The Vicar continues his weekly exposition of the Catechism, found in the Book of Common Prayer, pp. 845-862.

Q.       What do we mean when we say that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and became incarnate from the Virgin Mary?

A.       We mean that by God’s own act, his divine Son received our human nature from the Virgin Mary, his mother.

Although much is often made of Mary’s yes as opposed to Eve’s no, the Catechism rightly puts the emphasis on God’s own act. The two women are not opposed to each other. Eve is not lesser and Mary greater. For good reason did Adam call his wife, “the mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20). His words are prophetic. It is to Eve that the promise of the Messiah is given (Gen. 3:15) and it is from her seed that the Messiah comes. By his sin Adam is the father of the dead, but by God’s grace Eve is the mother of all who have eternal life. Mary fulfills God’s promise to Eve.

Received: $8,299 year to date from our Designer Clothes Sale, from Columbus Day sidewalk, and MAM rack sales throughout the year.

MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED.

Nicole Tapia has kindly agreed to direct this year's pageant. Watch this space for more information.

The Vicar will offer confirmation class for children 12 and older after Easter. The tentative dates are: Apr 23, Apr 30, May 7, May 14, May 21 & May 22.* All days are Saturdays. Class is from 3 to 4:30 in the Parish House.

* On Sunday, May 22, 2022, the children will lead all aspects of worship at the 9:30 service, including the homily. N.B. we still do not have a date for the bishop’s visit, but I have requested either June or sometime in the fall of 2022.

Click here and you'll be able to watch recent sermons and read along, as well as download a copy of the transcript.

The floral guild is always grateful for donations. If you are interested in dedicating flowers in memoriam or for a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, please send an email to stpeterschurch@optonline.net with the date and the name(s) to whom you would like to dedicate the arrangements.

St. Peter's is pleased to offer the convenience of online giving via our website. You may make a pledge payment or a one-time gift either by ACH or credit card. From the website menu, click on Serve > Make a gift online, or click here.

Highlights from Henry Chadwick's The Early Church (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1967), selected by the Vicar. Chadwick was the sometime Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.

FORMS OF THE MINISTRY

"The apostles derived their name and function from the fact of being sent by the Lord as missionaries. They were not the only ones to receive gifts of the Spirit. There were also 'prophets', like Agabus (Acts xi, 28; xxi, 7), and teachers, accredited as instructors in the faith. At Corinth the Church especially prized the gift of ecstatic irrational utterance ('speaking in tongues'). Paul could not afford to deny that the gift of ecstasy was a genuine manifestation of the Spirit, but was alarmed by its divisive possibilities (1 Cor. xiii) and told the Corinthians that the enthusiastic utterance they especially prized was the last in the graded hierarchy of supernatural gifts: it is preceded by 'first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracle-workers, then healers, helpers, and administrators' (1 Cor xii, 28). The first three in this sevenfold hierarchy are the chief 'orders' of the first missionary generation." (pp. 45-46)

Miss an issue of The Mouse?

Back issues are available on the St. Peter's website.

Almighty and everlasting God, who in Christ hast revealed thy glory among the nations: Preserve the works of thy mercy, that thy Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of thy Name; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

To remember St. Peter's in your estate plans, please consider joining The Lithgow Society. To find out more, click here.