Fredericton NB
Advent 2018
Dear Friends in Christ,
The busyness of the season is once again upon us. Our hope each year is that Christmas and the season would be a great blessing as we plan to spend time with friends and family to celebrate the birth in our hearts of the one we worship as Lord.
The Holy Child whose birth we celebrate is born to rule. We know him by many names: Mighty Counsellor, the Mighty God, Prince of Peace. He is born to rule the earth and to rule in our hearts. The events of God's human birth in Bethlehem fulfils the first “rule.” In a stable, God chose to become one of us. We now know with certainty that God cares for his people and that is worthy of great celebration.
But it is the second “rule” that brings to fulfilment the Christian hope of the coming of the kingdom of God. He comes to rule our hearts. Until we allow him to be born in our hearts, we continue to wait for his coming. We long for the day when every heart will know him and we experience, in its fullness, the peace he comes to bring.
At the Cathedral, we celebrate the rule of Christ over the earth but it is the rule over the individual heart that brings true unity, peace and blessing to the Christian family. We see glimpses of this reality in the Body of Christ – the believing community. Setting our sights on him, we need to push onward in the calling to allow him to establish his rule and his kingdom, even in our midst.
In addition to our normal schedule, seasonal worship is as follows:
Christmas Eve
4:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Family)
8:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Come Worship 11:45 style)
11:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
Christmas Day
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
New Years Day
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (with our Bishop)
The fifth Sunday at 10:00 a.m. (30 December) will be “Carols for Christmastide”
Communion at home is always available by contacting the Cathedral Office.
Have a blessed Christmastide!
Geoffrey, Dean of Fredericton
