‘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