‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 March 9

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 9 March, in the year of our Lord 2024. REMEMBER that the time will change, at 2:00 AM this-coming Sunday (tomorrow), requiring us to be in Church an hour earlier than usual. Don't be late! The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Saturday: (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Frances of Rome, Widow.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Mothering Sunday (Lent IV).
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Gregory the Great, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor.
  6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, monthly men's Morning Prayer.
  6:30 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria, Soup &Study to follow.
• Friday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
  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, Passion Sunday (Lent V).

Again, TIME CHANGE before services tomorrow, so make ye ready. Most of our devices these days adjust themselves automatically, attempting to remove human error from our lives. Some might say that Daylight Savings time is a human error, but we'll leave that for another time....

We began our reflections on Lenten meditation and exploration by looking at our thoughts, as a relatively easy point of entry into our internal lives. This lead to our mind, ostensibly the source and seat of our thoughts. We began then to consider that this might not be the case, and identified the heart (figuratively speaking) as a deeper, more likely candidate for that place in which we live, and move, and have our being.

This was supported by the theological notions, both developed and revealed, held by Holy Church throughout the centuries. The heart is the heart of the very temple ~ our bodies, which do contain all of us, whatever that may be ~ of our lives. It is this temple that is cleansed by the waters of Holy Baptism. Once purified, the Holy Ghost enters-in, to begin the work of guiding us to the Father, and to His Son. We meet Him there, He speaks to us from there, the Light of the Christ beams-forth from there, once we take that next step, following Baptism, at our Holy Confirmation.

At the end of the last full 'Weekly Post, I asked a question. After making the previous arguments concerning the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, the query became what else might dwell within our hearts? The answer, as I hope some or many of you guessed, is the soul ~ our very souls.

The soul is what ~ who ~ we are. From the soul; rather, as the soul, we see all of our lives. We watch the mind, we use it, we are bemused, and occasionally betrayed, by it. We watch our emotions, as do our thoughts, dash out-and-about on their merry ~ or other ~ errands. Can we control these? Of-course we can. Do we? This will form the basis for our next reflection. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 March 2

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 2 March, in the year of our Lord 2023. This edition of The 'Post will be abbreviated, with the usual content being published later. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Sunday (tomorrow): 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Lent III. ONE CITY MARATHON ALONG WARWICK BLVD.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Casimir, Confessor.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
  6:30 PM, Rosary and Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, SS. Perpetua & Felicity, Martyrs.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Thomas Aquinas, Confessor & Doctor., followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. John of God, Confessor, with the Gregorian Canon.
  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, S. Frances of Rome, Widow.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Mothering Sunday (Lent IV).

For this quick edition, the only news is the One City Marathon, taking-place tomorrow in Newport News. THIS WILL IMPACT TRAFFIC ON WARWICK BLVD.! Plan an alternative path if your route to Church takes you along Warwick Blvd. Church services and times remain unaffected. 'See all y'all then! As-ever

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 February 27

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 27 February, 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, Lenten Feria.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 10:00 AM, Mass, S. David, Bishop & Confessor, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Stations of the Cross.
  Immediately following, Eucharistic Adoration, 'til Noon.
  5:00 PM, Stations of the Cross.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Chad, Bishop & Confessor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Lent III. ONE CITY MARATHON.

As-noted above, the One City Marathon will be taking-place this weekend. The run will substantially interfere with all traffic on Warwick Blvd. If you use 'Warwick as a part of your route to get to the Parish, you'll want to determine an alternate route for Sunday.

A week from this-coming Sunday, on 10 March, we will lose an hour of rest, as we Spring-forward. Most clocks are automatic, these days, but for the other Luddites out there, on that Sunday morning, 2:00 AM will become 3:00 AM, thus robbing us of an hour. Don't let yourself show-up at the Parish for Mass, just as it's ending!

In last week's 'Post, we examined the heart-mind interface, and the notion that thoughts were perhaps the easiest aspect of that complex to access; thus, the natural place to begin our Lenten examinations. Fr. Seraphim, of S. Symeon's Skete, which has recently entered-into the OAC, some years-ago gave a Lenten retreat, in which he pointed-out that we are not our minds. They form a part of us, to be certain, but we can, with comparatively little effort, observe our minds, watch them as they complete their revolutions, and execute their manoevers. We are not controlled by our minds ~ this is not where we live.

Having devoted all of my early life to reason, it was with both discomfort and displeasure that I began to realise that we are ~ continuing to use a physical locus ~ controlled by our hearts, rather than our minds. If we properly use our minds, and have that magnificent virtue of integrity, which always seeks only the Truth, a careful examination of our lives will show, regrettably readily, to my mind, that all of our decisions are based in emotion, rather than upon reason. Why, do you suppose, that our hearts play this central role?

One very important reason is that therein lies the Holy Ghost, after He enters-into our beings at the time of our Baptism. This is the center of the Temple, washed clean for His presence, where all things begin. From the point in time of His entry, through ages of ages to come, the heart is the ground whereupon we meet and know the Holy Ghost, and from which He speaks to us. He is ~ or should be ~ our Guide, our Dante, as we plumb the dark depths of ourselves.

There is something else dwelling in our hearts, at the very core of us. Can you think of what it might be? 'More next week. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 February 17

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 17 February, in the year of our Lord 2024. Due to the interruption in the heating system in the Parish Hall, the Potluck supper has been cancelled, but there will be a coffee hour, as-per usual. All other scheduled activities for Sunday will proceed as-planned. The services for the week are as-follows:

• Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
• Sunday: 10:00 AM, ONE MASS ONLY, Lent I, including the installment of our Vestry, Altar Guild, and Lay Readers.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Mass, Lenten Feria.
  6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, followed-by Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Ember Wednesday.
• Thursday: NO SERVICES.
• Friday: 10:00 AM, Matins.
  Immediately following, Stations of the Cross.
  5:00 PM, Stations of the Cross.
• Saturday: NO SERVICES.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Lent II.

As-noted above, tomorrow, Sunday, will see one Mass, and the Installation of the Parish Guilds. There will be NO POTLUCK, only the usual coffee hour. Deacon Collins and I will be attending the Spring Clericus (gathering of the Clergy) of the OAC, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. As-such, the service schedule towards the end of the week has been modified. Attend accordingly, and say your offices at home during those times that services have been cancelled.

Great Lent having begun on Ash Wednesday, and tomorrow being the First Sunday in Lent, we are now well-into this Season of Satan, sin, and death. We must now, with great intention, and even greater faith, force ourselves, like Dante, to go further in, and further downward, first in our minds, and then, in the deepest, darkest recesses, into our hearts. The time has come, and now is....

Our Jewish forbears had a rather different construct than do we for the metaphorical heart. To them, it was the seat of thought and reason, unlike we 'moderns', who assign these to the mind, located in the brain. Thus, the heart, to us, bears the burdens and vicissitudes of our emotions.

Regardless of where we seat these things at our inner table, we must begin with thoughts. Emotions are the beginning of all things, but to make them comprehensible, and then relatable, they must be transmitted, or handed-over, from the heart to the mind, which begins to shape and categorise them into some form that may leave the inner landscape, and enter the outer world. Having been so refined, these emotionally generated thoughts are returned to the heart, where the determination of whether-or-not to release them ~ act-upon them ~ into the world outside of ourselves is made.

Since these emotion-thoughts begin and end in the heart, why do we commence our search for ourselves in the mind? Simply put, this is the easiest point for us to access. When travelling inward, it appears as the interface between ourselves and others; hence, the first thing that we see.

What are we seeking there? The ways of our mind are the initial subject of our journey to self. Are we mostly concerned with ourselves? or others? or God? or His Church? or do we think of Him and His only a little, if at-all in our daily rounds? Our mind is largely a slave to our heart, but in those free moments, if such exist, where does the mind, of its own volition, so-to-speak, go, and why?

Begin your Lenten searching here. What do I think, and why do I think it? How does ~ or why doesn't ~ my mind consider God? How do I understand God, and His role in my life ~ what do I think of Him, and His Son, and the Holy Ghost? What is my relationship to Him? Ready ... set ... go! for the discovery of the foundation of your Lenten construct. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 January 31

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Wednesday, 31 January, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Wednesday (today): 12:10 PM, Mass, S. John Bosco, Confessor.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Ignatius, Bishop & Martyr, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Purification of the BVM, also known as Candlemass, with the Blessing of the Candles, using Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Blasius, Bishop & Martyr, with the blessing of the throats.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Sexagesima.

Due to one of those every-seven-years confluences on the Kalendar, some changes have had to be made in the usual schedule. Typically, we add Stations of the Cross to our usual rota of services every Friday, following Septuagesima (which fell last Sunday). However, with Candlemas having fallen on Friday, this year, that would stretch the services on that day to close to three hours. The decision has been made to cancel 'Stations for this week, and to begin them on Friday-next, 9 February.

Going forward, we will continue to have the Mass, with the Gregorian Canon, every Friday. Following the Mass, during Pre-Lent and Great Lent, we will walk and sing the Stations of the Cross. Once the 'Stations have been completed, we will have the 'Adoration, again as is our custom on Fridays. In this way, those who wish to attend the 'Stations won't have to wait 'til after the 'Adoration.

Over time, virtually all things change. I was listening to an online recording of a sermon by a Priest that I know, and heard him refer to Pre-Lent as Shrovetide. I'd never heard the phrase before, but it quite struck me. A quick glance at some of my reference books revealed no references to Shrovetide, but the thought has remained with me.

I suspect that it is an older English usage; therefore, worthy of some consideration. It was in this same vein that I, years-ago, began using Christ Mass rather than Christmas, holding the former to denote our religious observance, and the latter the commercial season to which it has largely devolved. Stopping short of antiquarian excesses, it is usually well for us to look-back into the earlier life of Holy Mother, the Church, to find those instances when time and tide have erased good and useful aspects.

Inasmuch the rest of our Christian Year is composed of '-tides', and despite the fact that both the Prayer Book and the Missal use the Pre-Lent terminology, I think that a change in custom may be in-order. This becomes especially appropriate when one considers the purpose of the -gesima Sundays. Thus, I pray a beneficial Shrovetide for us all, that we may profit from the wisdom and lessons taught by our Kalendar. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 January 13

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 13 January, in the year of our Lord 2024. There are several changes in the usual schedule, for this week, so read it closely.

• Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, Octave Day of the Epiphany.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Epiphany II.
• Monday: NO SERVICES. 
• Tuesday: 6:30 PM, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Sext (Monastic Noonday Office), S. Anthony, Abbot.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Prisca, Virgin, Soup & Study.
• Friday: 10:00 AM (a new time), Mass, Feria, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, SS. Fabian & Sebastian, Martyrs.
• Sunday: 10:00 AM only! Mass, Epiphany III, followed by Annual Parish Meeting & Potluck luncheon.

I will be making our annual candle-purchase at Peter Munley Religious Supply on Monday, so no services on that day. As the result of several requests, we'll be changing the service-time on Fridays from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, this will boost attendance at those services.

Next Sunday ~ a week from tomorrow ~ is the date for our Annual Parish Meeting. We will have one Mass at 10:00 AM on that day, followed by the 'Meeting, to be held in the Nave. After the meeting, we will enjoy a potluck luncheon in the Parish Hall.

Epiphanytide is the liturgical shock-absorber of the Kalendar. The number of Sunday adjusts each year, depending-upon the date of Septuagesima, which in-turn depends-upon the date of Easter. There can never be more than six Sundays in Epiphanytide.

The Epiphany is an ancient Feast of Holy Church, attested from at-least the early Third century. It was first celebrated in the East, where it was focussed-upon the Baptism of our Lord. By the Fourth century, it was widely celebrated, and ranked with Easter and Pentecost as one of the three principal feasts of the Church. It was introduced into the Western Church in the Fourth century, where it took-on the character of the manifestation of the Christ to the Gentiles, in the person of the Magi.

The Roman Church has neither an Epiphanytide, nor a Trinitytide. They refer to both of these Seasons as Ordinary Time; Green is the liturgical colour for these Sundays, just as it is for us in our two Seasons. Thus, they simply count Sundays in Ordinary Time, which usually number in the low thirties each year, varying somewhat per the date of Easter, just as do ours.

We have this Season to appreciate the light of the the Christ; the innocence and grace and love that He brought into the World. All too soon, that light will dim with coming of Pre-Lent, darken with Great Lent, and, briefly, be extinguished during the Triduum. Bask in His light ~ feel the warmth of His love, for you, and for all of us. This, now, should be our only concern. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 January 3

Beloved of the Lord:

Happy New Year! (Albeit the secular year, the Christian year having commenced on Advent I). Today is Wednesday, 3 January, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Thursday (tomorrow): 6:30 PM, Mass, Octave Day of the Holy Innocents, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Vigil of the Epiphany, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Holy Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, sung Mass with incense, The Feast of the Epiphany.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Epiphany I.

'And let all things become as-new; radiant in the glory of fresh creation ... on this, the very threshold of the next year of our Earthly lives, may we first appreciate, and then give thanks for all that we have. We sometimes become so involved in the typical prayer-cycle of petition and need, that it becomes an afterthought, if we consider it at all, to give thanks to the Father for our Creation, the Son for our Salvation, and the Holy Ghost, for all of the gifts that He bestows upon us. No matter what sort of beginning we're contemplating, that is when we determine the rules of engagement, the policies of procedure, call it what you will. In any event, we have before us new start ~ let us stop, and pray, and set the tone of our worship, and of our very Christian lives for this year, now.

As-noted above, we will be having our usual course of study, tomorrow-evening. We've had a volunteer to bring the supper, so all y'all the rest of you simply come to Mass at 6:30 PM. Bring sharpened appetites and wits, and we shall see what we shall see....

Having shockingly ~ stunningly ~ already completed Adventide, we will rapidly progress into the other Seasons that exemplify, that teach the earthly life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus, the Christ. Christ-Masstide will soon end, Epiphanytide is hard-upon us, and others will follow in quick succession. Open your hearts and minds to the teachings of Holy Mother, the Church, as we take a front-row seat to the perfect example that He left for us, in all things, that we might know-, and serve Him, all the better. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 December 23

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 23 December, in the waning days of the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Sunday (tomorrow): 10:00 AM, ONE MORNING MASS ONLY, Vigil of Christ Mass, Commemorate Advent IV.
  11:00 PM, Midnight Mass of Christ Mass.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass for Christ Mass Day.
• Tuesday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Stephen, Proto-Deacon & Proto-Martyr.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, S. John Evangelist.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, The Holy Innocents.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Thomas of Canterbury, Bishop & Martyr, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Of the Octave of the Nativity.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity.

The only changes to the Kalendar occur tomorrow, Sunday, The Vigil of Christ Mass. There will be one morning Mass, at 10:00 AM. After that Mass, we will decorate the Parish for the Christ Mass Season. At 11:00 PM, we will offer the Midnight Mass of Christ Mass.

Monday morning, at the same time assigned to Mondays as-always (10:00 AM), we will celebrate Christ Mass Day. From this point forward, the service schedule will be as-normal.

Tomorrow night, that great Light, the Light of all lights, the Light of the World, will come to us. It is perfect ~ it will light not only our path, but will illuminate our hearts and minds, our very souls, as-well. ALWAYS look towards the light. All truth, all wisdom, all needful things are to be found there, and nowhere else. Christ Jesus come to us, and with the brilliance that is thy very nature, show us the Way. In thy most holy and sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 December 12

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 12 December, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled service are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, Of the Octave of the Conception of the BVM.
  6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, S. Lucy, Virgin & Martyr.
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer & Breakfast.
  6:30 PM, Mass, Of the Octave, Soup & Study to follow.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Octave Day of the Conception of the BVM, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Veneration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Eusebius, Bishop & Martyr.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Advent III, Rose Sunday.

In our current sermon series, Back to Basics, we are discussing first things ~ the fundamental aspects and acts of the Faith, from which all else flows, or upon which all is built. If we take a few steps back, and look at Advent from a greater height, it may, at-first, seem odd that we begin our Christian year with a penitential Season. Why start in darkness?

All life commences in darkness. 'Born in ocean depths, or dim caves, or conceived in light-less wombs, or pushing-up from within the sunless soil, all new life tends towards the light. We await the celebration of the birth of our Lord, of His coming with Light into the Darkness of the World.

Despite this last, our life-in-Christ begins not with birth, His coming in Light, but rather, with death, His going into Darkness. No soul was saved in the moment of His birth. All were saved, when he offered-up His earthly life, on-behalf of our eternal ones.

Thus, a penitential Season as the beginning of our Year. The deep Violet vestments, the sorrow that we feel, and seek to have forgiven, all become sensible when viewed as expressions of our regret for having necessitated the birth, which lead inevitably to the death of our Lord. As S. Paul tells us, when we die to the World, and rise to life in Christ Jesus, only then are we saved, are we joined to Him, for ever and ever, amen! I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 December 06

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Wednesday, 6 December, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Wednesday (today): 12:10PM, Mass, S. Nicholas, Bishop & Confessor.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Ambrose, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor, with Soup & Study to follow.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Sung Mass, Conception of the BVM, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
  12:00 Noon, Requiem Mass, for David Pearce Radcliffe, followed by reception, followed by Graveside Service.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, of the Octave of the 'Conception.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Advent II.

PLEASE NOTE that this Friday, the day after tomorrow, will be the Requiem for our dearly departed friend and brother, Dave Radcliffe. That service will begin at Noon. Immediately following, there will be a reception in the Parish Hall. At about 2:20 PM, those who will be attending the Graveside Service will depart the Parish for the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Veteran's Cemetery, in Suffolk. Dave will receive military honours there, followed by a brief service on the part of the Church.

In the same sense that Dave is now preparing to meet his Lord, so, too, are we, through the benefit of the Season of Advent. Just as has the weather, our colours have turned dark, we being bound in our penitential Violet vestments. This is a Season in which we reflect and repent upon and for our sins. Make this work your chief occupation, now, that ye may obtain that greater reward, then. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 November 28

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 28 November, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 6:30 PM, Mass, monthly Parish Requiem.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Vigil of S. Andrew.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, the Feast of S. Andrew, Apostle & Martyr. followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Blessed Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon & Confessor, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Feria.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Advent I.

Please note the monthly Requiem on the Kalendar for tonight. If you've a name, or names, which you'd like to add to those already on our list of intentions for this service, please send them to me, asap. We will then pray for the holy progress of their immortal soul(s).

With the first Sunday in Advent comes the dawning of a new year in the life of the Christ's one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. A beginning is a very important time. Sitting here, and now, it seems rather odd that we expend so much time and energy concerning pledges for Great Lent, which is also a beginning, even if only that of the end, and yet we give so little thought to doing so upon what is, for Christians, the beginning of all that truly matters, the Advent ~ coming, or arrival ~ of our Lord.

As with any spiritual endeavour, begin slowly. Seek His will, and then do it, in the form of a single change in your life for the coming year. Yes, just one. Initiate the change, and then work on perfecting, and maintaining it. Build slowly, but well.

A beginning can be many things; anything from a fresh stat to a complete reinvention. In this spirit of openness, of joy, let us consider a change in the coming, new year. It lays before us, a blank slate, awaiting the imprint of our lives upon it. Seize this moment, not for ourselves, but for Him, and what we, through prayer and fasting, will hopefully discern is His will for this dawning time, and all that will follow. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 November 13

Beloved of the Lord:

To-day is Monday, 13 November, in the year of lour Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Monday (today): 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Britius, Bishop & Confessor.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Deacon's Liturgy, Bestowal of the American Episcopate.
  6:30 PM, Holy Rosary & Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Sext.
• Thursday: NO SERVICES.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Matins.
• Saturday: NO SERVICES.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Deacon's Liturgy, Trinity XXIV.

PLEASE NOTE THE SCHEDULE CHANGES! I'll be travelling to see family; thus, the changes noted above in the schedule. Should you have a pastoral emergency, please call me, on my cellular 'phone, and I'll arrange Clergy coverage for you. 'One of the few benefits of this electronic Age....

As recently-noted, Advent will soon be upon us. One of the most frequently-asked questions concerning the Kalendar of Holy Mother, the Church, is Why is Advent a Penitential (Violet) Season? The simple answer is our sorrow for our sin.

Delving-into greater depth, specifically we mourn that our sin, our fallen ~ and yet somehow haughty ~ nature necessitated the descent of our Lord from the infinite peace and grace of the heavenly places, into this blood-stained horror of a world that we've been forging from the perfection of His original design since the very Fall itself, our expulsion from the Garden; which, despite our finest efforts, still bears elements of the grace with which He imbued it.

We dragged Him here ~ down, down, down to our level. 'Not a fate that He'd have chosen, to be sure, but neither one that He would ever refuse, being innately desirous of pleasing His Father, and completing the Father's over-arching plan of ultimate redemption ~ salvation. He became in this way, as He is in all things, perfect; the ultimate martyr, who was not captured and killed by the world, but marched straight to the gallows. He never had to be found, or tracked ~ at the appointed hour, He presented Himself for torture and death.

At this level of deeper examination, we also notice that throughout the time of physical and spiritual darkness, we are to busy ourselves in preparing for the Light. Jesus, the Christ, is coming! As such, we focus upon our sins, aiming ultimately at repenting therefrom, so that we may be rightly and duly prepared for His arrival, His Advent to this world. The Light of all Lights, the Light of the World, is near ... let us make ready for Him. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 November 7

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 7 November, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Willibrord, Bishop & Confessor.
  6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament & sung Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, All Anglican Martyrs & Saints (Octave Day of All Saints).
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer & Breakfast.
  6:30 PM, Mass, S. Theodore, Martyr, followed by soup & study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Hugh, Bishop & Confessor, using the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Martin of Tours, Bishop & Confessor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XXIII.

Be sure to VOTE! Today, Tuesday, is Election Day. Don't fail to exercise your right as a citizen of our Great Land, and cast your vote in determining our future.

As you can see, our schedule for this week is as-per usual. Next week, there will be some variations, due to my travel. Please review that schedule closely, when it is issued. This is my usual family trip. There shouldn't be any Church travel until February of next year.

Roughly a month from now, Advent will commence, and with it, a new Christian year. Begin reflecting-upon the year just-passed, and thinking of the year to come. As-for the past, what lessons have you learned? What joys did you experience? What gifts ~ especially those of God ~ did you receive? What wounds did you suffer? What betrayals did you endure? What lessons did you learn?

In the year to come, what will you do? Who will you be? Perhaps more to the point, who will you become? Will you rise-above the hurts and injuries visited-upon you by those whom you trusted? Will you rely-upon His strength to carry you through, or participate ~ or continue to participate ~ in the delusion that you can make it through on your own? How will you better serve our Lord in the year to come, than you did in the year just concluded?

Prepareth now for the future, as it cometh, and that right soon. First your heart, then your mind, then the rest of what and who you are must be prepared, or reformed, the better to serve Him. Build in this moment, for the future that will never end. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 October 28

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 28 October, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled Services are as-follows:

• Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, SS. Simon & Jude, Apostles & Martyrs.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, the Feast of Christ the King.
  Monthly Parish Brunch, following the 10:00 Mass, at County Grill.
• Monday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Feria.
• Tuesday: NO MASS; Trunk-or-Treat, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, in the Parish drive.
• Wednesday: 12:10 & 6:30 PM, Mass, All Saint's Day.
• Thursday: 12:10 & 6:30 PM, Mass, All Soul's Day; Soup & Study following 6:30 Mass.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Winifred, Virgin & Martyr, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Charles Borromeo, Bishop & Confessor.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XXII, Comm. S. Elizabeth, Mother of S. John Baptist.

Before plunging-into the usual rota, here is a note from Dave Radcliffe's family:

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope you are all well. Unfortunately, you are receiving this message because David Radcliffe, wonderful husband, father, brother, and friend passed from this life on Saturday, October 21st. There will be a funeral and grave side service forthcoming. As soon as these dates have been fixed, we will inform you. Please share this news with anyone that also knew David, and pass on any information that will help us reach as many people as possible.

Best wishes,

The Radcliffe Family

As you may've noticed, we've a busy week ahead. There will be no Services on Tuesday, 31 October, the Vigil of All Saint's, also known as All Saint's Eve, All Hallow's Eve, or Hallow E'en, crushed by the decay of grammar into Halloween. For our Second Annual Trunk and Treat, we will assemble at about 5:30 PM, to arrange our cars, start the fire, and generally set-up for the arrival of the tots. The more cars the merrier! We will be done and packed before 8:00.

On Wednesday, we will say the Mass for All Saint's twice, for those who may not be able to make the Midday Service. The same schedule will be kept for All Soul's Day, on Thursday, 2 November. PLEASE BRING THE LIST OF NAMES YOU WANT REMEMBERED AT THE MASS TO CHURCH TOMORROW! All Soul's Day is that day when we pray for all of those whom we have known and lost. If you've names not on our permanent list, please write them ~ legibly ~ down, and give them to me. We will pray for the holy progress of their soul at both Services.

All Saint's day has an early lineage in the Church, the first known mention of such a Feast occurring in S. Ephrem Syrus (d. 373). The first record of a specific date occurs in S. Chrysostom (d. 407), where it was assigned to the first Sunday after Pentecost, which date still obtains in the East. It became firmly planted in the West in the early Seventh century; the assignment of the 1 November date was under Pope Gregory III (d. 741). Its universal observance was ordered by Pope Gregory IV (d. 844); the Octave was added much later, by Pope Sixtus IV (d. 1484).

Although not known by many in the United States, where a new Prayer Book was approved in 1928, there was also an English Proposed Book of 1928. Therein, the Octave Day (8 Nov.) was assigned to the 'Saints, Martyrs, and Doctors of the Church of England'. If you read closely, you will see this reflected in our Saint Matthew's Ordo Kalendar. Perhaps this is something to which we should give greater prominence, in coming years.

All Soul's Day follows All Saint's Day, on 2 November, and was made universal by Odilo of Cluny, who, in 998, commanded its annual celebration in the Benedictine houses of his Congregation. This is one of only two days in the Kalendar when a Priest may thrice say the Mass, the other being Christ Mass. Inasmuch as the liturgical colour of the day is Black, should it fall on a Sunday, the Observance must be moved to 3 November. It has always been forbidden by Holy Church to say a Requiem Mass on a Sunday, which day is a commemoration of the Resurrection of our Lord.

Surprisingly, this Day does not occur in the 1928 BCP. To me, this has always been the more powerful, the more immediate Observance. It not only affords us an opportunity to remember, and pray for, those who we've lost, but it serves as an immediate reminder of our own mortality, this being the one aspect of humanity that, more than any other, makes us as we are. Again, bring your list of names tomorrow ~ we will pray for them, and, in so doing, pray also for ourselves. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 October 24

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 24 October, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 6:30 PM, Mass, monthly Parish Requiem.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Saints Crispin & Crispinian, Martyrs.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, Blessed Alfred the Great, King & Confessor, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Vigil of Saints Simon & Jude, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, Saints Simon & Jude, Apostles & Martyrs.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XXI & Christ the King.
  Monthly Parish Brunch at County Grill following 10:00 service.

Do not forget the Parish Brunch, scheduled for this Sunday after the 10:00 service. There will be no coffee hour, and we will all depart immediately after the Mass has ended. Also, one week from today, on Tuesday, 31 October, we will have our Second Annual Trunk and Treat. We can never have too many trunks or treats, so please remember to volunteer! Sherri Fosdick will leading this event; please contact her for details, and to sign-up to serve.

It is astounding how quickly this year has passed. We will reach the Feast of Christ the King this week; in another five weeks, Advent will commence, and with it, the beginning of a new Church Year. Time flies, and carries us along with it.

As time passes, hopefully bringing many new and good things with it, we also know that time takes many, many things from us, in its inexorable flow. As you all know, Pepper passed in the beginning of July, this year. I was texting with one of my dearest Cousins, this-past week, and happened to catch her as she was at the 'vet with her dog, Dash. 'Long story short, in an unexpected developement, she had to have Dash put-down as we were texting. A few days later, another friend from out West lost her little friend, Benny. 'Just in the past few days, Linda Scharff's daughter, Malia, lost her wee Lilly Bean, of whom Giada was especially fond.

I some times suspect that our animal friends are, on the whole, closer to our Creator than are we. The random unkindnesses and cruelties that we perpetrate, the innate selfishness that we carry within us, and the host of other offenses that we regularly commit, are not practiced by them. Their love is unconditional, and, beyond this, self-sacrificing, as a rule.

The beauty and the glory that we see in the world around us, in nature, are the shards, the reflective remnants of God's intentions for how this world was to have been. So too we see His Son, not only in creation, but in these small, animal-borne responses to us. It is the Spirit that enables us to see, and to know, the essence, the primary relationships between all things, as God the Father intended them to be. As His will continues, let us pray that it be the river that eventually sweeps us along, and up, ever closer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and the promises they made in Creation, still present to be seen, and heard, if we but look and listen for them, some times in the innocency of those closest to us. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 October 14

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 14 October, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Callistus, Bishop & Martyr. Sunday, 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XIX, Comm. Our Lady of Walsingham. Pastor Appreciation Luncheon to follow.
  5:00 PM, After Party.
• Monday, 10:00 AM, Mass, S. Hedwig, Widow.
• Tuesday: 5:30 PM, Deacon's Liturgy, S. Etheldreda, Queen, Virgin, Widow, Abbess.
  6:30 PM, sung Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Deacon's Liturgy, S. Luke, Evangelist & Martyr.
• Thursday: NO SERVICES.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. John Cantius, Confessor, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Hilarion, Abbot.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 PM, Mass, Trinity XX.

The day has finally arrived for the Pastor Appreciation Luncheon. Mike Hardin has put much effort into this, and has been helped by several of our members. There will be only ONE MASS TOMORROW, AT 10:00. Immediately following, we will enjoy the luncheon, which is a pot-luck ~ bring your favourite dish. Drinks and dessert will be provided.

Tomorrow evening, we will have an hors d'oeuvres - wine - dessert - cheese gathering to wind-up the celebration. This will commence at 5:00 PM. Some libations will be provided, but please bring whatever drinks or food you prefer to share.

Our recent Clericus for the Clergy of the OAC was a success, with approximately twenty-five Bishops and other Clergy in-attendance. Our Retreat Topic was the Seven Sacraments. There was a different presenter for each of them.

We will be holding our Second Annual Trunk or Treat for All Hallow's Eve, in a few short weeks. This will be dependent-upon the weather, of-course. We'd quite a few visitors, last year. We will be distributing S. Matthew's bookmarks along with the sweets, this year.

Advent will soon be upon us, with Epiphany, and all of the other rites and Seasons that attend the beginning of another Christian year. We all of us must consider the changes to our prayer-life that these will engender, and the new/different foci that will arise in our spiritual lives. He is coming. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Fr. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 October 12

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Thursday, 12 October, in the year our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Thursday (today): 8:00 AM, men's Morning prayer and breakfast.
  6:30 PM, Mass, S. Wilfrid, Bishop & Confessor, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, S. Edward, King & Confessor.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Callistus, Bishop & Martyr.
• Sunday: ONE MASS AT 10:00 AM, followed by the Pastor Appreciation Luncheon.

PLEASE NOTE the schedule change, listed-above. There will be a pot-luck (covered-dish in the South, I think) luncheon after the one Mass, this-coming Sunday. Bring your favourite dish, and a hearty appetite! Dessert and drinks will be provided.

A friend of the Parish, Mike Hardin, suggested the idea of a Pastor Appreciation Sunday. He has prepared decorations, and organised the affair. Take a moment to thank him, when you see him.

For those who can't be at Mass, but are free in the evening, or for those who want to keep-on partying, there will be an 'After Party' at the Parish between 5:00 and 7:00 Sunday evening. Please bring desserts, hors d'oeuvres, and any adult beverages that you like to the After Party. Some adult beverages will be provided, and awaiting your arrival!

Fun and fellowship await! Your presence is humbly requested, and desired. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘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

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 September 19

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Tuesday, 19 September, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Tuesday (today): 5:30 PM, Mass, S. Theodore of Tarsus, Bishop & Confessor.
  6:30 PM, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Evensong.
• Wednesday: 12:10 PM, Mass, Ember Wednesday.
• Thursday: 8:00 AM, men's Morning Prayer and breakfast.
  6:30 PM, Mass, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Ember Friday, with the Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: Immediately following the Church Cleaning Party (Commencing at Noon), Mass, S. Linus, Bishop & Martyr.
  5:00 PM, if-needed.
• Sunday: 10:00 AM, Archbishop Gordon's official visit, Morning Office, Mass, S. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist, followed by a pot-luck in the Parish Hall.

Please note the changes in the above-schedule. This-coming Saturday will be the Church cleaning party. We will scrub, dust, and vacuum from top-to-bottom, in anticipation of Archbishop Gordon's visit to Saint Matthew's on the following day.

THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE SERVICE ON SUNDAY, at 10:00 AM. We will begin with the abbreviated Morning Office, per the Prayer Book rubrics, followed by the Mass for Saint Matthew, our Patron of Name. Afterwards, we will continue to celebrate the day with a covered-dish luncheon, in the Parish Hall.

I had a conversation, yesterday, with Dave Radcliffe's son, Dana. Dave has been, for some while, living in a memory-care center in Fredericksburg. His mental condition has continued to slip, and he has also begun falling, of-late. Last week, he suffered a more serious fall, which lead to cranial bleeding. He was air-lifted from Fredericksburg to Richmond for surgery, which was successful.

The long-term diagnosis is, of-course, problematic, with the several aspects involved. Although there seems to be no immediate threat, Dana has begun to make arrangements, which is always prudent. This brings-up important matters that we all must consider. Have you written your will(s)? I have. Have you made provisions for the Parish in your final testament? I have. Have you made your final arrangements? I have not.

Amongst these latter, have you discussed the Service you would prefer with your Parish Priest? The only appropriate service for a Christian is the Requiem Mass. This may be done from either The Book of Common Prayer or the Anglican Missal. I've a form that can be used to list these choices.

Have you prepaid your funeral expenses ~ purchased the casket or coffin, the burial plot, paid the cemetery fees, etc.? Amongst the benefits of completing all of these tasks yourself is the fact that nothing is left to chance ~ your wishes will be followed. Additionally, you will save those who you love from the added burdens of having to scramble to make these plans at the last-minute; of having to spend money that they may or may not have to insure that things are done decently, and in-order; of having to determine what your wishes were, if you did not arrange them yourself, or, having made them, did not communicate them to those who will be left to tend to the details in your absence.

Please pray for Dave; for his health, and recovery. We, too, follow that path which leads to- and through the grave. Pray accordingly. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish

‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2023 September 9

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Saturday, 9 September, in the year of our Lord 2023. The scheduled services, activities, and work-parties are listed below:

• Saturday (today): 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Peter Claver, Confessor. Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XIV. Sanctuary/Choir emptying after 10:00 service.
• Monday: NO SERVICES ~ 8:00 AM, Navy volunteers moving furniture for carpet installation.
• Tuesday: NO SERVICES ~ 9:00 AM, carpet installation.
• Wednesday: NO SERVICES ~ 8:00 AM, Navy volunteers moving furniture back-into position.
• Thursday: 6:00 PM, return loose items to Sanctuary & Choir.
  6:30 PM, Mass, Exaltation of the Holy Cross, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 9:00 AM, Mass, Seven Sorrows of the BVM, with Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Cyprian, Bishop & Martyr.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Trinity XV.

As-noted last week, we've a number of events and projects looming before us. Tomorrow, Sunday, after the 10:00 service, we must empty all of the loose items from the Sanctuary and the Choir spaces. This will enable our Navy volunteers to easily remove the furniture from these areas, in-anticipation of the carpet-installation happening on Tuesday. If all of the attendees at the Thursday-evening Mass will arrive one-half hour early, we should easily be able to return these items to their usual places.

Two weeks from tomorrow, Sunday, 24 September, will be our Patronal Feast. Also on that day, Archbishop Gordon will be making his Annual Visitation to Saint Matthew's. As-such, we will be having a Parish clean-up day on Saturday, 23 September. Dusting, vacuuming, mopping floors, and other exciting adventures await all comers on that day. We will commence at Noon; hopefully, we should be done within a few hours.

On the Saturday-following Archbishop Gordon's visit, 30 September, at 10:00 AM, we will anticipate the Feast of Saint Francis, with our annual Blessing of the Animals. This will be done outside if-possible, and in the Parish Hall, in the event of inclement weather. Pet- and people treats will be available. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish