Good Friday
April 18
10:00 am Stations of the Cross for Children 2:00 pm Stations of the Cross 3:00 pm Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday Homily: “The throne of love” 5:00 pm Confessions The Solemn Liturgy on Good Friday falls into four parts:
1. Scripture Readings We begin with the Liturgy of the Word. We recount and reflect on our Lord’s Passion through the reading of Holy Scripture, hymns, and preaching. 2. Solemn Prayers of Intercession There follows a series of prayers for the whole church and the world. These are ancient in form, from the earliest recorded observances of Good Friday. 3. The Veneration of the Cross We then venerate ‘the Wood of the Cross.’ It is a devotion of our gratitude for Jesus’ death on the Cross. At the appropriate time you may come forward to the Cross to genuflect before it and kiss it. During this time the choir will sing the ‘Reproaches’ which recall Jesus’ agony, not in physical pain, but in the pain of rejection by those he has come to save. 4. Holy Communion The liturgy concludes with Holy Communion, the final opportunity to receive the Sacrament until the first Mass of Easter. We have entered as fully as possible into the saving death and Passion of our Lord. First, in our minds as we listened to the Word; then with our wills, in exercising the love Jesus taught us by praying for all people; in our emotions, in grateful veneration of His Cross; and finally by our sacramental union with this Victim of the Cross in Holy Communion. By so entering into His Passion and death, we are carried along to the glory of His Resurrection.
Holy Saturday
9:00 pm
April 19
The Great Vigil and First Mass of Easter with the Sacrament of Holy Baptism Homily: “The theatre of joys”
The St. James Choir is joined by the Oculus Chamber Choir in singing American composer Gerre Hancock’s joyful Missa Resurrectionis, along with other exquisite choral works for Easter. The Holy Saturday Rite is the link between the solemnity of Good Friday and the celebration of Easter. It is a drama of the creation and the redemption, beginning as a solemn night, with the church in near darkness. We see God gradually revealed to us in Light (The Liturgy of the New Fire); in Word (the Prophetic readings); in Water (the blessing of the Font, Baptism, and the renewal of Baptismal vows); and in Food, as we celebrate our salvation and new life in Christ with the first Mass of Easter.
Pentecost
8:30 am 10:30 am
June 8
Low Mass High Mass with Procession and the Sacrament of Holy Baptism
EVERY SUNDAY OF THE YEAR On the last Sunday of the month holy anointing is offered after each Mass, and Solemn Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is sung at 4:00 pm in the Church (except during July and August). The Sacrament of Reconciliation Confession, in addition to the publicized times, is available by making an appointment with any of the Parish priests.
THE FIFTY DAYS OF EASTER Easter Day
April 20
8:30 am Low Mass of the Resurrection 9:30 am No Formation session 10:30 am High Mass of the Resurrection with Procession and Blessing of the Easter Garden Homily: “The place of sorrows: The root of happiness, and the gate of Heaven.” The St. James’ Choir is joined by the Oculus Chamber Choir and a UBC brass ensemble in presenting brilliant works for choir, organ, and brass, including ‘Missa Resurrectionis’ by Gerre Hancock and the anthem ‘Most Glorious Lord of Life’ by Gerald Near, based on the text by Edmund Spenser. 5:00 pm
Evensong and Benediction in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
303 East Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1L4 Telephone: 604-685-2532 Email: office@stjames.bc.ca www.stjames.bc.ca
The image on the front of the brochure is of a carved mother-of-pearl baptismal shell depicting the Resurrection. It belonged to Fr. Whitehead, and is the type of work done in the Holy Land by Christian artisans. He likely acquired it during his travels. At the time of his retirement, in 1951, Fr. Whitehead presented the shell to Audrey (Sutherland) Davison. Upon her death, her husband returned the shell to St. James’ as a way of restoring a bit of the past. The shell will be used this year at the Easter Vigil. Photo by Chris Loh.
Lent, Holy Week and Easter 2014
Lent III
LENT Ash Wednesday
March 5
7:30 am
Low Mass with Blessing and Imposition of Ashes—Lady Chapel 8:15 am Confessions 12:10 pm Low Mass with Blessing and Imposition of Ashes—High Altar 12:45 pm Confessions 5:45 pm Confessions 6:30 pm High Mass with Blessing and Imposition of Ashes—High Altar
March 23 Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence Leader: Tim Firth
Feast of the Annunciation 9:30 pm 6:30 pm
March 25
Low Mass—Lady Chapel High Mass with Procession
Lenten Quiet Day
Lent IV Mothering Sunday March 30 The Philokalia Leader: Fr. Mark GreenawayRobbins Lent V
March 8
10:00 am - 3:00 pm In the commonplace and unexpected: story, song, and scripture for Lenten reflection.
April 6 Christopher Smart, Jubilate Agno Leader: Fr. Matthew Johnson
Solemn Evensong and Benediction 4:00 pm
March 30 and April 27 In partnership with Oculus Chamber Choir—Church
Formation during Lent
HOLY WEEK
Classic devotional works and authors: Formation on Sundays 9:30 - 10:20 am in the Bishops’ Room.
Palm Sunday Homilist
March 9 The Cloud of Unknowing Leader: Leslie Arnovick
Lent II
8:30 am
March 16 St. Teresa of Avila Leader: Sr. Mary Christian
Fr. Mark Greenaway-Robbins
6:30 pm
On The Cross of Christ “The Cross is the abyss of wonders, the centre of desires, the school of virtues, the house of wisdom, the throne of love, the theatre of joys, and the place of sorrows; It is the root of happiness, and the gate of Heaven.”
Monday in Holy Week
April 14
12:10 pm Low Mass with address “The abyss of wonders” Tuesday in Holy Week
April 15
12:10 pm Low Mass with address “The centre of desires” Wednesday in Holy Week
April 16
12:10 pm Low Mass with address “The school of virtues” 7:30 pm Sung Office of Tenebrae
Leader: Tim Firth 230 Gore Street entrance for access
Lent 1
Maundy Thursday
Thomas Traherne, The First Century, 58.
Fridays in Lent 12:10 pm Mass—Lady Chapel 12:45 pm Stations of the Cross
Preaching during Holy Week
April 13
The Right Reverend Melissa Skelton, Bishop, Anglican Diocese of New Westminster
Low Mass with the Blessing of Palms 9:30 am No Formation session 9:45 am Confessions 10:30 am High Mass with the Blessing of Palms and neighbourhood procession
Our first special evening service during Holy Week is the ancient liturgy of Tenebrae, meaning ‘shadows.’ It points to humanity’s rejection of God that must be rectified through the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. During the service, candles are gradually extinguished to symbolize the apparent victory of evil and chaos in the world, until the church is left in total darkness. At the end a loud noise symbolizes the earthquake at the Resurrection. The ‘Christ light’ will then be returned to its place. We depart in silence, contemplating the acts of salvation we will celebrate during the ‘Triduum’ – ‘The Three Days’ that together lead us into the Resurrection.
April 17
Solemn Mass of the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by an all-night Watch before the Altar of Repose. Homily: “The house of wisdom”
After Mass Confessions In this liturgy we go back to the Upper Room as we commemorate this first Lord’s Supper which has become our chief act of worship together. The Mass is festive, in the middle of a very solemn week. There is no confession or absolution—we have come prepared to celebrate the deep joy of the gift that Jesus gave to us, and no last minute communion preparations are necessary. During the Mass, foot washing by the celebrant, of twelve representatives from the community of faith, recalls Jesus’ washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper as a symbol of his servant ministry that we are called to emulate. At the conclusion of the Mass, there is a solemn procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Here it will rest, surrounded by light and flowers, to provide a focus for personal prayer throughout the night. The sacred ministers return to the church for the Stripping of the Altar. We recite Psalm 22, remembering the stripping of Christ’s body, and we enter into a place and time of desolation where the light and shadow in our lives and the world becomes acute and stark. Immediately following the Mass we begin the ‘Watch’ at the Altar of Repose, recalling the watch of the disciples with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. You are invited to spend time here in prayer and reflection. You may stay after the Mass or return at any time during the night and on the next morning, prior to the Good Friday liturgy.