SAINT BARNABAS Four Sunday of Advent Twenty-Third of December, Ad 2018

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

SAINT BARNABAS Four Sunday of Advent Twenty-Third of December, Ad 2018 P ARISH C HURCH OF SAINT BARNABAS Four Sunday of Advent Twenty-third of December, ad 2018 Welcome to Saint Barnabas Church Founded in 1869, Saint Barnabas is a Roman Catholic parish of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. The Ordinariate was established in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI in order to preserve elements of the Anglican tradition within the Catholic Church. The parish entered the Catholic Church in 2013. Mass is celebrated using Divine Worship, the Vatican-promulgated Missal also known as the Ordinariate or Anglican Use liturgy. All Catholics may fulfill their Mass obligation on Sundays and holydays at Saint Barnabas. Catholics in full communion with the Holy See of Rome may receive Holy Communion at our Masses. Confessions are heard beginning 25 minutes before Mass at the rear of the church. KALENDAR Sunday, December 23 Fourth Sunday of Advent pro populo Monday, December 24 Greater Advent Feria O Virgo Virginum Tuesday, December 25 Christmas Day Wednesday, December 26 Saint Stephen, Protomartyr Thursday, December 27 Saint John, Apostle & Evangelist Friday, December 28 Holy Innocents, Martyrs Saturday, December 29 Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop & Martyr Sunday, December 30 Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, & Joseph pro populo INTERCESSIONS THE SICK AND OTHERS IN THE CHURCH AND THE NEED OF PRAYER WORLD Helmuth Dahlke, Heather De John, James and Pope Francis and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI Kathryn Drake, Donald Ehrlich, Ronald Bishop Steven Lopes [Ordinariate] Erikson, Kelly Leisure, Fran Nich, Julie Nich, Archbishop George Lucas [Omaha] Jen Schellen, Barb Scofield, Joe Stankus, Marty President Donald Trump Stankus, Mark Stoll, Richard Swanson, Jr., Governor John Peter Ricketts Robert Templin, David and Carolyn Wipfler Mayor Jean Stothert Persecuted Christians throughout the world THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED Ruth Weber Richel von Froisberg HIGH MASS Organ Rorate celi desuper Choral orné Jeanne Demessieux (1921-1968) from Douze Choral Préludes sur des thèmes grégoriens, Opus 8 (1947) Asperges me sprinkling with holy water plainsong, Mode vij priest all O Lord, show thy mercy upon us. And grant us thy salvation. O Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto thee. Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. LORD, holy Father, Almighty, everlasting to guard and cherish, protect and visit, and O God, we beseech thee to hear us; and evermore defend all who are assembled in this vouchsafe to send thy holy Angel from heaven, place; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Hymn 11 “The King shall come when morning dawns” Saint Stephen MASS of the CATECHUMENS Introit Rorate celi desuper Isaiah xl Gregorian, Mode viij ROP down, ye heavens, from above, and Psalm 19. The heavens declare the glory of D let the skies pour down righteousness: God: and the firmament showeth his handy- let the earth open, and bring forth a Saviour. work. Glory be. Drop down. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Collect for Purity LMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts be that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily Aopen, all desires known, and from whom magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our Lord. Amen. hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, Summary of the Law EAR what our Lord Jesus Christ saith: commandment. And the second is like unto it: H Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with these two commandments hang all the Law all thy mind. This is the first and great and the Prophets. Kyrie eleison stand : sung as indicated Missa Marialis Kyrie cum jubilo WOMEN/CHILDREN MEN WOMEN/CHILDREN MEN WOMEN/CHILDREN MEN WOMEN/CHILDREN MEN WOMEN/CHILDREN ALL Collect The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. AISE up, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may Rpower, and come among us, and with speedily help and deliver us; who livest and great might succour us: that whereas, through reignest with the Father, in the unity of the our sins and wickedness, we are sorely Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without hindered in running the race that is set before end. Amen. Lesson Micah v. 2-5a HUS SAITH THE LORD: But you, O brought forth; then the rest of his brethren T Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to shall return to the people of Israel. And he be among the clans of Judah, from you shall shall stand and feed his flock in the strength come forth for me one who is to be ruler in of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Israel, whose origin is from of old, from Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up for now he shall be great to the ends of the until the time when she who is in travail has earth. And this shall be peace. Gradual Prope est Dominus Psalm cxlv Gregorian, Mode v HE Lord is nigh unto all them that call of the Lord: and let all flesh give thanks unto T upon him: yea, all such as call upon him his holy Name. faithfully. My mouth shall speak the praise Epistle Hebrews x. 5-10 RETHREN: When Christ came into the desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and B world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings you have not desired, but a body you have (these are offered according to the law), then prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin he added, Behold, I have come to do your offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I will. He abolishes the first in order to said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O establish the second. And by that will we God, as it is written of me in the roll of the have been sanctified through the offering of book. When he said above, You have neither the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Alleluia Veni, Domine c.f. Habakkuk iii Gregorian, Mode i COME, O Lord, and tarry not: forgive the misdeeds of thy people. Gospel Saint Luke i. 39-45 The continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke. Glory be to thee, O Lord. T THAT TIME: Mary arose and went blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is A with haste into the hill country, to a city this granted me, that the mother of my Lord of Judah, and she entered the house of should come to me? For behold, when the voice Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled who believed that there would be a fulfilment with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a of what was spoken to her from the Lord. loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and The Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to thee, O Christ. Sermon sit Father Jason Catania Creed stand Symbolum Nicaenum plainsong, Mode i Genuflect Stand Intercessions stand Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Have compassion on those who suffer from Church; any grief or trouble; That we all may be one. That they may be delivered from their Grant that every member of the Church distress. may truly and humbly serve thee; Give to all the departed eternal rest; That thy Name may be glorified by all And let light perpetual shine upon them. people. We praise thee for the Blessed Virgin Mary, We pray for our Holy Father, Pope for Saint Barnabas, for Saint John Cantius, Francis, Steven, our Bishop, and for all and for all thy saints who have entered into joy; Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; May we also come to share in thy heavenly That they may be faithful ministers of thy kingdom. Word and Sacraments. We pray for all who govern and hold RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God: authority in the nations of the world; G that after the example of blessed John of Kanty, thy Confessor, we may so advance in That they may work for thy peace on earth. the knowledge of the Saints, and likewise so Give us grace to do thy will in all that we learn to show mercy to all men; that by his undertake; merits we may be counted worthy to attain That our works may find favour in thy thy pardon; through Jesus Christ thy Son our sight. Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen. PENITENTIAL RITE Invitation Ye that do truly and earnestly repent … meekly kneeling upon your knees. Prayer kneel; said by all LMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord these our misdoings; the remembrance of A Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge them is grievous unto us; the burden of them of all men; we acknowledge and bewail our is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have manifold sins and wickedness, which we, from mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy time to time, most grievously have committed, Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us By thought, word, and deed, against thy all that is past; and grant that we may ever Divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy hereafter serve and please thee In newness of wrath and indignation against us.
Recommended publications
  • The Holy See
    The Holy See FEAST OF ST STEPHEN PROTOMARTYRPOPE FRANCIS ANGELUS Saint Peter's Square Wednesday, 26 December 2018 [Multimedia] Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! The joy of Christmas still floods our hearts. The wondrous message continues to resonate: Christ is born for us and brings peace to the world. In this joyful climate, today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Stephen, deacon and first martyr. It might seem curious to place the memorial of Saint Stephen alongside Jesus’ birth, because a contrast stands out between the joy of Bethlehem and the tragedy of Stephen, stoned in Jerusalem during the first persecution against the nascent Church. In reality it is not so, because the Child Jesus is the Son of God made man, who will save humanity by dying on the Cross. We now contemplate him wrapped in swaddling cloths in the Nativity scene; after his crucifixion he will again be wrapped in bandages and laid in a tomb. Saint Stephen was the first to follow in the footsteps of the divine Master in martyrdom; he died as Jesus did, by entrusting his own life to God and forgiving his persecutors. Two approaches: he entrusted his life to God and he forgave. As he was being stoned he said: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). They are words wholly similar to those spoken by Jesus on the Cross: “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” (Lk 23:46). The attitude of Stephen, who faithfully imitates Jesus’ actions, is an invitation addressed to each one of us to faithfully receive from the Lord’s hands the positive and also negative things that life reserves for us.
    [Show full text]
  • St. Stephen! You Are Welcome Here
    SAINT STEPHEN BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH 4141 Laurence Avenue, Allen Park, MI August 22nd, 2021 313-382-5901 website: saintstephenbyzantine.church Priest: Rev. John R.P. Russell, M.Div. cell phone: 412-378-0308 email: [email protected] Deacon: Rev. Deacon Lawrence Hendricks Cantor: Pani Mary Hendricks Director of Evangelization: Carson Daniel Lauffer Glory to Jesus Christ! Welcome to St. Stephen! You are welcome here. Join us in prayer and worship of almighty God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. About the Parish St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Church, led by the Holy Spirit, is called to evangelize – to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves to welcoming and caring for all of God's children. We are a parish of the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of Parma, Bishop Milan (Lach) of Parma is our bishop. Archbishop William (Skurla) of Pittsburgh is our Metropolitan. We are in communion with our holy father Francis, the Pope of Rome. “We are Catholics with the common heritage of our Orthodox brothers but in unity with the Holy Father in Rome.” – Bishop Milan 1 LITURGICAL SERVICE TIMES Sunday & Saturday morning at 10:00am Wednesday & Friday evening at 7:00pm 4:00pm Great Vespers for Sunday - followed by Confessions Sunday, August 22, 2021 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. Tone 4 Post-festive Day of the Dormition. The Holy Martyr Agathonicus and his Companions. The Passing of the Blessed Confessor Simeon Lukac, secret Bishop (1964). 2nd Resurrectional Matins Gospel: Mark 16:1-8. 1 Corinthians 16:13-24. Matthew 21:33-42. 8:00am Sunday Matins 9:45am Third Hour – Reader Service 10:00am Divine Liturgy - for the people of the parish Reader: Dominique Azcuy for the grandchildren of Judith Ng, from Judith Ng (8-17) for Br.
    [Show full text]
  • The Parish of Our Saviour Saint Stephen and Our Lady
    T HE P ARISH OF O UR S AVIOUR S AINT S TEPHEN AND O UR L ADY OF THE S CAPULAR C HAPEL OF THE S ACRED H EARTS OF J ESUS AND M ARY IN THE C ITY OF N EW Y ORK TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – 25 JUNE 2017 CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOUR Rev. Robert J. Robbins, K.C.H.S. Fifty-nine Park Avenue Pastor (at East Thirty-eighth Street) Rev. Peter K. Meehan New York, NY 10016 Parochial Vicar www.oursaviournyc.org Rev. Msgr. Kevin Sullivan Parish Office: (212) 679–8166 In Residence CHAPEL OF THE SACRED HEARTS OF Rev. Msgr. Hilary C. Franco JESUS AND MARY Honorary Associate 325 East Thirty-third Street Mr. Paul J. Murray, K.C.H.S. (between First and Second Avenues) Director of Music New York, NY 10016 Leilani Siri, M.D. & Mr. David W. Ford Our Saviour and Sacred Hearts are both handicapped accessible. Trustees MASS FOR THE LORD’S DAY ANOINTING OF THE SICK Saturday (Anticipated Mass): 5:00 p.m. (Our Saviour) By appointment. Please call (212) 679–8166 x210. Sunday: 9:00 a.m. (Our Saviour), 11:00 a.m. (Our Saviour), 12:45 p.m. (Sacred Hearts), RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN 3:00 p.m. Korean-English Bilingual (Sacred Hearts), 5:00 p.m. (Our Saviour), 5:30 p.m. (Sacred Hearts) Inter-parish Program (K–8) at the Church of the Epiphany (212) 475–1966. DAILY MASS Monday–Friday: 7:45 a.m. (Our Saviour) NOVENA DEVOTIONS Monday–Saturday: 12:05 p.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Saint Stephen: a Window on the Past and Future of God's Plan
    Diligence: Journal of the Liberty University Online Religion Capstone in Research and Scholarship Volume 8 Article 7 May 2021 Saint Stephen: A Window on the Past and Future of God's Plan Christopher D. Ritcheson Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/djrc Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Ritcheson, Christopher D. (2021) "Saint Stephen: A Window on the Past and Future of God's Plan," Diligence: Journal of the Liberty University Online Religion Capstone in Research and Scholarship: Vol. 8 , Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/djrc/vol8/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Rawlings School of Divinity at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Diligence: Journal of the Liberty University Online Religion Capstone in Research and Scholarship by an authorized editor of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Saint Stephen: A Window on the Past and Future of God's Plan Cover Page Footnote 1 Christopher D. Ritcheson, "Saint Stephen: A Window on the Past and Future of God's Plan," Diligence: Journal of Liberty University Online Capstone in Research and Scholarship, Vol. , No. This article is available in Diligence: Journal of the Liberty University Online Religion Capstone in Research and Scholarship: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/djrc/vol8/iss1/7 Ritcheson: Saint Stephen: A Window on the Past and Future of God's Plan “His death was occasioned by the faithful manner in which he preached the gospel to the betrayers and murderers of Christ.
    [Show full text]
  • St. Barnabas's Memorial Episcopal Church
    St. Barnabas’s Memorial Episcopal Church 91 Main Street, Falmouth, MA 02540 508-540-3863 www.stbarnabasfalmouth.org 2 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS ........................................................................................................................... 5 SAINT BARNABAS’S WARRANT FOR 2021 ANNUAL MEETING .................................................................................... 5 JANUARY 2020 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES ............................................................................................................ 6 ADMINISTRATION REPORT ...................................................................................................................................... 9 CLERGY REPORTS........................................................................................................................................ 10 REPORT FROM THE RECTOR ................................................................................................................................ 10 PARISH STATISTICS ............................................................................................................................................. 11 RECTOR’S DISCRETIONARY FUND ........................................................................................................................ 12 VESTRY REPORTS ........................................................................................................................................ 13 REPORT FROM THE WARDENS .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Saint John the Baptist Church ~ the First 75 Years “The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Us, Because the Lord Has Anointed Us.”
    Saint John the Baptist Church ~ The First 75 Years “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, because the Lord has anointed us.” Officially Saint John the Baptist Parish was begun in 1867, actually it is much older. The recently arrived residents, mostly German and all the Catholics, laid the foundation for the future parish when they had the vil- lage school teacher: Mr. Serbis, Mr. Null, and Mr. May teach christian doc- trine to their children. These teachers lived in a building which stood on the opposite side of the public school on Main Street. Later this school building was moved to what is now the church property and became the old convent for the sisters. For many years the first families of the future parish in spite of the great incontinences which the days were filled with the hard business of living, still found time and strength to go on horseback, wagon or walk the many miles to St. Stevens Mission in Gretna or to Saints Peter and Paul Church in Naperville to celebrate Mass and to receive the Sacra- ments, often leaving at 4:00 am to leave for mass. It is a wonder, then that the history of Saint John the Baptist Church has been one of sacrifice and perseverance through close to 150 years. The faith of our hardy founders was part of their daily lives. Exiled to all from which they had been accustomed in their rich cultural roots in Ger- many: the music, their beautiful churches and the social life from the lands they came from, they held fast to their Faith in their new country.
    [Show full text]
  • Settlement Agreement
    SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT I. PARTIES 'I'his Settlement Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into between the following (hereinafter "the Parties") through their authorized representatives: the United States of America, acting through the United States Department of Justice and on behalf of the Oftice of Inspector General ("OlG-HHS") of the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS"), and the 'I'ItICARE Management Activity ("TMA"), through its General Counsel (collectively, "the United States"); Saint Barnabas Corporation, on behalf of its predecessors, and current and former affiliates, divisions, and subsidiaries ("Saint Barnabas"), and the nine hospitals listed in Exhibit 1 hereto (referred to herein as the "Settling Hospitals") (Saint Barnabas and the Settling llospitals are collectively referred to as the "Saint Barnabas Entities"); and Relators Peter Salvatori and Sara lveson (hereafter the "Salvatori relators") and Relator James Monahan. 11. PREAMBLE As a preamble to this Agreement, the Parties agree to the following: A. Saint Barnabas, headquartered in West Orange, New Jersey, is comprised of both 501 (c)(3) non-profit companies that operate health care related activities and other for-profit entities. Saint Barnabas, through its predecessors, subsidiaries, and/or affiliates, operates or has operated the Settling Hospitals during some or all of the period between October 1, 1995 to the present. B. The Salvatori relators are individual residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Relator James Monahan is an individual resident of the State of New Jersey. On November 4, 2002, the Salvatori relators filed a aui tam action that is pending against the Saint Barnabas Entities and that is captioned: U.S. ex rel.
    [Show full text]
  • ACTS Study Guide
    ACTS Episode 05 Barnabas Study Guide Episode: Acts Series No. 5 Narrator: Barnabas Primary Scriptures: Acts 4 Story Summary: Barnabas brings Paul into the Church, growth of Church outside Judea Location: Roman Empire; Jerusalem, Damascus, Antioch, Cyprus Time: 30 AD Death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Pentecost. 33 AD (?) Paul becomes a Christian 46 AD Paul’s “famine” visit to Jerusalem Suggested Memory Scriptures: Acts 4:36-37; 9:26-27 Acts 4:36 says that Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus who sold land to help the infant Church. The Bible does not say when Barnabas became a Christian or when he left his home of Cyprus, nor when or how he, as a Levite, came into possession of the land that he sold. Land was very precious to the Jews, and selling land was an act of great sacrifice. Giving all of the proceeds to the apostles was an act of service, but the new Christians would have seen the act of selling the land itself as even more important than the money exchanged. The growth of the early Church was possible because its leaders knew and trusted each other. Barnabas was one of these first leaders, chosen by God to vouch for Paul so he could become part of the Church. It was Barnabas who facilitated Paul's relationship with Peter, James, and the other apostles. Barnabas seems to have been more influential in the Church than Paul for many years. It also seems that Barnabas was Paul’s mentor for many years. You can get an inkling of that because Barnabas is always mentioned first when they are together.
    [Show full text]
  • St. Stephen Parish
    June 23, 2019 St. Stephen ParishThe Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Spreading the Light of Christ 10118 Saint Stephen Circle Riverview, FL 33569 December 22nd – Fourth Sunday of Advent Fr.Dermot Dunne Pastor Mass Schedule Adoration: Fr. Timothy Williford Parochial Vicar Saturday Vigil 4:30pm Wednesday 9amV6pm Rev. Mr. Ed Dodenhoff Deacon Sunday 7:30, 9:30, 11:30am First Friday 9amV10am Rev. Mr. Mike Ryba Deacon Rev. Mr. Mike Sweeney Deacon Life Teen Mass 5:30pm Church Office: 813V689V4900 Reconciliation: (Chapel) School: 813V741V9203 MondayVSaturday 8:30am Monday after 8:30 Mass Faith Formation: 813V671V4434 Tuesday 6:30pm Tuesday 5:00pm Pastoral Care: 813V689V4900 Friday after 8:30 Mass Maintenance: 813V734V5877 Morning Prayer MVSa 8:10am Saturday 2:45 pm 2 December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Fourth Sunday of Advent First Reading Isaiah 7:10V14 the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the netherworld, or high as the sky! But Ahaz beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!" Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you Jesus Christ. also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and Gospel Matthew 1:18V24 bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.
    [Show full text]
  • SYNAXARION, COPTO-ARABIC, List of Saints Used in the Coptic Church
    (CE:2171b-2190a) SYNAXARION, COPTO-ARABIC, list of saints used in the Coptic church. [This entry consists of two articles, Editions of the Synaxarion and The List of Saints.] Editions of the Synaxarion This book, which has become a liturgical book, is very important for the history of the Coptic church. It appears in two forms: the recension from Lower Egypt, which is the quasi-official book of the Coptic church from Alexandria to Aswan, and the recension from Upper Egypt. Egypt has long preserved this separation into two Egypts, Upper and Lower, and this division was translated into daily life through different usages, and in particular through different religious books. This book is the result of various endeavors, of which the Synaxarion itself speaks, for it mentions different usages here or there. It poses several questions that we cannot answer with any certainty: Who compiled the Synaxarion, and who was the first to take the initiative? Who made the final revision, and where was it done? It seems evident that the intention was to compile this book for the Coptic church in imitation of the Greek list of saints, and that the author or authors drew their inspiration from that work, for several notices are obviously taken from the Synaxarion called that of Constantinople. The reader may have recourse to several editions or translations, each of which has its advantages and its disadvantages. Let us take them in chronological order. The oldest translation (German) is that of the great German Arabist F. Wüstenfeld, who produced the edition with a German translation of part of al-Maqrizi's Khitat, concerning the Coptic church, under the title Macrizi's Geschichte der Copten (Göttingen, 1845).
    [Show full text]
  • Saint Stephen-Martyr
    STONING OF ST.STEPHEN by Marcel Babineau Much of this information was taken from Wikipedia This stained glass is dated 1863 and is the centerpiece of St. Stephen’s Church, Milltown, NB. It is flanked by stained glass depictions of the Annunciation, Nativity, Crucifixion and Jesus with children, which enhances this arrangement. This set arrived in St. Stephen by boat in 1863. To the right of the stained glass is a reliquary regarded as containing a piece of bone from the arm of St. Stephen. A recent local event: In 2005, on entering our church, a lady with a pilgrimage tour bus from Connecticut experienced warmth and a severe case of shingles she suffered with for 2 years was immediately healed. Pastor Fr. Paul Riley was informed and exposed the relic for veneration to the group. For a time, this tour group included St. Stephen’s Parish in their pilgrimage tours. Saint Stephen, (died 36 ad, Jerusalem; feast day December 26), Christian deacon in Jerusalem and the first Christian martyr, whose apology before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7) points to a distinct strand of belief in primitive Christianity. His defense enraged his hearers, and he was taken out of the city and stoned to death. Stephen is first mentioned in Acts of the Apostles as one of seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church. It may be assumed that Stephen was born Jewish, but nothing more is known about his previous life. The reason for the appointment of the deacons is stated to have been dissatisfaction among Greek-speaking (Hellenistic) Jews that their widows were being slighted in preference to Hebraic ones in distribution of alms from the community funds.
    [Show full text]
  • The Speeches in Acts*
    Criswell Theological Review 5.1 (1990) 31-41. Copyright © 1990 by The Criswell College. Cited with permission. THE SPEECHES IN ACTS* SIMON J. KISTEMAKER Reformed Theological Seminary Jackson, MS 39209 About half of the Book of Acts consists of speeches, discourses, and letters. Counting both the short and the long addresses, we number at least 26 speeches that are made by either apostles and Christian leaders or by non-Christians (Jews and Gentiles). Classifying these speeches, we have eight addresses delivered by Peter,1 a lengthy sermon of Stephen before the Sanhedrin (7:2-53), a brief explanation by Cornelius (10:30-33), a short address by James at the Jerusalem Council (15:13- 21), the advice to Paul by James and the elders in Jerusalem (21:20-25), and nine sermons and speeches by Paul.2 The rest of the discourses were given by Gamaliel the Pharisee (5:35-39), Demetrius the silver- smith (19:25-27), the city clerk in Ephesus (19:35-40), Tertullus the lawyer (24:2-8), and Festus the governor (25:24-27).3 In addition, Luke relays the text of two letters: one from the Jerusalem Council to the Gentile churches (15:23-29), and the other written by Claudius Lysias addressed to Governor Felix (23:27-30). I. Sources The speeches in Acts make the book interesting, because when people talk we learn something about their personalities. Luke gives * A few paragraphs in this article have been taken from my commentary An Exposition of Acts (New Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990).
    [Show full text]