Spirit of the Eagle – January 2020

Spirit of the Eagle
St. John the Evangelist ACC

Spiritual Tidbits & Rector’s Reflections for
January 2020 from Father Tim

The month of January begins with the Circumcision of Christ, which is celebrated on January 1st. The first twelve days of January fall during the liturgical season known as Christmas-tide which is represented by the liturgical color white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). Christmas-tide ends with Evensong on January 13th; with much love the crib and decorations will then be removed and carefully stored away. The remaining Sundays of January conclude the Epiphany-tide season, which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed, and should arouse in remnant Christians the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven and the hope of a glorious resurrection. In the first part of January we continue to rejoice and celebrate Christ’s incarnation at Bethlehem and into our own hearts. Beginning January 6th (Epiphany) we follow the Magi to the crib as they bring their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The month of January may be cold, the dark nights long, and the days can be dreary and bleak, but our little stone church on O’Fallon will still glow warm with the peace and joy of Christmas, and we faithful inside will still adore the Christ-child, just like the three Wise Men. This January I pray that each of you contemplate the mystery of Christ in your heart, and adore Him with joy. ~ Father Tim

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Is there someone in your life who would travel with you to adore the Christ-child? Are they seeking only worldly entertainment and thus never fulfilled? January is a wonderful month to invite someone to visit St. John’s to experience the warmth and love of our little parish family. Could this January Epiphany bring the Christ-child into the heart of someone you cherish? Help someone experience a true commitment by assisting them to begin their own spiritual pilgrimage — which in January travels with the Magi to Bethlehem. ~ Father Tim

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Faith is not a refuge from reality. It is a demand that we face reality … The true subject matter of religion is not our own little souls, but the Eternal God and His whole mysterious purpose, and our solemn responsibility to Him. ~ Evelyn Underhill, English Anglo-Catholic Writer

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January Spirituality Class

In January we will be continuing our transitional class with both Spirituality and Bible Study. The class in January will cover Judges chapters 4 and 5, Deborah and Barak, Prophesy and Valor. The study of God’s word is central to the life and mission of our parish church of St. John the Evangelist. Please join us after Holy Mass on the 19th of January for an engaging, dynamic, and informative exploration of the Holy Scriptures. All are welcome, but be warned: continued exposure to God’s word will change your life.

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St. John January Ordo Kalendar

Sunday, the 5th of January at 10:30 AM, Christmas II, Vestry Meeting
Sunday, the 12th of January at 10:30 AM, Epiphany I, Coffee Hour
Sunday, the 19th of January at 10:30 AM, Epiphany II, Bible Study
Sunday, the 26th of January at 10:30 AM, Epiphany III

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January Birthdays & Anniversaries

Eileen Hanson – Birthday – January 14
Susan Moore – Birthday – January 20
Kim Marshall – Birthday – January 24
Devan Smith – Birthday – January 25

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The whole life of Christ was a continual Passion; others die martyrs but Christ was born a martyr. He found a Golgotha, where He was crucified, even in Bethlehem, where He was born; for to His tenderness then the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as the cross at last. His birth and His death were but one continual act, and His Christmas day and His Good Friday are but the evening and morning of the same day. And as even His birth is His death, so every action and passage that manifests Christ to us is His birth, for Epiphany is manifestation. Every manifestation of Christ to the world, to the Church, to a particular soul is an Epiphany, a Christmas day. ~ John Donne, English poet and Anglican Priest

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The Purpose of the Incarnation

Why was God made man? Was it simply to save fallen man from sin, and from the punishment of sin; or were there other purposes behind this? If there had been no sin, would He still have come? We may reply, that although it has not been clearly revealed, yet there are weighty reasons for believing that God’s purpose of becoming man was prior to and independent of the fall. We must admit that the Incarnation is the greatest honour and blessing our race has received, or ever can receive. Human nature was thereby taken into closest union with God, and that for all eternity. It is difficult to believe that this honour depended upon sin, so that if there had been no sin, it would not have been granted. It is difficult to believe that we are better off as sinners, than we should have been if not fallen. Assuming that the eternal Son would have come as man if there had been no fall, what, in this view, is the purpose of the Incarnation? It is that the whole creation may be united to the Creator, God choosing man’s nature for this end, since man is the representative of creation. As a being partly spiritual and partly material, man is akin to the angels and also to the animals and lifeless matter. There are hints in the New Testament that this is the true view of the purpose of the Incarnation. But if this view be correct, how is it that there are so few and such remote references to it in the Bible ? We reply that the Bible, with the exception of the first chapter of Genesis, is the record of the history of fallen man, and of his restoration from a fallen state, and therefore it is occupied with the remedy which the fall rendered necessary. It views things as they are, rather than as they might have been under other circumstances. But if the Incarnation would have taken place irrespective of sin, we cannot say the same of our Lord’s sufferings and death. These were the result of sin. Viewing the Incarnation apart from the fall, it is a matter for adoring gratitude that when sin entered into the world, God was not turned aside from his purpose of uniting creation to himself; even though the fall rendered his bitter death and passion a necessity to our pardon and restoration. This view exalts the Incarnation as an exhibition of a love which not even man’s sinful rebellion could quench, though involving the incarnate God in the added humiliation of suffering as the fruit of our sins. ~ Vernon Staley, The Catholic Religion, A Manual of Instruction for Members of the Anglican Church

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A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who helped make the church so beautiful this 2019 Christmastide!

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The seeking of Jesus Christ, and the quest for chivalry combined, lead directly to one place only: Anglican-Catholicism. Courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help and defend the weak and the poor. Welcome to the Anglican Catholic Church. ~ Father Timothy Butler