26 Ideas for Advent (with Sybil MacBeth)
Advent is a season of anticipation, of holy waiting . It is a waiting characterized not by idleness or even contented peace, but by prophetic yieldedness and active hope. Perhaps more than any other season in the Christian calendar, Advent acknowledges the already-and-not-yet nature of the Kingdom
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In his wonderful book Art + Faith: A Theology of Making, renowned artist Makoto Fujimura describes the ancient Japanese art form of Kintsugi. In it, the artist takes broken pottery (originally tea war...
St. Matthew, also called St. Matthew the Evangelist, St. Matthew the Apostle, or Levi, (flourished 1st century CE, Palestine; Western feast day September 21, Eastern feast day November 16), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the traditional author of the first Synoptic Gospel.![]()
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According to Matthew 9:9 and Mark 2:14, Matthew was sitting by the customs house in Capernaum (near modern Almagor, Israel, on the Sea of Galilee) when Jesus called him into his company. Assuming that the identification of Matthew with Levi is correct, Matthew (probably meaning “Yahweh’s Gift”) would appear to be the Christian name of Levi (called by Mark “Levi the son of Alphaeus”), who had been employed as a tax collector in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. Because Levi’s occupation was one that earned distrust and contempt everywhere, the scribes of the Pharisees criticized Jesus on seeing him eat with tax collectors and sinners, whereupon Jesus answered, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:15–17). According to Luke 5:29, the aforementioned dinner was given by Levi in his house after his call.![]()
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Other than naming Matthew in the list of Apostles, usually pairing him with St. Thomas, the New Testament offers scanty and uncertain information about him. Outside the New Testament, a statement of importance about him is the passage from the Apostolic Father Papias of Hierapolis preserved by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea: “So then Matthew composed the Oracles in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as he could.”![]()
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The Gospel According to Matthew was certainly written for a Jewish-Christian church in a strongly Jewish environment, but that this Matthew is definitely the Synoptic author is seriously doubted. ![]()
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Tradition notes his ministry in Judaea, after which he supposedly missioned to the East, suggesting Ethiopia and Persia. Legend differs as to the scene of his missions and as to whether he died a natural death or a martyr’s. Matthew’s relics were reputedly discovered in Salerno (Italy) in 1080. His symbol is a winged Man. ![]()
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(adapted from the Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Please join us for Taizé Thursday! ~ Today, 21 September, 5:30-6pm (Atlantic). We will be gathering in person in the Cathedral this time around for those who are closer by and able to attend; we will also livestream the service on our Cathedral YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@christchurchcathedralfton![]()
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This week's session lands in the middle of the Season of Creation, which is not a liturgical season per se but an ecumenically supported and recognized time of intentional prayer, reflection & action for the environment (running from 1 September--4 October each year). Today also happens to be the feast day of St. Matthew the Apostle & Evangelist.![]()
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...And now looking ahead to & through the remainder of the fall, here is the anticipated calendar of Taizé sessions:![]()
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* 21 September ~ In-person and livestreamed ~ Season of Creation![]()
* 5 October ~ Zoom ~ Season of Creation (extended by one day), Feast of St. Francis, and Thanksgiving anticipated![]()
* 19 October ~ In-person and livestreamed ~ Ordinary Time![]()
* 2 November ~ Zoom ~ Ordinary Time (and Remembrance -- All Saints & Souls)![]()
* 16 November ~ In-person and livestreamed ~ Ordinary Time![]()
* 30 November ~ Zoom ~ Advent anticipated![]()
* 7 December ~ In-person and livestreamed ~ Advent![]()
* 14 December ~ Zoom ~ Advent![]()
* 21 December ~ In-person and livestreamed ~ Advent
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When a single mother had to find work to take care of her family in the 1950s, she took on typing jobs. The only issue was that she wasn’t a very good typist and kept making mistakes. She looked for...
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