's blessing on the fruits of the earth. Banners are often carried in procession both to excite devotion and to typify the Church's vocation to conquer like an army the powers of evil.
Join us at Ten o'clock, as we once again take our faith into the World, singing in procession, streaming-forth from His Church. I remain
in His praise,
The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 April 6
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is Saturday, 6 April, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:
- Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, Saturday in Easter Week.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Easter I.
- Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Annunciation of the BVM (transferred).
- Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, Feria of the Annunciation.
6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong. - Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Feria.
- Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Leo the Great, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor.
Immediately following, Soup and Study, The Gospel According to S. Luke. - Friday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Feria, with the Gregorian Canon.
Immediately following, Veneration of the Blessed Sacrament. - Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Feria.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Easter II (Good Shepherd Sunday).
There are no looming extraordinary events on our Parish Kalendar. In broader terms, this being an even-numbered year, there will be a General Convention, this year. It will be held on the campus of Sweetbriar College, in Amherst, Virginia, hosted by Bishop Nalls and the Church of the Epiphany. The College has an inn on its grounds, and a large chapel, so, quite literally, the entire affair will be held there ~ no driving, for the hearty amongst us!
I cannot recall the precise title of Stephen Hawking's book, but our reflection for today will likely be something similar ~ A Brief Look at the Nature of Time. Psychologists ~ and others ~ are now saying that, like dear old Dad told us, time does really fly faster the older you are. One of the underlying premises for this position is that, from the perspective of the observer, the more of time that we experience, the smaller the percentage of our overall lifespan it becomes. Thus, the year between ages two-to-three represents 50% of our total experience up to that point; the next year 33%, etc.
This affects everyone, even in Holy Church. Between the two of us, our Master of Ceremonies and I have nearly a century ~ one-hundred years! ~ of Liturgical participation, from Acolyte all the way to MC and Canon. We often comment along the lines of "What? Trinitytide, again!?" In the more immediate sense, we've just experienced Pre-Lent, Great Lent, Holy Week, Easter Day, and are now in Easter Week, although it, too, is drawing to a close. We spent much time ~ no one more than our MC ~ preparing for the observance of these sacred times and rites, after-which we lived them, again, as we have done many times before. The Altar Guild also was very busy, laying all of the ground-work that enables the liturgists to look at-least competent, if not good, lol, as we experienced the life of our Lord. Our Deacon was also busy, working-in to ever-greater participation in all that happens during this space in the life of Holy Mother, the Church.
Time, in the most general sense, exists only during our earthly lives. We know nothing of it before conception, and will experience eternity after our deaths. The here-and-now becomes our all. The temptation to ennui, to take for granted those things that we've experienced for the third, or thirty-third time, is an aspect of this fallen world.
As Christians, we must remain fresh. We must suffer every Good Friday as-though a fresh experience of the loss of our Lord; we must rejoice every Easter Day as a new ~ a first ~ overwhelming joy at His triumphal return. We must then communicate the sorrow and the love to others, especially those not of our flock, that they may learn what it means to know the Christ, and, so we pray, to begin their journeys towards Him, with us. Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
in His praise,
The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 Maundy Thursday
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is Maundy Thursday, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:
-
Maundy Thursday (today): 6:30 PM, removal of the Sacrament from the Altar, Mass of the Day, the Maundy (foot-washing), Stripping of the Altar,
Good Friday Tenebrae. - Good Friday: 12:10 PM: The Mass of the Catechumens, The Solemn Collects, The Veneration of the Cross, the Mass of the Pre-sanctified.
- Holy Saturday: 8:00 PM: Scripture readings, the Blessing of the new fire and the Paschal Candle, The Sabbath Prophecies,
the Blessing of the Baptismal Font, The Litany and the Mass of Easter Even. - Sunday, Easter Day: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass of the Feast of the Resurrection.
Now is the time, this is the hour, and the place. The Rites, Ceremonies, and Liturgies over these next few days form the capstone, not only of Great Lent, but more specifically of the reflections we have discussed in previous weeks. Our journey, hopefully, has lead us to the very core of ourselves, along the way have examined every aspect, every atom of ourselves, in the light of reason, experience, and of the Holy Scriptures. We should be much more familiar with ourselves, now, than when we began this Season of reflection and penance.
This final stage allows us to continue, to deepen our self-study in the absolute dark of the absence of our Lord, as His earthly life is ended, and He travels to very Hell, to take the light that we shall soon lose, to every soul that ever lived before His incarnation. Our considerations will reach another peak, when he returns to us, and we are filled to over-flowing with His light. Come Easter Day, we will have reached full-circle in our journey ~ there, and back again.
Salvation does not exist outside of Holy Church. Now, more than at any other time, we must join with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ as we join Him on His Way ... The Way, as the Church was known in the earliest centuries. In a few, short hours, we will begin. Join us tonight, and over the coming days, we beseech thee. I remain
in His praise,
The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish
‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 March 16
Beloved of the Lord:
Today is Saturday, 16 March, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:
- Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Passion Sunday (Lent V).
- Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor.
- Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Joseph, Spouse of the BVM, sung Mass.
6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong. - Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, S. Cuthbert, Bishop & Confessor.
- Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Benedict, Abbot, followed by Soup & Study.
- Friday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Compassion of the BVM.
Immediately following, Stations of the Cross.
Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
5:00 PM, Stations of the Cross. - Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
- Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Palm Sunday. Parish Brunch following the 10:00 Service, at Marker 20 in Hampton.
Tomorrow begins Passiontide, the final approach of our Lord to His Cross. There will be changes, both visually in the Church, and audibly in some of our prayers, indicating the progressing Season. As Holy Church prepares for the coming Sacrifice, so must we all, in our hearts and minds, prepare for the horror, and our role in it.
At the end of the preceding 'Weekly Post, the question was raised as to whether we can exert any control over our thoughts and emotions. Though very briefly, it was answered with a 'yes'. Let us examine why that not only is, but must be, so.
To have answered that question in any other way would negate that we were made free; free in our minds and wills to choose, or to deny, the Christ, above many others choices that we may make. All of our salvation depends-upon this freedom. We must choose to follow Jesus, and choose freely.
If there is no free choice, if our salvation does not depend-upon, at-least in-part, our participation, then no understanding of salvation that has been held- or espoused-by the Church, over these millennia, may stand. For us to have no role therein reduces us to automatons, with every part of our lives having been determined by our creator. Without choice, even our love for Him would be meaningless, existing only as a programmed response, hard-wired from the beginning. This is precisely where protestants, most especially calvinists, fail. Calvin must deny free choice as an element of salvation, lest his notion of the elect be reduced to a non sequitor. He misses the very point, the heart, of our having been created by God. Just as we chose to crucify Him, so too we may choose to repent for this, and follow him. As a side note, to suggest that our Lord would choose to condemn anyone to Hell, without the possibility of altering that outcome, denies any common understanding of a loving Father in Heaven, and introduces a cruelty in-place-of that love that I, as a worshipping Christian, cannot accept.
Now, where are we? If we have prayed, and searched, and prostrated, and sacrificed correctly, over these recent weeks, we should have arrived at a clearer understanding of who we are. If this has been done, hopefully the intellectual framework that has been presented herein has become a matrix, to hold, in proper order, the results of your searchings. I pray that, at whatever level, some of this has been fruitful to you, in your reflections. I remain
in His praise,
The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder
Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish