July 2024 - Christ Church

29 July 202430 March 2026Prayers and liturgy

William Wilberforce

The collect for today, the commemoration of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), English MP, Social Reformer, Abolitionist (source):

Let thy continual mercy, O Lord, enkindle in thy Church the never-failing gift of charity, that, following the example of thy servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the children of the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever.

The Epistle: Galatians 3:23-29
The Gospel: St. Matthew 25:31-40

Artwork: Statue of William Wilberforce, Wilberforce House, High Street, Hull, England.

Print this entry

29 July 202430 March 2026Prayers and liturgy

Olaf, King and Martyr

The collect for a Martyr, in commemoration of Saint Olaf (995-1030), King and Patron Saint of Norway, Martyr, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

O GOD, who didst bestow upon thy Saints such marvellous virtue, that they were able to stand fast, and have the victory against the world, the flesh, and the devil: Grant that we, who now commemorate thy Martyr Olaf, may ever rejoice in their fellowship, and also be enabled by thy grace to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold upon eternal life; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 St Peter 4:12-19
The Gospel: St Matthew 16:24-27

Artwork: Saint Olaf, stained glass, St Olave’s Church, Hart Street, London. Photo taken by admin, 24 August 2004.

Print this entry

28 July 202430 March 2026Prayers and liturgy

Audio file of 8:00am Holy Communion service, Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Click here to listen to an audio recording of the 8:00am service of Holy Communion at Christ Church on the Ninth Sunday after Trinity.

Print this entry

28 July 202430 March 2026Sermons

Sermon for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity

“Now these things were our examples”

Examples of what exactly? Of things good and bad such as is illustrated in the Gospel where “the unrighteous steward” is praised by his master not for his unrighteousness but for his “prudence,” the one bad, the other good. There is always, of course, the prospect of learning hard things the hard way: “Teach your children about taxes, eat 30% of their ice cream,” as we saw on a road sign the other day!

Yet these readings challenge us about how we journey in the wilderness by recalling us to the things that we should know about our spiritual life in Christ particularly through our communion in the body of Christ. The Gospel actually ends with a warning and negative note about unrighteousness and a strong and positive note about faithfulness.

The point of both Epistle and Gospel is that we learn from both things good and bad. Such is prudence, the practical wisdom that is meant to guide us. Prudence here is seen as having to do with the God-given “spirit to think and do always such as be rightful,” as the Collect puts it, yet full knowing, and this is key, “that we cannot do any thing that is good without thee.” To live according to God’s will is our desire but one which requires our recognition of God’s grace. Here the classical virtue of prudence is seen not simply as a human excellence in itself but as properly belonging to our life in Christ.

Thus Jesus’ parable is a criticism of “the children of light” for their lack of prudence. What does that mean? It has very much to do with using the things of this world with a view towards our life in God and not as ends in themselves. When we forget that then we fall into idolatry, treating the things of the world as divine, a massive category mistake, a confusion of the creator and the created, and, paradoxically, a loss of true human agency.

“Apart from me,” Jesus famously says, “you can do nothing.” As Augustine observes, “all that we can do of ourselves is sin.” But to know our sins and failings is itself to know the goodness of God as prior and absolute. Paul in his 1st Letter to the Corinthians provides a profound spiritual commentary on the pilgrimage of our souls. He looks back to the ancient Exodus of the Hebrews and connects the images of the Exodus with the forms of our sacramental participation in Christ. “All our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,” he says, recalling God’s providential guiding of the people of the Hebrews at the Passover, “a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of light by night,” and leading them across the Red Sea. We forget how powerfully paradigmatic and symbolic these Passover images are in the Judeo-Christian understanding.

(more…)

Print this entry

28 July 202430 March 2026Events, Month at a Glance

Month at a Glance, August

Friday, August 2nd
10:00am SSC Chapter Meeting for the St. John Vianney branch

Sunday, August 4th, Tenth Sunday after Trinity
8:00am Holy Communion
10:30am Holy Communion

Sunday, August 11th, Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
8:00am Holy Communion
10:30am Holy Communion

Sunday, August 18th, Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
8:00am Holy Communion
10:30am Holy Communion

Sunday, August 25th, Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
8:00am Holy Communion
10:30am Holy Communion

Fr. Curry is priest-in-charge for Avon Valley Parish and Hantsport June 30th, July 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th; Fr. Tom Henderson will be priest-in-charge for Christ Church August 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and Sept 1st.

Print this entry

28 July 202430 March 2026Prayers and liturgy

The Ninth Sunday After Trinity

The collect for today, the Ninth Sunday after Trinity, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
The Gospel: St. Luke 16:1-9

Artwork: Eugène Burnand, The Dishonest Steward, Illustration for “Les Paraboles”, published 1908.

Print this entry

26 July 202430 March 2026Prayers and liturgy

St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The collect for today, the Feast of Saint Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary (source):

O GOD, who didst vouchsafe to bestow grace upon blessed Anne, that she might become the mother of the parent of thy Only-begotten Son: Mercifully grant that we who celebrate her festival may be partakers with her of thy heavenly grace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lesson: 1 Samuel 2:1-8
The Gospel: St. Luke 1:26-33

Artwork: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The Girlhood of Mary Virgin, 1848-49. Oil on canvas, Tate Britain.

Print this entry

25 July 202430 March 2026Prayers and liturgy

St. James the Apostle

The collect for today, the Feast of St. James the Apostle, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

GRANT, O merciful God, that as thine holy Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lesson: Acts 11:27-12:3a
The Gospel: St. Mark 10:32-40

Artwork: Albrecht Dürer and workshop, Martyrdom of Saint James the Great (detail from Heller Altarpiece), 1507-09. Oil on wood, Historisches Museum, Frankfurt.

Print this entry

22 July 202430 March 2026Prayers and liturgy

St. Mary Magdalene

The collect for today, the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

ALMIGHTY God, whose blessed Son did sanctify Mary Magdalene, and call her to be a witness to his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by thy grace we may be healed of all our infirmities, and always serve thee in the power of his endless life; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.