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Rose Sunday
Volume 6, Number 3, December 14, 2003

Rose Sunday

Christians are an Easter people. Easter is the Christian Passover. Death and Resurrection. It is the most radical place one can be. It is the place Christ calls us to be. Truthfully, the Church never, ever gathers to celebrate anything but the Resurrection. Easter is the key that unlocks life. It is the Christian faith.

The Church makes many radical claims. Next to its faith that Jesus died and rose from the dead, the Church believes that Jesus Christ still dies and rises in those he calls to faith. The Church acclaims and seals this work of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Easter is not the occasion for baptism; baptism is the Easter event.

If I recall correctly, M. Scott Peck in his book Further Along the Road Less Traveled suggests one reason so many people have a problem telling the truth about their age is that they've never been comfortable with growing up. Perhaps this is also why we live in a world where the secular Christmas is really about adults and not children. Perhaps too many of us are still like Nicodemus, the ruler who came to Jesus at night and asked how a person could be born again.

The Third Sunday of Advent is one of two Sundays which are known as "Rose Sunday." (The other is the Fourth Sunday in Lent.) On both of these days the liturgical color is rose. The traditional entrance song for both of these Sundays begins with a Latin word calling the Sunday assembly to rejoice. In Lent, the Fourth Sunday (really like all of Lent!) is marked by baptismal themes. In Advent, the Third Sunday is about John the Baptist. The Church is never, ever far away from the Easter mystery.

There are many, many great reasons to rejoice in being an Episcopalian. No Church is perfect, but there are some very, very important things that I believe we get right. We are clear that the baptized are an "indissoluble" part of the Body of Christ. When we (and I mean the gathered congregation) bless the water in the font, the celebrant says (on behalf of the assembly), "Now sanctify this water, we pray you, by the power of your Holy Spirit, that those who here are cleansed from sin and born again may continue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior." I believe in the power and truth of all of these words.

You and I do not have to wait to enter the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior. We don't have to wait at the foot of the cross or by the crib. The Church invites us to see Christ in ourselves and others; the Church calls us to be who God makes us to be, the Body of his Son.

This Sunday, like all Sundays, we will be rejoicing in God's work in our lives and in the history of the world. We will hear the Church's call to continue that Easter mission in our own day. And we have work to do. There are too many who don't know of God's love for them. There are too many who are afraid to face the truth of their lives and their sin. There are too many who love their money and their fashion more than their souls. There are too many who still stand apart from Christ. It's not easy to die and rise. But that's what Christians do. Even in Advent. Even at Christmas. It's always about being born again and continuing in the risen life of Christ the Lord.

Stephen Gerth


PRAYER LIST . . . Mabel, Heidi, Robert, Gloria, Jason, Harold, Billie, Matthew, Virginia, Bart, Margaret, Marion, Hugh, Rick, Mary Angela, religious, and Charles, priest, and for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Ned, Timothy, Patrick, Kevin, Christopher, Andrew, Joseph, Marc, Timothy, David, and Colin . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . December 14: 1952 Amy Florence Nicholas, 1997 Edward David Miller; December 15: 1989 Mrs. Lorel D. Brownell Britt; December 16: 1959 Emily Cooper Campbell, 1996 Viola Douglas; December 19: 1991 Grace L. Taylor.

LITURGICAL NOTES . . . The Sunday Proper: Zechariah 3:14-20, Psalm 85:7-13, Philippians 4:14-20, Luke 3:7-18 . . . Confessions will be heard on Saturday, December 13 by Father Gerth . . . Confessions will be heard on Saturday, December 20 by Father Beddingfield.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Many, many thanks to all who made the patronal feast so special this year . . . Members and friends of the Saint Vincent's Guild of altar servers are reminded that brass cleaning and candle-trimming will take place on Saturday, December 13 beginning at 10:00 AM . . . For those who knit or may enjoy learning more about knitting, there will be a "Knitters' Retreat" at Mount Saviour Monastery, February 6-8, 2004. For more information, please see Penny Byham . . . Thank you to George Handy, Dennis Smith and Eileen Whittle for sending out our holiday season mailings . . . Attendance last Sunday 237, Immaculate Conception 343.

A NEW LOOK TO OUR WEB SITE . . . After many months and much work by our volunteer webmaster, Steve Potanovic, we have migrated our internet web site to a new location so that it can be maintained more easily and in a more timely manner. Steve, and Noel Hennelly before him, have contributed many, many hours to updating our site. We are grateful to them both. The new technology will allow Saint Mary's staff members to update their own program areas and keep information more up-to-date. Now, when one goes to www.stmvirgin.org or www.stmvirgin.com, one should get the latest news and information about Saint Mary's. (One hint: the next time you go to our web site, hit the "refresh" button on your internet browser to make sure the latest version of the web site is loaded on your browser.) Steve will continue to keep a watchful eye on the site and Noel may help us fine-tune our graphics, but we hope that we will no longer demand such long hours from our volunteers.

NOTES ON MUSIC . . . This week at the Sung Mass, played by associate organist Robert McDermitt, the prelude is Lied from 24 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31, No. 17 by Louis Vierne (1870-1937) and the postlude is Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 599 by J. S. Bach (1685-1750) . . . This week at the Solemn Mass, the prelude and postlude are another two settings by Bach of Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 and 661, respectively (BWV 660 was played last week). These chorale preludes are from the so-called "Leipzig" or "Eighteen" preludes. The setting of the Mass ordinary is Missa 'Saeculorum Amen' by Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599). An important composer of the Spanish Renaissance, many will remember hearing a number of other Mass settings by Guerrero last season. The motet at Communion is Rorate coeli by Guerrero . . . We continue our series of organ recitals before Solemn Evensong and Benediction. This Sunday, Mr. Christopher King of Danbury, Connecticut will play settings of the Advent chorale Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme by Bach, Krebs, Karg-Elert, Dupré and others.

Christmas Eve at Saint Mary's
Morning Prayer 8:30 AM
Advent Mass for December 24 9:00 AM
Evensong of Christmas Eve 6:00 PM

Christmas Music & Carols 10:30 pm
Procession & Solemn Mass 11:00 pm

Christmas Day at Saint Mary's
Solemn Mass & Procession 11:00 am

In Recital at Saint Mary's

Frederick Swann
President of the American Guild of Organists

Saturday, January 17, 2004 7:00 PM

Tickets now available for $25.00 (Students $15.00)
Phone the Box Office at 212.869.5830, extension 25

All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Organ Endowment Fund
The Calendar of the Week
Sunday The Third Sunday of Advent: Gaudette  
Monday Advent Weekday  
Tuesday Advent Weekday  
Wednesday Advent Weekday  
Thursday Advent Weekday  
Friday Advent Weekday      Abstinence  
Saturday Advent Weekday  
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