Letter from Fr. Allen: May 18, 2018

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+JMJ+

Dear friends,

Come, Holy Ghost!

This Sunday we keep the great solemnity of Pentecost, or "Whitsunday" as it is commonly called in the English tradition. We remember that on this day God the Holy Ghost, filled and empowered the infant Apostolic Church to give witness to the good news of Jesus "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." Pentecost has not been revoked! Still the Spirit fills, empowers, and guides the Church - you and me! - in the joyful work of the Gospel.

In the calendar of the Ordinariates the "octave" of Pentecost has been restored - the entire week, Sunday to Sunday, becomes one long and festive liturgical day. This octave, especially for a missionary enterprise like the Ordinariates, reminds us of the Spirit's continuing presence and power among us - again, precisely for the work of ministry. 

As we celebrate Whitsunday and as we approach the fifth anniversary of our community's founding on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (Sunday, June 3rd), I ask you to pray that we would have a renewed awareness of and reliance upon the Spirit's gifts to us, so that, like the Apostles on the morning of Pentecost, we too might give joyful and bold witness to the resurrection of Jesus, and that many might be added to our number of peaceful, happy Catholics.

To that end, and inseparably from it, I ask you - members and friends alike - to attend the parish meeting planned for Saturday, June 2nd, as we begin reasoning and praying together about the next steps in our community's life (which is to ask, where are we going? how may we give ourselves more fully to the Spirit's ministry of witness to Jesus?), and also to join with us for Evensong & Benediction in celebration our Fifth Anniversary on Corpus Christi, our "titular solemnity," on Sunday, June 3rd.

See you Sunday, and God bless you, 
Fr Allen

Letter from Fr. Allen: May 11, 2018

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+JMJ+

Dear friends,

Each year on the seventh Sunday of Easter we hear a portion of what is commonly called the "High Priestly Prayer" of Jesus, from the 17th chapter of John. This is his prayer of Maundy Thursday, "the day before he suffered," in which he prays for himself, his apostles, and for all of us who would come to believe through the Apostles' witness. As to why this prayer is called "High Priestly" I plan to wax pedantic in Sunday's homily, but notice in the excerpt above that the Lord's prayer for his Apostolic Church is that "they may be one."

This unity the Lord wills for his Church is in a very special sense our mission in the Ordinariate. Our very existence is the gracious response of the Church to Anglican Christians whose holy desire was to return to the full communion of the Catholic Church. We are a living sign of the Catholic Church's ecumenical heart. And just so, we are here to invite and welcome "separated brethren" (of whose number most of us once were) into the joy and freedom of full communion.

As Bishop Lopes has said, “It’s an ecumenical sensitivity on the part of the Popes that has allowed this movement, recognising that the Holy Spirit has been truly working in this community outside of full communion, drawing them into the fullness of communion of the Church... I think it gives a very fine example to people who are paying attention outside of the Church (that) there’s a way to become Catholic where we can still maintain very key elements of our identity - 'I’m not simply swept away but celebrated and welcomed by the Church.'”

So let us join our prayer to that of Christ our High Priest, "that they all may be one." And having prayed, let us act. Invite a friend to Mass or Evensong! 

Finally, and in service to this mission given us by Christ, I have called a parish meeting for Saturday, June the 2nd, from 9.30AM till 12.30PM. The following Sunday will be the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, our feast of title and the fifth anniversary of the establishment of our community. And so the time is right for us to think and speak together about a vision for our parish community's future. Who are we now? And who, what, where is God calling us to be, and how do we get there from here? These are urgent questions for us, and we need (I require!) your input - members, friends, fellow travelers. There will be an email early next week which will give you more details and allow you to register for the meeting and reserve lunch.

See you Sunday, and God bless you, 
Fr Allen

Ascension Day!

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"Our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things..." (From the Collect for Ascension Day).

This Thursday, 10 May, is the Solemnity of the Ascension and a Holy Day of Obligation for Ordinariate members. Holy Mass will be celebrated at 8AM and 6.30PM that day. Ordinariate members must attend Mass, if not at Corpus Christi then at another conveniently located parish. In the Diocese of Charleston, the Ascension is transferred to Sunday; still, attending Mass at a diocesan parish on 10 May meets your obligation. Get thee to Mass!