Sunday 25th May

Sunday 25th May, there will be no services held at Maitland, 

Father Matthew will be holding Communion at Taree.  

If you wish to attend and need information.

Email Fr Matthew Kirby for address and time.

Next week services will resume in Maitland. 

Join us at St Mary Campus of the All Saints College 

in Victoria Street Maitland NSW at 11am 

for an Anglican Catholic Church Service 

of prayer, worship and Holy Communion / Mass. 

The photo above shows a section of wall in our chapel

Archbishop Haverland visits St Hilda's

St Hilda's Parish of the Anglican Catholic Church in Maitland was honored with a visit from Archbishop Mark Haverland  on Wednesday 21st May 2013. 

The evening started with a confirmation followed by a parish dinner and then a presentation by His Grace.Thank you to parish member who attended.

 We pray that the remainder of the Archbishop and Morgan's visit to the Hunter Valley will be enjoyable (and that they will see "live" kangaroos before leaving Australia). By the end of the week they will be traveling over to New Zealand, we wish them a safe journey.

Photo was taken in front of the main alter at our chapel in St Mary's School in Victoria Street. (Left to right: Neil, Archbishop Haverland, Dianne, Father Matthew, Narelle and Tony)

Easter Sunday - What it means for us

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together; and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre; and he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie; and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. St John 20:1

"[H]e must rise again" †

The Resurrection meant New Life for Christ as Man. He lived again after death, with a body that still bore the scars, but manifested new, glorious properties. He could enter rooms that had the doors shut, for example "And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." John 20:26, just appearing.

But what about us? 

What does it mean for us? 

The very same. "Christ ... is your life" the Epistle teaches us. While we have to wait for our new bodies till the Day Christ returns, with Judgement and Cosmic Renewal in tow, the new life begins for us here and now spiritually.

However, unlike the divine and sinless Jesus we cannot produce it from within, we cannot manufacture this new life by our own efforts or earn it by our deeds. It must be received freely. It is a gift.

How do we receive it, then? 

Faith in Christ. Accept that He is who he said he was, Lord and Saviour. Acknowledge your sin, and that you need Him to take away your sin and renew you.  Trust the giver of the gift. In that act of trust, you are at the same time receiving the gift.

But then what? 

Life is activity. To be fully alive as a human being, (re-)created in God's image, is to choose and to do. Live the life. Grow the Resurrection Reality within. 

But how?
Living, penitent faith remains the foundation. In other words, faith in Christ is not just a beginning, it is a pathway, the ongoing condition/prerequisite of all progress.

But what else?

Prayer.  

What kind and how it is prayed is secondary, just pray. Talk to God. Use the Prayer Books, use your own words.  Whisper, sing hymns, shout if you feel you have to, but pray.

The Word of God. 

It's not just about reading the Bible occasionally. Memorise and meditate. It's better to know small portions of the Bible like the back of your hand than just to have a passing acquaintance with much of it. Memorise some verses. It's better to read them in conversation with God, pausing to let the words sink in and work on us, than to never do anything more than read a chapter for the sake of reading a chapter. Meditate on the word.

The Church

Why do we need the Church? 

It is the Body of Christ, according to Scripture. In other words, we partake of the New Life in Christ's new Body in and through the Church. How does the Church enable this to happen? Sacraments, teaching, fellowship, worship "and they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:42. St John's Gospel teaches us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". And there is a sense in which He is still doing that through the Sacraments. Physical signs and means of spiritual grace. But the Church doesn't just celebrate meaningful, grace-filled ceremonies.

She teaches us from the Word of God and keeps us true to the Truth. And, through interaction with each other, we can and should strengthen one another in the Faith, in the New Life. Finally, the Church draws us into that summit of prayer and praise, the Mass, and allows us to participate in other holy services of worship as well.

(Note how Church helps with prayer and Scripture! We need its guidance, we were never meant to live in isolation as Christians.)
 

Works.

Again, as with prayer, don't worry too much about which ones. Give some thought as to how you can help the Church and the world, if you haven't already done so. Make an effort to do good. And give God the glory.  

And give thanks for his wonderful gift, the Resurrection Reality, increasing in it through prayer, the Bible, the Church and good works.  †

 

Join us as St Hilda's Parish for weekly Anglican Catholic Church Service, Mass / Holy Communion / Eucharist, Prayer and Worship. 11am at St Marys School Chapel in Victoria Street Maitland NSW Australia. All Welcome.

Prayer for the Synod 2014

Most of you would know that this weekends Sunday Service (18th May) is cancelled due to Father Matthew attending the Synod. Leaving for the long drive Thursday we pray that he travels safely.

Prayer for the Synod: -   Almighty and everlasting God, who by thy Holy Spirit didst preside in the Council of the blessed Apostles, and hast promised, through the Son Jesus Christ, to be with thy Church of the end of the world; We beseech thee to be present  with the 2014 Synod about to be assembled in thy Name, Save its members from all error, ignorance, pride and prejudice: and of thy great mercy vouchsafe so to direct, govern and sanctify then in their deliberations by thy Holy Spirit, that through thy blessing the Gospel of Christ may be faithfully preached and obeyed, the order and discipline of thy Church maintained, and the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour enlarged and extended. Grant this, we beseech thee, through the merits and mediation of the same Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen

Invitation to meet Archbishop Mark Haverland

St Hilda's Parish wishes to invite you to a public meeting, 

with guest speaker Archbishop Mark Haverland. 

7:30pm Wednesday 21st May 2014.

The Archbishop will be making a presentation and answering questions about the Anglican Catholic Church. The venue will be The Molly Morgan Motor Inn's Function Center in East Maitland on Wednesday 21st May 2014 at 7:30pm.

Good Friday - Sermon Summary

 Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews: and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgement-hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgement-seat, in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified: and they took Jesus, and led him away. And he, bearing his cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha: where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross; and the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath-day, (for that sabbath-day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another Scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

"[H]e, bearing his cross, went forth" †

We too called upon to bear our cross, by Jesus himself "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me" Matthew. 10:38. Whoever would follow him, must take up the cross. In the face of the terrifying reality of Christ's Crucifixion, this may seem an inconceivable task, a counsel of despair. Why does God ask so much of us? Has he not told us salvation is a free gift "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23? How can we do this?

The first step is to accept the reassurance of Christ himself, who said to his Apostles at the Last Supper, the very night before the Crucifixion "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. ...If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ... Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you ... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:1,27: Or as he put it more succinctly at another time: "Fear not. Only believe."

This trust in Christ's word leads to the ability to do what he wants because he has made his home in us. We are not alone, we do not bear our cross by ourselves. "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am gentle and humble in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew. 11:28-30 Of course, the yoke was not easy or the burden light for Him, as we remember today most especially, but precisely because of that, he makes it so for us.

So, that's the second step after letting go of fear: know and believe that "it is God at work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Php. 2:13. He promises to give you sufficient strength for the task, if we follow the obedience of faith, and not to take you beyond your strength "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Co. 10:13.

The third step is not to try to guess the future, or the precise nature of your cross. We simply don't know enough of tomorrow to do this "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14. Many of the things we fear may happen never do, or God delivers us from the worst. We know the path of the cross will involve suffering, but we cannot know and do not need to know much beyond that. Don't waste mental and emotional energy on phantoms of what might or might not be. Take each day as it comes "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew. 6:34.

The fourth step is to choose to complete the path, to persist till the end, looking forward to the empty tomb beyond, with the inner vision of the Cross of Christ our companion. Never give up. Remind yourself of his Sacrifice, which is your hope. We see this attitude in St Paul: "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:" Philippians. 2:8-14.

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

And this passage answers those earlier questions. 

Why does God ask so much of us?

Is not his salvation freely given? 

For we see here that it is in knowing Christ by faith that we receive the free gift of righteousness, but also that this knowledge is in fact unity with Christ, with his Cross and with his New Life. We do not take up our cross to be saved, we take up our cross because have already become one with He who walked the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows. 

But his journey did not end there, and neither does ours.

How shall we take up our cross? 

Let go of fears and fearful fantasies about the future, 

trust in the Gentle One who holds us up and bears our burden, 
and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  †

Mumsday is approaching "Happy Mothers Day"

Image: "Roses" by Diavma ©

Sunday 11th May will be Mothers Day.

"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 5:16

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.  They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck." Proverbs 1:8-9

In a column by Erma Bombeck, she tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one." The Lord turned & said, "Have you read the specs on this model? She is supposed to be completely washable, but not plastic. She is to have 180 moving parts, all of them replaceable. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart. She is to have a lap that will disappear whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee & leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands." "Six pairs of hands," said the angel, "that’s impossible." "It’s not the six pairs of hands that bother me." said the Lord, "It’s the three pairs of eyes. She is supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, `What are you kids doing in there?’ she already knows what they’re doing in there." "She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she is not supposed to see but must see. And then she has one pair right in front that can look at a child that just goofed & communicate love & understanding without saying a word." "That’s too much." said the angel, "You can’t put that much in one model. Why don’t you rest for a while & resume your creating tomorrow?" "No, I can’t," said the Lord. "I’m close to creating someone very much like myself. I’ve already come up with a model who can heal herself when she is sick - who can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger - & who can persuade a nine year old to take a shower." Then the angel looked at the model of motherhood a little more closely & said, "She’s too soft." "Oh, but she is tough," said the Lord. "You’d be surprised at how much this mother can do." "Can she think?" asked the angel. "Not only can she think," said the Lord, "but she can reason & compromise & persuade." Then the angel reached over & touched her cheek. "This one has a leak," he said. "I told you that you couldn’t put that much in one model." "That’s not a leak," said the Lord. "That’s a tear." "What’s a tear for?" asked the angel. "Well it’s for joy, for sadness, for sorrow, for disappointment, for pride." "You’re a genius," said the angel. And the Lord said, "Oh, but I didn’t put it there."

As mothers we are not "Hallmark" perfect. 

Each of us is a sinner, including our parents. Most parents try hard to love and nurture their children, wanting only what is best for them. Parenting is THE hardest jobs in the world. If you want to do something special this Mothers Day, then pray for all of the mothers that need Gods assistance. Pray for all the mums who are scared, lonely, hurting, frustrated, exhausted and in need of love and guidance. Ask the blessed Mary to help them find courage and direction through Jesus. Pray that mothers who are struggling emotionally might use God's love as a model for nurturing and relating to their families.

If you have/had a wonderful mother, or you know of one, don't take her for granted. Instead take the opportunity to thank her, to tell her she is appreciated and loved. Mothers do a difficult job, often seeming unappreciated and unnoticed. This Mothers Day reach out to a "mum", even is she is not your own, offer her a kind word or a helping hand.

God our Creator, we pray: 
for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;

for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility;
 for those who are scared, and uncertain;

for those who are tired, stressed or depressed;
for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;
for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;
for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;
for those who have children they do not want;
for those who raise children on their own;
for those who have lost a child;
for those who care for the children of others;
for those whose children have left home;
and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.
Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,
and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,
living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.
Amen.

Join us at the Anglican Catholic Church for Mass / Holy Communion this Sunday at 11am at St Hilda's. Bring mum with you, or bring her memory and celebrate mothers day with us.

Pray for me

Image: Maria Magdalene Praying. By Ary Scheffer (1795–1858).

Those of you following our blog will have seen the prayer requests for Dave, Kay and Robert, who are all currently undergoing cancer  treatments. 

For those of you who are still praying for them, Thank you. 

A small update: Kay thought her treatment was finished. She did the series of chemotherapy which was hoped to slow the growth, but was expected to spread the cells... The treatment was completed and the cancer growth was slowed although is still very alive and active, but to the surprise of her specialist it is still contained and has not spread. This is wonderful news for her and she has just started an additional series of treatments. 

"Praise be to God".

We have had another request for prayer. 

Robyn is facing urgent surgery for cancer on her ear.  She has had a very difficult 3 months which saw her husband placed in aged care and bills piling up, Her health has suffered and her doctor is very concerned for her. She is feeling scared and alone. 

Please keep Robyn in your prayers. 

O LORD and heavenly Father;
Great Physician, giver of health and healing,
who relieves those suffering in soul and body.

Look with your gracious favour upon these people;
Grant to them in their time of need the sense of your presence, 

that they may have perfect trust in you.

Give kindness of heart, wisdom and discretion
to those who minister to them in their sickness,
and bless all the means used for their recovery.

Stretch forth your hand to heal them, easing their pain and fear,
that by your mercy they may be restored to health and strength,
of body and mind according to your gracious will.

So that they may live to praise you for your goodness and grace
and that they can show forth their thankfulness in love to you,
and service to their fellow men: to the glory of your holy Name.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Passion Sunday - Sermon Summary 2014

Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands; that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves; but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Hebrews. 9:11
"How much more shall the blood of Christ ... purify your conscience" †

What is so significant about blood? 
Why is it a central sacrifice? 
What does it have to do with sin and cleansing? 
Why was it not ever to be consumed by men in the Old Testament? 
What is so different about Christ's blood?

Blood carries nutrients, fuel, oxygen, warmth throughout the body. The Bible not exaggerating when it says that "the life of the flesh is in the blood" Leviticus 17:11. You are what you eat because what you eat is brought to your body via the blood. Your breath sustains you only because the oxygen is carried in the blood's red cells to all your other cells.

Which is why the work of Red Cross in this area is incredibly important, fundamental. Even with today's technology, there is no really satisfactory artificial substitute for blood donated by us. My (Fr Matthew) attempt to give blood: I'm a stone! I only managed to donate half a bag in half an hour. They gave up trying, looking worried. But I felt no ill effects, as I assured them. Nevertheless, if we can, it is a truly good work to give blood. If you'd like to know more about how to donate blood, follow this link to the Red Cross Web Site.

So, blood, especially with its perpetual flow, maintains our lives, our activity, and represents that life. Similarly, when shed, when lost, it leads to and represents death.

If sacrifice is about offering something precious to God, in order to worship his majestic holiness, and to acknowledge that everything we have and are depends on Him, then there can be no more precious symbol than blood. And while the cleansing of our souls from sin is often represented in the Bible by the washing of water (as in Baptism), it is also often ascribed to cleansing by blood (as in today's Epistle). Not just any blood, but blood sacrificed. 
Why?

Firstly, blood is mostly water anyway, though it is also so much more. Secondly, our internal cleansing requires more than our external cleansing, and so this internal, living fluid (yes it has living cells, remember) is a more potent symbol. Thirdly, sin involves spiritual death and deserves death, so blood that is shed signifies the payment of that debt.

But the blood of Christ shed for us on the Cross is more than a symbol. In fact, the sacrifices of animals' blood under the Old Covenant were always intended to be a foreshadowing of the Cross, symbols of the true reality. What is so different about His blood? It is divinised by belonging to Him. It is, as one early Church Father put it, the blood of God. Thus it has given to it the power to effect what it signifies. Not only that, but it is the result of an offering of infinitely greater positive value than, not only animal blood, but the negative value of our sin.

It is this that makes the next fact all the more astonishing. While under the Old Covenant God's people were forbidden to consume blood, in the New Covenant we are commanded to drink Christ's blood! This partaking is even described as being the New Covenant: "This is the New Covenant in my blood". What a turn around! Before, the blood was denied us, as if to say, "the blood is reserved to me as a sacrifice, to remind you that I am the source of life, and even the animals are fundamentally mine as Creator, not yours". But now God effectively says "All that is mine is yours, even my Son, even His lifeblood".

I would like to finish with a beautiful prophecy to the Church about the blood of Christ from the Old Testament. "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;" Zechariah 9:11-12. God is our stronghold, and though we may sometimes feel imprisoned in this mortality, dry and diminished, we are prisoners of hope. Freedom and overwhelming restoration are our future, and a glorious foretaste of the same is our present, as we approach the Altar, partake of the Body and Blood, and go out in the strength of that purity and presence. †

Join us for Anglican Catholic Church Mass / Holy Communion at St Hilda's Parish Maitland NSW Australia. Held at the school chapel of All Saints College in Victoria Street. 11am Sundays