Presentation of Our Lord/Blessing of Candles this Sunday

The week of January 27

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

Wednesday January 29 

6:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Incense will be offered at this Mass

Supper afterward at a local restaurant

Friday January 31 –   

Fr. Jamie’s day off

Sunday February 2 –Presentation of Our Lord

11:00 am – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Commissioning of new Vestry

Children’s Chapel

Coffee Hour following

12:45 pm - Vestry

Annual Meeting

New bookshelves

The new bookshelves were installed in the office today. They look great! Now, the task of filling them!

The week of January 20

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

Tuesday January 21 

5:00 pm – Budget meeting

Wednesday January 22 

6:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Incense will be offered at this Mass

Supper afterward at a local restaurant

Friday January 24 –   

Fr. Jamie’s day off

Saturday January 25 –   

2:00 pm – Annual Meeting set-up/Report assembly

Sunday January 26 –3 Epiphany

11:00 am – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Children’s Chapel

Coffee Hour following

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

12:15 pm - Annual Meeting/Potluck

The Birth of Gerald Stephen Nygard

Gerald Stephen Nygard

 Son of Dan and Nicole Nygard

Brother of Genevieve Nygard

was born Wednesday January 15, 2014

 

O God, you have taught us through your blessed Son that whoever receives a little child in the name of Christ receives Christ himself: We give thanks for the blessing you have bestowed upon Dan and Nicole in giving them Gerald. Confirm their joy by a lively sense of your presence with them, and give them calm strength and patient wisdom as they seek to bring Gerald to love all that is true and noble, just and pure, lovable and gracious, excellent and admirable, following the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

The week of January 13

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

Wednesday January 15 

6:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Incense will be offered at this Mass

Supper afterward at a local restaurant

Friday January 17 –   

Fr. Jamie’s day off

Sunday January 19 –2 Epiphany

11:00 am – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Children’s Chapel

Coffee Hour following

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

2:00 pm FM Veg 

Prayers for the repose of the soul of Christopher Stickney

The prayers of St. Stephen’s are requested for the repose of the soul of Christopher Stickney, son of Tom Stickey, who died today (Jan. 12, 2014) in the Twin Cities. Please also keep Tom and the entire Stickney family in your prayers.

 Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your 
servant Christopher. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of 
your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your 
own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, 
into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the 
glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

 

The week of January 6

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

Wednesday January 8 

6:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Incense will be offered at this Mass

Supper afterward at a local restaurant

Friday January 10 –   

Fr. Jamie’s day off

Sunday January 12 –1 Epiphany

11:00 am – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Children’s Chapel

Coffee Hour following

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

12:45 pm - Vestry

Epiphany Sunday

Blessing of Chalk/Blessing of the Homes of the Parish

Since the Middle Ages there has been a tradition that on (or near) the feast of the Epiphany we pray for God’s blessing on our homes, marking the entrance with chalk (an incarnational image reminding us of the dust of the earth from which we were made). We mark the main door of our home with the initials of the Magi and the numerals of the new year, connected with crosses:

20 + C + M + B + 14

The initials remind us of the legendary names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – and also stand for the Latin motto: Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house.” In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that the Lord would pass over their homes; but in this ritual, we mark our doors with chalk as a sign that we have invited God’s presence and blessing into our homes.

It is traditional to write the inscription on the lintel, above the door, but it can be written anywhere near the entrance. The following prayer may be said while the entrance is marked:

 

The three Wise Men,

C Caspar,
M Melchior,
B and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human
20 two thousand
14 and fourteen years ago.
++ May Christ bless our home
++ and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Date of Easter

 

The Proclamation of the Date of Easter on Epiphany dates from a time when calendars were not readily available. It was necessary to make known the date of Easter in advance, since many celebrations of the liturgical year depend on its date. The number of Sundays that follow Epiphany, the date of Ash Wednesday, and the number of Sundays that follow Pentecost are all computed in relation to Easter.

 

Three Kings/Epiphany Cake

 Following Mass, please join is for the traditional Epiphany cake. A nut is baked into the cake and whoever gets the nut in her or his piece of cake brings the cake the next year.

 May this Epiphany Blessing be a reminder that Christ is incarnate in the love and care we manifest to each other in our ordinary daily lives together.

 Even if you are unable to make it to the Epiphany Mass this year, the chalk will be available for anyone who would like to use it to bless their homes.