Holy Week
Wednesday at 7:00 pm
This evening we will pray a shortened version of Tenebrae, however, this form of the monastic office (matins and lauds) is commonly adapted for congregational use during Holy Week. The office is structured around psalms, readings, and responsories. A distinguishing characteristic of this service is the series of readings from Lamentations which appear early in the office. The distinctive ceremonial of Tenebrae includes use of fifteen lighted candles, often set on a special, triangular stand. One candle is extinguished as each of the fourteen appointed psalms is completed. The fifteenth candle, symbolic of Christ, is left lighted at the end of the final psalm. But it is carried away to be hidden, which signifies the apparent victory of the forces of evil. A sudden loud noise is made at the end of the service, symbolizing the earthquake at Christ's death. The lighted candle is then restored to its place, suggesting Christ's eventual triumph. The BOS (Book of Occasional Services) includes Tenebrae as an option for use on Wednesday in Holy Week.

Please join us this evening in prayer.
Agape, Liturgy of Love
Maundy Thursday 6:30 pm
Agape Explained
Agape, Greek agapē, in the New Testament, the fatherly love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God. In Scripture, the transcendent agape love is the highest form of love and is contrasted with eros, or erotic love, and philia, or brotherly love. In John 3:16, a verse that is often described as a summary of the Gospel message, agape is the word used for the love that moved God to send his only son for the world’s redemption. The term necessarily extends to the love of one’s fellow humans, as the reciprocal love between God and humans is made manifest in one’s unselfish love of others. See also charity.

The Church Fathers used agape to designate both a rite (using bread and wine) and a meal of fellowship to which the poor were invited (Jude 1:12). The historical relationship between the agape rite, the Lord’s Supper, and the Eucharist is still uncertain. Some scholars believe the agape was a form of the Lord’s Supper and the Eucharist the sacramental aspect of that celebration. Others interpret agape as referring to a fellowship meal held in imitation of gatherings attended by Jesus and his disciples; I believe both are true.

In our service on Thursday, we will break bread, share in a meal of fellowship and faith, and worship and pray. This service will include the washing of feet and the cleansing of the altar.

The Washing of Feet
(more than a ritual)
The early Christian church introduced the custom to imitate the humility and selfless love of Jesus, who washed the feet of the Twelve Apostles at the Last Supper (John 13:1–15), the night before his Crucifixion. The practice of foot-washing was originally an act of hospitality in Palestinian homes, performed for guests (who wore sandals and walked on dusty roads) by a servant or the wife of the host. St. Paul refers to the custom in 1 Timothy 5:10, and St. Augustine mentions it in one of his letters (c. 400 CE). 

The custom of foot washing in the Christian Church is more than a ritual imitation; it is an act of selfless love, an Agape love. By taking on the role of a servant, we are reminded that humility and service are the characteristics of Christian leadership. It’s also an uncomfortable experience to both have your feet washed and to wash someone else’s feet. Through the act of foot-washing we are reminded that sometimes following Christ is uncomfortable. It is an act that affirms the service of the minister to his/her people in their allowance to be served. Each participant, in their vulnerability, giver and receiver, is performing an act of Love.

Washing of the Altar

It is customary for the altar to be stripped after the Maundy Thursday liturgy. The BOS appoints Ps 22 and an antiphon for use if the stripping of the altar is observed as a public ceremony. Stripping the altar may be followed by the washing of the altar. Historically, the stripping and washing of altars took place on Good Friday in Gallican churches, and on Maundy Thursday in Rome.
10:00 am
The Friday before Easter Day, on which the church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. It is a day of fasting and special acts of discipline and self-denial. In the early church candidates for baptism, joined by others, fasted for a day or two before the Paschal feast. In the west, the first of those days eventually acquired the character of a historical reenactment of the passion and death of Christ. The liturgy of the day includes John's account of the Passion gospel, a solemn form of intercession known as the solemn collects (dating from ancient Rome), and optional devotions before the cross (commonly known as the veneration of the cross). The Eucharist is not celebrated in the Episcopal Church on Good Friday, but Holy Communion may be administered from the reserved sacrament at the Good Friday service. The BCP appoints readings for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer on Good Friday. See Altar of Repose; see Bidding Prayer; see Cross.
7:30 pm
at St. Barnabas in the Villas

Father Marcel and Mother Allison along with St. Barnabas and St. Mary's will celebrate this momentous occasion together.
What a way to usher in the new Christian year, the first fire, the light and resurrection of Christ, but with friends and family in Christ! What a blessing to be able to join in a celebration together!

The liturgy is intended as the first (and arguably, the primary) celebration of Easter in the BCP (pp. 284-95). It is also known as the Great Vigil. The service begins in darkness, sometime between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter, and consists of four parts: The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle, the Exsultet); The Service of Lessons (readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers); Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows; and the Eucharist.

Through this liturgy, the BCP recovers an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast. Believers would gather in the hours of darkness ending at dawn on Easter to hear scripture and offer prayer. This night-long service of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light and the Easter Eucharist. Easter was the primary baptismal occasion for the early church to the practical exclusion of all others. This practice linked the meanings of Christ's dying and rising to the understanding of baptism.
Easter Sunday

Festive Choral Eucharist
9:00 am

11:00 am Eucharist
The feast of Christ's resurrection. According to Bede, the word derives from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre. Christians in England applied the word to the principal festival of the church year, both day and season.

1) Easter Day is the annual feast of the resurrection, the pascha or Christian Passover, and the eighth day of cosmic creation. Faith in Jesus' resurrection on the Sunday or third day following his crucifixion is at the heart of Christian belief. Easter sets the experience of springtime next to the ancient stories of deliverance and the proclamation of the risen Christ. In the west, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Easter always falls between Mar. 22 and Apr. 25 inclusive. Following Jewish custom, the feast begins at sunset on Easter Eve with the Great Vigil of Easter. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the Jewish Pesach or Passover (which follows the spring full moon). Although the two dates sometimes coincide, the eastern date is often one or more weeks later.

2) Easter Season, The Great Fifty Days.
The feast of Easter is a season of fifty days, from Easter Eve through the Day of Pentecost. From early times the Greek word pentecost (fiftieth day) was used also for the whole Paschal season. During this season there is no fasting. The Council of Nicaea (325) directed that Christians are to pray standing. The word “alleluia” (praise the Lord) is said or sung repeatedly, which contrasts sharply with the season of Lent when the alleluia is omitted. The color of liturgical vestments and hangings is white or gold. The BCP notes that it is customary for the Paschal candle to burn at all services of the Easter season. The “Alleluia, alleluia” may be added to the dismissals and their responses during the Great Fifty Days. The traditional Christian Easter greeting (see Lk 24:34) serves as the opening acclamation at the eucharist during the Easter season.
Easter Flowers donation
At Easter we celebrate the new life of our Risen Lord. Our sanctuary Easter flowers and beautiful music not only enhance our worship services, but also speak of spring, new life, resurrection and the hope that is ours in Christ. If you would like to contribute to our flowers or music as a memorial or thank offering, please fill out the attached form and place it in the collection plate, mail or email it, or just call the parish office 609-368-5922. The deadline for inclusion of names of loved ones or thank offerings in the leaflet is April 11th.
Easter Baskets
Easter is just around the corner!

The Branches will provide Easter baskets for children in the community. If you would like to help, they would appreciate donations of baskets, grass and candy. You may drop off donations at The Branches, 1304 Rt. 47 So., Rio Grande, or the church office. Many thanks!
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Services, studies, and service bulletins may be accessed on our website: www.stmarysstoneharbor.org