Rector's Rambling - May 2, 2010

Today we are back to our regular celebration of the Easter Season, having taken a slight deviation last week with the celebration of the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. It was wonderful to use the new red Solemn High Mass vestment set which will make its next appearance on May 23rd for Whitsunday.
More immediately, next week is a week chock-full of events crammed into one day. First, it is Rogation Sunday, the Sunday before Ascension Day (Thursday, May 13). On the rogation days, we pray God’s blessing on the parish, particularly with the planting of crops - but by extension on all human labor as well. In a symbolic “beating the bounds” of the parish, we will start the service with a procession, singing the Litany Hymn around the outside perimeter of the Church building.
We will also be inducting five new members into our Chapter of the Daughters of the King, already the largest in the Diocese. We are blessed to have so many women involved in this ministry of prayer and service, both here and at the Diocesan level.
Thirdly, it is our Spring UTO ingathering - be sure to bring a check made out to St. Catherine’s Guild ECW for the amount that you have placed in your “blue boxes” for offering of thankfulness celebrated this year.
Finally, it is the secular Mother’s Day and we will be honoring moms, living and dead, at the altar. Be sure to insist that mom join you for the service here before brunch, and moms be sure to insist that the husband/children join you here for worship on that day before the rest of the festivities. Let us not only thank them for their love and care, but also Thank God for them as well!
The primary reason we come to Church is to worship the Good God who sent His Son Jesus Christ to reconcile us to Himself by His own blood and to nourish us in Word and Sacrament. But it is a nice ‘bonus’ to have these extra events to add to our celebration!