In “Rule for a New Brother” (Templegate Publishers, 1976, Benedictine Priory ‘Regina Pacis’ 1973, London) it states: “By the grace of God you have been called to a life in which everything is inspired by the Sacrament of the Eucharist. You must grow in daily knowledge of this mystery, and in a greater love for the Lord who gives Himself in it.   The celebration of the Eucharist is the center of your life. It is the highest expression and the strongest support in your life in community. It is the beginning and end of your actions; the source and consummation of your service to God.”

Everything of who we are, and what we shall be, is rooted and centered solely in Jesus Christ present in our midst in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

Why is the Holy Eucharist so important, and what relation does that have to do with “….called to be” and “the mission of the Church?”

Without the Holy Eucharist we have no reason to exist…..no reason for being.   In Jesus Christ we are called to be. “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being…”    (Acts 17:28).

With Jesus living within our lives we find our ground as well as our being. Awareness of this great treasure we have in our midst, Jesus Christ Himself, is the cause of our being.

All of our activities within, and without, Saint Matthew’s Church in San Andreas stem from our oneness with Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. As Christians, Jesus makes it possible to be who we are Called to be…

We receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at the Altar, and leave that sacred place to go out into the world to BE the Church.

In reaching out beyond ourselves into our community and perceiving Jesus in our midst, even in the least of our sisters and brothers, we welcome many groups of individuals in the use our facilities throughout the week.   Various Twelve Step Groups gather in our Parish Hall throughout the week: Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, and also the Regional Meeting for Alcoholic Anonymous.

Also meeting during the week is a Painting Class, The Calaveras Food Hub, a class learning American Sign Language, and a PTSD Veterans Meeting.  Among individual ministries within our Parish Family, one woman has a “Quilt Ministry” to the local Convalescent Home in her visitations. Many parishioner belong to Service Clubs reaching out into the community in many ways, including scholarships, donations, and service in local charities, as well as their faithfulness in parochial activities. Near Saint Patrick’s Day we have an Annual Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner Celebration of Saint Pat’s at Saint Matt’s with the total proceeds of that dinner going to the Calaveras Relay for Life in their outreach to cancer victims, and on-going cancer research.

During the Butte Fire, Saint Matthew’s Parish Hall became a safe haven responding to human need for those individuals that had to evacuate their homes. In the ongoing need for those who have lost their homes in that fire, one of our parishioners has organized ‘an overnight warming center’ in the Mountain Ranch Town Hall, as well as providing a hot meal.  The E.C.W. does extensive outreach into the community through support of Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army, A Christmas to Remember, and the Resource Connection/Food Bank/Crisis center. They also provides desserts for a ‘weekly community dinner,’ hold a weekly Bridge Tournament (an overwhelming majority of the participants are not members of our parish), they coordinate our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner (held in one of the local restaurants, open to the community), and coordinate “The Yellow Bag” ministry, and many other things with the remembrance of the Scriptural admonition: “In as much as you have done it to the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done it to me.” (Saint Matthew 25:40)

As we leave the church building following Mass throughout the week, we bear the gospel of Jesus Christ…….the good news of love, care, acceptance, justice, freedom and life into the community (and beyond), by our attempt to live the gospel faithfully in BEING THE CHURCH.

Again quoting from “Rule for a New Brother”: “Our only ambition must be to proclaim in word and deed Christ’s gospel of freedom, justice and life. The love of Christ will not let you rest. Your work is no escape into activity, but a sharing in the upbuilding of the Body of Christ. You can do this only on the basis of an intimate union with Him in purity of heart and selflessness.”

Pictured – Bishops: Scott Mayer (Fort Worth), Dorsey McConnell (Pittsburgh), Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, myself and Charlie vonRosenberg (South Carolina).

This week, a few bishops of what I typically refer to as “missionary dioceses” (others use references: continuing or emerging dioceses) gathered in NY with our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry for a two day conversation. This conversation was initiated and choreographed by the EDSJ (cheers Ellen Meyer for your work). By way of explanation, my use of the term “missionary diocese” is simply identifying that dioceses like our own and FW, Pitt and SC are engaging in a new mission field, a field otherwise unfamiliar to the Episcopal Church. This mission field, as we know, has less-and-less to do with buildings and an “inward inclined ecclesiology of the past” and more to do with joining God in the streets, lanes and cul-de-sacs, namely, in the public square where people live and God is at work.

The conversations with ++Michael were designed to ensure that he has a knowledge and understanding of our narrative of the past and the new stories we are creating. I want you to know sisters and brother of the EDSJ, our Presiding Bishop has heard from us and his response was, among many, “this is about resurrection not rebuilding.” I look forward to sharing more with you in the days before us regarding those significant two days in NY.

Also, we can look forward to our Presiding Bishop visiting us next year.

Lenten Blessings one-and-all

+David

Diocesan Council/Standing Committee Retreat, February 19-20, ECCOSouthern Deanery Meeting, February 27, 11am, St. Sherrian’s, Kernville
Northern Deanery Meeting, March 19, 10 am, St. Paul’s, Modesto

Chrism Mass, Tuesday, March 22, 11am, Holy Family FresnoAnnual Convention, October 28-29, 2016, Location TBD

      

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