‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 September 30

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 30 September, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Saturday (today): 10:00 AM, Blessing of the Animals.
  5:00 PM, Mass, S. Jerome, Confessor & Doctor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XVII.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Holy Guardian Angels.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Therese of Lisieux, Virgin.
  6:30 PM, Evensong & Holy Rosary.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, S. Francis of Assisi, Confessor.
• Thursday: NO SERVICES.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Sung Matins.
• Saturday: NO SERVICES.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 Am, Mass, Trinity XVIII.

PLEASE NOTE the changes from our usual rota of services. I'll be attending the Fall Clericus for the OAC, towards the end of next week. The specifics of the schedule during my absence are listed, above.

We usually have the Blessing of the Animals on the first Saturday after the Feast of S. Francis. This year, the date of the Clericus prevented this, and so our furry friends were blessed today. Many ~ though not all, shame on some of you! ~ of the Parish hounds received their blessings today. We were in the Parish Hall, as there was a slight drizzle, at the time. Afterwards, treats were had, specific to whether one had two- or four legs.

The Pastor Appreciation Feast is scheduled for Sunday, 15 October. This will not only be Trinity XIX, but will coincide with the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, the English Apparition of The Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mass will only be said at 10:00 on that day, to be followed by a wonderful time of gathering and feasting. Later that evening, there will be an After-Party, with wine, cheese, further desserts, and other victuals. PLEASE BE CERTAIN to set-aside this date, and these times! A great time will be had by all.

The Feast of S. Francis of Assisi, as-mentioned above, falls during the week to come. One story that some of you likely know concerns S. Francis and a Novice in the Monastery. The young man was fairly bouncing off of the walls, eager to share the good news of salvation in our Lord, Jesus, the Christ, and wanting to evangelise with the saintly Francis. Finally, the day came, when S. Francis said yes, that they would go to evangelise in the local village. The pair of them walked to the settlement, then walked up one street, and down another. They then walked across one street, and back on another. Having exhausted the few streets in the village, S. Francis began to walk the return path to the Monastery. Confused and dismayed, the young man asked the Saint when they were going to preach the Lord to the populace, whereupon S. Francis simply replied, we just did.

Among other things, he has become the Patron Saint of Animals; hence, the Blessings that occur annually, on- or near the date of his Feast. He loved them, calling them our brothers and sisters. Thus, he loved these, the least of all created beings, as a human, the crowning glory of God's Creation.

In-keeping with several sermons that we've recently had, and perhaps even more poignantly, when our Lord asks 'Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?', we must ask ourselves who it is that we love. Friends, family, all those who are known to us readily spring to-mind. Do we, however, love ~ or make any effort to love ~ those whom we do not know? Do we, like S. Francis, go beyond these boundaries to love animals, or even further, as did he, to love and serve lepers and other outcasts, the traditionally unlovable sorts? Do we show, even by our actions alone, without words, the power of the Christ in our hearts?

Ask yourselves these questions, and respond accordingly to the answers you receive. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish