Mass Schedule – Epiphany I (January 11, 2015)
12, Of the Octave
13, Of the Octave
14, St. Hilary of Poitiers 367 AD
15, Feria
16, Feria
17, St. Anthony, Abbot 356 AD
+ On Monday, January 19 the Monday Morning Bible Study will meet to continue a study of “The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread” by Richard Booker. Booker’s book looks closely at the theme of the blood covenant which God made with Abraham and its fruition in Jesus Christ. It demonstrates in clear language how the Old and New Testaments tell one complete story. For further information contact Priscilla King at kingplk@gmail.com.
+ Hilary of Poitiers (315-367) lived during the great controversy between Athanasius who taught that Jesus Christ was fully God and not a creature as Arius, the arch-heretic had taught. Hilary is sometimes called “the Athanasius of the West and when he was bishop of Poitiers he refused to sign a condemnation of Athanasius and an Arian emperor for that reason had him banished him to Phygia in 357 where he remained for three years. During that time he wrote several theological treatises the most famous being On the Trinity.
+ Anthony – Before the conversion of the Emperor Constantine in 312 AD, back in the days when Christianity was still a persecuted religion, the act of becoming a Christian involved turning one’s back on the pursuit of security, of fashionable prestige and popularity, of success as the term is widely understood. After the Emperor had changed Christianity from a persecuted religion into a fashionable one, many earnest Christians felt the need to make such a renunciation in the service of Christ, and did not see mere Church membership as any longer enough to constitute such a renunciation. Accordingly, many of them sought Christian commitment by fleeing from society into the desert, and becoming hermits, devoting themselves to solitude, fasting, and prayer. Although this trend was much accelerated and reinforced by the conversion of Constantine and attendant changes, it had already begun earlier. An outstanding early example is Antony of Egypt, often reckoned as the founder of Christian monasticism. Antony of Egypt, the son of Christian parents, inherited a large estate. On his way to church one day, he found himself meditating on the text, “Sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and come follow me.” When he got to church, he heard the preacher speaking on that very text. He took this as a message for him, and, having provided for the care of his sister, he gave his land to the tenants who lived on it, and gave his other wealth to the poor, and became a hermit, living alone for twenty years, praying and reading, and doing manual labor. In 305, he gave up his solitude to become the head of a group of monks, living in a cluster of huts or cells, devoting themselves to communal singing and worship, to prayer and study and manual labor under Antony’s direction. They did not simply renounce the world, but were diligent in prayer for their fellow Christians, worked with their hands to earn money that they might distribute it as alms, and preached and gave personal counseling to those who sought them out.
+ This coming Wednesday is Agape & Christian Education and I hope you all can come out as well as bring a friend. Thanks goes out to all our cooks, teachers, and helpers and especially to Jackie Jamison for her leadership in organizing and developing our Wednesday Agape. Jackie says, “Things will proceed similarly to last year with three classes led by the same teachers (Sr. Lynda for the preschoolers, me for the elementary kids, and Charlie for upper elementary and middle school). All teachers please remember that class is over at 7:15!
+ All Saints Men’s Group will meets each Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. in undercroft.
+ The Holy Communion is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 12:15 p.m.
+ All Saints parishioner may obtain a Mass card from the Church office. A Mass card is a greeting card given to someone to inform him or her that a deceased loved one or friend was remembered and prayed for at a weekly Mass. It is a specifically Christian way to express one’s love. Call Julie McDermott at the Church office (434-979-2842) and she will help you fill out the form. The celebrant will sign the card and we will mail it from the Church to the family of the loved one.