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Welcome to St. Catherine's!It has been great to hear so many positive comments in response to our Palm Sunday service that began us on our journey through Holy Week, especially about the reading of the Passion Gospel from Luke by our four evangelists! They did indeed do an excellent job, taking us with them into the story of that week. The story continues tonight (as I write) at 6 p.m. with our celebration of Maundy Thursday when Jesus gave us the Eucharist to remember him by and the commandment to love one another in humility and service. It’s all about discovering who we are and how to live. After celebrating the Eucharist together, the altar and sanctuary will be stripped bare, and we will leave the church in silence. Tomorrow, Good Friday, we gather again in church at noon for our Meditation on the Cross of Jesus – Hope in Troubled Times. We will hear a reading from the Hebrew scriptures, Isaiah 52:13-53:12 as well joining in with Psalm 22, which seems to be an eerily accurate description of crucifixion written hundreds of years earlier. Then we hear again another account of the passion, this time from the Gospel of John. After this, we sit and wait. We sit at the foot of the cross to reflect on what this means for us. This mysterious and powerful story of betrayal, injustice, and cruelty that somehow ends in the triumph of good over evil, justice over oppression, of life over death. We sit, our focus on the Cross of Nails from Coventry Cathedral in England, and we are invited to bring to God in prayer whatever we need to leave at the foot of the cross. Again, we will leave the church in silence, carrying with us the echo of all that we have heard, both outwardly in the words spoken and inwardly in our hearts. On Holy Saturday at 5 p.m., we break the silence as we gather around the fire pit to kindle the Easter fire, the flame of new life, of resurrection. There will be a brief meditation, before tasting the sweetness of new life, literally (!) in the form of smores! The celebration continues the following day at 10 a.m. with our Easter Sunday Eucharist, complete with an anthem from the choir! Refreshments will be served after the service. I look forward to seeing everyone who can be there in person and welcoming all who can join us via livestream for any or all of our journey through to Easter Sunday. May God give us grace and lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of this story. Blessings+ to you, Angus _________
Here is the link to the downloadable bulletin: Presider and Preacher: Rev. Angus Stuart Our Musician is Hyejung Jun and Choir
To access the livestream, click on the button below.
Previous livestreamed services and sermon notes can be found on the website here. Image: "Empty Tomb" sourced from Canva
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Easter Flower Dedication NotesIt's that time of year again for Easter Dedications. On behalf of the church, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous dedication of Easter flowers. Your thoughtful gesture has brought beauty and joy to our sanctuary Our Easter flowers in the sanctuary have been given by Marthe Duncombe, Elaine Van Horn, Penny Zuk, Marion Porter, Rhonda Garton, Bob Paxton, Janet Morris, and Pauline Barrett in thanksgiving for many blessings. They have also been given by Elizabeth Barratt in memory of Derek, by Ivy Howes in memory of her daughter, Sally, by Julia Hadrill in memory of John and by Monica Macdonald in memory of her parents, Roy and Peggy and by Linda Robertson and Gordon Lee in memory of their parents.
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Maundy Thursday 2025There will be a Maundy Thursday service at 6pm on April 17 when we commemorate the First Last Supper. Jesus gathered his disciples, giving them and us, bread and wine to remember his presence with us in his body and blood. We embrace his ‘new’ commandment to love one another. We leave this service in silence. |
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Good Friday 2025At 12noon we will we will gather in the Sanctuary. On Good Friday, it is tradition for Christians to connect with the cross of Jesus, in some way. A focal point this year will be a photo taken of the “Cross of Nails” in Coventry Cathedral in England. It is a symbol of hope in troubled times from the time when Coventry was mercilessly bombed in WWII and the cathedral was nearly destroyed. Worship begins at 12noon (in-person and via livestream). |
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Holy Saturday 2025At 5pm on Holy Saturday (April 19), we will gather around the firepit for the traditional Easter Vigil done in an unconventional way. While kindling the fire of resurrection, the fire of new life, we enjoy some not-so-traditional s’mores! In doing so, we greet the dawn of new life that is Easter, and it’s good news. Worship begins at 5pm (in-person only). |
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Easter Sunday 2025Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, marking the triumph of life over death. A signal to us that renewal, hope, and new beginnings are possible through our relationship with the risen Christ. Hot cross buns and refreshments will follow. Worship begins at 10am (in-person and via livestream). |
