The Messenger of St. Mark's | Lent | March 17, 2023

For your thought:


 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

--John 9:39-41



Study this Sunday's Readings.

WORSHIP CORNER

Worship on Sunday is both in person and virtually, every week at 9:30 a.m. We continue our live stream on our Facebook & YouTube channels.

 

Also, we offer a Midweek Eucharist every Thursday at 11 a.m. that is both in person and though our live-steaming platforms.

View Sunday's Order of Worship

For a complete listing and schedule of our online / in-person offerings available, please click on the button below:

Click Here for ALL Offerings & Sign-Ups

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SAINT MARK'S MISSION & OUTREACH

New Icon: St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. His Feast Day is celebrated on March 17th, the day of his death, around 460 A.D. 

St. Patrick was born in Britain, not Ireland, to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian.

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. 

Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. Irish culture is centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. So, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick’s life became exaggerated over the centuries, spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life. It is said Saint Patrick used the three leaved Shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), to the pagan Irish during the 5th Century. The tradition of wearing Shamrock on Saint Patrick’s Day can be traced back to the early 1700’s.

Patrick was never actually canonized by the Catholic Church. This is simply due to the era he lived in. During the first millennium, there was no formal canonization process in the Catholic Church. After becoming a priest and helping to spread Christianity throughout Ireland, Patrick was likely proclaimed a saint by popular acclaim.

You can visit Saint Patrick's Icon hanging on our south wall of the Nave.


This Icon was completed with the grace of God by the hand of Pat Catlett (member St. Mark's Sacred Arts Guild).


You may view this icon in person on the southern wall of the Nave.


Special offerings can be made to a dedicated Iconography fund to help us continue to create our Communion of Saints Icon Project. You may donate online via PayPal by selecting "Other" in the purpose dropdown, then typing "Icon Fund" in the memo field. If writing a check, please put "Icon fund" in the memo line. Thank you!

Eggs to Fill for Easter Egg Hunt

Please consider filing some plastic eggs with goodies for the Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 9.

 

There is no need to purchase eggs. We have plenty! Pick up a dozen in the narthex and fill them with candy or other prizes. All food items must be individually wrapped by the manufacturer. Do not put loose jellybeans or other treats in the eggs. Stickers and trinkets are also fun for our youth to find in the eggs. Return the filled eggs to the collection box in the narthex any time before Easter Day.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Deacon David (email here).

Great Vigil of Easter Party Décor Volunteers Needed

Do you have a keen eye, artistic flare, and/or a desire to be part of a party-decorating team? We are seeking those who will be willing to help decorate the Parish Hall for Easter on Saturday, April 8th. If you are willing and able to help in this endeavor, please sign up on the table in the hallway that goes towards the Parish Hall. Thank you!

Cupcakes for Easter Resurrection Party

St. Mark's will be hosting a Resurrection Party after Holy Eucharist on Easter Sunday (April 9th). We are hoping to come up with roughly 20-dozen cupcakes. We would love to see what all of our creative bakers - of all ages - in this parish would come up with. They can be basic; they can be fancy. Let's share our talents and have fun on Easter Sunday! If you are willing to help, please sign-up on the table in the hallway that goes towards the Parish Hall from the narthex.

Food & Libations for the Agape Feast & Party

Following the Great Vigil of Easter liturgy, we will have a celebratory Easter feast and party. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the hallway that goes towards the Parish Hall. Please sign up and let us know what food or beverages (libations: alcohol or equally appealing non-alcoholic products are welcome) you plan to bring and share at the Agape Feast & Party. Food dishes may be savory or sweet, breads or salads, entrées or sides, but all food items should be ready-to-eat or in a crockpot that may be plugged in. All are welcome.

All-Parish Spring Cleaning

Help us get our facilities and grounds into good shape for Easter!

The cleaning will take place after Holy Saturday Liturgy on April 8th (liturgy begins at 9:00 a.m.)

  

Key Projects: 

  • Indoor Cleaning: Clean Worship Space: Vacuum, dust, mop and polish
  • Outdoor Cleaning: Tidy up the grounds of St. Mark's: weeding, raking, light trimming and litter pick-up outside


Things to bring (bring what you can and are willing to do):

  • Indoor Cleaning: Vacuum, dust rags, broom or Swiffer®, dusters, silver polish, etc.
  • Outdoor Cleaning: Work gloves, weeding tools, yard bags, rakes, hand pruners, etc.


Please sign up on the clipboards in the hallway going towards the Parish Hall for either the outside or inside cleaning projects that Saturday morning. We look forward to your help on this All-Parish Workday.

Building Something Beautiful for God at St. Mark’s:

Building Renewal Committee Report

We begin with Gratitude! Gratitude for the attention our community pays this project and to the Building Renewal Committee that is listening and learning from you, our Clergy, and our Consulting Liturgical Architect, Robert Habiger. Each member of our Committee has read the survey comments and table reports from the February 26 Meeting. Having compiled the names of those who wished for a private interview, Committee Members are reaching out. Anyone wishing a private interview should email Timothy McIntire (via email here).

 

We realize, also, that the internal voices are essential to our learning how to assure the quality of this project. It has been extremely gratifying to see how aligned our clergy and staff are in their personal missions and the mission of St. Mark’s. We believe our shared sense of purpose, faithfulness, and energy are bona fide assets.

 

The committee met last on March 7 and will meet next on April 18, respecting the need to focus on Holy Week. We discussed many different ways to continue to listen deeply and offer opportunities to share ideas and thoughts in the coming months in small-group settings. Look for these after Easter. Also, look for opportunities to learn from Robert Habiger as w will be hosting education around key liturgical and design issues. Robert Habiger and the Committee are identifying and interviewing architects who not only have the expertise we require but also the love and passion for our physical and human capital.

 

Although Gandhi purportedly never said exactly this, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” we believe our growing in this project requires our learning and ultimately building something beautiful. Gratitude!   

Outreach – Lunches for the Unhoused

St. Mark's has found an opportunity to reach out in love to our neighbors experiencing homelessness and hunger, as partners to Church Unbound. We have committed to providing sack lunches on the second Sunday of every month.


Church Unbound is a ministry of the Diocese of the Rio Grande. We currently meet in the parking lot of the Cathedral of St. John's at 318 Silver SW at 2:00 p.m. We meet at 1:30 p.m. for fellowship, with a brief service at 2:00 p.m. We will distribute the lunches during the fellowship time. 


If you are interested in helping with the lunches, attending Church Unbound on any Sunday, or would like to donate for future food purchases, please contact Joan Camera at 505 440 8984 or email her here.

Worship in the Wilderness

Click here for a printable Worship in the Wilderness flyer.

Save the Dates: All-Parish Campout

July 28-30th


 The all-parish campout is returning after four years! We will camp at the Ponderosa Group Campground. The campground is 6 miles west of Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, NM. Click here to see the campground. This is a tent-only campground with a covered cooking shelter, pit toilets and drinking water. The plan is to gather there on Friday night, hike on Saturday (optional), enjoy a potluck meal on Saturday evening (bring your own main dish & a side to share) and Sunday morning Eucharist before we pack up and head back.

 

All ages are welcome! Come for both nights, one night, for the hike, and/or for Sunday Eucharist. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the event.

Stations of the Cross

Join us for this brief meditative service each Friday evening in Lent. March 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.

 

The Stations of the Cross are an ancient liturgy that offers us a kind of pilgrimage into the Passion of Christ by walking in the steps of Jesus through Jerusalem to Golgotha. The Way of the Cross developed in the Middle Ages as an alternative to making a physical pilgrimage to Jerusalem during Holy Week.

 

You will find the Stations of the Cross prayer booklets on the Welcome Table in the narthex (lobby) or in a basket on the preparation table at the very back of the worship space on your left as you enter. The Way of the Cross is a quiet, prayerful and reflective liturgy.

 

Stations of the Cross may also be prayed as a personal prayer practice in Lent. All are welcome to observe Stations of the Cross anytime that church is open and available on your own or with a group. If you want to make sure a time is free to pray The Stations of the Cross, please call the church office at 505 262 2484 and speak with Jennifer Lind, our parish administrator. People may see the images and pray with text or audio files from on this website, too.


Artwork of purple cross image for this article is by Marcel Vároz.

Lenten Formation Offerings

There are several ongoing formation classes happening for both youth and adults each Sunday. There are also several Lenten offerings coming up in the near future. All current and near-future class descriptions may be found on our website by going to the "Nurture" menu item, then click on "Formation Class Schedule." Or: https://www.stmarksabq.org/class-schedule.


To see a daily snapshot of what is happening at St. Marks, go to: https://www.stmarksabq.org/online.

Get Your Holy Week Schedule

Pick up a flyer to take home at the Lenten Resource table in the hallway of the church between the entryway and the Parish Hall, or: Click here to download a printable flyer.

GIVE TO ST. MARK'S

...By Mail (St. Mark's has a secure mailbox and is checked regularly):

431 Richmond Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.

...By PayPal®.


Please consider checking the box that reads, "I’d like to add to my donation to help offset the cost of processing."

...Electronically through the Diocese of the Rio Grande Parish Donation site and check the box next to "Albuquerque-St. Mark's".


Just fill out the rest of the information and click the Next button at the bottom of the page. Please make sure fill out "special instructions or comment" to let us know how to apply your gift (e.g., pledge, congregational relief fund, etc.).

DIOCESE & BEYOND

Trauma-Informed Training Series

There are still spots available to join us for the last two sessions of our Trauma Informed Training Series hosted by Julia Montany of Las Cumbres’ WINGS program. Reserve your spot. Contact the Asylum Program Director for more information by emailing here.

Choose Life by Chris Chivers - Meet the Author


All are welcome to join us for worship during our Thursday 11 a.m. midweek Holy Eucharists and our Sunday Holy Eucharists at 9:30 a.m. You may join us in person or on Facebook & YouTube.

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