THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
“The Incredulity of Thomas,” Caravaggio, 1601
THE CHURCH of ST ALBAN the MARTYR A PARISH OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA
WELCOME TO ST ALBAN’S A CHURCH OF THE GREAT COMMANDMENT , THE GREAT COMMISSION, & THE GREAT TRADITION
Saint Alban’s is an historic part of the Arlington community, worshiping in the splen- dor of the Anglican tradition since 1947. We are a parish committed to spreading the Kingdom of God, making the Lord Jesus Christ known to His creation through the preaching of the Gospel and a robust participation in the sacramental life of His Holy Church. To learn more contact Fr. Francis at [email protected]
REGARDING RECEPTION OF THE HOLY COMMUNION
Those who have been baptized with water in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; who, being in love and charity with others, have prepared themselves by repentance and fasting (at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion) and, if necessary, by the Sacrament of Penance; and who believe in the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, may receive Holy Communion. Anyone may come forward to receive a blessing by folding their arms across their chest. The Blessed Sacrament is given “in one kind” (the Host), and may be received either on the tongue or in the palm of the hand.
A PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP Most gracious God, incline thy merciful ears unto our prayers, and enlighten our hearts by the grace of the Holy Spirit; that we may worthily serve at thy Holy Mysteries, and love thee with an everlasting love. Amen.
A PRAYER AFTER WORSHIP May the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even my own heart, until the end of time. Amen.
THE ORDER FOR CHORAL MASS 11TH APRIL, 2021 - SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
VOLUNTARY – Toccata in C, BWV 564 J.S. BACH
PROCESSIONAL HYMN HYMNAL #193 That Easter Day with Joy was Bright
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
THE COLLECT FOR PURITY lmighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration A of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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THE SUMMARY OF THE LAW ear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and H great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS
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Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Let us pray.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY lmighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery hast established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the A fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The People sit.
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THE LESSON ACTS 3:12A,13-15,17-26 And when Peter saw the people running together to him and to John, he addressed them, saying, “Men of Israel, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent there- fore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Sam- uel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.” The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
THE GRADUAL PSALM 111
Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole/ heart, * in the assembly of the upright, in the congre/gation. Great are the deeds of the/ Lord! * they are studied by all who delight in/ them. His work is full of majesty and/ splendor, * and his righteousness endures for/ ever. He makes his marvelous works to be re/membered; * the Lord is gracious and full of com/passion. He gives food to those who/ fear him; * he is ever mindful of his/ covenant.
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He has shown his people the power of his/ works * in giving them the lands of the/ nations. The works of his hands are faithfulness and/ justice; * all his commandments are/ sure. They stand fast for ever and/ ever, * because they are done in truth and/ equity. He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for/ ever; * holy and awesome is his/ Name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of/ wisdom; * those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for/ ever.
THE EPISTLE 1 JOHN 5:1-6 Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA
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THE GOSPEL JOHN 20:19-31
THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. People Glory be to thee, O Lord. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you for- give the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faith- less, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise be to thee, O Christ.
THE HOMILY
THE NICENE CREED
BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, I and of all things visible and invisible;
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And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, Bow and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; rise and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
The Deacon or Celebrant offers the prayers for the Church and the world, first saying
Let us pray for the Church and for the world, saying, “hear our prayer.”
For the peace of the whole world, and for the well-being and unity of the people of God. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
For Foley, our Archbishop, Ryan, our Bishop, and Keith, his assistant; and for all the clergy and people of our Diocese and Congregation. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
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For all those who proclaim the Gospel at home and abroad, especially for the Church of the province of the Indian Ocean; for St. Mark’s Church in Chigwere, and for Fr. Binga our Centurion Partner in northern Malawi; for the people of Malawi and Kurdistan; for St. Francis Anglian Church in Austin; and for all who teach and disciple others. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
For our brethren in Christ who are persecuted for their faith. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
For our nation, for those in authority, and for all in public service; especially Joe, our Presi- dent, Greg, our Governor, and Jeff, our Mayor. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
For those celebrating the anniversary of their marriage, especially Ray & Janis Harrison, and Father Zeke & Adeline Rogers. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
For all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity; especially ______. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
For all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection; espe- cially Reginald Middleton Jr., Fred Dezendorf, Mary Alice fielder, Stephen Allen, Robert Manriquez, Thomas McAvoy, & Clarrie Cresswell. Lord in thy mercy: People Hear our prayer.
The Celebrant then concludes with an appropriate Collect.
BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS Watch over thy children, O Lord, as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand. Comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful. Raise them up if they fall. And in their hearts may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
OFFERTORY ANTHEM O FILII ET FILIAE Antognini
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THE EUCHARISTIC SACRIFICE
The People stand and join in the following responses as the Oblation is offered to God.
At the Offering of the Bread Priest Blessèd art thou, Lord God of all creation; through thy goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the Bread of Heaven. People Blessèd be God for ever.
At the Offering of the Wine Priest Blessèd art thou, Lord God of all creation; through thy goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become for us the Cup of Salvation. People Blessèd be God for ever.
Priest The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered this day to the greater glory of God, in thanksgiving for the gift of his Son (and for ____). Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that this my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Father almighty. People May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his Name, for our good and the good of all his Holy Church. Priest Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
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It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all plac- es, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.
Here a Proper Preface is sung
Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,
SANCTUS
The People kneel and the Celebrant continues ll glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the A cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to con- tinue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again.
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For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
“Take, eat, THIS IS MY BODY, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying,
“Drink ye all of this; for THIS IS MY BLOOD of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly be- loved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before thy divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same.
And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.
And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.
And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him.
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Remember, Lord, also the souls of thy servants and handmaidens, which are gone be- fore us with the mark of faith, and rest in the sleep of peace [especially ______]. We be- seech thee, O Lord, that unto them, and unto all such as rest in Christ, thou wilt grant a place of refreshing, of light, and of peace.
To us sinners also, thy servants who hope in the multitude of thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some portion and fellowship with blessèd Mary, the ever-Virgin Mother of our Lord and God Jesus Christ; with Joseph, her most chaste spouse; with our Patron Al- ban the Martyr; (with ___); and with all thy Saints, within whose fellowship we beseech thee to admit us.
And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacri- fice, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord; By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Al- mighty, world without end. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say,
THE LORD’S PRAYER HYMNAL S-119
THE FRACTION Deliver us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all evils, past, present, and to come: and at the intercession of the blessèd and glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with thy blessèd Apostles Peter and Paul, and with Andrew, and all thy Saints, favorably grant peace in our days: that by the help of thine availing mercy we may ever both be free from sin and safe from all distress. Through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
THE PEACE Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And with thy spirit.
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FRACTION ANTHEM Jeffrey Smith
Choir Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast. All Refrain.
Choir Not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. All Refrain.
O Lord, Jesus Christ, who saidst to thine Apostles, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; Regard not our sins but the faith of thy Church, and grant to her that peace and unity which is according to thy will; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
THE PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS E DO NOT PRESUME to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trust- ing in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. W We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Ta- ble. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
The Celebrant issues the INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION and then ministers the Blessed Sacrament to himself. After this, those who are watching the live-stream are invited to make their ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION using the following prayer
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION n union, O Lord, with the faithful at every altar of thy Church where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is now being celebrated, I I desire to offer thee praise and thanksgiving. I present to thee my soul and body with the earnest wish that I may always be united to thee. Though I cannot now receive thee sacramentally, yet I believe that
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thou art able, even when received by faith and desire only, to heal, en- rich, and sanctify me. Come thou spiritually into my heart. I desire to unite myself to thee, with all the affections of my soul. Possess me whol- ly; let the consuming fire of thy love absorb me, and thy presence abide so intimately in me, that it will be no longer I that live, but thou who livest in me. Let nothing ever separate me from thee. May I live and die in thy love. Amen.
HOLY COMMUNION
At the direction of the Ushers, those desiring and prepared to receive the Holy Communion or a Bless- ing come forward to the Priests at the Communion Stations.
COMMUNION HYMN HYMNAL #318 Here O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face
Following the Ablutions, the People kneel.
POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVING LMIGHTY AND EVERLIVING GOD, we most heartily thank thee for that thou dost feed us, in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the A most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favor and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs, through hope, of thy everlasting king- dom. And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
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THE BLESSING & DISMISSAL Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit.
The Celebrant here imparts his blessing to the Congregation.
Deacon The Mass is ended.
RECESSIONAL HYMN HYMNAL #209 We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight
VOLUNTARY – Toccata in B EUGENE GIGOUT
DEPARTURE OF THE CONGREGATION: An usher will move from the back of the nave to the front dismissing worshipers pew by pew. Please do not depart until the usher allows. Take your Mass Book with you.
15 A sermon preached by Fr. Joseph Francis SSC at the Church of St. Alban the Martyr in Arlington, Texas Easter II – April 11, 2021
Alleluia, Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia!
In our Gospel this morning we pick up where the story left off last week. Those who went to the tomb on Easter morning have found it empty, and word is beginning to spread among the disciples that Jesus is no longer dead… or at least that there are some who seem to think so. John tells us that it is the evening on Easter Sunday, and the disciples (with Thomas apparently being absent), are gathered together in fear. They have “gone underground.” They’ve closed the doors to the house, they’ve shut the blinds, and are in hiding. We can imagine them talking quietly to one another. What are they supposed to do now? Jesus is dead. They can’t go back to life as it used to be 3 years ago. They’re “in too deep.”
Even though almost all of them ran as soon as Jesus was arrested on Maundy Thursday, the whole of Jerusalem knows their faces. If they go outside, people on the streets will jeer at them and mock them for having been followers of the so-called Messiah who died a shameful and agonizing death. How embarrassed they must have been. I can’t help but think of those who get duped into following “doomsday cults.” How embarrassing for those who claim the world will end on Thursday, only to wake up Friday morning with nothing changed. The disciples must have felt much like this. Embarrassed and ashamed.
But the risks were more than just that. Even worse, if they went outside, perhaps the fate of Jesus would become their own. Perhaps the Pharisees will see them as a threat as well and will take them to Pontius Pilate asking for the same judgement to be placed on them as on Jesus.
Mary Magdalene and others had come in, saying Jesus was not in the tomb, but they simply couldn’t accept that news. The death of Jesus had been too final, too traumatic, too disastrous, too hopeless. Surely, these disciples talking of Jesus’ resurrection were hysterical. Mark’s Gospel simply says “they did not believe it.” So, the closest friends of our Lord simply huddle together in the house, waiting and wondering what to do next.
It is in the midst of this fear and anxiety that Jesus comes and stands among them. In Luke’s Gospel, the disciples are frightened not just because they are seeing someone who is now dead, but because they think he’s a ghost or demon of some kind. And if we 1 think about it, you and I would have been freaked out too. The disciples had abandoned Jesus in his suffering and death. They had stood idly by while he hung on the cross. If Jesus was appearing to them as a ghost, they probably thought he wasn’t there to comfort them but to torment them for their disloyalty… to seek revenge!
But what does Jesus say? He doesn’t shame them for their role in his death, he doesn’t torment them. Instead, he says “Shalom aleichem,” “Peace be with you.” Then he shows them the holes in his hands and in his side. He shows them the marks, the scars, the wounds from his death on the cross. And the disciples are glad. In St. Luke’s account, Jesus not only shows them his wounds but he says “Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” (Luke 24:39) What they experience here is not a phantasm, not a hallucination, not an allegorical notion of Jesus resurrected in the mind but not in reality. No - they experience the true person of Jesus, who was dead, and is now alive in the perfected state of the resurrected body.
Wounds and peace. These are the keys to understanding the resurrection.
There’s a marvelous story about St. Teresa of Avila – that great Spanish mystic and nun in the 1500’s. It’s said that one day the devil appeared to Teresa, disguised as Christ. She wasn’t fooled for one moment, but dismissed him instantly. Before leaving, the devil asked her how she knew he wasn’t Jesus. She answered “You didn’t have any wounds! Christ has wounds.”
It is the wounded Christ who appears to the disciples and to us. Christ still bears in his body the marks of his suffering and death. He still bears the signs of his supreme act of love for us. Remember those familiar words of the Prophet Isaiah: “…he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (53:5)
Christ has wounds. And the reality is that anyone who claims the name “Christian” – “little Christ” – has wounds as well. Woundedness and suffering are not taken away by the work of Jesus Christ, but they are transformed. They are given new meaning, and turned from the way of death into the way of new life.
What does it mean that the resurrected Christ is known by his glorious wounds? Charles Spurgeon – an English Baptist preacher who was something like the Billy Graham of his day – said it means “that suffering is absolutely necessary.”1 It is an inevitable part of
1 Charles Spurgeon, Jan 30 1859. New Park Street Pulpit Vol. 5 2 human existence, common to all from the beginning of our creation. Spurgeon looked to Calvary as the example for this truth. He said “There are only three sorts of men that have ever lived – a good man, a bad man, and the God-Man. Now, on Calvary’s cross, I see three characters. I see the thief, the representative of the bad. I see the penitent thief, the representative of the righteous. And I see the God-Man in the midst. All three [experience suffering].”2
For Spurgeon, the suffering of humanity is not the question, not the starting point. The question is what we allow our suffering to do. We can be like the thief who suffers in hatred. We can be like the penitent thief whose suffering converts his heart. Or we can be like Christ, whose suffering is given in love for others. We can bear our wounds – whatever they may be – as marks of shame, or we can give them to Christ and have them transformed into marks of his glory.
See, Jesus is the “wounded healer.” He knows what it is like to experience pain and distress. He knows what it is to experience joy and sorrow in life. And because of that, he is truly present with us through it all. Just as Christ appeared in the midst of the fear and distress of the Apostles on Easter evening, so too does he appear in the midst of the fear and distress of our own lives, saying “Peace be with you.”
The message of the resurrection is peace through the work of Christ. It is not the cheap sort of “peace” we hear talked about in society. It is not the phony “truce” made between factions who decide to overlook the problems. Rather, the peace of Christ is given to us through his wounds. It is given to us through true love which is willing to sacrifice everything for the good of the other.3 It is costly, and God himself is the one who paid the price. And because of that, the peace of Christ is true, and it is eternal.
At the High Mass every Sunday we repeat the words of Christ in John chapter 14, saying: “O Lord, Jesus Christ, who saidst to thine Apostles, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; regard not our sins but the faith of thy Church, and grant to her that peace and unity which is according to thy will…” It is the will of God that we would no longer be enslaved to our selfishness, to sin, death, and to hopelessness. His will is that we would know his peace; that fullness of peace which is given to us by his wounds. For by his wounds our own wounds are healed. By his death, our own death is destroyed. By his resurrection, we are given new and eternal life with God.
Alleluia, Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia!
2 Charles Spurgeon, Jan 30 1859. New Park Street Pulpit Vol. 5 3 Thomas Aquinas: “to love is to will the good of the other.” 3
THIS WEEK at ST ALBAN’S → Monday, April 12th - Easter Feria 11:00am - Burial Office for Sylvia Thompson
→ Tuesday, April 13th - Easter Feria Noon - Low Mass with Unction
→ Wednesday, April 14th - Easter Feria 10:30am - Bible Study in the Parish Hall
→ Thursday, April 15th - Easter Feria Noon - Low Mass
→ Sunday, April 18th - Third Sunday of Easter 8:00am - Low Mass 9:15am - Children’s Catechesis, Room 12 C.S. Lewis Class, Parish Hall 10:30am - Choral Mass (in the Church and live-streamed)
NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONGRATULATIONS to those who were baptized on Easter Sunday: David Erinne, Delaney Erinne, & Marcus Welling. Congratulations also to those who are making their First Communion during Eastertide: Kathryn Craig, Audrey Cyphers, Joseph (Joey) Francis, Brittney Iheme, Nicole Iheme, Zachary Neal, Adalynn Parker, Evan Saenz, Emelia Saenz, & Marcus Welling.
PARISH CLEAN-UP DAY will be Saturday, April 17th from 9am - 2pm. The vestry is requesting help to clean out and reorganize classrooms throughout the building. Please bring basic cleaning supplies. Lunch will be provided!
BISHOP’S DOLLARS APPEAL Bishop Reed is asking every household in the diocese to support the Bishop’s discretionary fund, which is used to help families and churches with emergency needs. There is a particular need right now due to the recent ice storms. Checks may be made payable to “Bishop’s Dollars” and sent to 2900 Ale- meda Street, Fort Worth, TX 76108 or donate online at www.fwepiscopal.org.
THE SANCTUARY CANDLE is given to the glory of God by Angela Dashfield in lov- ing memory of her mother, Clarrie Cresswell, on the anniversary of her death.
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PARISH OFFICE HOURS are Monday thru Thursday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
BOOKSTORE HOURS are Tuesday thru Thursday from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and Sunday from 9:00am to 10:30am.
DID YOU KNOW? Eastertide continues for a full 50 days following the Feast of the Resurrection and ending on the Feast of Pentecost. That means we spend more time celebrating Easter than we do preparing for it during Lent! During this time the litur- gy is notably “light” - filled with alleluias, white vestments, and joyful music. At eve- ry Mass the Paschal Candle is lit as the prime symbol of the resurrected Christ. Tra- ditionally in Eastertide, Christians begin their daily prayers with the Regina Caeli:
Joy to thee, O Queen of Heaven, Alleluia! He whom thou wast meet to bear, Alleluia! As He promised hath arisen, Alleluia! Pour for us to God thy prayer, Alleluia! *(Can be sung to the familiar hymn tune of “Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia!”)
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia! R. For the Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!
How are you continuing the Easter celebration in your home for the full 50 days?
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