‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 May 2

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 2 May, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Athanasius.
  6:30 PM, Holy Rosary, Sung Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Invention of the Holy Cross.
• Thursday: NO SERVICES.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Sung Matins.
• Saturday: NO SERVICES.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Easter IV.

Midday on Thursday, Avery Collins and I will be travelling to the Spring Conference of the OAC, which will be held in Eustis, Florida. There, he will be Ordained to the Diaconate, which is to say that he will be made a Deacon, in the Prayer Book usage. That Mass will commence at 4:30 PM, Thursday afternoon. Please keep Avery in your prayers, during that time, on that day, as he enters-into Holy Orders, being set-apart for the work of God, and of His holy Church.

As a result of this trip, as is noted in the schedule above, there will be no services on either Thursday or Saturday. Perhaps the greatest benefit of having more than one Clergyman in a Parish is the decreased odds of the faithful ever having to do without the holy Sacrament ~ if I happen to be out of the Parish, Avery, using what is called a Deacon's Liturgy (it is not a Mass, because nothing is being consecrated), may distribute the Host from the Reserve Sacrament, which is kept in the tabernacle upon the Altar for this and other needs. Thus, the spiritual necessities of the Parish can be better-met.

For those participating in our current class, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, we are in Chapter four. Please be certain to read and review Chapter four, from verse 24 to the end. We will next meet on Thursday, 11 May.

For those even moderately familiar with the Kalendar of the Church, you will no-doubt recall the Feast of Saint Stephen, Protodeacon and Protomartyr (proto from the Greek for primary, or first). He was Ordered Deacon to assist in serving at the table. I one heard Kirk Cameron, a sometime-actor and evangelical protestant, describing S. Stephen's role as serving food and clearing dishes at the meals after services! A real Deacon does serve food ~ the most-blessed Sacrament ~ and clear dishes ~ the holy vessels of the Altar, but he does neither in the degraded sense conveyed by Mr. Cameron.

The table mentioned in 'Scripture, of-course, is the holy Altar. When Holy Church was persecuted, Deacons took the Sacrament out from where the Priests and Bishops had consecrated it to the people, who could not gather-together in numbers, as that would attract attention, and very possible death, for being servants of our Lord.

Those ancient Deacons, then, were on the front-lines of the Faith, carrying the very body of our Lord, Jesus, the Christ, through dark streets and alleyways, bringing eternal life to those who believed. Every Priest and Bishop that has ever been, or will be, began as a Deacon, and remains a Deacon throughout their lives. The day of Ordination for a Deacon is the first day of his life-in-Christ in Holy Orders.

We will soon be blessed to have a Deacon in our midst, at Saint Matthew's. Pray thanks to almighty God for His munificence to us, in this blessing. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Fr. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish