Hello St. Mary’s! Another day in paradise. And people are hurting. The world is hurting.

From God Calling earlier in the week – “… the only weapon with which sin can be driven out is Love. Drive fear and depression and despair and a sense of failure out with Praise.” I hear people arguing with such passion and anger about “what should be done” in ways that create more disturbance, more drama, more pain. I don’t mean to judge. I just know for myself how stirred up I can get and how the words that come out of my mouth when I feel like that will most likely be arrogant, hurtful, mean, critical and judgmental.

I have a long way to go before I can say I have solutions for the world. In the meantime, I have lots of ways and means to practice and learn the ways of peace; in my own family, in my own community and especially in my own heart and mind.

I can create the time and space to listen to others who are in a lot of pain right now. My family and friends living in big cities in the USA are experiencing frightening things; wanting to make a difference; feeling helpless and hopeless. I pray for them, I take their calls and listen to help them find their centre and their hope again.

We can all be doing this work; not talking from our heads but listening with our hearts and praying from that place too. Holy One, Your will be done, on earth as in heaven… Make us the equal of whatever lies ahead….. so we can act as your faithful servants and loving friends. Amen.    

Daniela sent this amazing poem that speaks to our time with the Covid pandemic:  a poem written by an Irish Poet, Kathleen O’Meara, after a plague devastated Ireland in the late 1860’s.

SOMETHING LOVELY
And people stayed home
and read books and listened and rested and exercised and made art
and played and learned new ways of being and were still
and listened more deeply
someone meditated someone prayed
someone danced someone met their own shadow
and people started thinking differently—- And people healed…
And in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways dangerous, mindless, and heartless….
The earth began to heal— And when the danger ended and people found themselves…
They grieved for the dead and they made new choices and dreamed of new visions
and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully
just as they had been healed.
Kathleen O‘Meara (1869)  

As you can imagine, our Birthday Box has been sitting idly in the church for two months now. The Birthday Box allows us to offer support to international charities, PWRDF and Tumaini, as part of our outreach efforts. The people that these charities support are also dealing with Covid-19, but without the resources we have here in Canada. If you would like this support to the Third World to continue, especially during these difficult times, please consider adding a cheque or some cash for the Birthday Box when you next send in or drop off your weekly offerings. Thank you!  


The ordination to the Priesthood of the Rev. Jeff Seaton and the Rev. Cindy Corrigan, will take place on Trinity Sunday, June 7, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time (the service will be outside, in a tiny group, with diocesan participants watching by YouTube to maintain physical distancing requirements).   You too will be able to participate via live stream with this link:  https://youtu.be/cXazsf7irPc    Please pray for Jeff and Cindy as they prepare.    

  Don’t kvetch, PULL vetch! Today some people are going in to pull out the invasive vetch on the church property. It is likely they won’t get to all of it. If you would enjoy helping out, please contact Harry Costerton to be included in another vetch pulling party.          

  

David R who is in hospital post-op –
for the delirium to go away and for his physical strength to return.            

     Shirley and Al Hardy have celebrated an anniversary and somehow it got missed… Happy belated 54th wedding anniversary to you both!              

  This Sunday’s readings are: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 and Matthew 28:16-20        

If you are interested in the Anglican church’s response to the outbreak of violence and racism, go to our Diocese of BC website https://bc.anglican.ca/news or the Anglican Church of Canada’s website www.anglican.ca to learn more.        

  HUB in the Garden at noon June 3.   JOIN US!!  
(12 including KAT taking the photo).      

Peace and grace,
Selinde