Weekly essays inspired by Anglican themes and theology.
Vol. 57 No. 25 Ascension Sunday May 17, 2026 This Sunday falls between Ascension Day and Whitsunday – between the ascent of Christ to the Father’s right hand, and the descent of the Holy Ghost upon his disciples; between his commissioning of them to bear witness unto the ends of the earth, and his empowering of…
Vol. 57 No. 24 The Fifth Sunday after Easter (Rogation Sunday) May 10, 2026 There are moments—often small ones—when something in our ordinary experience seems to exceed itself: the quality of light after a storm; the sound of birds after rain; the satisfaction of work well done; the strength of love. And yet, alongside these moments,…
Vol. 57 No. 23 The Fourth Sunday after Easter May 3, 2026 In the yearly commemorations of the Apostles, the feast of Philip and James on May 1st falls in Eastertide; and like the gospels of Eastertide, the Gospel is drawn from the Gospel of John—from our Lord’s discourse at the Last Supper (John 14:1–14). Its…
Vol. 57 No. 22 The Third Sunday after Easter April 26, 2026 Last Sunday at Evensong, Fr. Andrew Mead, OBE, and Rector Emeritus of St. Thomas Fifth Avenue, offered these reflections on the occasion of the Admission of five new Choristers to the Girls’ Choir of St. John’s. Our lessons today (Exodus 33, John 21) each…
Vol. 57 No. 21 The Second Sunday after Easter April 19, 2026 Those who attended the concert of the Tallis Scholars this past Sunday evening at St John’s heard unaccompanied vocal music of astonishing purity, beauty, and power. I confess, it gave me goosebumps. They sang works from the golden age of Renaissance polyphony—well-known works by…
Vol. 57 No. 20 The First Sunday after Easter (Low Sunday) April 12, 2026 Easter Lilies 2026The lilies adorning the Church were given to the glory of God and in loving memory of:• Mr. & Mrs. Howard J. Hoffman and Mr. & Mrs. Earle M. Culver, by their family• Margaret L. Armstrong, by the Culver family•…
Vol. 57 No. 19 Easter Sunday April 5, 2026 All the way through Lent, the Church has been veiled in Lenten array, a token of repentance and sorrow for our sins, which were the cause of Christ’s passion. When the veils come down on Easter, it is a sign that in the resurrection of Jesus the…
Vol. 57 No. 18 Palm Sunday (Lent 6) March 29, 2026 Over the course of Holy Week, the Church reads the Passion narratives of all four Gospels in order. It is a great deal to absorb, and these notes are intended to help us follow the story with understanding. We may think of what follows under…
Vol. 57 No. 17 Passion Sunday (Lent 5) March 22, 2026 This coming Wednesday, on the Feast of the Annunciation, we commemorate the conception of Christ—an event in history—and we celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God—a reality that endures forever. It is a day that invites us to consider not only what happened in…
Vol. 57 No. 16 The Fourth Sunday in Lent March 15, 2026 In a period of history from which few written records survive, Saint Patrick speaks in his own voice in two short writings: the Confession and the Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus. These are not polished theological treatises but deeply personal documents—defensive, reflective, and…
Vol. 57 No. 15 The Third Sunday in Lent March 8, 2026 Our country is at war—and as with all wars, there is no telling where that will take us. In the aftermath of “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is vigorous debate about its justification and its aims. Given the tribalized state of our…
Vol. 57 No. 14 The Second Sunday in Lent March 1, 2026 “Lenten array” refers to the old custom of veiling the splendor of the sacred images of the church in penitential garb of unbleached linen adorned with symbols of the passion in red and black. Last year, thanks to memorial donations, we were able to…
