‘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