QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY
March 2, 2025
THE FATHER IS MY HOPE; THE SON IS MY REFUGE;
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MY PROTECTION.
ALL HOLY TRINITY, GLORY TO THEE!
LIVE AUDIO STREAMING during today’s service is available on the Order of Service page. Recorded audio will be added following worship.
GETTING READY FOR SUNDAY: PREVIEW OF THE READINGS
Today is the last Sunday in the season of pre-Lent, where in today’s Gospel lesson we are given an image of Lent as a spiritual journey with Jesus to Jerusalem. What is the character of this journey? It is fundamentally a journey of healing- the healing of the blindness of our hearts as illustrated by the healing of the blind man at Jericho. After he was healed, followed Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, and would see with his own eyes, physical and spiritual, what would happen there. In our epistle lesson St. Paul describes for us what the goal of our journey is: maturity in Christ that is the perfection of love, both our love for God and God’s love for us.
THE LESSON : 1 Corinthians 13. 1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
THE GOSPEL: Luke 18.31-43
And taking the twelve, he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; they will scourge him and kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what was said. As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
PARISH LIFE NOTES
TODAY there will be a single service of Morning Prayer and Holy Baptism at 10.30 a.m. followed by lunch in the parish hall. Please bring sandwiches and finger food to share.Join us as Anthony, Nora, Rufus, and Williams are grafted into Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
2025 LENTEN MISSION with Revd. Howard Thorton will take place March 21-23 with addresses on Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10.30 a.m. Please mark your calendars! ( Link )
ASH WEDNESDAY is a major fasting day in our liturgical calendar to be broken with a light meal after the Evening Service. Please note schedule of services below.
RECTOR’S PRAYER RETREAT AND STUDY LEAVE: Revd. Claude will be away from the parish from March 7-19. For pastoral emergencies contact Deacon Susan Page at 306- 775-7584.
HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM SALE: March 29, 2-4pm. Please contact Katie or Alanna if you have educational materials or books to donate. We are also looking for a couple of volunteers to serve coffee and cake.
85th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR DON. For anyone who knew Don from his days at St. Mary’s with his wife Gail, or his parents Reg and Daisy (now that’s way back!) – this is your invitation! He would so appreciate catching up with a blast from the past. Come celebrate with us: Friday, March 7, 2025 at St. Mary’s from 2-4 PM
WORSHIP THIS WEEK
Tuesday to Friday
- Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m.
Ash Wednesday
- Morning Prayer and Litany at 8.30 a.m.
- Penitential Service, Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion at 5.30 p.m.