We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

The Gospel in May, 2025

May 4, Third Sunday of Easter,   John 21:1-19 

Jesus appears to the disciples as they fish on the Sea of Galilee.   Jesus stood on the shore and called out to the men in the boat asking if they had caught anything. The disciples replied that they had caught nothing. When their nets are filled to breaking, they know from this abundance that Jesus must be the one on the shore calling to them.   They share breakfast with Jesus on the beach, and then in one of the most poignant scenes in the Bible, Jesus returns to Peter the three chances he missed on the night Jesus was betrayed to profess his love and loyalty to Jesus.  In spite of Peter’s earlier failures, Jesus entrusts Peter with the task of caring for the sheep, the ones that Jesus has called into his flock.  

May 11, Fourth Sunday of Easter, John 10:22-30

This Sunday is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Those who hear his voice will follow him.  Once a person responds to the invitation, he or she belongs to God forever.  No one can snatch a follower of Jesus from God’s hand. 

May 18, Fifth Sunday of Easter , John 13:31-35

During the last supper that Jesus shared with the disciples,  he pointed toward his future glory after his death and resurrection when he would be reunited with his Father in heaven.  “Where I am going, you cannot come.” He also gave the disciples a command: to love one another. But the disciples didn’t have to figure out how to do this on their own. Jesus told them to love one another in the same way he had loved them.

May 25, Sixth Sunday of Easter, John 14:23-29

John 14:23-29 is part of Jesus’ farewell discourse.  Jesus’ answers Judas’s (not the one who betrayed him) question about how Jesus will manifest himself to the disciples but not to the world?  The question echoes the hope for an unmistakable external occurrence to convince the world. The disciples hoped for the coming of the Messiah to do this; the early Church counted on Jesus’ second coming. The passage is intended to give assurance to a young and persecuted community.

Jesus promised the disciples that after his return to God, the Holy Spirit would live within them and provide strength and courage. The Spirit would always be available to help them as a counselor and advocate. Through the Spirit, they would recall the words and teachings of Jesus and even come to understand these things in a way that they could not before. In addition, the disciples would receive the peace that passes all understanding. 

 

Lectionary Easter 3, Year C

I.Theme –   Considering Jesus’ presence with us. 

 "Christ’s Appearance on Lake Tiberias" – Duccio di Buoninsegna 1308-11)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)
Psalm – Psalm 30 
Epistle –Revelation 5:11-14
Gospel – John 21:1-19 

Today’s readings invite us to consider the meaning of Jesus’ presence with us. In the story from Acts, the apostles, empowered by the Spirit of Jesus, preach the gospel despite persecution. John, in his Revelation, describes how being in the presence of Jesus, the enthroned Lamb of God, moves all of creation to bless and praise. In today’s gospel story, Jesus, in another pos t resurrection appearance, provides an abundant catch of fish for his disciples.

In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, the White Queen tells Alice that in her youth, she believed six impossible things every morning before breakfast and counsels Alice to believe in impossibilities as well. The Easter season is a season for mystics and “impossibility” thinkers. We are challenged to believe “more” rather than “less” about the world and its resources. Tempted to think small, we may discover that God is at work in our lives – in the causal events of life – to give us more than we can ask than imagine. Possibilities abound that appear to be “impossibilities” for unimaginative realists. Persecutor Paul encounters the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus; the Resurrected Christ cooks breakfast for the disciples and invites Peter to claim a global vocation; the author of Revelation envisages an enchanted and lively universe, in which all creation praises God; and Psalmist experiences ecstasy and joy amid the maelstrom of external challenges.

The call of the readings is to go out and act on them. There are people who are hungry—we must go and feed them, we can’t be only worried about our own needs. There are people who are mourning, who are sad—we must go and be with them, to help bear their burdens. We must remember that the picture is greater than ourselves. Messages of personal salvation only go so far, to help us feel good about ourselves. Remembering that God’s purpose as Creator is new life, we must do our part to help in all of creation to nurture that new life. "Feed my sheep", "Follow me’

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Modern Stained Glass Windows for Revelation

This Eucharistic Window, inspired by the Lamb from the Revelation 5, symbolizes the crucified and risen Christ as the Paschal Mystery celebrated in the Eucharist. Christ, depicted as the Apocalyptic Lamb, is the vulnerable God who suffers with humanity, but also epitomizes the hope and joy of resurrection.

Richard King, drawing on Revelation 5:6–10, states that:

“The central theme of this design is the Apocalyptic Lamb shown standing on the Book of the Seven Seals with the ‘seven horns’ of light on his head. The Lamb was slain—wound in breast—but for us the blood is not wasted, but is caught up in the chalice for our salvation. The lamb rose again and so bears the banner of the Resurrection. The seven flames represent the lamps seen in the beatific vision and are symbolic of our means of Grace. Below are the Chalice and Host and the wheat and grapes. (Sheehy 2020: 333)

“The style of this window, blending symbolic, expressive colours with contrasts of light and darkness, is conveyed by cubist-abstract forms. The large red cross behind the white Apocalyptic Lamb, recalls the Passion as the condition of the resurrection hope that King so profoundly affirms. This is further indicated by the blood flowing from the wound in the breast of the Lamb into the chalice, signifying the Eucharist. The blue background with some white, showing the Alpha and Omega, indicates Christ as the beginning and the end, while the eyes—signifying angelic hosts—evoke heaven and transcendence.”

The iconography of this stained-glass window reflects Revelation 5:12–13:

Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!

All these aspects are revealed by the colour, sacramental symbolism, and cosmic vision of this window.

References

King, Richard. N.d. ‘Unpublished explanatory notes concerning the sanctuary windows in the chapel, Sisters of Saint Joseph CentreWest Region’, Archives South Australia: Series 32

Sheehy, Ruth. 2020. The Life and Work of Richard King: Religion, Nationalism and Modernism, Reimagining Ireland Series (Oxford: Peter Lang)

Making Adjustments – Easter 3

Suzanne Guthrie

“The disciples have been night-fishing, but as dawn breaks they have nothing to show for their efforts. Jesus appears on the shore, too far away to help. He shouts at them to fish differently, to throw their nets on the unconventional side of the boat. That’s where they find what they’re looking for.”

-Richard Beard from the novel, Lazarus is Dead (p.219)

“Is it possible that finding what I’m looking requires just the slightest adjustment in my way of seeing? How can pulling up my net, moving it a few feet over, throwing it back in the same waters, make a difference? And yet…

“What other slight adjustments to my life, my character, my thinking, my relating to family, friends, neighbors, the world, might change barrenness to fecundity? At any given moment there’s probably at least 153 ways to begin.

Do you remember the dynamic between the two disciples running to the tomb on Easter Morning? Mary Magdalene, having found the tomb empty runs to wherever the disciples have been hiding and brings back Peter and John. John outruns Peter but hesitates to go in. When Peter arrives he enters the tomb and sees the disarray of cloths. “Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8).

“John understands. Peter acts.

“Here in the boat, the stranger on the shore calls to the men in the boat. Children, have you caught anything? No? Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you’ll catch some. And they did. And could hardly manage the haul of fish. “The disciple who Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

“Peter, who is naked, throws on his clothes and jumps into the water to swim toward shore, leaving the others to manage the miraculous catch of fish.

“John understands. Peter acts.

“When I act first, perhaps I need to understand more. When I understand and fail to act, well, that’s another adjustment I need to make.”

Eastertide, 2025

 We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, June 8

Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter is not a day but a season and it is one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply.  There are a number of questions.

Is Resurrection just about death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) ? Is Resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) ? Does it say something about our own ability to expect to see Jesus (Luke 24) ? How does the new Christian community begin to function making Christ the central part of daily life ? (Acts 2)

Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurection tangible. The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence.  Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church.

Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching (Thursday, May 29th). The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.This fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all  peoples and nation.  Note that the Old Testament lessons are replaced by selections from the Book of Acts, recognizing the important of the growth of the church.

St. Mark’s Day, April 28

John Mark is the author of the Gospel of Mark which we are reading this year in Year B.

The painting was done in 1625 by Frans Hals, a Dutch painter, who painted portraits of all the Gospel writers.

Mark’s work was the first Gospel probably written in the 60’s AD. Gospel means “Good News” of Jesus Christ reflecting His life and work.  The Gospel says the Kingdom of God is at hand and brings new life, sanctification and hope to the world. It is also one of the Synoptic Gospels.

Synoptic, in Greek, means “seeing or viewing together,” and by that definition, Matthew, Mark, and Luke cover much the same subject matter and treat it in similar ways. Some scholars believe an oral gospel existed first, which Matthew, Mark, and Luke used in their versions.  Others argue that Matthew and Luke borrowed heavily from Mark.  A third theory claims an unknown or lost source once existed, providing much information on Jesus.  Scholars call this lost source “Q,” short for quelle, a German word meaning “source.”  Still another theory says Matthew and Luke copied from both Mark and Q.

Mark stresses Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God now breaking into human life as good news (Mk 1:14–15) and Jesus himself as the gospel of God (Mk 1:1; 8:35; 10:29). Jesus is the Son whom God has sent to rescue humanity by serving and by sacrificing his life (Mk 10:45).

Tradition holds that Mark was present when Jesus Christ was arrested on the Mount of Olives.  In his Gospel, Mark says: “A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.” (Mark 14:51-52, NRSV) Because that incident is not mentioned in the three other Gospels, scholars believe Mark was referring to himself.

John Mark first appears by name in the book of Acts.  Peter had been thrown in prison by Herod Antipas, who was persecuting the early church.  In answer to the church’s prayers, an angel came to Peter and helped him escape.  Peter hurried to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many of the church members were praying

Paul made his first missionary journey to Cyprus, accompanied by Barnabas and Mark (Acts 13).  When they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.  No explanation is given for his departure, and Bible scholars have been speculating ever since.  Whatever the shortcoming was, it disappointed Paul though Paul later forgave him

According to Coptic tradition, John Mark is the founder of the Coptic Church in Egypt. Copts believe Mark was tied to a horse and dragged to his death by a mob of pagans on Easter, 68 A.D., in Alexandria. Copts count him as the first of their chain of 118 patriarchs (popes).

St. Mark’s day is a public holiday in Venice since Mark is Venice’s patron saint. One of the highlights during the Feast of St Mark is the Regata di Traghetti, a boat race featuring gondoliers who compete while transporting passengers in their gondolas. One tradition associated with St Mark’s festival was the Festival of the Blooming Rose, symbolizing love and romance. The custom of giving a rose bud (bocolo) to a loved one is still practiced today.

Celebrating St. Philip and St. James, May 1

From St. Philip and St. James


[Image credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons]

“Today is the feast of Saint Philip and Saint James, apostles with ambiguous storylines and confusingly common names. We celebrate them on a combined feast day because, even though they died at different times and in different locations, their bodies were moved and are buried together in the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Rome.

“Philip appears in several important moments of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus calls Philip to follow him shortly after calling Andrew and Peter, and Philip responds by telling his friend Nathanael. Philip convinces Nathanael to ‘come and see’ Jesus even though the skeptical Nathanael isn’t sure anything good can come out of Nazareth.

“In the Gospel of John’s account of feeding the crowd of 5,000, Jesus asks Philip, ‘how are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ And Philip’s practical response about a monetary value sets the table for the feeding of the multitude with the bread and fish. A few chapters later, Philip converses with ‘some Greeks’ who want to see Jesus and then at the last supper Philip asks to see the Father in order to be satisfied.

“Philip the Apostle is easy to confuse with Philip the Evangelist, who is one of the seven appointed as deacons in Acts 6, and who teaches the Ethiopian eunuch about Jesus a few chapters later. One of the fun challenges of the New Testament is figuring out who shares the same name with other followers of Jesus, or a game I like to call, “now which Mary is this?”

“Today is not only about Saint Philip though, we must also remember Saint James, often called James the Less. This moniker helps distinguish him from James the brother of John, who together are known as the sons of Zebedee, and from James ‘the brother of our Lord.’ Little is known about the James whom we celebrate today. He is called the son of Alphaeus, and he might have been with his mother (another Mary!) and the other women watching the crucifixion from a distance

“The character, identity, and intrigue of these two apostles are rooted in their relationship to Jesus. They are counted among the twelve which means they are participants in all the stories about Jesus’ teaching, healing, and his resurrection appearances we read about in the gospels.

The gospel lesson appointed for today contains two important ‘I am’ statements from Jesus. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ and ‘I am in the Father and the Father is in me.’ Jesus teaches Philip that God the Father dwells within God’s Son Jesus, and Jesus the Son dwells in God the Father. He goes on to say that those who believe in Jesus will do even greater works than Jesus did. As Christians we believe that Christ dwells in us, and we in him.

“The apostles Philip and James invite us to both come and to see Jesus. They encourage us to bring to Jesus those who are skeptics and those who seek to know more about our Lord. They ask the difficult questions for us about the meaning of our faith and how we are able to satisfy it.

“God’s story continues with us. We, too, are complicated characters with disparate back stories, working for the common goal of God’s Kingdom. Today on this shared feast day, give thanks for Saint Philip and Saint James, for their life, example, and their commitment to follow Jesus. You might read the lessons appointed for today and discuss the many ways Christ dwells within each member of your household. Help them to find their own place in God’s story.