It's Your Funeral!

More and more these days, people seem to find themselves wanting to pay honour and respect to the surviving family and friends of a deceased person, only to discover that "at the request of the deceased, there will be no funeral/memorial/service".

This approach has the unhappy result of leaving those beloved survivors confused and wondering how to both honour and grieve for their friend/family member who has died.  They feel compelled to do something to express their emotions at this tender time, but don't want to disrespect the stated request of their loved one.

What about you?  Are you uncertain about how to guide your family and friends in some form of remembrance in the event of your death?

Join Rev. Lee Sinclair at St. Cyprian's on Saturday, October 4 (1:30 - 3:30 p.m.), for "It's Your Funeral" -- a short workshop on funeral planning.  Learn about your options for spiritual expression, what's permitted re: disbursement or burial of the deceased (or ashes), and how to guide your survivors so they can honour your wishes in a manner designed to comfort them and honour you.

Online Bible Meditation

Suggested daily Lectio divina - Week of September 28, 2014

September 28: Psalm 77: 1-15
September 29: Psalm 103: 19-22
September 30: Luke 24: 44-48

October 1: Luke 5: 27-32

October 2: Philippians 1:3-11

October 3: Philippians 1: 12-30

October 4: Luke 9: 46-48

Poetry for Ordinary Time

In the cycle of the Liturgical calendar, Ordinary Time refers to the days of the year that are not Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter. Ordinary Time is the longest period of the year.

The term "ordinary" should not be viewed as the opposite of special or "extraordinary," rather it is that time which is ordained for the everyday living of the Christian life. This becomes clearer in the Latin title, tempus ordinarium, which means "measured time."

For the Church, all of Ordinary Time is "ordained for" the purpose of sanctifying the everyday life of Christians. It helps prepare us for the other liturgical seasons of the Church year.

There are two distinct periods in Ordinary Time. The first is the five to eight weeks between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. The second is the twenty-three to twenty-seven weeks following the feast of Pentecost and concluding with the Solemnity of Christ the King. The liturgical color for days in Ordinary Time is green.*

*From the University of Dayton, "Marian Poetry in Ordinary Time (2003)" 

We are in the last of those 27 weeks between Pentecost and Advent.  Periodically there will appear on this weblog a piece of poetry for your enjoyment and reflection...at least once a month between now and the Reign of Christ (Feast of Christ the King) on Sunday, November 23.

Our first offering is from Mary Oliver:

Look and See*

This morning, at waterside, a sparrow few
to a water rock and landed, by error, on the back
of  an eider duck; lightly it  fluttered off, amused.
The duck, too, was not provoked, but, you might say, was
laughing.

This afternoon a gull sailing over
our house was casually scratching
its stomach of  white feathers with one
pink foot as it flew.

Oh Lord, how shining and festive is your gift to us, if we
only look, and see. 

 *From Why I Wake Early: New Poems - Mary Oliver, Beacon Press, Boston, MA, USA, 2004

Alix Lake - Autumn 2010

 

St. Matthew -- Apostle and Evangelist

St. Matthew - Frans Hals (1582/83 - 1666)

Sunday, September 21 is the Holy Day commemorating St. Matthew -- formerly Levi, born in Galilee, son of Alphaeus, and one of Jesus' disciples.  He is also the Apostle for whom the New Testament Book of Matthew is named.  It is reported that at the time of his decision to follow Jesus, he was living in Capernaum and working as a tax collector or a "[receiver] of custom". This job carried no formalized salary; rather, collectors were expected to make their income by cheating those from whom they collected.  As a result, tax collectors were social outcasts to be avoided, but it is written that Jesus "dined with tax collectors and sinners" as a matter of course (Matthew 9: 10).

Matthew is recognized as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox and Anglican denominations.  In the West his day is September 21 as mentioned, but in the East -- following the Julian calendar -- his day is observed on November 16.  His tomb is found in the crypt of the Cathedral of Salerno in Southern Italy.

You can read more about St. Matthew on Wikipedia and in this biographical sketch provided by the Anglican Society of Archbishop Justus.

You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem

 and in all Judea and Samaria 

and to the end of the earth.

- Acts 1:8

Online Bible Meditation

Suggested daily Lectio divina - Week of September 21, 2014

September 21: Psalm 19
September 22: Psalm 15
September 23: Philippians 1: 27-30

September 24: 1 Timothy 6: 1-10

September 25: 1 Timothy 6: 11-19

September 26: Ephesians 4: 1-16

September 27: Ephesians 4: 17-24

Holy Cross Day

Russian Icon - Feast of the Exaltation of the CrossGury Nikitin, ca. 1680.

As Rev. Lee taught in her sermon this morning, the 14th of September is a Holy Day -- the Feast of the Holy Cross.  According to legend, as Lee said, remnants of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified are said to have been found by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 326 A.D.

The title for this day has several variations.  In the Anglican, Episcopal and Lutheran denominations, it is generally referred to as Holy Cross Day; in the Roman Catholic, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross or the Triumph of the Cross.  It may also be called the Feast of the Glorious Cross.

In the Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine) church where this Holy Day first arose, the  Universal Exaltation (or Elevation) of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross commemorates not only St. Helena's finding the True Cross, but also its recovery from the Persians in 628.

Monastic Orders of the Holy Cross, such as the Anglican/Episcopal Order of the Holy Cross may mark this Feast Day -- which is their titular day -- as the beginning of "monastic winter", instituted by St. Benedict as the period where there are three nocturns of psalms and readings at Matins, from this date until Easter.

Helena of Constantinople
- Cima da Conegliano - 1495

Online Bible Meditation

Suggested daily Lectio divina - Week of September 14, 2014

September 14: John 3: 13-17
September 15: Psalm 98: 1-6
September 16: Luke 6: 20-26

September 17: Luke 6: 27-36

September 18: Psalm 33: 1-12

September 19: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11

September 20: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31

Did You Know...?

Get together with others for St. Cyprian's fall 2014 Book Study -- Saturdays at 10:00 a.m., beginning September 13.  

Sundae Sunday is Coming!

Sundae Sunday...

Sunday, September 14, we welcome everyone back from summer travels with a build-your-own-sundae party after the 10:00 a.m. service.  Adults planning to over-indulge must be accompanied by a child!  ;-)

Online Bible Meditation

Suggested daily Lectio divina - Week of September 7, 2014

September 7: Romans 13:8-14
September 8: Isaiah 61:9-11
September 9: Psalm 149:1-5

September 10: Psalm 139:1-9

September 11: Luke 6:27-38

September 12: 1 Corinthians 9:16-27

September 13: Luke 6:43-49

If you need guidelines or a refresher on how to practice lectio divina, click HERE.