From the Rector
"Almighty God, from whom all thought of truth and peace proceed; kindle, we pray thee, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
-- Prayer for Peace, Justice, and Righteousness, by Francis Paget (1851-1911)
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Dear friends in Christ,
This Sunday, we give pause with the wider Birmingham community to mark the first anniversary of the mass shooting at Five Points South last September. Four lives were taken in the early hours of that Saturday morning—Anitra R. J. Holloman, Tahj Da’Jour Booker, Carlos De’Juan McCain, and Roderick Lynn Patterson. Seventeen others were injured. We'll offer our Masses this weekend with intentions for their continued repose, as we commend their souls to the mercy of Christ, and we’ll pray for all who still carry the weight of grief.
I'm grateful to our Parish Choir for their work preparing a beautiful liturgy of Solemn Choral Evensong this Sunday at 5:30pm, a special in memoriam offered by candlelight, with chanting and incense, in the victims’ honor. I hope you’ll make a point to be there.
For those of us who remain in this life, the endeavors of peace-making are ours to carry on. We remember the dead with a mingling of joy and sorrow—joy in the assurance that Christ has conquered death by swallowing up death forever, knitting all people together in ties of love and compassion; and with sorrow that violence continues to deeply wound our city.
To take up the cross and follow Christ, as he calls us to, requires opening our hands—setting aside the fears that may beset us in the face of opposition, letting go of bitterness and hopelessness—so that we can carry the lantern of Christ’s light into the world’s darkness. How can we cling to Christ, our Rock and Refuge, if we don’t lay down our weapons? We carry the banner of hope, sharing the good news that love has found a way through the many troubles of this life.
Saint Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (6:2). To bear another’s burden, in part, is to bend low under their weight, as the Samaritan stooped to carry the man beaten and left for dead on the road.
Every service of the church is first an acclamation of the saving work of God in Jesus, who is the Light of the world from age to age, and we gather to entrust all who still carry grief to the Lord, who gathers up every tear in his bottle.
This week, beloved, be salt and light in the world and let every thought, word, and deed be offered to God as a means of grace for others. The life of the world depends on it.
Peace to you always
Fr. Peter Helman
