From Deacon Ron Reno:
May your week be blessed with the beautiful change to cooler weather and 
the start of the season of fall. With the autumnal equinox just starting, we can look forward to the landscape to be exploding with vibrant colors and seeing pumpkins everywhere. We had our Harvest full moon last week; our Harvest moon was also a super-moon that was bright and beautiful. It is a fantastic time of year to explore the outdoors and take a moment to thank God for the beauty around us. We get to enjoy most of God’s palette because He is the greatest of all artists and His creation is ours to enjoy. I would suggest doing EP outside as a change of pace. I did MP in the Rockies this summer and found it most gratifying.
Saint Michael is one of the principal angelic warriors, protector against the dark of the night and the Archangel who fought against Lucifer and his evil angels. The roots of Michaelmas is traced back to a fifth century. Pope Gelasius established this feast and it is on our Liturgical calendar. Saint Michael’s name has the deep meaning of ”Who is like God. ”
God willing Father Andrews and Anneliese will be here Saturday. We need to pray for traveling mercies for them. God willing we will have the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels (Michaelmas) this weekend. It is also associated with the beginning of Autumn. We won’t be eating the fattened goose as they do in the British Isles; but they say in England “Eat a goose on Michaelmas Day, Want not money all the year.” That may have worked for Queen Elizabeth I in the late 1500’s, but hard work and a belief in God does it for us Americans.
Michaelmas serves as a reminder of our fight against the ongoing evil forces we face daily. We need to look at Saint Michael to be our intercessor for the many spiritual battles we face. Saint Michael is spoken of twice in the OT and twice in the NT and the patron saint of many.
LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Collect for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. God bless, Deacon
God willing, Father and Anneliese will be here this weekend. Pray for traveling mercies while they travel which includes driving to Minnesota to visit family. It is always a blessing when Father comes to give us the acclamation of God through our liturgy and feed us with the body and blood of Christ, under the humble signs of bread and wine. We are called to be the Body of Christ because we do God’s bidding. The Eucharist is indeed the substantial sacred food He offers.
Nebraska has experienced snowstorms, tornadoes, a derecho and about a week ago, hurricane like winds that destroyed thousands of trees and brought Omaha down to its knees. We need to keep praying for all of our affected friends during a rash of adverse weather. We need to continue praying for the displaced families in California from wildfires and our friends in the Atlantic states. Maybe God is trying to get our attention.
Our Tenth Sunday after Trinity collect says it all.
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.
prelude from the “Organ Mass for the Convents” was a great intro to the Litany and to the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. We are so lucky to have such God filled music in our midst.
We were blessed! Father Andrews and Anneliese made it for the Ascension service. After all our tornado activity recently; it was wonderful to see them here safely. Earlier in the week Father suggested we do the Ascension of our Lord service. Father aspersed everyone while the choir sang the Vidi Aquam for that Rite. It was pretty dramatic that Pascal candle was extinguished during the reading of the Gospel as “He departed them.” Father also called all the mothers attending to the front to give them a blessing. That was another special moment. Thank you Father for all you do for this mission church. After Mass our mission group along with Father and Anneliese went to lunch at the LaCasa Restaurant. Thank you Vestry!
chapel. We will sing Evensong to celebrate Whitsunday/Pentecost. Our worship will be held this Sunday, May19 at 4PM. Please take note of this change. There will be no Anglican service at the Chapel this Saturday.