This Week’s Newsletter
January 27, 2025
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Message from the Rector
January 27, 2025
Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:14-21
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The lessons this Sunday put the Holy Scriptures front and center. The scriptures are to be read aloud publicly. This has been a practice since ancient times in Judaism and continues in our own Christian tradition. All of the Abrahamic faiths, including Islam, recognize the importance of hearing scripture aloud and often; one of the hallmarks of Islam is to hear verses from the Qu’ran read aloud from minarets for everyone in the community to hear. All of us who are people of the Book recognize and revere the centrality of God’s Word in our lives.
The hearing, interpretation, and preaching on the words of the Bible are important activities in our worship. It is at this time when we learn how to connect the scriptures to our daily lives. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians recognized the importance of all of the church’s members, but particularly those called to be apostles and other interpreters of the Word; today, we understand these to be our bishops and priests. He wrote that some are called to be apostles, teachers, workers of miracles, and prophets. Prophets are inspired teachers who speak out among the people to convey the will of God. Prophets challenge the world to live as God expects us to live and do as God expects us to do. Preachers are called, not just to tell people about Jesus, but “to do Jesus to the people,” to inspire each of us to do the things that Jesus taught. Preaching can be stimulating, comforting, and preaching can also be prophetic. We comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
Last week was full of major events that will affect our national life. Last Monday, we celebrated the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday and we inaugurated a new President—well, not so new—an individual who returned to power for a second term after a hiatus of four years. And by now, I’m sure you’ve heard about the sermon that was preached at the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral by the Bishop of Washington. She spoke mainly on the importance of national unity, of prayer, of living more harmoniously with each other. But she also confronted the President to consider the plight of some of our marginalized citizens and of immigrants. Many people were upset at her words; many others praised her for what she said. Many condemned her for being political, but I submit to you that she was actually being prophetic. There is a difference between political preaching and prophetic preaching. Political preaching focuses on supporting or condemning particular individuals and agendas; prophetic preaching takes the words of Jesus Christ, what he taught and what he did, and uses them as a measuring stick to evaluate how we’re actually living.
Prophets have always confronted the civil and religious leaders to look at their behavior and ask if that conforms to what God expects us to do. Jesus himself did exactly that: he confronted the people who were going to stone a woman to death because she committed adultery; he confronted the religious leaders who got angry at him and his disciples for plucking corn on the sabbath or not washing their hands properly. He wasn’t saying that rules, expectations, and religious practices weren’t important, but that human relationships and our relationship with God are more important than blindly following rules for the sake of the rules themselves. Several times he quoted the Prophet Hosea, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” In other words, God expects us to care for each other rather than tripping over our needy sisters and brothers as we’re running to get to church. And when some Pharisees tried to railroad Jesus into being political, what did he say? “Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s.”
Preachers “do Jesus to the people.” We inspire you to ask, “What would Jesus do?” I know that’s kind of cliché these days, but it’s a pretty simple way to help us decide how to make decisions, how to live our lives, even how to behave politically. When confronted with the hot-button issues in your personal, community, and political life, ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” We hear stories about him every Sunday, so we should have some idea of how to answer that.
And we’re all preachers in a way, because all Christians are called to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ and followers of his words and deeds. And each of us has a role in the overall mission. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” We all have unique roles to play (eyes, arms, ears, legs, noses, as St. Paul wrote) and together we form the whole body. Just as an eye or an arm is useless apart from the rest of the body, we don’t function when we try to go it alone. We depend on each other and we depend on God. And if we keep that in mind, we can do amazing things in the world, and I suspect our personal lives will improve too.
So, that’s my message to you today. Just ask, “What would Jesus do?” We may not always get it right; life situations are not always black-and-white, easy to figure out. We’re human; we do the best we can, and in the end, we confide in God’s grace and mercy. But, I think if we stick to that basic question, it will help us handle the challenges we face and the conflicts that we encounter. It would probably even help our nation and our world get along better. May we all pray and live out the words of the collect for this week. (see below)
Click here to read Fr. Whitmire’s entire sermon.
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Congratulations to the 2025 Vestry & Wardens
who were inducted on Sunday
Wardens
Yvonne Pursoo
Robert Santana
Vestry
Angela Allen
Diana Chetram
Anestha Crawford
Maria Jaya
Sherry Maniapen
Allan Songster
Edward Teekasingh
Note: Rajindra Bhagwant was also elected at the Annual Meeting, but has since disclosed that he is unable to serve on the vestry. He was not inducted.
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Reflections on This Week’s Lectionary | |
Collect for the Third Week after the Epiphany
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and all the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 (Click to read the passage)
The Old Testament book of Nehemiah focuses on the period when Persia conquered Babylon, and an edict from the Persian King Cyrus allows Jewish exiles to return to Israel from Babylon. Nehemiah, the Jewish governor under Persian rule, rebuilds Jerusalem’s walls and oversees many reforms, including rebuilding the Temple. Temple worship begins again and, along with it, a program of teaching the Torah, the Mosaic law, which was considered the foundation for godly and moral behavior.
Chapter 8 describes a great celebration taking place, that of the reconstruction by the rededicated community. In our current passage, we hear of the first public reading of the Torah. The people gather near one of the gates and ask the priest and scribe, Ezra, to read from Leviticus. Ezra opens the book in front of the people and reads from the law in Hebrew, “from early morning until midday”, while assistants translate and interpret. Ezra blesses the Lord, and the people answer “Amen.” This public reading of scriptures is the start of the practice that will continue throughout Jewish and Christian traditions.
Indeed, this scene of a religious authority figure reading the foundational scriptures in front of the people mirrors our typical modern Sunday worship services, apart from a few differences. First, the people are returning to worship after a long absence. Second, the intensity of their reaction is not often seen in church these days: “For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.” Ezra tells them not to be grieved on this holy day; rather, he reminds them to celebrate and feast, while saving and sharing a portion of their bounty with the less fortunate. He reminds them that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Have you ever been so moved by a reading of Scripture that it has caused you to weep? What was the passage, and what was the circumstance? How did this impact your spiritual life?
- Ezra associates holy days with celebration and joy, enjoying eating and drinking, not grief or lament. The people are told to share their portions with those who have none. What new insights does this Scripture prompt for you about how sacred holy days could be observed in our time?
- Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest, and the Temple assistants work together to provide a place for the people to hear and learn the Torah in a way that preserves the divine authority and dignity of the scriptures while making them accessible to the people. How do you see this interaction of governing and spiritual authorities working together in your own local congregational context? Is the relationship harmonious or are changes needed to improve partnerships that will spiritually benefit the people?
Psalm 19 (Click to read)
In exquisite, poetic prose, the psalmist conveys through two distinct passages the same message, that divine wisdom illuminates our lives. The first portion (vv. 1 – 6) describes how the daily movements of the sun, the simple, ordinary-yet-extraordinarily unique passings of each day, “declare the glory of God” and “show his handiwork.” The same day, viewed by all, across all corners of the earth, tells the same story about the Creator of all.
The second portion of the psalm (vv. 7-12) describes as “perfect” the law and the Lord’s divine guidance. An array of reverent descriptors unfolds: “reviv[ing] the soul,” “sure,” “giv[ing] wisdom,” “just,” “rejoic[ing] the heart,” “clear,” “giv[ing] light to the eyes,” “true,” “righteous,” “more to be desired… than gold,” “enlighten[ing].” The law gives light to our consciences in the same way that the sun gives light to our days. God’s wisdom illuminates and helps to “keep [us] from presumptuous sins.”
Weaving these two distinct analogies into one overarching theme, the psalmist conveys not only the message that divine wisdom and guidance are available to all regardless of education or ability – we need only observe and reflect on the daily movement of the sun – but also that our deliberate dedication to learning God’s statutes will satisfy our longings for guidance and feed our hunger for spiritual well-being.
- Evangelism is difficult in our secularized societies, and even illegal in some countries where Episcopal/Anglican churches are located. Yet the increasing social awareness of the urgency of caring for the environment is a link to thinking about creation and Creator. How might society’s renewed interest in caring for creation open doors for us to share our love of God and creation with others? Have you encountered these shared concerns or conversations with people in your own life or church?
- Are there any portions of God’s “law” that have been so enlightening for you that you can relate to the psalmist’s reverential attitude? Have you ever felt that you were being providentially protected from “presumptuous sins” through illuminating wisdom gained from God’s teachings?
- What revelations were involved in your coming to awareness of God’s existence and guidance? Was it more of an instinctual understanding such as observing the movement of the sun, or were you taught in a more methodical way about God’s existence and divine plans
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 (Click to read the passage)
In this epistle, the apostle Paul writes from Ephesus (modern Turkey) around 57 AD, to Christians in the church of Corinth, a church which he had founded. Corinth was a Greco-Roman city, a major port and industrial crossroads and a center for the arts. Its centrality meant that its residents came from diverse places and ethnicities. Paul responds here to two letters he has received from the Christians in Corinth, about divisions and disunity that have taken root in the church.
In his response, Paul describes the interdependent body of Christ, one body with many parts, each with its function, its entirely noble and differentiated purpose and its own gifts it contributes to the whole body. We are all part of this body of Christ because we are all baptized in the one Spirit and made to drink of one Spirit. “Jews or Greeks, slaves or free,” our status apart from the body is irrelevant. In this metaphor comparing society to a body, the weaker parts are not inferior but rather equalized in their value through receiving greater honor. Hence, any sense of hierarchy or power is neutralized by this paradoxical reversal.
If we are a stronger or more honorable member, we must remember that others who are weak or may seem inferior to us are nevertheless indispensable and honorable. If we see ourselves as a weaker or less worthy member of the body of Christ, it will help us to remember that greater honor is ours as inferior members, thus leveling our positions so that there is no dissension within the body. Since God has distributed diverse gifts across the body, we do not need to envy or feel ambitious about having another’s gifts, nor believe that one member’s gifts are worth more than another’s.
- We live in an era when Christians of good conscience, despite contemplating these same words from Paul applicable in our own day, are at odds with each other and may not see themselves as part of the same body or even tolerate being part of the same body. As a member of the body of Christ, how do you feel drawn by the Spirit to respond, and what actions might you take to help heal and unify the body?
- In what ways might you, as a member of the body of Christ, contribute to “greater honor” for members who appear weaker or inferior? What particular gifts do you bring to the body in this regard? What obstacles prevent your action and what new possibilities spring to mind that might encourage equity and unity?
Luke 4:21-30 (Click to read the passage)
Luke writes of Jesus’ return to Galilee, after having been tempted by the devil in the wilderness. He is now filled with the power of the Spirit and about to begin his ministry in Galilee. Jesus begins to teach in the synagogues and word begins to spread about him through the surrounding country. When he arrives on the Sabbath day at the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth, which would have been his usual practice when he lived there, he stands up and reads from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” along with subsequent verses that seem to describe the ministry he is beginning. This might have appeared to the listeners in the synagogue to be simply a regular reading of the scriptures… until Jesus goes on to say, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
One might think that those who were listening to Jesus in the synagogue that day would have been incredulous about his seemingly self-important conclusions. On the contrary, although it is not included in the passage chosen for this commentary, the next verse reveals that his actions are, at first, well received: “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’”
- Imagine yourself in the synagogue the day that Jesus read these scriptures aloud. What would have been your reaction to his declaring, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”? What would have convinced you that his seemingly outlandish statement should be taken seriously?
- As Christians, we believe that God calls each of us to ministry. Imagine that you, like Jesus, are called to read this Isaiah passage that begins with “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” What actions of ministry would you describe thereafter? What has God called you to do at this point in your life, or what is God calling you to do?
The Episcopal Church: Bible Study - Epiphany 2C - January 19, 2025
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Events this Week
(Epiphany 3)
Wednesday, January 29
(Weekday Feria)
No Mass tonight.
Friday, January 31
(Weekday Feria)
9:30 AM - Morning Prayer
Saturday, February 1
(Weekday Feria)
10:30 AM - Altar Guild Mass & Meeting
Sunday, February 2
(The Solemnity of the Presentation: Candlemas)
8:00 AM - Said Mass
9:30 AM - La Misa en Español
11:00 AM - Procession & High Mass
Click here to watch on Facebook Live.
1:00 PM - Adult Baptism/Confirmation Class
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Youth & Young Adult Sunday
Next Youth Sunday
February 16
| The Third Sunday of every month is designated as Youth & Young Adult Sunday. We encourage as many as possible to come and participate. | |
2025 Calendar of
Combined Masses
On the following Sundays,
one bilingual mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM.
- Sunday, April 13: Palm Sunday Procession & Mass
- Sunday, July 27: “Mass on the Grass” & Cookout
- Sunday, October 5: “Mass on the Grass” & Blessing of the Animals
- Sunday, November 2: Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints
- Sunday, December 21: Advent Lessons & Carols with Holy Communion & Greening of the Church
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Walsingham Rosary
& Benediction
Join the Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham
in praying for those on our parish prayer lists, for your own needs, and for the world.
| Download the parish prayer lists below. | |
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As a church family, we pray for each other and our needs, and share in celebrating our joys. Please pray for those on our parish prayer lists. You may click on the links below to download the lists.
Weekly Prayer List
Those with immediate concerns.
Monthly Prayer List
Those who request our prayers long-term.
List of those who have died recently
Pray for the souls of the faithful departed.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
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Birthdays
Vijay Baijnath (1/28)
Clarence Howard (1/31)
Elna
Rampersaud-Goorahoo (1/31)
Virginia Saavedra (1/30)
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Note: Requests for persons to be added to the Weekly Prayer List will remain for three (3) months. If the person needs to remain for longer, please notify Ms. Marion Brown or Fr. Whitmire. Persons with ongoing concerns will be moved to the Monthly List. | |
Please take note of the envelopes contained in the boxes. In addition to the pledge envelopes, there are envelopes for contributions for various holy days and special occasions, as well as envelopes to help the parish with certain operating expenses (e.g., heating fuel & maintenance). These envelopes are not intended for your regular pledge, but rather for an extra contribution of any amount. The first envelope in the box says, “Initial Offering.” This contribution helps defray the cost for providing the envelopes (around $450 per year). Please put in a few dollars.
Three ways to give:
Bring your contributions with you to Church.
Mail in your envelopes.
Give online.
Pledges received in December
(envelopes + online)
$11,682
Pledges and other contributions to All Saints can be made online. Contributions go to the General Operating Fund can be made through the church management website (called OnRealm) or by using the “Donate” page on the church website. Donations to General Operations will take you directly to the donation window. Select from the pull-down menu (e.g. Envelope Pledges, Ascension, Birthday Gift, Improvement & Maintenance), then select the amount and frequency. Contributions may be made by e-check (preferred) or by credit/debit card, and are automatically credited to your church record within one or two business days.
You may also use the “Donate” page to make contri-butions for worship items, flowers, and mass dedications. This is a two-step process. First fill out the form indicating what you are donating, the event you are comme-morating, and when you would like an acknowledgement of the donation to appear in the bulletin. You must click submit first, and that information will be sent to the church office. After you submit, you will be redirected to a donation window where you can make your payment. If you didn't sign in already, there is a link in the top-right corner so you can do so.
Click here to be redirected to the Donate page.
Click here to be directed to OnRealm to sign in, or register and create a password. If you have any questions or trouble signing in, please send us an e-mail or call the church for assistance.
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Give Thanks to God and Celebrate Life!
At All Saints we love celebrating birthdays. After each Mass, we bless anyone who is celebrating their birthday or anniversary. There are several ways you can give thanks to God for blessing you with another year of life or marriage by making a gift for flowers, bread and wine, altar candles, or candles for the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. You can even have a mass dedicated in your honor!
Another way you should thank God for your birthday is by making a birthday donation; there is a special envelope in your pledge boxes for a birthday gift and a gift can be made online. But how much should you give?
Beginning in January, we are starting a new All Saints tradition of thanking God for every year of life by giving one dollar ($1) for every year as your birthday gift. In other words, if you’re turning 2, give $2; if you’re tuning 21, give $21; if you’re turning 65, give $65. Get the idea?
The great thing is that everyone in the church can participate--kids and adults! Everyone has a birthday!!!
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LIVING OUT OUR MISSION
Articles, photos, and videos about
how All Saints is living out its mission.
The mission of All Saints Church is to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord by our participation in the Eucharist, our fellowship in oneness and diversity, by respect for each other, and through outreach into the community.
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If you have an interesting story, photo, or video that features an example of living out All Saints' mission, please e-mail it to Fr. Whitmire by 6 PM on Sunday. | |
St. John Chrysostom,
Bishop & Doctor
January 27
St. John, named Chrysostom (golden-mouthed) on account of his eloquence, came into the world of Christian parents, about the year 344, in the city of Antioch. His mother, at the age of 20, was a model of virtue. He studied rhetoric under Libanius, a pagan, the most famous orator of the age.
In 374, he began to lead the life of an anchorite in the mountains near Antioch, but in 386 the poor state of his health forced him to return to Antioch, where he was ordained a priest.
In 398, he was elevated to the See of Constantinople and became one of the greatest lights of the Church. But he had enemies in high places and some were ecclesiastics, not the least being Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who repented of this before he died. His most powerful enemy, however, was the empress Eudoxia, who was offended by the apostolic freedom of his discourses. Several accusations were brought against him in a pseudo-council, and he was sent into exile.
In the midst of his sufferings, like the apostle, St. Paul, whom he so greatly admired, he found the greatest peace and happiness. He had the consolation of knowing that the Pope remained his friend, and did for him what lay in his power. His enemies were not satisfied with the sufferings he had already endured, and they banished him still further, to Pythius, at the very extremity of the Empire. He died on his way there on September 14, 407.
He is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches.
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=64
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St. Thomas Aquinas,
Priest & Doctor
January 28
By universal consent, Thomas Aquinas is the preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic Church, honored with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor.
Thomas is believed to have been born in the castle of Roccasecca in the old county of the Kingdom of Sicily, which is now known as the Lazio region of Italy, in 1225. At five he was given to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in his parents’ hopes that he would choose that way of life and eventually became abbot. In 1239, he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was here that he was first attracted to Aristotle’s philosophy.
By 1243, Thomas abandoned his family’s plans for him and joined the Dominicans, much to his mother’s dismay. On her order, Thomas was captured by his brother and kept at home for over a year.
Once free, he went to Paris and then to Cologne, where he finished his studies with Albert the Great. He held two professorships at Paris, lived at the court of Pope Urban IV, directed the Dominican schools at Rome and Viterbo, combated adversaries of the mendicants, as well as the Averroists, and argued with some Franciscans about Aristotelianism.
His greatest contribution to the Catholic Church is his writings. The unity, harmony, and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings. One might expect Thomas, as a man of the gospel, to be an ardent defender of revealed truth. But he was broad enough, deep enough, to see the whole natural order as coming from God the Creator, and to see reason as a divine gift to be highly cherished.
The Summa Theologiae, his last and, unfortunately, uncompleted work, deals with the whole of Catholic theology. He stopped work on it after celebrating Mass on December 6, 1273. When asked why he stopped writing, he replied, “I cannot go on…. All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.” He died March 7, 1274.
Saint Thomas is often depicted with an open book or writing with a quill. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches. He is the patron saint of academics, apologists, the city of Aquino, Italy, booksellers, Catholic academies, schools and universities, chastity, pencil makers; philosophers, publishers, scholars, and students.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-thomas-aquinas/
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2530
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Aquinas
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Forest Park Deanery
2025 Deanery Mass Schedule
Solemnity of the Ascension
Thursday, May 29
St. John’s, South Ozone Park
Feast of the Assumption
Friday, August 15
All Saints, Woodhaven
Feast of St. Michael & All Angels
Monday, September 29
Resurrection, Kew Gardens
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All Saints Episcopal Church
85-45 96th Street
Woodhaven, New York 11421-1727
(718) 849-2352
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