Tonight there will be a "blue moon" -- not a moon that's coloured blue, but one that is called this because it's the second full moon in a single month. For more on exactly how this occurs and when, click HERE.
Being October 31, it's also Hallowe'en -- or 'All Hallows Eve', the start of a period in which the Church remembers 'all hallows', or all the hallowed and saintly souls in the history of Christianity, and those near and dear to us who have left this earth for the hallowed halls of heaven.
And then...this year...it's also the eve of the first Saturday of November which, at least in recent years, means it's also the evening when -- at bedtime -- people in many countries around the globe find themselves setting their clocks and other time-pieces back one hour, moving from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time again!
However spooked you are by the blue moon, however celebratory your Hallowe'en, please remember to...
Please note particular prayers for former parishioners, our friends Gerry and Sandra Pyper.
For those who wish to view only the sermon:
What is the Great Commandment?
From Rev. Robert:
"The sermon argues that the Pharisees and Jesus were having a very normal conversation. Not only was their question normal, but they were willing to answer a question from Jesus. The sermon focuses on the first part of the discussion. A few hurdles to our understanding the Gospel as a positive exchange are discussed. A modern reception of Jesus' summary of the law is also discussed."
Thank you to Rev. Dr. Robert Sears
and all participants from the Parish of St. John's
Luke the Evangelist - Tetravangelo E140 of the Great Lavra Source: Wikimedia Commons
Saint Luke, also known as Luke the Evangelist, is believed to have been a physician from Antioch, and is creditted as the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. For the former, he is believed to have been an 'ear-witness' -- collecting the stories as best he could in order to render 'an orderly account' (Luke 1: 3); for the latter, he was at least in part an eye-witness, in that he travelled periodically with Paul. It would appear that he lived to a ripe old age, and died at 84 in the Boeotia, a part of Greece.
Luke was not only an historian, but also, it is believed, a painter -- and a creator of the first icons. He is depicted below, painting an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus he has been considered not only the patron saint of physicians, but also of artists.
In the Morning Prayer Service for October 18, 2020, the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral shares a reflection on St. Luke, and includes the special prayer for this feast day, shared here for your own reflection and enjoyment.
Almighty God,
who inspired Luke the physician
to proclaim the love and healing power of your Son,
give your Church, by the grace of the Spirit
and the medicine of the gospel,
the same love and power to heal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
The sermon looks at Matthew 22. Jesus is confronted by the Herodians and the Pharisees. They want to trap Jesus in his words endorsing tax avoidance or heresy. Jesus reframes the problem and shifts the focus to giving to God the things that are God's. The reframing of the problem opens up the question of what is minted in God's image.
Today is World Food Day. Steve Bell's concert today features a variety of songs, including a couple based on the Psalms, and he's visited by a friend of his who works for the Food Grains Bank. Our parish has contributed to the work of the Food Grains Bank...this will give us more insight into the work that continues overseas as a result, especially in these Covid times.
This weekend in Canada is our Thanksgiving holiday, but part of the weekend -- Saturday, October 10 -- is marked as both World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day.
In the midst of a pandemic, with its attendant economic insecurity, political and social unrest; with our restrictions on gathering to celebrate with friends and loved ones; with our mourning those lost to our families and our communities...there is a struggle this year to feel thankful.
But we are here. There are ways we can help others safely; there are ways to connect and to comfort others safely.
This year, our Thanksgiving will likely bring both laughter and tears. There will be fond memories and the poignancy of the present moment. But let's also remember the hope we have through God in Christ.
Many of those in our world who have no permanent shelter also struggle with mental health issues. COVID-19 has accentuated these struggles all around the globe -- and in this Northern Hemisphere, winter is coming.
"...'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" -- Matthew 25:35 - 40 (NIV)
In the UK, there's a program called "Porchlight" that raises funds for the homeless. At the Cathedral at Canterbury, the heart of the global Anglican Communion, two groups of choral singers have prepared a "Purple for Porchlight" fund-raising video, consisting of two seamlessly united filmings, one of each group.
As we are thankful, so let us bless others -- however and wherever we are called to do so.
