June 15, The Holy Trinity
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 10:21AM The Holy Trinity
Sunday June 15
What is God? St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that theology is our talk about God in response to God’s talk about God. God’s own talk is the very life of the Godhead. That conversation within the Godhead is, as Christians call it, the “Trinity”: an uttering in love, a Word uttered and Love returned, a sort of tryst. God himself is, as it were all talk, all love, all loving talk. And the Trinitarian life of God took the form of a Word made flesh and became speech addressed to us, the Word that is Christ is what St. Thomas calls, “holy teaching.” Theology as St. Thomas says, is neither more nor less than our human reception of and response to that Word of God that is spoken to us in Christ. Being in this way our talk about God’s talk about God, the discipline of theology begins and ends in the God it is about, the Trinitarian conversation extended into the human through Jesus’ prayer to his Father, so that reciprocally, our human conversation might by grace and prayer extend into the Trinitarian life of God. Thus does the Christian, through faith, participate in the conversation that is God.
Aquinas: A Portrait
Denys Turner
Reasons for Joy
We have some good reasons to be joyful for our life at Church of the Angels
1. Chitra Rao’s Ordination
It was a glorious liturgy at St. John’s Cathedral last Saturday as Chitra was ordained deacon with 8 other people. Many parishioners attended the service. Fr. Bob was one of the clergy presenters and helped to clothe Chitra in her vestments.
2. Pentecost
We did the Pentecost Presentation in the Liturgy last Sunday. Once again we heard about the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and we law the light descend from the Paschal Candle representing the Risen Christ, to the seven red candles representing the Seven Gifts, and to each one of us asking for one of those gifts and then taking that light off the red candle and lighting one of the tea lights representing each one of us.
This is one of the gifts flowing to us from The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This was the 20th year we’ve done this.
3. Parent and Children Barbecue
30 adults, 15 young people, and 6 infants joined Fr. Bob and Tracy at the Rectory for a barbecue on Pentecost afternoon. There were many new people in attendance and everyone to get to know one another. It was a great time.
4. The Wedding of Niels Hauksson and Laurelinda Larkins
This coming Saturday Niels Hauksson, Lucy Jones’ youngest son will get married at COA. Niels grew up in the parish and it is wonderful to see him move through these important stages on life’s journey.
Summer Sunday School
On the Seventh Sunday of Easter Fr. Bob thanked the Catechists for their service to the children of our parish. He presented each of them with a copy of James Martin’s book Jesus, as a token of our appreciation.
The last Sunday for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was Pentecost. There the children gathered in the Level 2 atrium and heard the same Pentecost presentation that we did in Church. But in addition to lighting candles, they went around the atrium and brought to the Prayer Table items in the atrium that spoke to them of the gifts they had received through the Catechesis this year.
In the summer we close the atriums to give the catechists a well earned rest and the opportunity to come to the Liturgy in the large sanctuary. In place of Catechesis we will offer a “Summer Sunday School” led by Marielle Askew. She is working on a set of lessons to introduce children to some important people in the history of Christianity. Each lesson is self contained which works well for the varied attendance that happens over the summer.
We are grateful for her help. Summer Sunday school begins at 10:15 and the children will be brought over in time to receive Communion.
Hands of the Angels June 14,
The Hands of the Angels Knitting & Handicrafts group meets on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall Living Room. Everyone is welcome to join and if you’d like, learn how to knit. The next meeting will be Saturday June 14, 10:00 a.m. Parish Hall Living Room
Emmaus Road Monday June 16,
Emmaus Road continues the book, Jesus, by Fr. James Martin SJ. We’ve read two other books by Fr. Martin, The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything, and My Life with the Saints. Fr. Martin is an engaging writer and we look forward to a good time with his book. Emmaus Road will read Chapters 13 & 14 for Monday, June 16.
125th Anniversary Activity: Renewal of Wedding Vows Saturday, June 21, 2:00 p.m.
On June 21 we will be celebrating one hundred and twenty five years of marriages at Church of the Angels by renewing the vows of every couple in attendance who was married here. The ceremony will begin at 2:00, reception to follow. If you know someone who was married here and we might not have their contact information please send their home or email address tochurchoftheangels125th@gmail.com. Questions may be sent there as well or you may send them to Rebecca Woods atcoaweddings@gmail.com. Wedding dresses and pictures welcome."
Rebecca Woods has gone through the parish registers and Googled the names of people whose marriages took place here. She mailed invitations to those she could find. She didn’t mail invitations to those who were married here who are active members of the parish.
To everyone who was married at the Church of the Angels:
Please save Saturday, June 21st for a very special occasion!
Church of the Angels is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2014. As part of the celebration, on June 21st, we will celebrate 125 years of weddings at Church of the Angels by renewing the vows of every couple in attendance who was married there! The ceremony will begin at 2:00, with a reception to follow. Brides are invited to wear their wedding dresses (men, did you keep that tux?!), and we would welcome wedding photos to share.
Pictures may be sent to Rebecca Woods at coaweddings@gmail.com, she can answer your questions as well.
We look forward to an overflowing church on June 21st!
Food For Thought
On the Food for Thought Table this Sunday an article from the recent issue of The Christian Century, The Hard Work of Holiness. This article looks at the concept of Purgatory as it getting a new look by both Protestants and Catholics. The question of Purgatory centers around the Christian idea of sanctification which in a nutshell is growing into people who really like God and really like living the way God wants us to. It is the long, drawn out, difficult process of conversion. Well, what happens if that process is not complete by the time of our death, which if we’re honest with ourselves we know won’t be? As the article asks, “If sanctification is only gradual and difficult in this life, why do we expect it will be different in the life to come? How do we deal with our unfinished business in the life to come?
Music with the Angels
Jouyssance Concert: Sunday June 22, 4:00 p.m.
Tallis’ Lamentations of Jeremiah
Thomas Tallis’ monumental Lamentations of Jeremiah will serve as the central work in a concert devoted to the music of Tallis and his contemporaries. This program will explore themes of healing, reconciliation, and affirmation, with additional works by Lasso, Dunstable, Dufay, Sheppard, and Gesualdo
$20.00 General Admission
$15.00 students/seniors/SCEMS members
Please call 626-260-8249 or visit www. Jouyssance.org