Spirit of the Eagle – January 2017
Spiritual Tidbits for January from Father Tim
For sure 2017 seemed to arrive quickly. December 2016 was so busy we completely missed publishing our December Spirit of the Eagle. We should not forget as a parish God blessed us mightily in 2016 including our weekly Psalm-Children Ministry and Teachers, a First Communion Class, a Confirmation Class, new Choir members and Lectors. Likewise we should not forget all those Saint John Saints that went through the veil to Christ in 2016 including Father Al and Kathy Hougham, Wilma Herklotz, Robert Hooks and other cherished family members and friends. Furthermore, we should also remember how God blessed our little parish church with numerous new members and new babies in 2016, never forgetting how His holy countenance has shined upon us as a church family. Now we enter 2017 “running with a Godly wind” in our sails bringing the Kingdom of God to all sinners we find adrift in a lost and fallen world. As a parish we do not need any New Year Resolutions because our purpose, our resolve, our plan remains the same. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. St. Matthew XXVIII: 18-20.
I pray your 2017 remains full of joy and blessings. ~ Father Tim
†††
And this is the reason, why the greatest saints have in all ages condemned themselves as the greatest sinners, because they knew some aggravations of their own sins, which they could not know of other people’s. The right way, therefore, to fill your heart with true contrition, and a deep sense of your own sins, is this: You are not to consider, or compare the outward form, or course of your life, with that of other people’s, and then think yourself to be less sinful than they, because the outward course of your life is less sinful than theirs. But in order to know your own guilt, you must consider your own particular circumstances, your health, your sickness, your youth or age, your particular calling, the happiness of your education, the degrees of light and instruction that you have received, the good men that you have conversed with, the admonitions that you have had, the good books that you have read, the numberless multitude of Divine blessings, graces, and favours that you have received, the good motions of grace that you have resisted, the resolutions of amendment that you have often broken, and the checks of conscience that you have disregarded. For it is from these circumstances that everyone is to state the measure and greatness of his own guilt. And as you know only these circumstances of your own sins, so you must necessarily know how to charge yourself with higher degrees of guilt, than you can charge upon other people. God Almighty knows greater sinners, it may be, than you are; because He sees and knows the circumstances of all men’s sins, but your own heart, if it is faithful to you, can discover no guilt so great as your own: because it can only see in you those circumstances, on which great part of the guilt of sin is founded. ~ William Law, A Serious Call to A Devout and Holy Life
†††
Bible Study
From now, through the 9th of April, the church will once again open at 9:15 AM for Bible Study Class (9:30- 10:15 AM). The group will be led by Adam Cook. This is a wonderful opportunity to pray, learn more about the Bible (especially the Old Testament), or both! Please come downstairs to the Parish Hall if you would like to attend the Bible Study. We will do our best to have the heat in the parish hall on early!
†††
January Spirituality Class
Please join us after Holy Mass on the 15th of January as we discuss the Roots of Christian Mysticism. We will continue this month with Dionysius the Areopagite (and more so Pseudo-Dionysius) 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.
†††
It is some part of godliness when one with all his heart desireth and is willing to be made good and virtuous: nor such a mind so well intending I suppose is not to be cast away, although his purpose be not ever luckily performed. To this we ought to endeavor ourselves all our life long, and no doubt but by the reason that we so oftentimes shall attempt it, once at the last we shall attain it. ~ Desiderius Erasmus, The Manual Of A Christian Knight
†††
Psalm-Children Ministry
Here’s what’s coming up for our young ones during the month of January:
January 1st we’ll be covering The Book of Common Prayer taught by Mary Akhtar.
January 8th we’ll be covering The Transfiguration taught by Tim Grothaus.
January 15th we’ll be covering The Sacraments taught by Savannah Butler.
January 22nd we’ll be covering Baptism taught by Judie Boughner.
January 29th we’ll be covering Holy Ordination taught by Mary Matias Akhtar.
†††
Also, just a reminder that since Christmas fell on the 4th Sunday of December, Father Tim plans to meet with the First Communion children on January 1. We should be done in plenty of time for anyone planning to attend Judy Hulsey’s Open House. ~ Mary Matias Akhtar.
†††
January Birthdays & Anniversaries
Reza Akhtar – Birthday – January 4
Eileen Hanson – Birthday – January 14
Joel Sams – Birthday – January 15
Susan Moore – Birthday – January 20
Adam Cook – Birthday – January 20
Mary Matias Akhtar – Birthday – January 21
Kim Marshall – Birthday – January 24
Devan Smith – Birthday – January 25