Great updated news! Father emailed, Anneliese and he will be here to celebrate August 10th for “The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.” They will continue to travel to Wisconsin to see their son and his family. We need to pray for people traveling this week; Nick who is going to Wisconsin and Julie Sopscak driving in from Michigan. Julie will be here for Saturday’s service. We miss David and Julie and they are always in our prayers.
Pray for our California friends in and around Chico; they are fighting fires again. This fire is a monster.
Please pray for Janet Rose and her family. Jack passed this morning; “May he rest in peace and the perpetual light shine upon him.” Jack and Janet came often to Saint John’s until Jack’s health and ambulation started failing. We have wonderful memories of them. It is always sad for us who still walk this earth when someone passes.
On a more happy note; the Deacon was blessed to help with our Shakespeare and Sacred Art Camp this week offered by the Chesterton Academy. One of his former students taught sacred arts to the 3rd-7th grade students and the Deacon worked with the older students to do a stage setting for a play by Shakespeare. We will need two more hours Friday to finish the backdrop. Twenty three students 3rd through 12th have spent four days studying Shakespeare and memorizing their parts for this play. Chesterton teachers worked with these students. This school is doing God’s work.
O GOD, whose never-failing providence ordered all things both on heaven and earth; We humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Attached are some images from the school. God bless
celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Peter and the celebrant colors were red. Father did the rite of sprinkling water (asperges) right after the opening hymn. The blessing and sprinkling of holy water is a reminder of baptism normally done at Easter but can be done at other times. Father chose to do this on this last Saturday in accordance of the liturgical calendar. The music was great and while the choir was singing, “I sought the Lord,” in my mind I was singing, “I sought the Lord and the Lord won and I sought the Lord and the Lord won.” That may be a takeoff from an Eric Clapton song. I thought “For thy dear saints, O Lord” as a closing hymn especially reflective of this mass.
O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock; Make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
We had a lovely sung morning prayer and Communion of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts this past weekend. Thank you Nick for leading us in MP. Your voice is a gift from heaven and our small choir is testimony of God working through you. Robert did a wonderful job reading the first lesson. It is a blessing for us to chant our canticles, the Venite, Te Deum and the Benedictus. Learning to chant properly is a work in progress for me.
nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that thou being our ruler and guide, we may pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.