Staying Safe and Staying Connected
Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,
We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you!
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Today’s Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, make me worthy to understand the profound mystery of your holy incarnation, which you have worked for our sake and for our salvation. Truly there is nothing so great and wonderful as this, that you, my God, who are the creator of all things, should become a creature, so that we should become like God. You have humbled yourself and made yourself small that we might be made mighty. You have taken the form of a servant, so that you might confer upon us a royal and divine beauty.
Angela of Foligno, 1309
Angela was born into a wealthy family in Foligno, in Umbria. Married, perhaps at an early age, she was married at an early age. In her writings, Angela reports that she loved the world and its pleasures. Around the age of 40, she had a vision of St. Francis and recognized the emptiness of her life. From that time, she began to lead a life devoted to higher perfection.
Within a few years her entire family died. She began to divest herself of her possessions and to live as a penitent. Angela joined the Third Order of St. Francis, probably in 1291.
Considered a great medieval mystic, Angela received mystical revelations. She recorded the history of her conversion in her Book of Visions and Instructions. In it she recalls some of the temptations she suffered after her conversion; she also expresses her thanks to God for the Incarnation of Jesus. Angela also founded a religious community which refused to become an enclosed religious order so that it might continue her vision of caring for those in need. Men and women gathered around her for direction to advance in holiness.
Her writings and her life earned for Angela the title “Teacher of Theologians.”
From Our Prayers of the People
Today, let us pray:
For the just and proper use of your creation; for the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.
For all essential workers; for police, firefighters, EMTs, postal workers, sanitation workers, grocery personnel, delivery and transport workers, and all who must report to work because what they do is essential for our well-being, health, and safety.
For those on the Parish Prayer Chain: Mia, Wim, Doug, Debbie, Cindi, Doug and Hugh.
For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.
Those who are imprisoned: those particularly vulnerable at this time, especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.
For those in need of healing: Cindi, Mary Frances, Debbie, Joe, Matt and Lisa.
For Thomas – today is his baptismal anniversary!
For all the blessings of this life.
For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Namibia (Southern Africa), Abuja (Nigeria)
For all who have died: especially Myrtle, Belle, Mildred, Della and Ellen.
For one another.
Something to share
In her own words
No one can be saved without divine light. Divine light causes us to begin and to make progress, and it leads us to the summit of perfection. Therefore if you want to begin and to receive this divine light, pray. If you have begun to make progress and want this light to be intensified within you, pray. And if you have reached the summit of perfection, and want to be superillumined so as to remain in that state, pray.
Angela of Foligno
News and Updates
Chris writes:
Jam Season: The jam season is just ending – or is it just beginning? Anyway, there are 27 jars of jam on my shelves including quince, peach, strawberry, currant, elderberry, blueberry, gooseberry, raspberry (jam and jelly), and blackberry. Give me a call (or a note at jonesc@union.edu) and tell me what you’d like. We’ll arrange a time that you can come by and pick it up. Don’t bring me any money, but make a nice donation to SiCM, the YWCA, the Salvation Army, or City mission, who are all feeding those in our community who are facing food insecurity. One jar costs you a nice donation. Two jars: a super donation. Three jars: a FANTASTIC donation. And if you don’t want the jam, make a donation anyway!
Reminders
If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Morning Prayers as best we can.
Prayerbook Parish Morning Prayer in Zoom – each morning. Join Dennie and me for an inter-active service of Morning Prayer at 9 am. Time to bring your prayer concerns will be provided. (contact me for the link: james.ross.mcd@gmail.com)
If you did not receive a phone call in the last few days from a member of the Vestry and you would like to be added to the communication list, please let me know (james.ross.mcd@gmail.com) and share with me the best telephone number(s) where we can reach you. We will add you to the list right away.
Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.
Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.
Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!
Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be at your back,
May the sun shine upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.
Peace,
James+