April 17, 2007
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Happy Eastertide!
Our Easter joy continues for 50 days after Easter with glad Alleluias sung at all of our worship services. The Paschal Candle, lighted from the new fire and carried in procession at the Easter Vigil service, shines brightly during this Eastertide season.
THEME FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
The readings for this Sunday show how God transforms people through the centuries and calls them to new life. In the Collect, we pray: "O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
The reading from Jeremiah speaks of the Lord God freeing Israel from captivity in Babylon: "See, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them back to this place, and I will settle them in safety. They shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul."
Psalm 33 is a song of joy: "Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous; it is good for the just to sing praises. Praise the LORD with the harp; play to him upon the psaltery and lyre. Sing for him a new song; sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet ... Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, for in his holy Name we put our trust."
The reading from Acts is the famous account of the conversion of Saul (who becomes Paul): "Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' He asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.' The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus."
The Gospel passage from John shows the risen Christ leading the disciples to have a marvelous catch of fish in the Sea of Tiberias. When the disciples come ashore, they see a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus says to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." The Gospel tells us: "So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, 'Who are you?' because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead."
Jeremiah speaks of God rescuing the people of Israel from their captivity in Babylon. Saul is shaken by his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and turns from being the persecutor of the Christian faith to its greatest messenger. Jesus prepares breakfast for the disciples on the beach in a scene of great tenderness and caring. All of these accounts show God's desire to transform our lives and make us whole. Eastertide is the season of change, renewal and joy.
Sincerely,
David A. Killian
Rector
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Worship Services for the Third Sunday of Easter, April 21-22, 2007
Sunday, April 21, at 9:00 am: Preacher: The Rev. David A. Killian
Sunday, April 22, at 11:00 am: Preacher: The Rev. David A. Killian
Sunday, April 22, at 6:00 pm: Preacher: The Rev. Leslie K. Sterling
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Weekend and Mid-Week Worship Schedule
For the schedule of worship services for Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday, please click here.
Not Your Father's St. Patrick's Day ... rescheduled for Friday, April 27 at 8:00 pm. Please join us for the special St. Patrick's event (postponed from March 16 because of inclement weather) with Kevin O'Hara and Aine Minogue. Please click here for more information.
For the Collect of the Day, Scripture Readings, and Psalm, click here.
For a note on the Music at the Sunday 10:30 am service, from All Saints Music Director Donald Teeters, click here.
For a Story from this Sunday's Gospel by Becky Taylor, Director of Children's Youth, and Family Ministry, click here.
For a note on the Sunday 6:00 pm 'Episcopal Evening' service from Assistant Rector, the Rev. Leslie K. Sterling, click here.
To browse past issues of the All Saints Weekly, click here.
For "All Saints Smiles" and news about events, activities, programs, ministries and the staff of our parish, please click on the All Saints website: www.allsaintsbrookline.org.
Many thanks to June Santosa, design, Mary Downes and Barbara Bembery, distribution, and the contributors above who produce the All Saints Weekly each week.
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