The last weekend in October and the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost

by | Oct 26, 2024 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Dear St. Stephen’s family and friends,

May God, who gives us his peace, be with you all.

I will always give thanks unto the Lord; his praise shall ever be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear and be glad. -Psalm 34:1

Armenian illuminated mss of Jesus healing Bartimaeus, c. 11th century.
Armenian Illustrated Manuscript of Jesus healing Bartimaeus, c. 11th c

The Tridiuum (3 days) of All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints’ and All Souls ‘is upon us! (October 31st, November 1 and November 2nd). These 3 days have spiritual roots, which feature the triumph of God over evil, and the eternal life gifted to us in Jesus. I will be handing out treats at St. Stephen’s (and tooth brushes, donated by Donna N’s dentist!) on Hallowe’en, dressed up as something yet to be determined! I think it’s important for our church to be a welcoming and warm place in our neighbourhood. We don’t usually get that many children (30ish). If you have an abundance of Halloween treats and think you may not need them all, candy donations would be gladly accepted to hand out at church. 

We will mark All Souls’ Day next Sunday by lighting candles for all of those who have run the race ahead of us and are now at peace in the presence of God. If you wish to have a loved one’s name written on a card beside a candle, please email the name(s) to the office. You may also fill out a little card on this coming Sunday.  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and I am the life” (John 11:25).

Last weekend, we celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation in the lives of five young men in our parish. The Sunday service was preceded by an evening ConfirmMitzvah, with trivia, snacks and individual presentations of each of the confirmands. Thank you to all who made the evening a success, especially our confirmation candidates.  May God continue to bless you and strengthen you for His service! Thank you to Bishop Rod for leading us, and to the Venerable Dan Hughes for being Bishop’s chaplain.
 Manic Mondays? Why not come and spend some time in worship and prayer? Monday, October 28th  at 7pm, we continue with our new monthly Monday service: Under the Broom Tree. This is a service of Evening Prayer with an eclectic mix of instruments. All welcome! Bring a friend.
Weekly Thursday BCP Evening Prayer and Holy Eucharist service at 4:30 pm, led by the Ven. Dan Hughes

We are collecting jackets, coats or outwear in good condition for those living in shelters in Saskatoon. The deadline for drop off is October 31st. Please leave on the coat racks in the Mitchell Hall (upstairs). Please no clothing or other items at this time.

Thank you to the Rev Perry Siddons, for keeping the church building clean over the past months. We now welcome Carolyn, who used to clean over at All Saints! We are blessed to have her on our team.

The 2024 Malayalam congregation Bible competition–Logos– was completed at their Friday evening Prayer and Praise service! Congratulations to the Cedars of Lebanon for coming in first, barely beating the Faith Fighters.

The St. Stephen’s Jingle Bell Bazaar is fast approaching! We need your help to make it a success! Are you able to make soup, bake, craft or donate good second hand regifting items? What about helping out in person?  The date is: Saturday, November 16th, from 10-2. Please see the poster in the Mitchell Hall to volunteer. Plan to come and bring a friend for lunch!

May be an image of gingerbread cookie and text

What about coming to a Jingle Bell Bazaar Craft Night?? Join us on Thursday, November 7th at 7 pm, for a fun evening to get ready for the bazaar. We will be making St. Stephen’s soup mixes, bird seed bells, apple cider mix, and hot chocolate jars. RSVP and sign up sheet in Mitchell Hall. Snacks and drinks provided! Also find a list of needed items to bring to the Craft Night event. Let’s make this Bazaar jolly and bright!
Sent faithfully, with hope and love,
Rev. Amy <><

Parish Cycle of Prayer
Monday: for all those who are missing loved ones, for those who are grieving.
Tuesday: for Gary and family–for Gracie and Ava
Wednesday: for Eunice and family
Thursday: for a safe Halloween night for all children and youth, that our church might be a place where God’s love is experienced by all.
Friday: for Evadne and family

From a commentary by St. Cyril of Alexandria, on the healing of Bartimaeus:

And now that he was delivered from his blindness, did he neglect the duty of loving Christ? Certainly not, for he followed him, it says, offering glory to God. He was set free, therefore, from double blindness, for not only did he escape from blindness of the body, but from that of the mind and heart as well; for he would not have glorified him as God, had he not possessed spiritual vision. And further, he became the means of others giving him glory, for all the people, it says, gave glory to God.