Thank you to all those who worked so hard to make our services of Holy Week and Easter so beautiful. Everyone was involved in some way – serving at the altar or in the choir, purchasing and arranging flowers, preparing food, baking bread, cleaning, and joining in the prayers – and we pray that our offerings have been pleasing to God.
Our first ever visit by Metropolitan JOSEPH on Good Friday was a wonderful opportunity for us to greet our father in God and for him to experience one of the most ancient of the liturgies of the Western Rite. Sayedna JOSEPH was very gracious in his comments to us and we look forward to another episcopal visit in the future.
We have much to celebrate in the month of May. Anticipating the Rogation days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day), we will end the Liturgy on May 13 with a procession around the property (weather permitting), singing the Litany of the Saints and invoking their prayers for the bounty of the earth and for protection against natural disasters. We continue our Paschal celebrations until the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord. Mass will be offered on the Eve – Wednesday, May 16 – at 7:30PM, preceded by Vespers at 7. The great Feast of Pentecost will be celebrated on Sunday, May 27. As is our custom at St. Gregory’s, we will hear portions of the Epistle read in different languages, just as the Holy Spirit, descending upon the Apostles, gave them the ability to speak in the tongues of many different people.
On Sunday, May 20, we will celebrate the baptism of Lucy Miao Caldwell between Matins and Mass and in the Liturgy, we will remember in the prayers the Dedication of our building by Bishop JOHN last year on May 21.
Read the full May newsletter here.