Spirit of the Eagle – November 2016
Spiritual Tidbits for November from Father Tim
November has arrived and the Holidays (Holy Days) are closing in quickly. This is the time of year we should especially give thanks to God for His bountiful goodness. The Collect of Thanksgiving Day goes thus: O MOST merciful Father, who hast blessed the labours of the husbandman in the returns of the fruits of the earth; We give thee humble and hearty thanks for this thy bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness to us, that our land may still yield her increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We should give thanks to God before every meal. There was a time when people also gave thanks, not only before, but also after the meal was finished. I cringe to think how many meals today are consumed at homes, on the run, through the “drive thru”, at the office, in a meeting, out with friends and et cetera, with no thanks ever given. I would ask each of you this month to set aside a little time to pray, and give thanks, for those missed mealtime opportunities for thankfulness in your own life this past year. I also ask you to pray and give thanks for the meals and sustenance of those individuals, friends and strangers, who never intended to pray and give thanks, nor wish to do so. We will thank God for their “fruits of the earth” for them, and in their stead. I hope and pray each of you have a bountiful November. ~ Father Tim
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Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ~ St. James the Just, Brother of Jesus, The General Epistle of James, Chapter 1: 16-17
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Morning Prayer & Bible Study
From now, through the 20th of November, the church will open at 8:45 AM for Morning Prayer (9:00-9:30 AM) and a Bible Study Class (9:30- 10:15 AM). These ministries will be led by Kevin Davis, Adam Cook, and Reza Akhtar. This is a wonderful opportunity to pray, learn more about the Bible (especially the Old Testament), or both! Please come upstairs to the Chancel and sit in the choir section if you would like to participate in the Morning Prayer Service. Please come downstairs to the Parish Hall if you would like to attend the Bible Study. Or come to both!
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November Spirituality Class
Please join us on after Holy Mass on the 20th of November as we discuss the Roots of Christian Mysticism. We will continue this month with the final class on Jesus. All devout Christians must look into their own hearts and first determine who they are, and how their own identities relate to Jesus the Christ as Saviour, Messiah, Man and God. If Jesus were to ask you, “Who do you say I am?”, what would you answer? How seriously do you take this question? Your answer will bring forward how well you actually know yourself.
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O heart of man, whither dost thou run? After shadow? After the wind? After nothing?—leaving that which is all in all, Almighty Power, Consummate Wisdom, Ineffable Goodness, Uncreated Beauty, the Supreme Good, and the Boundless Ocean of all perfection! He pursues thee, calling thee to Himself with many strong cries, by many new blessings, and by the memory of many received in time past. ~ Father Lorenzo Scupoli, The Spiritual Combat
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Psalm-Children Ministry
Here’s what’s coming up for our young ones during the month of November:
November 6 we’ll be covering Joseph in Egypt taught by Mary Matias Akhtar.
November 13 we’ll be covering The Church Year taught by Tim Grothaus.
November 20 we’ll be covering The Brith of John the Baptist, taught by Savannah Butler.
November 27 we’ll be covering the Annunciation taught by Mary Matias Akhtar.
In addition, to help the children preparing for first Holy Communion, we’ll be covering the First Communion questions at the beginning of our lessons. This is not to replace home instruction, but just to give the kids an additional chance to review the questions before they meet with Father Tim on November 27. Also, we are beginning to introduce some service related activities. To support a spirit of giving during the season of Advent, on November 13 after the lesson we’ll be introducing the idea of a “Sparkle Box”, and during the season of Advent if the children have done some act of giving, help them write it down on a piece of paper so they can put it in the sparkle box. In December, during the lesson before Christmas we will “open” the sparkle box, and read what everyone’s done, which acts as a birthday gift of sorts to Jesus: Matthew 25: 34-40. If you are interested in the inspiration for this project check out the following: http://www.thesparklebox.com. Lastly, the kids did a beautiful job with the flowers for Judie (thanks to Heather for organizing this), and we will be planning outreach to our shut ins in the near future. ~Mary Matias Akhtar
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Nine Lessons and Carols
Please come join in the holiday festival spirit at St. John’s Lessons and Carols! We will gather at 4:30 PM on Saturday afternoon, the 3rd of December, read the nine Christmas lessons and sing carols. There will not be a Mass, but we will have some guest choristers, some parish lay readers (who may want to dedicate their portion of reading to the memory of a loved one), and plenty of hand candles to light up our final carol. Afterwards we will meet in the parish hall for a meal and joyful festivities! This is a great opportunity to introduce friends, family, and neighbors to our church family!!!
