ONLINE PARISH NOTES
Sunday 4 January 2015
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| The Boy Jesus in the Temple (Heinrich Hoffman, 1881) |
FROM THE RECTOR
What is Christmastide? We are now in the middle of the Christmas Season. Over the centuries, however, several different traditions have evolved for reckoning its beginning and ending.
The season is variously held to begin either at midnight between December 24 and 25, or else at First Vespers (Evening Prayer) on Christmas Eve. When Christmastide ends is more complicated. In 566-567, the Second Council of Tours proclaimed the Twelve Days from Christmas through Epiphany (January 6) a holy festival season. The feasting and merrymaking reached its greatest intensity on “Twelfth Night,” commonly reckoned as January 5, the Eve of the Epiphany. In some traditions, however, the twelve days of Christmas were counted from December 26, thus making Twelfth Night the Epiphany itself.
In the medieval period, Christmastide was also reckoned to last forty days from December 25 to February 2, the Feast of the Presentation (also known as the Purification, or Candlemas). The Wikipedia article on Christmastide notes: “In the Western Christian world, the two traditional days on which Christmas decorations are removed are Twelfth Night and Candlemas. Any not removed on the first occasion should be left undisturbed until the second.”
The contemporary Roman Catholic calendar treats Christmastide as running a few days beyond the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas: up through and including the First Sunday after the Epiphany (the Baptism of Christ). Beginning on the Monday following, however, the Roman Calendar regards the subsequent weekdays and Sundays as Ordinary Time. Meanwhile, some Protestant churches have added a separate Epiphany Season (“Epiphanytide”), beginning on January 6 and lasting until Lent.
The Episcopal Church’s 1979 Prayer Book fudges the issue somewhat, referring to the Sundays following January 6 as "after the Epiphany." Some parishes thus treat the entire period from January 6 until Ash Wednesday as “Epiphanytide” (by continuing, for example, to wear white vestments and using the Preface of the Epiphany in the Eucharistic Prayer) while others follow the contemporary Roman practice of treating the period after the Baptism of Christ as “Ordinary Time” (by wearing green vestments and using one of the Prefaces for Ordinary Time instead).
Sounds complicated? It is. The different traditions associated with the reckoning and keeping of Christmastide (and the Season after the Epiphany) have evolved organically in diverse ways that do not make for neatness and tidiness. The key point, however, is that Christmas is not one day but a full liturgical season. Long after the secular commercial world has forgotten all about Christmas, we still contemplate its mystery of the Word made flesh – for a full twelve days at least, and maybe more. This Sunday, the Second after Christmas, we continue the celebration. Please join us. -- Fr. John D. Alexander
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 84:1-8, Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a, Luke 2:41-52
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Confirmation Class – Fr. Alexander is in the process of organizing a class for young people (Middle School or High School age) who would like to be confirmed during Eastertide of this year (date to be determined). Please contact him immediately if you or someone you know would like to participate. The day and time of the class will be determined in consultation with those who are interested.
January Year’s Mind – departed parishioners whose anniversaries fall during January will be prayed for at the Mass tomorrow, Monday 5 January at 6:00 pm (preceded by Evening Prayer at 5:30). If you have any additional names to be remembered, please let Fr. Alexander know.
Guild of All Souls – the parish branch of GAS will gather following Mass tomorrow, Monday 5 January, for a brief meeting and fellowship at a local restaurant. Everyone is (as always) welcome and invited to join us.
The Epiphany – this Tuesday, January 6, we will be undertaking a joint celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany at St. John's Church in Newport at 6:30 pm on Tuesday 6 January. Fr. Alexander will be the preacher. Please plan on joining us. If you need a ride or are willing to offer a ride to others, please contact Robert Armidon at 571-235-6866 or armidon_72@hotmail.com.
Afternoon Tea – resumes this Wednesday, 7 January, from 4 pm to 5 pm. Please join us.
Rector Away – Fr. Alexander will be leaving this Thursday 8 January to attend the Annual Conference of the Society of Christian Ethics in Chicago. He returns Tuesday 13 January. During his absence, please contact Fr. Sawicky for any pastoral needs.
Annual Meeting – Please join us on Sunday, January 25th, after the 10 am Mass for the Annual Meeting of the parish. We need volunteers to bring food and beverages, and someone to manage the food setup. Please contact Cory MacLean in the parish office if you can help. All are welcome and invited to attend, although only active adult parishioners in good standing may vote. (If you have questions about your status as a parishioner, please ask Fr. Alexander. According to the canons of the Episcopal Church adults are 16 years old and older.)
FOR YOUR PRAYERS
Prayers have been requested for: Maggie, Nicholas, Jonno, Nancy, Patrick, Will, Townsend, Norman, Andrea, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Harrington, Davaughn, Richard, Beverly, Tom, Mabel, Deborah, Stephen, Michael, Richard, Colin, Sandy, Beverly, Angela, Rhoda, Ned, Henry, James, Richard, Lynne, Dianne, Kathleen, Richard, and Gus.
The faithful departed: Year’s mind: Marian Dunlop (6 January 2000), Chester Arthur Files Jr. (8 January 2013), John Francis Hall. (9 January 1990), and Margaret Ethel Worthington (10 January 1991).
Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, please pray for pray the Church Lagos West - (Lagos, Nigeria): The Rt. Rev’d James Odedeji, and Lagos Mainland - (Lagos, Nigeria): The Rt. Rev’d Adebayo Akinde; and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, please pray for the leadership and people of the Church of the Epiphany, East Providence.
THE SUNDAY ROTA
Acolytes - MC W Dilworth; SD S Brazil; Thurifer J Starks; Crucifer D Callanan; Torches G Benziger, L Rejto
Lector – RG Noble
Ushers – B Lennihan, R Viti
Coffee Hour – TBA
THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S
PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS
Monday 5 January
Guild of All Souls Meeting (following the 6 pm Requiem Mass)
Wednesday 7 January
Afternoon Tea 4 pm
EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S
Saturday 10 January
Epiphany Soup Kitchen 2 pm
LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sunday 4 January
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS (W)
Morning Prayer 7:30 am
Low Mass 8 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
Weekday Office and Mass Lectionary: Epiphanytide, Year 1
Monday 5 January
Proper for January 5 (W)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm (with Commemoration of January Departed)
Tuesday 6 January
THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:30 am
(High Mass at St. John the Evangelist, Newport 6:30 pm)
Wednesday 7 January
Proper for January 7 (W)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Thursday 8 January
Proper for January 8 (W)
Morning Prayer 9 am
Low Mass 9:30 am
Friday 9 January
Proper for January 9 (W)
Angelus 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Saturday 10 January
Proper for January 10 (W)
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr, 1645
Morning Prayer 9 am
Low Mass 9:30 am
Sunday 11 January
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY:
THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
Morning Prayer 7:30 am
Low Mass 8 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (January 11)
First Sunday after the Epiphany: the Baptism of Christ, Year B
Genesis 1:1-5, Psalm 29, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11
