Category Archives: Formation

Spirituality of Easter

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Wednesday afternoon spirituality sessions at Cathedral Memorial Hall will continue through Eastertide, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

The sessions will maintain the now-customary basic structure of a "Celtic Threshold Gathering" -- which comprises a simple regular sequence of elements, informed by a specific theme for the day/week. Four of the seven Spirituality of Easter sessions will have as their theme a particular -- and particularly interesting -- saint!  Not to worry -- there's nothing required to memorize or prepare beforehand; it just means that the basic pattern of the gatherings will remain consistent. It also means that each session is "standalone," so drop-ins and even one-timers are most welcome!

Themes and topics include several saints. Please RSVP to Kurt Schmidt to prepare materials and set-up. Email <k.schmidt at cccath.ca>.

• 3 April ~ Holy Laughter / Risus Paschalis
• 10 April ~ no session (rescheduled to 22 May)
• 17 April ~ Kateri Tekakwitha
• 24 April ~ Celtic Eastertide
• 1 May ~ Catherine of Siena
• 8 May ~ Julian of Norwich
• 15 May ~ Brendan the Navigator
• 22 May ~ Anglican Prayer Beads

The session on Anglican Prayer Beads (build-your-own with supplies provided) has been rescheduled to Wednesday, 22 May at 2:00 p.m. in the Formation Room. Due to rescheduling, this session will now be 'Spirituality of Pentecost'! 

 

Baptismal Life as Living Christened

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"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." (Romans 6:3–5)

"I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:19b–20)

In many Western Christian churches, particularly Anglicanism, the Pauline dying and rising theology dominates in the baptismal liturgy and therefore in our baptismal theology. The baptismal liturgy of the Canadian Book of Alternative Services circles around the image and reality of dying and rising in several different ways. One example is the concluding prayer of the litany sung on the way to the font: Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ your Son may live in the power of his resurrection and look for him to come again in glory; who lives and reigns now and for ever.

Perhaps the Pauline imagery of dying to self and living in Christ is most apparent in the outward expressions of having been “Christed” in baptism—which is primarily at the chrismation, accompanied by the words “I sign you with the cross, and mark you as Christ’s own for ever,” as well as other non-optional ritual texts.

From Faith Seeking Understanding: Medical Assistance in Dying. Reflections by Canadian Anglicans
"In the Midst of Death We Are in Life," Lizette Larson-Miller, page 289

 

Faith Seeking Understanding: Reflections by Canadian Anglicans

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Faith Seeking UnderstandingCanada is one of few countries in the world where medical assistance in dying (MAiD) is a legal option—and the number of permitted contexts (terminal illness, chronic illness, mental illness) is increasing. Faith Seeking Understanding: Medical Assistance in Dying is a resource to assist theologically-focused discussions and to increase understanding of the realities of MAiD. This includes its impact on our communities, our role as Christians, its implications for the marginalized and vulnerable, its relationship with healthcare and social justice, God’s gift of life, or our call to care for those who suffer.

To download the resource in a variety of formats visit the Faith Seeking Understanding page.

Mothering Sunday 2024

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Mothering Sunday, not to be confused with Canadian Mother's Day, is celebrated in Anglican Churches on the fourth Sunday in Lent; and dates to the custom in England when domestic servants in the grand houses of the landed gentry were permitted to go home to visit their home church and mother. Often the housekeeper or cook would allow the maids to bake a cake to take home to their mother. Sometimes a gift of eggs or flowers from the garden (or hothouse) was allowed, or they may have picked wildflowers from he wayside, violets especially.

In Canada, Mothers' Union branches observe Mothering Sunday by distributing flowers to mothers and serving the traditional Simnel cake and/or cookies after worship. Simnel cake is a light fruit cake made with a layer of marzipan in the middle and if desired a layer on top. The cake is decorated with 11 marzipan balls representing the 12 apostles minus Judas, the betrayer of Christ. If 12 balls are used, the 12th one is to represent Jesus.

Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday
Even more ancient custom is the Fourth Sunday in Lent referred to as Laetare Sunday, when the Church took a bit of a breather from Lenten practice and opened the Eucharist with the entrance antiphon, “Rejoice, Jerusalem … be joyful, all who were in mourning!” – from Isaiah chapter 66. The Latin word means “rejoice..”

On this Sunday, in churches that had them, priests would wear rose coloured vestments on both Laetare Sunday and Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent). The colour was used as a sign of the joy characterizing these two Sundays. The use of rose vestments may even originate in an even more ancient tradition of the Church blessing golden roses that were sent to heads of state on the Fourth Sunday in Lent.

In addition to attending Sunday worship a family might choose to mark Laetare Sunday by anticipating the Easter feast; a Sunday brunch with roses on the table or during this beginning period of spring to plant a rose bush on this day. Noting the medieval tradition of visiting one’s “mother church” (the church where one was baptized) on this day might suggest a family trip to see where mom and dad or the children began their journey of faith. In any case, this Sunday seemed to be a most appropriate day for “Mothering Sunday.”

Recipe for Simnel Cake

3/4 cup soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups raisins
1 cup currants
1/2 cup mixed peel		 1/3 cup chopped candied cherries
2 tsp lemon rind
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
500 grams of almond paste, at room temperature

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add almond extract. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to eggs, then add the fruit and mix.

Put 1/2 the mixture in an 8” springform pan lined with waxed or parchment paper. Roll half of almond paste and place in pan. Spoon remainder of batter on top. Bake 30 min at 350°F then reduce heat to 300°F and bake 1 1/2 hours longer. Cool 10 min. Heat oven to 425°F.

Roll remaining almond paste into an 8” round circle and 12 small balls. Put the circle on top of the cake and place the balls on top like the numbers on a clock.

Listen to Deacon Isabel Cutler speak about Mothers' Union at the Cathedral on Sunday March 10th.

 

What are the Ember Days?

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The seasonal Ember Days are not included in the calendar of the Anglican Church of Canada but MacCausland’s Divine Order of Service notes that there seems to be "renewed interest" in their observance in recent years. The Prayer Book of 1962 provides propers for Ember Days which it says may be used on the Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays on specified days of the four seasons.

According to the Farmers' Almanac, the English word “ember” is probably a corruption of the Latin “quatuor tempora” which means four times or four seasons.

Interestingly, the Farmers' Almanac and the Old Farmer’s Almanac contain other historical information about Ember Days.

“There are a total of 12 Ember Days each year, observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays following the first Sunday in Lent, Whitsunday (Pentecost), the Feast of the Holy Cross, and the Feast of St. Lucy (Lucia?). While the first Sunday in Lent and Whitsunday-Pentecost change each year based on Easter, the Feast of the Holy Cross and the Feast of St. Lucy are fixed dates, on September 14 and December 13, respectively.

Ember Day observances date back to the 5th century, when observers would thank God for the gifts of nature, embrace those gifts in moderation, and assist the needy.

Ember Days began in Rome with fasts in June, September, and December, but the days were not fixed. The fourth set of days were added near the end of the 5th century. At that time, the conferring of ordinations was permitted on ember Saturdays, while previously, the practice was ordinations only at Easter.

It is said that Ember Days may have been created in response to the excessive celebrations that surrounded the pagan festivals in Rome."

Superstitions abound including, that the weather on ember days somehow predicts future weather, sounding a lot like how we still fun about with Ground Hog Day superstition.

An old English rhyme helped people to remember the occurrence of Ember Days four times throughout the year:

Fasting days and Emberings be
Lent, Whitsun, Holyrood, and Lucie.

See a full post 'What Are Ember Days'

Lent, Whitsunday, Holy Cross (11 September), St. Lucie (13 December)

St. Lucie, Lucy or Lucia (the Saint of light, light being the origin of the name) has been mostly a Scandinavian celebration and the festival day has not been included in North American Anglican calenders. It is still December 13th as it has been for centuries in the calender of the Church of England. See Saint Lucy’s Day on the Anglican Compass.

More on Ember Days:

Ember Days Wikipedia
Ember Days (MacCausland's Divine Order of Service) via the Online Lectionary
Ember Days - The Episcopal Church
Embertide: Common Worship C of E

 

5 Reasons You Don’t Feel Like a Team

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Do you and your spouse feel like a team? Or does it seem like something is getting in the way of that lately? It’s not unusual to go through periods where things are just out of sync between you. It can feel like you’re constantly at odds or working against each other, even if it’s not intentional. What’s going wrong?

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

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Beliefs

Euthanasia is the deliberate killing of someone by action or omission, with or without that person’s consent, for what are claimed to be compassionate reasons.
Assisted suicide is counselling, abetting, or an act of aiding someone to kill himself or herself.
Members of the Coalition believe that euthanasia and assisted suicide should be treated as murder/homicide, irrespctive of whether the person killed has consented to be killed.

Purpose

To preserve and enforce legal prohibitions and ethical guidelines prohibiting “mercy killing.”
To increase public awareness of hospice/palliative care.
To promote improvement in the quality and availability of hospice/palliative care, and effective methods of controlling pain and suffering.
To educate the public on the harm and risks associated with the promotion of euthanasia and assisted suicide through the use of pamphlets, information seminars, media campaigns and research articles.
To co-ordinate and disseminate research and information on issues related to euthanasia and assisted suicide.
To represent the vulnerable and, where appropriate, advocate before the courts on issues related to euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Visit the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition to learn more

World Day of Prayer 2024

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The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. The women who wrote the World Day of Prayer Service this year are from Palestine. The Theme is “I Beg You... Bear with one another in Love” based on Ephesians 4:1-3.

March 1, 2024 is the official date chosen as the World Day of Prayer.

Two World Day of Prayer services will held in-person in Fredericton:

  • Friday, March 1, 2:00 p.m. at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, 1 William Street (off the Royal Road). Wheelchair Accessible. Refreshments to follow.
    Storm date: Saturday, March 2, 2:00 p.m.
  • Friday, March 1, 7:00 p.m. at Brunswick Street Baptist Church, 161 York Street. Wheelchair Accessible. Refreshments to follow.
    Storm date: Sunday, March 3, 2:00 p.m.

An online Canadian National World Day of Prayer Service will be held beginning at 2:00 p.m. AST on 09 March 2024. Reserve a ticket for free here.

The World Day of Prayer service video for 2024 is available to watch online now. The 58 minute video, produced by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, can be watched at any time. A 6 minute devotional video is also available.

If you have questions about the work of the Council or the 2024 prayer services, please contact Deborah Heustis with Fredericton Women’s Inter-Church. Email <djheustis at gmail.com>.