November- December 2014 Volume 18- Issue 6 ADVENT SEASON

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1 November- December 2014 Volume 18- Issue 6 ADVENT SEASON And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? (Matt 21:10) Soon we will begin the season of Advent. This is a time when we look backwards, look to the present and look to the future. We look backwards to the incarnation of our Lord, for it is at this time we can join with the choir of angels singing to the shepherds on the hillside, announcing the birth of our Lord. We look to the present whenever we focus on Christ s coming in the Holy Eucharist when we partake of His most precious Body and Blood, where heaven and earth meet. And, we look forward to the Second Advent, the time when Christ comes in the Last Day to judge and redeem us. Advent is also the time of the year that we are called to prepare ourselves for the journey that is ahead of us as we receive the redeeming power and grace from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In the three Propers for Advent 1, we are shown how to prepare for our Lord s coming. In the Collect for Advent 1, we pray for grace to be able to cast away the works of darkness and to be able to put on the armor of light, for it is only with God s grace and mercy that we are able to overcome the darkness of Satan s world, so that we may rise to immortal life in and thru Christ Jesus.. The Epistle reading for Advent 1 provides a fitting summary of the law of love, by which we will be judged at the Last Day; it is a signpost pointing out how we are to prepare ourselves, preparing ourselves in love; for we shall love our neighbors and to obey any other commandment. In 1st Corinthians 13:13, St. Paul described the three virtues of a believer, Faith, Hope, and Charity, charity being the greatest of the three. Charity or love is a gift from God s own love for us. It is the virtue by which we show our love for God 1/6 above all things and it is the virtue of the love we show for our neighbors We are reminded that we are to use our time here in this life wisely, casting off the works and ways of the devil, and turning toward the light of Jesus Christ. At our baptismal we pledged, or our sponsors pledged for us, to renounce the devil and all of his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world... This is the beginning of our preparation for the journey ahead. Massy Shepherd, in his commentary on the Gospel for Advent 1, states that even though the reading describes Christ s entrance into Jerusalem, which may be more appropriate for Palm Sunday, it should be read symbolically, for it portrays the coming of the Lord as King and as Messiah to be among His people. And, it shows our Lord entering the city, not in a kingly manner, but in humility and meekly. However, even in His meekness, Christ is shown to be the judge and redeemer, for the Gospel depicts the judgment that our Lord will render upon His return. Sometime after His arrival, perhaps the next day, Jesus went into the temple where He proceeded to cleanse it of the profane activities taking place there. As we see in His cleansing of the temple, He brings a terrible judgment upon those whom He finds desecrating God s Holiness. Our Lord s cleansing of the temple was a denunciation of a profane life that had once been dedicated to God. If the secular world becomes more of a priority in our lives, we sometimes give ourselves over to selfish purposes, such as material gain, rather than for the advancement of God s glorious Kingdom. When we become part of the world, we dishonor God s gift to us. Our body is to be the temple of

2 God, a sacred place for the Holy Spirit to reside; therefore we should dedicate our souls and bodies to God s work and not an irreverent calling. In 1 st Cor 3:16, and again in 1 st Cor 6:19, St. Paul asks the question, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?... for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Our hearts and minds must not be constantly focused on earthly matters, but kept clean from those things. Our bodies should be regarded as sacred, made sacred by the grace given to us through our baptism and made possible by Christ s death upon the Cross. Our bodies, our souls, or hearts and minds must be devoted to Christ s service, because it is where the Holy Spirit resides. Throughout the New Testament we are warned about being in and of this world, Be in the world, but not of the world, writes St. Paul in Romans 12:2. If we do not go into the world we cannot spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ; if we are, however, of the world, neither can we spread the Gospel. The love of money, power and other worldly things can keep us from Christ s saving grace and eternal love. If we allow Him to enter into our hearts, Jesus will cleanse our temple, our souls and hearts of the sins that dwell there and make us houses of prayers. The Advent Season is about the coming of the promised Messiah, coming to us as a small child who grows to redeem us by His death and resurrection. This time of the year is a joyous occasion, because without the coming of Jesus the Child, without the coming of God as man, we would be living a hopeless and dark existence. It is indeed joyous that God comes to man, who has fallen into sin. Man, by himself, was not and is still not able to redeem himself. It is through our preparation for Advent that our awareness of our sins is revealed and revived. The Messiah s glory is revealed to us when our hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit, when we pray, when we read, study and live His word, and when we participate in the Holy Eucharist. The Christmas story does not begin in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament. God s promise of a Branch of Righteous from the lineage of David, found throughout the OT scriptures, however, was fulfilled in the New Testament. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, Zephaniah, and Micah all proclaimed the Christ that was to come. So as we go through this Advent season pray that we are truly prepared to meet our Savior as the incarnate Son of God, and that we will be able to answer the question, Who is this man, indeed? + AMEN LIKE TO EAT AT WENDY'S? Mayme Todd is selling "Wendy Bucks" for the Roanoke Valley Children's choir. They come in $2.00 denominations and can be used at any Wendy's in the Roanoke/Salem area. You use the coupons just like money. However, they will not give you change back. So if your order total is $5.25 use 2 coupons and give them cash for the rest. The fundraiser is year round so anytime you get a hankerin' for a single with cheese or a frosty we can help you out. Thank you for your support and generosity. Cynthia & Mayme Todd 2/6

3 Last issue s Quiz Answers Where in the Old Testament are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned? Hint: It is in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. ANSWER: The Prophet Isaiah predicts the peaceful kingdom from the root of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-2 (KJV) (1) And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (2) And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. What is the shortest Psalm; the longest? ANSWER: The shortest is Psalm 117; the longest is Psalm 119. Psalm 117 has only 2 verses. Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem consists of lines or verses in which the first, last, or other particular letters, when taken in order spell out a word or phrase. 1 Psalm 119 consists of 22 stanzas with each stanza beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet; moreover, the verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It was intended to be a manual of pious thoughts, especially for instructing the young, and its peculiar artificial structure was probably adopted to aid the memory in retaining the language. 2 There are at least two recordings in scripture of Jesus weeping. Where are they found in Scripture and under what circumstances caused these two displays of emotion from our Lord? ANSWER: One is found in the Gospel for Tenth Sunday after Trinity - St. Luke xix. 41. AND when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; Christ knew the fate that was before Jerusalem, the evils that were to come upon it and was grieved because He knew that the city could have been saved had they received the prophets and Him. They did not comprehend that they were about to put their long- awaited Messiah to death. Another example is found in S. John 11:34, as Jesus wept, or as the Greek denotes, He shed tears, not wailing and sobbing, just prior to raising Lazarus from his death. All the people around Jesus was wailing and sobbing loudly, however, Jesus in His tender and loving way shed tears for those who were grieving. This Issue s Quiz What were the Hebrew names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- nego? Is 3 rd Kings in the Old Testament or New Testament? Which nation invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel and took the people into captivity? How long did the Exile last? 1 Dictionary.Com app for Droid 2 fausset- brown 3/6

4 FROM THE WOMEN OF ST. THOMAS Thank offering: The Women of St. Thomas Annual Thank Offering will be taken up on Sunday, November 23. The offering will go to the Williamson Road Area Ministerial Association, who uses it to meet the specific needs of those needing and requesting aid. Offerings from all parishioners are welcome. Christmas Food Box: The Women of St. Thomas will place their food collection boxes in the Narthex on November 23 rd. All donations will go to Feeding America SW Virginia. The collection will run from Sunday, November 23 through Sunday, December 14. Christmas Poinsettias: It is time to order your Christmas poinsettias. The order forms will be in the bulletins from November 23 to December 14. Please See Joan Witt. The cost is $12.00 each. Altar Flowers: Anyone interesting in giving Altar Flowers for 2015 in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving, please contact Joan Witt. If the Sunday has not been selected and only one donor, the cost is $ However, if someone shares a Sunday, the price is $ The requests are due by Sunday, February 22, UPCOMING EVENTS November 2: Start new temporary schedule of one service 9-10 Choir practice 9:30 Christian Education 10:30 Mass November 9: 9:15 to 10:15 Start of Sunday Adult Bible Study on the Old Testament November 23: Annual Parish Meeting after the 10:30 Mass December 7: Lessons and Carols - During the Lessons and Carols, the choir will sing traditional Advent music and our flutist will be Janet Milan. This service is an excellent way to celebrate the coming Christmas season. 4/6

5 FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR 6:00 7:00pm every Wednesday night Choir rehearsal in Parish Hall 9:00 10:00am every Sunday morning Choir rehearsal in Church LIFE S WISDOM 5/6

6 St. Thomas of Canterbury ACC 4910 Hubert Road, NW, Roanoke, VA Church The Rev. Father Paul T. Beutell, Rector A Traditional Parish for Contemporary Living 6/6