|
St
Alban’s (Grand Cayman) & St Mary’s (Cayman Brac) |
|
8
November 2009 Welcome
to
St
Alban's Anglican Church
Today's Scripture: Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 Hebrews 9: 24-end S. Mark 1: 14-20 Today:
8.35 a.m. Matins; 9.00 a.m. Church School; 9.20 a.m. BCP Holy
Eucharist;
11 a.m. Civic Service of Remembrance;
6.00 p.m. Evening Prayer. This Week: Tues – Fri:
12.30 pm Midday Prayers. National
day of Prayer Wed Nov 11. Next Week: Sunday 15th November
8.30 a.m. Matins; 9.00 a.m. Church School; 9.30 a.m. Holy
Eucharist; 22nd
Sunday After Trinity –
Remembrance Sunday
Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. REMEMBRANCE
SUNDAY We
pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain continue to
suffer the consequences of fighting and terror. We
remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives, in world
wars and conflicts past and present , have been given and taken
away.
CHRISTIANS
AND DEATH The
death of a Christian is an event of grace, having a positive value and
significance because of Christ. Since Christ died and rose again,
those of us who believe in him enjoy the hope of rising after our own
death to a life that has no end. According to the faith of the Church,
“dying in Christ” begins at baptism. In baptism, the Lord’s
disciples die in Christ so as to live a new life. If the disciples die
in the grace of Christ, physical death seals that “dying with
Christ”, and consummates it by uniting them fully and once and for
all with Christ the Redeemer. WHY
PRAY FOR THE DEAD? Praying
for someone is an expression of love. When a person dies we don’t
stop loving them. As well as expressing human emotional needs, prayer
for the dead is an expression of the communion of the saints.
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine
upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.” LITURGY
AND THE DEAD The
Church envisages three distinct but related points at which the
community can offer its prayer for the dead: 1.
When circumstances permit Christians gather at the side of the dying
person and there are rites and prayers which are performed and recited
for the person. After death and before the actual funeral liturgy
there is the option of a prayer vigil, either in church or at the home
of the person or in a funeral home.
2.
The funeral liturgy can take place inside or outside of Holy
Communion. The Christian community listens to the word of God which
proclaims the paschal mystery, assures us of the hope of meeting again
in the kingdom of God, enlivens our devotion to the dead and exhorts
us to witness through a truly Christian life. 3.
The final act of prayer for the dead person comes in the rite of
committal, the funeral procession, and burial or cremation. At the
committal the deceased is commended to God. It is the final
commendation by which the Christian community says farewell to one of
its members before the body is buried or cremated. In the funeral
procession the Church, which has sacramentally borne all Christians in
her womb during their earthly pilgrimage, now accompanies the body of
the deceased to his place of rest, while they await the resurrection. POPULAR
DEVOTION When
we lose someone we love it is natural for us to think about them from
time to time, and for Christians it is natural for us to want to
commend them in prayer to God. Visits to the cemetery may allow us to
remember our dead before God; and prayers such as the “Eternal
rest” encourage us to bring them before God in prayer. THIS
WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS Mon: Isaiah 5: 8–24, Matt 4: 23 – 5:12, Rev 5 Tues: Isaiah 5: 25-end, Matt 5: 13-20, Rev 6 Wed: Isa 6, Matt 5: 21-37, Rev 7: 1–4, 9-end Thurs: Isa 7:1–17, Matt 5: 38-end, Rev 8 Fri: Isa 8: 1–15, Matt 6: 1–18, Rev 9:1–12 Sat : Isa 8:16 – 9:7, Matt 6: 19-end, Rev 9:13-end NEXT
SUNDAY : Daniel
12: 1-3, Hebrews 10: 1-18, S. Mark 13: 1-8
| |
|
| |