Dear People of St. Catherine’s,
The blossoms on my Christmas cactus are fading so we must be coming to the end of Christmas. Some have said that Incarnation is celebrated until the feast of Candlemas – the Purification of Jesus in the Temple on February 2. That seems like a long time to keep a tree up and my Santa Claus cookie jar on the counter! But, anything that sustains the joy of the appearing of the “grace of God…bringing salvation to all,” can’t be a bad thing.
Already, in this season of Light, this time of Epiphany, we have baptized a new member, assembled in our annual meeting, elected new parish leaders, moved forward with our search for a new rector, and inaugurated a new president. Not bad for one month!
As we begin the second month of this new year, I invite you to keep moving forward in hope and faith. I invite you to come and worship with us in person. We are doing it safely and would love to welcome you to join with us. I know, as well as you do, how cautious we all are
being – with good reason. So, if you don’t feel safe yet venturing out to church, please join us on Sunday on YouTube which will be accessible from Facebook.
On February 17 we begin the season of Lent. Already. If ever a year felt dusty and “ashy” it is now. You will find more in this Wheel about our worship in Lent and about the liturgies on Ash Wednesday. We need to stop and pause in our lives that are too much skewed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and rest in the Lord, confess our sins, receive forgiveness and begin the sure and steady path to Easter. More than ever, we will find it healing and refreshing to turn our hearts to God.
Even in this time of reduced gatherings, where the whole world seems “virtual,” we still belong to each other and we still have good news to offer the world. We are now “mid-winter”, as they would say; but the light is returning and so are we.
With great thanksgiving for all of you,
Allen W. Farabee
Interim Rector
Posted in Newsletter