Spiritus Gladius the Weekly News Letter of the Collegiate Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, Savannah
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Spiritus Gladius The Weekly News Letter of the Collegiate Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, Savannah The Weekday Kalendar The Fifth Sunday of EASTER Monday Finding of the Holy Cross CE 335 MP 9:00 am May 2 , 2021 HE 12:15 pm EP 5:30 pm Via Livestream on Facebook https:// facebook.com/stpaultheapostlesavannah/ Tuesday Monnica, CE 387 Mother of Augustine of Hippo 9:45 a.m. Morning Prayer MP 9:00 am 10:00 a.m. Solemn Mass EP 5:30 pm HE 6:00 pm 12:15 p.m. Misa en Español (online) 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer/Mass (On the Church Lawn) Wednesday Conversion of St. Augustine th Lauds 6:45 am Benediction (4 Sunday) HE 7:00 am ************** MP 9:00 am There is a 3 pm Mass at St. Bartholomew’s, EP 5:30 pm Chevis Road at Wild Heron Road on the th 4 Sunday of the Month Thursday Basilica of St. John ************** Before the Latin Gate, Rome MP 9:00 am HE 10:00am The Propers EP 5:30pm Acts 8:26-40 1 John 4:7-21 Friday John of Beverly John 15:1-8 Bishop of York, CE 721 Psalm 22:24-30 Lauds 6:45am HE 7:00am MP 9:00 am EP 5:30 pm Parish Office is open for phone calls Monday Through MP - Morning Prayer HS - Healing Service Thursday, 10am-12:00pm HE - Holy Eucharist EP - Evening Prayer No in-person visits are allowed at this time. Reflections Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: When out of town I often attended a weekday Mass. As regularly happens when you are in a new place and the patterns of those gathered for the Eucharist are different from those you are accus- tom too, you are made aware of the differences. Sometimes those differences will strike you as odd and a bit discombobulating. Other times they will open new ways of approaching the sacred mystery of our Lord’s own sacrifice which brings us to a deeper relationship with the creator of all. A recent celebration of the Holy Mysteries did both for me. The start was both jarring and un- nerving. A group was gathered in plenty of time to participate in the upcoming liturgy, but instead of preparing to enter the Kairos (the opportune moment-God’s moment) provided by the Divine Liturgy, the time before was treated as a gabfest. Mind you, there was plenty of room with comfortable seating available outside the chapel, where they could have easily visited without disturbing those attempting to recollect themselves before Mass. I will say that this group was aware of chronological time because about one minute before the Eucharistic celebration was to start, they brought their conversions to a whisper. On the plus side, this experience proves how important the opportunity for Fellowship is to our experience of the community we call Church. One of the hardest realities to endure for a number of us in this time of pandemic is the lack of chances to visit or share food after Mass. I am put immediately to mind of lunch on Monday’s and breakfast on Fridays at Larry’s, alas, that is gone, and we will have to search for a new venue. It is my hope that there will still be people on Tuesday’s, who will go out to dinner together and on Wednesday’s we will still have breakfast in Bishop Brady Hall after Mass. I am positive that the low numbers for Bible study on Thursdays after Mass is due to the lack of munchies and social engagement. Finally, Sunday some day will include Coffee Hour and opportunities for learn- ing in one of the various classes through the year. Another reinforcement which I experienced concerned the shared nature of the liturgy. We are all celebrants of the Eucharist! The Priest presides and has an especially important part to play in the Mass but there are several pieces which must be shared among the Baptized so that the work of the people of God is a communal dynamic and our common call to minister the Gospel is reinforced by every liturgy. Therefore, I have always insisted on different members of the assembled congregation share in the reading of scripture, lead the prayers of the people, serve at the altar and administer the chalice. At this celebration of the Eucharist the Presider read all the scripture, lead the prayers of the people and I believe that if I had not stepped in to serve in the setting of the altar, he would have served both the paten and the chalice. What struck me as I considered the movement of the liturgy that ensued, in this situation, was how noticeably priest centric was the celebration. It was manifestly apparent that no one felt permission to take their rightful place in liturgical leadership. As several of you know, who are part of our community, there have been times when no one has stepped up to read or the like and I have asked for someone to be brave and jump in with both feet, not just at daily celebrations but on the odd occasion when the assigned person failed to show for Sunday worship. Together we are the Body of Christ in this place. We have need of each other – our gifts, our presence and our willingness to serve. The Liturgy is designed to reinforce this and compel us to our work of ministry in the world. Across the ages the Mass reminds us that we are less than complete when we fail to show up fully on a regular basis. So, remember you are a unique part of every liturgical celebration and we are less than we can be or what God images us to be when we are not present in Body or Spirit. WWIII Parish News and Events Sunday’s Gospel: John 15: 1-8 I have been involved in a Benedictine Way group for the past eight years. Each month, we study the Rule of Benedict and discuss how Ben- edictine spirituality is impacting our life. The Benedictine value of stability rang through this text from the Gospel of John. According to the book Sacred Rhythms – The Monastic Way Eve- ry Day, stability is about cultivating rootedness and a shared sense of vision. The sentence “Abide in me as I abide in you” is about rooted- ness in Christ. This rootedness is both external and internal; Benedictine stability is about stay- ing where you are planted and experiencing what is happening inside you as you process what is happening outside you. Abiding in Christ is all about letting Jesus into your daily thoughts and visions, just like the life-giving water that runs through the grapevines and into the branch- Episcopal Church Women’s Meeting es. The ECW will meet on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at • How do you abide in Christ throughout your 10am in Bishop Brady Hall. This will be an or- day? ganizational meeting, planning for the 2021-2022 • How does your faith serve as your rooted- year. ness? Plant and Bake Sale ST. PAUL’S CONNECTS St. Paul’s will host our annual Plant and Bake Sale on Saturday, May 8, 2021, from 9:00am- 1:00pm. We are gladly accepting donations of Day Time Connect plants! If you need to divide any plantings at Sunday 10am& Mass your house and would like to donate them to the 5:30 https://facebook.com/stpaultheapostlesavannah/ plant sale, please contact Lily Wong at 355-3397. M-F 9am Morning Prayer Log on to St. Paul’s Facebook page and Coffee Hour on the Lawn click “follow” St. Paul’s will host a coffee hour on the lawn fol- 5:30pm Evening Prayer lowing the 10am mass next Sunday (9 May, https://facebook.com/stpaultheapostlesavannah/ 2021). Join us! M-F Varies Daily Mass https://facebook.com/stpaultheapostlesavannah/ To make a reservation for any Sunday Mass, (See Front of Bulletin for Times) click on the link listed below: (If you do not choose Wed 7pm Book Study “Surprised by Hope” to use the online reservations system, you may call the Email [email protected] to get the Zoom Link church office at (912) 232-0274.) Thurs 11:00am Bible Study Make a Reservation on Realm For Zoom link, email Kate Zeh at [email protected] Spiritus Gladius is published weekly at the Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 1802 Abercorn Street. Street, Savannah, GA 31401 . May 2, 2021 St Paul’s Collegiate Church High Altar and Our Lady Altar This Week at St. Paul’s 1802 Abercorn Street - Savannah, GA 31401 Flowers 34th & Abercorn Streets To the Greater Glory of God and in Sunday Lay Minister 1.912.232.0274 Loving Memory of Alan Boulton Amy Kathryn Porter The Episcopate Sunday Lector Given by The Right Reverend Frank S. Logue Dan & Marianne Porter Mary Willoughby Bishop of Georgia Mass Schedule The Most Rev’d Michael B. Curry D.D. Primate, Episcopal Church, USA High Altar Sanctuary Lamp As of this writing, we are opening To the Greater Glory of God and in the church to limited in-person wor- Archbishop of Canterbury Loving Memory of ship (phase one of the Diocesan Amy Kathryn Porter plan). You may join us daily for Given by Livestreaming on our Facebook Honorary Assistant Clergy Canon J. Robert Carter. PhD Dan & Marianne Porter Page https://facebook.com/ Fr. George B Salley, Jr The Rev. John G Anderson Our Lady Queen of Peace stpaultheapostlesavannah/ Lutheran Pastor in Residence Holy Communion is available at Altar Lamp To the Greater Glory of God and in the Main Door after the 10am Staff Loving Memory of Mass until 11:15 am The Very Rev’d Dr.