The Third Sunday of Advent:
15 December 2024
Important note: Choir Rehearsal for this Saturday, December 14th, has been rescheduled due to a baptism in the church Saturday morning. For this week only, the choir will be practicing at one o’clock in the afternoon on FRIDAY, instead.
Contents:
- Propers (Collect and Lessons) for the Third Sunday in Advent, with Hymns.
- Link to the Parish website, whereon is found the YouTube live-stream of our 10:30 a.m. (EDT) service.
- Parish Announcements for the week of December 15th, 2024.
- Rector’s Ramblings: A reflection on the feast of the Holy Light – Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy), December 13th
Propers for the Second of Sunday Advent.
The Book of Common Prayer 1928.
The Collect.
O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever,* one God, world without end. Amen.
The Advent Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and [the]* dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
The Epistle: 1 Cor. iv. 1.
LET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
The Gospel: St. Matthew xi. 2.
NOW when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Hymns:
Note: Clicking the link will take you to a YouTube rendition of the hymn in question – especially helpful if it is one that is less familiar to you!
Processional Hymn: “Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding” – 9
Sermon Hymn: “Come thou almighty King” – 271
Communion Hymn: “Come with us, O blessed Jesus” – 211
Recessional Hymn: “O come, O come, Emmanuel” – 2
The service of Holy Communion, 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, is broadcast weekly via YouTube and on our website:
Watch this Sunday’s live-stream!
Our new website is live and may be found at cca-nc.org. This website should simplify and streamline our information-sharing quite a bit, including the fact that our most current YouTube live-stream will always be found at “Watch this Sunday’s live-stream,” accessible from the menu-bar at the top of the page.
The website is also a place to check our “Current operating status” – in other words, whether or not the church is open for services, in case of inclement weather (or unusual episodes like the sabotage of transformers a few years ago). If in doubt, check us out! Other options include Meet Our Clergy, Who We Are, Services and Office Hours, and How to find us.
All of these links can also be found by scrolling down the main page, as can also sections on “Find Your Place” – ministries of the parish, which you may wish to join – “Recent Media,” both video and audio, and “Recent Posts” on our nascent blog page. The goal is for this to become a “one-stop shop” for information about Christ Church Anglican.
If you have any questions or issues, please contact our media team at [email protected]. And if you wish to volunteer for our media team, please contact our IT/AV/Social media specialist, John Fesq, at [email protected].
Announcements for the Week of Sunday, December 15th, 2024
If you are visiting us: Welcome to Christ Church Anglican, Southern Pines! Thank you for being with us. We are very pleased to have you join us for the service, and hope that your worship here is a blessing to you. Please sign the guest book on the table in the narthex, and provide appropriate contact information. Include your email address in order to be placed on our parish email list: you won’t be bombarded with mail, but it’s a good way to keep in touch. And may God bless you!
Christ Church Anglican’s Choir is always looking for new members! And especially as we prepare for our Service of Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve (see below). Please contact our Choir Director, Amanda, at our church contact page , for further information.
You are also welcome to join the choir for practice even if you are a bit shy and would prefer not to sing in the choir itself, but would like to learn or practice our hymns and service music, and sing from your usual spot in the congregation!
It is said that “who sings, prays twice” – and encouraging congregational singing is an important part of church music. To that end, you will have noticed that we are including YouTube links to our hymns, now, for those who would like to prepare before arriving at the service on Sunday!
Christmas Poinsettias: Poinsettias are native to Mexico, and were unknown in the U.S. until ambassador and botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett saw them and sent some back to his home state of South Carolina in 1828. But, how did they become almost synonymous with Christmas?
Reportedly, Catholic missionaries to Mexico, unable to find holly with which to decorate their churches at Christmastide, turned to the similarly red-and-green colored poinsettias, instead! From there, they “migrated” to American Christmas displays via TV in the later 20th century: Johnny Carson is often credited with helping to popularize them.
In any case, if you would like to donate a poinsettia to help beautify Christ Church this Christmas, and/or to honour or memorialize a loved one, the requested donation is $25: please contact Susan at our church contact page.
Greening of the Church: Perhaps one of the most striking and universal features of Christmas is the use of evergreens in churches and homes. Holly and ivy, along with pine, spruce, and fir, are ever-green, ever-alive, even in the midst of winter. Thus they symbolize the unchanging nature of our God, and remind us of the everlasting life that is ours through Christ Jesus. In Christian thought and sentiment, holly became widely used in church celebrations, a representation which is heard throughout many Advent and Christmas carols, perhaps most notably “The Holly and the Ivy.”
If anyone would like to help with “the Greening of the Church” here at Christ Church Anglican, please join us on Monday, December 23rd, at 9 o’clock a.m.!
Christmas Services: Christmas, the Feast of the Nativity, falls on Wednesday this year. After due consideration, consultation, prayer, and pondering, we have made the decision to have but two services:
Our Christmas Eve service will consist of a Service of Lessons and Carols, incorporating the Holy Communion, at 4 o’clock on Tuesday evening, the 24th of December, for the sake both of our older members who do not wish to drive in the dark, and also for families with young children who might not want to get home too late.
Our Christmas Day service of Holy Communion will be at 11 o’clock on the morning of December 25th: a time intended to fit in between early-morning present-opening and midday or afternoon Christmas dinner.
We will re-evaluate next year, if necessary!
Rector’s Ramblings: a reflection on the feast of the “Holy Light” – Santa Lucia (St. Lucy), December 13th
Two of my favorite saints’ commemorations occur during Advent: the first of these, St. Nicholas, we talked about last week. The second, however, is St. Lucy: or as she is called in Scandinavia, where she is greatly revered, Santa (or Sankta) Lucia!
Night walks with heavy tread ’round farm and byre,
dark sun-forsaken earth shadows attire.
Then in our winter gloom candlelight fills the room:
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Silent and dark the night, now hear descending:
rustle of wings in flight, all darkness ending.
Then she comes, dressed in white, head wreathed in candles bright:
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Shadows will soon be gone from earth’s dark valley;
wonderful words, anon, us cheer and rally.
Day will soon dawn anew in skies of rosy hue:
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
— traditional Swedish carol for St. Lucia’s Day, December 13th
This is an English translation of a song well-known to children and adults alike throughout much of Scandinavia, but much less well-known here. Santa Lucia – St. Lucy’s Day – is widely celebrated in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, in which the figure of Lucia, typically a young girl dressed in a long white dress with a red sash, and crowned with an evergreen wreath bearing four or five candles, and accompanied by “Star Boys,” also dressed in white, brings gifts of coffee and sweet-rolls known as “Lüssekatter,” coloured gold with saffron and emblematic of both good cheer and the return of the sun, which is nearing its lowest point in the sky… but also the point at which the days will be getting longer.
But the original St. Lucy was a young Sicilian Christian maiden, who was martyred for her faith in the 3rd or early 4th century! How did she end up in Scandinavia, bearing coffee and sweet rolls, with candles in her hair? Let’s start by talking about St. Lucy herself: like many early saints, there is little that is known with certainty about her, and many variations to the pious legends that have grown up. We do know that she was honoured, with another young woman named Agatha, in some of the earliest Roman martyrologies, and even liturgies.
In any case, it is reported that she was a Christian, who wanted to devote her life to the service of God. However, her father – or perhaps her mother – wanted to force her into an unwanted marriage, and to make matters worse, her suitor was a heathen! When she rebuffed him, he denounced her to the Romans as a Christian. According to some versions of the legend, she then ran away and dedicated her life to God, and service to others. There were Christians who were forced to live in hiding in the catacombs, and Lucy had both the means and will to help them with their basic needs.
With so much work to do, she needed both hands free and devised a crown of candles, making her much more efficient. Eventually she was once again denounced to the Romans and captured. When she refused to recant her Christian faith, she was blinded – but her eyesight was miraculously restored.
Other versions of the legend differ in detail, but note that her life was one of purity and gentleness, and that she was loved by the poor for her selfless generosity. When her mother was cured of a disease, Lucy in gratitude to God gave all her bridal possessions to the Christian poor. Her disappointed betrothed then reported her as a Christian to the local prefect, who condemned her to be arrested and to be taken to a brothel. When she would not submit to sexual defilement, her persecutors built a fire around her to frighten her into submission. She was finally killed by being stabbed in the neck, probably in the year 304 at Syracuse – the one in Sicily, not New York!
Her memory was venerated at an early date, and as I mentioned, she is included in the eucharistic canons of the Roman and Ambrosian rites and is found in the Roman sacramentaries and in Greek liturgical books. Two ancient churches were dedicated to her in England, where she has been known at least from the late seventh century.
Because a saint’s name day is ordinarily their “heavenly birthday” – the day on which they die to this mortal world and receive the gift of eternal life in God’s nearer presence – it is assumed that her death occurred on December 13th, which in the old Julian calendar was the Winter Solstice: the shortest day, and longest night, of the year – but of course, the day after which the days begin to get longer.
Exactly how this young Sicilian girl – probably of olive complexion, with dark hair and eyes – was transformed into a Scandinavia maiden with hair as gold as saffron is no less speculative than the details of her legend; but one possibility is via Germany, and its tradition of the Kristkindl, a word which means “Christ Child,” but who appears as an angelic figure, generally portrayed as a young woman in white with, again, a crown of candles in her hair.
In light (no pun intended!) of these various elements – the crown of candles, her blinding and miraculous return to sight, and the fact that her feast day falls on or near the Winter Solstice – it is no surprise that her name, Lucia, means Light in several languages. And also clarity, clear-sightedness: think “lucid,” “lucidity.” And her feast, coming as it does less than two weeks before Christmas, serves as a foretaste of that celebration: a lesser “light,” foreshadowing the coming of Him who is the Light of the World, the Sun of Righteousness!
Praying that the light of this holy season may shine in your lives, amidst the darkness of this “sin-sick and weary world.”
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Fr. Tom Harbold
