19 November: The 23rd Sunday after Trinity

Rembrandt van Rijn, "Parable of the Talents"

NOTICES

WEDNESDAY SCHOOL: No Wednesday School this week (11/22); Advent wreath making next Wednesday (11/29) – please RSVP at corpuschristicsp.org

THANKSGIVING: Fr West will celebrate Mass for Thanksgiving Day at 10.00am (there is no 8.00am Mass that day).

ADVENT WREATH MAKING: Wednesday, 11/29, 5.30pm. Wednesday School will feature Advent Wreath making for the whole family. Supper & all wreath supplies are provided. Please RSVP so that we may be sure to have adequate supplies!

AN ADVENT FESTIVAL OF LESSONS & CAROLS: 10 December, 5.30pm  Prepare ye the way of the Lord!  Join us for a prayerful service of carols, hymns, and Biblical prophecies to prepare our hearts in the midst of this busy season to welcome our Lord, who came among us once in great humility and will come again in his glorious majesty.

KEEP IN TOUCH! Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

---

MASS PROPERS for TRINITY XXIII

Collect of the Day  O God our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness: be ready, we beseech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R/ Amen.

Lesson  Proverbs 31.10-13, 19-20, 30-31   Who can find a good wife?  She is far more precious than jewels.  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.  She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Epistle  1 Thessalonians 5.1-6  As to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you.  For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labour pains come upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape.  But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.  For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.  So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Gospel  Matthew 25.14-30   At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable: "A man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.  Then he went away.  He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.  So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.  But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. "Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' "And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' "He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.  Here you have what is yours.' "But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant!  You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?  Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.  For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Advent Wreath Making!

Family Supper & Advent Wreath Making!

Wednesday, 29 November
Prepare to prepare! Join your parish family for supper and to make Advent wreaths for your home. All supplies will be provided - but please RSVP below so we may be sure there is plenty go around!

---

RSVP for Wednesday School, 15 November

Planning on joining us for Wednesday School on 11/15? Please RSVP so that we may adequately plan and prepare! If your children will be attending Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and are not already registered, please click here to register.

---

12 November: The 22nd Sunday after Trinity

Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852-1936): Parable of the Wise & Foolish Virgins

Collect of the Day   Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in perpetual godliness: that through thy protection she may be free from all adversities and devoutly given to serve thee in all good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R/ Amen.

Lesson   Wisdom 6.12-16  Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. He who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for he will find her sitting at his gates. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and he who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought.

Epistle   1 Thessalonians 4.13-18   Brethren: we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of   command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Gospel   Matthew 25.1-13   At that time: Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also,  saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

---

NOTICES

EVENSONG & BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: This Sunday, 11/12, 5.30pm

WEDNESDAY SCHOOL: Christian Formation for children and adults; 5.30PM, family supper; 6PM, class. Go to corpuschristicsp.org to RSVP for supper and register children for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd!

KEEP IN TOUCH! Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

RSVP for Wednesday School, 11 November

Planning on joining us for Wednesday School on 11/8? Please RSVP so that we may adequately plan and prepare! If your children will be attending Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and are not already registered, please click here to register.

---

5 November: The 21st Sunday after Trinity

View fullsize

"Christ & the Pharisees"; Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, Antwerp 1599–1641 London)

Collect of the Day   Grant we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace: that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R Amen. 

Lesson   Malachi 1.14b-2.2b, 8-10  I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is feared among the nations. "And now, O priests, this command is for you.  If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you. "You have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in your instruction." Have we not all one father?  Has not one God created us?  Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Epistle   1 Thessalonians 2.7-9, 13   Brethren: we were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children.  So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.  For you remember our labour and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God.  And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Gospel   Matthew 22.34-40   At that time: Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practise and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practise.  They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.  They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honour at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men.  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren.  And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.  Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.  He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

---

NOTICES

WEDNESDAY SCHOOL: Christian Formation for children and adults; 5.30PM, family supper; 6PM, class. Go to corpuschristicsp.org to RSVP for supper and register children for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd!

KEEP IN TOUCH! Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

All Saints' & All Souls!

Don't miss this week's All Saints' and All Souls' celebrations! All Saints' is a holy day of obligation. Our All Souls' prayers will be perfected by the St Mary's choir's singing of the Duruflé setting of the Requiem Mass. This will be a privileged opportunity to hear one of the 20th century's greatest choral works sung in prayer and praise to God and for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed - that is, sung in the context and to the end for which it was composed. This Mass will be a great milestone in the life of our community, and as well a great opportunity to invite friends and family to worship with us "in the beauty of holiness."

---

ALL SAINTS' DAY

Holy Day of Obligation
Holy Mass: Wednesday, Nov. 1st, 8AM & 6PM
Rejoice we all, and praise the Lord, celebrating a holy-day in honor of all the Saints  In whose solemnity the angels are joyful, and glorify the Son of God.

ALL SOULS' DAY
8AM & 7PM

At the 7PM Mass, the choir of St Mary's will sing the Maurice Duruflé setting of the Requiem Mass. Come hear one of the great works of 20th century choral art prayerfully performed in the setting and to the end for which it was composed. Mass will be in the Ordinariate Form, and Fr West will be the preacher.
A book of remembrance is being compiled for the names of those faithfully departed for whom these Masses will be offered. If you would like to add a name and donate a stipend, please contact Becky at the parish office (email; 843.722.7696).

All Souls' Rosary

At 12pm on All Souls' Day (11/2), Fr Allen will lead a "rosary walk" through the St Mary's churchyard and then be available to hear confessions so that you may gain the Indulgences the Church offers on behalf of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Learn about these indulgences here!

29 October: the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Collect of the Day   O Almighty and most merciful God: of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R/ Amen.

Lesson   Exodus 22.21-27  Thus Thus says the LORD: "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.  You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.  If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.  "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him.  If ever you take your neighbour's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”

Epistle   1 Thessalonians 1.5c-10  Brethren: You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit; so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.  For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.  For they themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Gospel   Matthew 22.34-40   At that time: When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together.  And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

---

NOTICES

ALL SAINTS’ DAY (Holy Day of Obligation): Wednesday, 1 November; Mass at 8AM and 6PM.

ALL SOULS’ DAY: Thursday, 2 November; Mass at 8AM (said) and 7PM – Duruflé Requiem. 

WEDNESDAY SCHOOL: Christian Formation for children and adults beginning 4 October; 5.30PM, family supper; 6PM, class. Go to corpuschristicsp.org to RSVP for supper and register children for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd!

KEEP IN TOUCH! Sign up for our weekly newsletter at corpuschristicsp.org/contact

Letter from Our Seminarian

A letter home from our seminarian, Robb Lester. Please keep him in your prayers!

October 10, 2017

Dear Fr.  Allen and Corpus Christi family,

It has been 2 months since I arrived at St Joseph Seminary, or St Ben's as it’s called.  I have been busy from the start, settling in and making new friends and learning so much. The weather is not far off of from what I know from Charleston, with threats of hurricanes, too; I'm thankful that Irma didn't bothered you too much.  The campus is beautiful and peaceful.  Though there’s not a Bojangles anywhere near me, I have found it engaging and fun all at the same time.  

There are about 150 seminarians here from the southeast US.  I am the only one from the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter so I spent the first few weeks teaching those who were unaware of who we are.  My formation advisor is a Catholic priest whose father was an Anglican minister, so he is most assuredly supportive of my discernment.

Each day is filled with morning prayer, classes, Mass with the monks, evening prayer and lots of studying.  We do find time to socialize, play ultimate frisbee and of course, eat!  There have been day trips into New Orleans and Baton Rouge; (I prefer the piney woods and swamp of St Ben's to either city).   It is encouraging to see other young men like myself coming together to pray and build lasting relationships for the work of the Kingdom.

Recently on a Friday a few weeks ago, we had a Penance service and Silence day.  We went to confession and Mass and then the rest of the day we were silent.  No talking, not even during meals.  It gave us time to build the interior life that all of us need for our relationship with Our Lord.  No distractions of the outside world.  Saturday, after Silence had been completed, I drove to Houston to our Cathedral.  It was the weekend for the candidates of the Instituted Acolytes, coinciding with the Feast Day of Our Lady of Walsingham. I met the other seminarians of the Ordinariate, with the exception of one who studies in Rome. It was good to bond with them as we discern the path we are on together.  We prayed Evening Prayer with the candidates for Instituted Acolytes and had a wonderful dinner with the cathedral parish.  It was comforting to see familiar faces from home as Dr. Lackey was there as a candidate for Acolyte, along with Mrs. Lackey.  

Sunday morning arrived and I, along with the other seminarians, vested for Mass.  It was the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.   The processional hymn was “Hail thee, Festival Day”, a favorite of my entire family (both my sisters have used this for their weddings for the recessional hymn!)  In case you didn’t know, I was trained as an altar server by my mother back at Holy Communion.  She taught that a server should keep facial expressions to a minimum, no smiling or weird faces.  While I kept that lesson in my mind I could not help but feel joy as I sat in the cathedral and before long I knew there was a smile on my face.  I felt the joy of being there, at Mass, a Catholic Mass, something that, when as a former Anglican, I never thought I would feel.  Back then, I thought being a Catholic meant giving up worshiping in the beauty of holiness.  I remember being cautioned as I was converting that I wouldn’t find the same liturgy in the Catholic church as I had known in the Episcopal church.   Yet, I have found the liturgy, even better than before.  It’s wonderful!  It’s beautiful!  We have a bishop who cares to preserve and enrich our patrimony.  We have a beautiful cathedral to worship in.  We have young Catholics who love the beauty of the Mass of Divine Worship.  As I drove the 5 hours back to school, I knew that the decision to swim the Tiber was what God had been calling for me to do.  I have so much joy and peace about my life in the One True Catholic and Apostolic Church.  I give thanks that Benedict XVI gave this opportunity to us and our Holy Father Francis supports us by giving us Divine Worship and Bishop Lopes.  I pray that with the intercessions of Our Lady of Walsingham, the true queen of England, we all shall become one.  

I thank all of you for your prayers for me in my discernment.   I look forward to seeing all of you at Thanksgiving.  Until then, please know that you are in my prayers.

In Christ,

Robb

Duruflé's Requiem for All Souls' Day

View fullsize

This All Souls' Day, the choir of St Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church will perfect our praise and prayer with the singing of Maurice Duruflé's setting of the Requiem Mass. Mass will be celebrated according to the Ordinariate form. Please join us, and invite your friends. To add names of the faithfully departed for whose repose the Mass will be celebrated, please contact the parish office: stmarys1789@bellsouth.net; 843.722.7696.