True bread

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

What God gives us

Holy Week Schedule

Holy Week 2019 

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Palm Sunday | April 14, 2019
Service at 10 a.m.

Maundy Thursday | April 18, 2019
Service at 7:30 p.m. 

Good Friday | April 19, 2019
Service at Noon

Easter | April 20, 2019

Easter Egg Hunt - 4:30pm
Great Vigil of Easter - Service at 7 p.m.

Easter | April 21, 2019
Service at 10 a.m.

Keep us

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

God so loved the world

Spring is on its way

The Prayer of Saint Patrick

The Prayer of Saint Patrick

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness 
Of the Creator of creation. 
I arise today 
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism, 
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, 
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. 
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs, 
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven; 
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea, 
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock. 
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me, 
God's wisdom to guide me, 
God's eye to look before me, 
God's ear to hear me, 
God's word to speak for me, 
God's hand to guard me, 
God's way to lie before me, 
God's shield to protect me, 
God's hosts to save me 
From snares of the devil, 
From temptations of vices, 
From every one who desires me ill, 
Afar and anear, 
Alone or in a multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul, 
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry, 
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul. 
Christ shield me today 
Against poison, against burning, 
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance. 
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, 
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, 
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, 
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, 
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, 
Christ in the eye that sees me, 
Christ in the ear that hears me. 
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

Have mercy

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayers for New Zealand

“God grieves the death of Muslim worshippers. 

God stands against anyone who murders innocent people in the name of ideology, ethnic purity, racial superiority, or religious entitlement.” 

Tom Fuerst

(Meme from the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society)

The Lenten Spring

The lenten spring shines forth,
the flower of repentance!
Let us cleanse ourselves from all evil,
crying out to the Giver of Light:
"Glory to You, O Lover of man!"

Lenten Prayers, Week 1

From Thomas Hopko, The Lenten Spring 

What vs. who

“We usually know what we can do, but temptation shows us who we are.”

-Thomas a Kempis

What we are called to give up in Lent

“Perhaps the word “surrender” should be enough for my prayer… Not the surrender of submission to an enemy, but the opposite, the laying down of resistance to the One who loves me infinitely more than I can guess, the One who is more on my side that I am myself. Dwelling on this thought of letting go, and handing myself over to the Spirit will bring me much closer to the experience of Jesus than the word ‘discipline’ which so many of us have been trained to invoke at the beginning of Lent. It should help us smile at our anxious attempts to bring our life under control, the belt tightening resolutions about giving up this or taking on that. What we are called to give up in Lent is control itself!”

-Martin L. Smith, A Season for the Spirit

Come to me

"Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I shall give you rest."

Gregory the Great

Almighty and merciful God, you raised up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God, and inspired him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people: Preserve in your Church the catholic and apostolic faith they taught, that your people, being fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Diocesan Multi-Deanery Meeting to discuss the Fair Share of Sacred Gifts to the Diocese

Parish Clergy and Lay Leaders of St. Mary's Church, Cathedral Road

On Tuesday, March 19^th at 6:30 at St. Peters, Glenside, will be the last of three multi-Deanery meetings (Bucks, Pennypack, Montgomery, Wissahickon) to discuss the Fair Share of Sacred Gifts the parishes give to the Offices of the Diocese.  These meetings are in response to the Bishop’s 2019 Budget request to work with the parishes to develop a multi-year plan to eliminate the deficit in the Diocesan budget while maintaining the Diocesan commitment to mission and vision.  It will be a unique opportunity for parish clergy and lay leaders to understand the issues facing the Diocese financially and to most importantly have their voices heard in how their participation will be developed for the next several years to help balance the Diocesan Budget.

As the title of the meeting suggests, this meeting is a discussion.  We will be sharing information on the financial issues of the Diocese and soliciting input & comment from parishes on how they think they can participate in helping with issues.  Once all three meetings have been held we will use that information received from the parishes to develop the 2020 Diocesan budget and a multi-year strategy to finally balance the Diocesan budget.

The link to the event

https://teamup.com/event/show/id/xZVoDe6Ggmeec6rqvMXmfzFDRfoDVL

I encourage the clergy and lay leaders of your Parish to attend this important event. If any are unable to attend the second to last scheduled Discussion on Fair Share meeting is scheduled as follows and open to all:

Thursday, March 14th – Good Samaritan, 212 West Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, 6.30

Deaneries: Brandywine, Merion, & Valley Forge

The link to the March 14^th event

https://teamup.com/event/show/id/L5mS7sofLTxTuGqPjJNT5XyCWUtpjh

I look forward to any questions you may have.

Thank you for your support.

Doug

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Douglas J. Horner

Canon for Finance & Business

The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

3717 Chestnut Street, Suite 300

Philadelphia, PA 19104
215.621.8318

Know Jesus. Change the World.

Confess and be cleansed

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
I John 1:8, 9

Let each of us find you mighty to save

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In the bleak midwinter

Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven

Beati quorum

¹Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!
²Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
³While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because of my groaning all day long.
⁴For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and did not conceal my guilt.
⁶I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
⁷Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in
time of trouble; *
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
⁸You are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble; *
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
⁹"I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you
should go; *
I will guide you with my eye.
¹⁰Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you."
¹¹Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
¹²Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

Bishop White Lodge Tuesday Eucharist Schedule

Bishop White Lodge Tuesday Eucharist Schedule

10:30 am at Bishop White Lodge - Cathedral Village

5 March 2019 John and Charles Wesley

6 March 2019 2pm Ash Wednesday

12 March 2019 Gregory the Great

19 March 2019 Patrick

26 March 2019 Oscar Romero

2 April 2019 James Lloyd Breck

9 April 2019 William Muhlenberg & Anne Ayers

16 April 2019 Holy Week

23 April 2019 Easter

30 April 2019 Catherine of Siena

7 May 2019 Dame Julian of Norwich

14 May 2019 Dunstan - Archbishop of Canterbury

21 May 2018 John Eliot ~ Missionary among the Algonquin

28 May 2019 Bertha and Ethelbert - 616 (Queen and King of Kent)

4 June 2019 Pope John XXIII

11 June 2019 Ephram of Edessa

18 June 2019 St. Alban

25 June 2019 Irenaeus

2 July 2019 Pauli Murray

9 July 2019 Benedict of Nursia

16 July 2019 Bishop William White

23 July 2019 Thomas a Kempis

30 July 2019 Ignatius of Loyola

6 August 2019 Dominic

13 August 2019 Clare

20 August 2019 Bernard

27 August 2019 Augustine of Hippo

Come and see

John 1:35-42

35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, 'Look, here is the Lamb of God!'

37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, 'What are you looking for?' They said to him, 'Rabbi' (which translated means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' 

39He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 

41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, 'You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas' (which is translated Peter).

Walking the way of Lent with the Psalms ~ 1 ~ 7 March 2019

Walking the way of Lent with the Psalms


Bono & Eugene Peterson / The Psalms

Rend your Hearts

Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. 
Joel 2:13

You are my Beloved

Cleanse us

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
1 John 1:8, 9

Bishop Gutierrez reflects on Lent

"If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross." Philippians 2:1-8 My brothers and sisters, most blessed and holy day,  Lent is upon us and during this time, we journey together on this sacred pilgrimage to the heart of Jesus Christ.  Lent is a mysterious time of reflection and awakening.  There is nothing ordinary about Lent and this time can be profoundly life-giving.  I often compare Lent to the moments before dawn.  The darkness surrounds us and we wait, contemplate, prepare, and pray. The world silently regenerates in anticipation of the rising sun.    During this sacred time, I invite you to Journey to the Heart of Christ to seek and find the heart of Christ. Lent is the opportunity to go deeper in faith.  Lent provides the context  for interior discernment and greater knowing of Christ.  In my personal prayers, I keep the image of the beloved disciple John leaning against the chest of our Savior.  Leaning against Christ and listening to his heartbeat.  I hold this image during times of joy and pain.  Let us long to be at the heart of Jesus Christ.  To assist on your walk through Lent, we offer a list of various prayers, devotions, and action (online and in person, see below).  I would also like to encourage you to take time to review the Presiding Bishop’s message andresources to Walk In Love: Practices for a Jesus Centered Life.    In addition to these resources, I encourage you to try any or all of the following: Pray together with your family, friend or a loved one.   This may sound challenging, but one day a week, gather the entire family and say a prayer.  It could be one of gratitude, to bless one another’s day.  Maybe you can set a time to text a friend at a specific day and hour and let them know you are praying for them.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus prayed constantly.  Jesus sought God’s heart relentlessly.  Let us strive to be like him.   For one hour during the day, stop reading your emails or searching through social media.  During that time, read the Bible, commit to silence or listen to sacred music. Read the Lives of the Saintsor a book about Jesus. Extend that time the following week.  Skip the Sunday sports’ practices and tell the coach that you have a commitment to church.  Make God, not the world, your priority one Sunday a month. Bring the entire family. Make a commitment to pray. Whether it is on your knees or sitting on the bed, close your eyes and pray. Each day offer one prayer of gratitude for the gifts in your life.  Use your smartphone to take a picture of where you see Jesus in your daily life.  It can be a place, a person or something with deep meaning. Post on our social media accounts and tag us in it (#WhereDoYouSeeJesus, #diopalove) so we can find it and share it with others. Make a commitment you will go to the Ash Wednesday service at your church. Make a commitment to take one person with you to Easter services.  It could be a wild, unexpected and mysterious invitation. Ask, ask again, follow and do it.   More importantly, I encourage you to reflect daily on Jesus Christ.  How is He present in your life?  How do His life and words move you to be like Him?  Where do you see Jesus in the world?  Our spiritual and diocesan pilgrimage is transformative.  Never lose sight that your spiritual journey is both holy and beautiful.   As we journey through Lent, let’s enter into the walk to Calvary and hold sight of the resurrection.  Lean against the chest of our savior Jesus Christ and listen, really listen to His heartbeat.  Listen to where He is leading you. You are in my prayers and are deeply loved.  The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez XVI Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania Connect with Us  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌ Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania | 3717 Chestnut Street, Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 19104