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.

Lent 4 is “Mothering Sunday”


The fourth Sunday in Lent is traditionally known as “Mothering Sunday” or Refreshment Sunday. In some parts of Great Britain, the custom was to return to the “mother church” or the cathedral for a special service on this day, and it also became customary to celebrate or pay special respect to one’s own mother on this day, a sort of Anglican “Mother’s Day.”

Another custom is the relaxation of austere Lenten observances on this day, the baking of simnel cakes (light fruit cakes covered in marzipan), and in some places the replacement of purple robes and liturgical hangings with rose-colored ones. Simnel cakes are called such because of the fine flour (Latin "simila") they were made of.  
 

A recipe for Simnel cake is here. 

Children of all ages were expected to pay a formal visit to their mothers and to bring a Simnel cake as a gift. In return, the mothers gave their children a special blessing. This custom was so well-established that masters were required to give servants enough time off to visit out-of-town mothers – provided the trip did not exceed 5 days! This holiday became Mother’s Day in America.

Spring begins! 8 Ways to Experience

Spring begins early on March 20 at 5:01am.

The March equinox, like all equinoxes, is characterized by having an almost exactly equal amount of daylight and night across most latitudes on Earth. It is the end of winter when the sun crosses the celestial equator and our days are lengthening.

Here is how to celebrate it:

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The Epiphany was Jan. 6, 2025 The Season after the Epiphany lasts until March 4, Shrove Tuesday.

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Book of Forgiving – Four Fold Path

Desmond Tutu’s – from the Book of Forgiving. Four Fold Path

•We always have a choice whether to walk the Revenge Cycle or the Forgiveness Cycle.

• In the Revenge Cycle, we reject our pain and suffering and believe that by hurting the person who hurt us our pain will go away.

• In the Forgiveness Cycle, we face our pain and suffering and move toward acceptance and healing by walking the Fourfold Path.

These are the steps of the Fourfold Path:

1. Telling the Story

2. Naming the Hurt

3. Granting Forgiveness

4. Renewing or Releasing the Relationship.

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“For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet”, by Joy Harjo


Put down that bag of potato chips, that white bread, that bottle of pop.
Turn off that cellphone, computer, and remote control.
Open the door, then close it behind you.
Take a breath offered by friendly winds. They travel the earth gathering essences of plants to clean.
Give it back with gratitude.
If you sing it will give your spirit lift to fly to the stars’ ears and back.
Acknowledge this earth who has cared for you since you were a dream planting itself precisely within your parents’ desire.
Let your moccasin feet take you to the encampment of the guardians who have known you before time, who will be there after time. They sit before the fire that has been there without time.
Let the earth stabilize your postcolonial insecure jitters.
Be respectful of the small insects, birds and animal people who accompany you.
Ask their forgiveness for the harm we humans have brought down upon them.
Don’t worry. The heart knows the way though there may be high-rises, interstates, checkpoints, armed soldiers, massacres, wars, and those who will despise you because they despise themselves.
The journey might take you a few hours, a day, a year, a few years, a hundred, a thousand or even more.
Watch your mind. Without training it might run away and leave your heart for the immense human feast set by the thieves of time.
Do not hold regrets.
When you find your way to the circle, to the fire kept burning by the keepers of your soul, you will be welcomed.
You must clean yourself with cedar, sage, or other healing plant.
Cut the ties you have to failure and shame.
Let go the pain you are holding in your mind, your shoulders, your heart, all the way to your feet.
Let go the pain of your ancestors to make way for those who are heading in our direction.
Ask for forgiveness.
Call upon the help of those who love you. These helpers take many forms: animal, element, bird, angel, saint, stone, or ancestor.
Call your spirit back. It may be caught in corners and creases of shame, judgment, and human abuse.
You must call in a way that your spirit will want to return.
Speak to it as you would to a beloved child.
Welcome your spirit back from its wandering. It may return in pieces, in tatters. Gather them together. They will be happy to be found after being lost for so long.
Your spirit will need to sleep awhile after it is bathed and given clean clothes.
Now you can have a party. Invite everyone you know who loves and supports you. Keep room for those who have no place else to go.
Make a giveaway, and remember, keep the speeches short.
Then, you must do this: help the next person find their way through the dark.

Sunday Links, Nov. 10, 2024

Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Sunday Nov. 10, 11am.

  • Web site
  • YouTube St. Peter’s Page for viewing services
  • Facebook St. Peter’s Page
  • Instagram St. Peter’s Page
  • Location – 823 Water Street, P. O. Box 399, Port Royal, Virginia 22535
  • Staff and Vestry
  • Our first “Grab and Go” Thanksgiving Dinner is scheduled for Wed. Nov. 13thThe cost is $15 each.  Make your order as soon as possible.  Choose turkey, chicken or ham.  Call Andrea  540-847-9002.

  • Wed., Nov. 6, Ecumenical Bible 10am in the Parish House reading the Lectionary for Nov. 10, All Saints lectionary
  • Wed., Nov 13, Ecumenical Bible 10am in the Parish House reading the Lectionary for Nov. 13, All Saints lectionary

  • All articles for Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024
  • Psalm 91 – Blessing and Protection

    From “VCS the Visual Commentary on Scripture – The One Who Dwells

    “Psalm 91 is among the most frequently cited passages of Scripture in the Jewish and Christian traditions. It features frequently in liturgies, sacred music, and devotional writings. Visual artists throughout history have responded to its vivid metaphorical language. But the psalm also appears in other, often surprising places: etched into pendants, printed on camouflage bandanas to wear into military combat, and, during the Covid-19 pandemic, emblazoned on masks. Satan himself quotes the psalm when he tempts Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:5; Luke 4:9–11). These various uses suggest the enduring attraction of the psalm’s expansive promises of protection.

    Read more