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Aloha!
As Christians we live in a world where the demarcations of death and life have been blurred; we inhabit a liminal space of hope. Due to our faith, death has been abolished and hell has been harrowed. We know that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We also know that we live within a communion of believers that includes the living and the dead -- the past, the present and the future. In other words, our mortality presents no barrier to the fellowship of Christ.
All Saints and All Souls are two of my favorite days of the year. We will celebrate the solemnity of All Saints with great fullness this coming weekend, and yesterday we observed All Souls with three requiem masses. Why three you might ask? Traditionally, every priest was given the permission to say three masses on this day, and in the Anglican missal, these three masses flow seamlessly together. For those of you who like trivia, if your church had three priests, it could be likely that nine requiems would have been scheduled on All Souls Day, three for each priest.
Some parts of our denomination still frown when it comes to the observance of All Souls Day. The polemic against requiem masses can be quite strong, even though the reformation happened many centuries ago and church life has moved on. I find that every All Souls Day when I have the opportunity to celebrate the three requiems, tremendous pastoral work is accomplished. The preaching opportunity alone at these requiems makes it a very worthwhile endeavor. After all, our society is always trying to sentimentalize death, and All Souls provides yet another chance to preach the Christian doctrine of the resurrection on a very personal level for the faithful.
November is known as the month of holy souls; we have entered a time when we remember our ancestors, and we ponder our life after death. In addition to our All Souls requiems, the following requiems will be offered.
FOR THE FORGOTTEN
Friday, November 4, at 8:00 am
For those who may have been forgotten--those without families, the homeless, etc.
VETERANS
Friday, November 11, at 8:00 am
For those who have served our country
MONTHLY PARISH REQUIEM
Saturday, November 12, at 9:00 am
For those with death anniversaries during November
Remembering the dead is some of the most important Christian work we must do. Let us not forget that human mortality does not break the bonds between us and our loved ones. We are all still part of the same human family, and at the end of time, all of us, the living and the dead, will be united with Christ into one mystical communion of joy.
In remembrance,
Father Paul Lillie +
Rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Honolulu
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Worship with us this weekend!
November 5 & 6
The Sunday after All Saints
SATURDAY:
Evening Prayer in the Mary Chapel, 4:45 pm
Service of Light & Sung Vigil Mass, 5:15 pm
SUNDAY:
Morning Prayer in the Mary Chapel, 7:00 am
Low Mass, 7:30 am
HIGH MASS HYMNS: 287, 286, 620, 623 The Godly Play story for this Sunday is the Good Shepherd and World Communion, and Father Lillie is the storyteller. For this special gathering, adults and children are welcome.
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Stewardship: Joyful Offerings
Last week the parish mailed out our annual stewardship letter with pledge card to the people of St. Mark's. If you did not get the letter by chance, please let us know. There are additional pledge cards in the back of the church. As the letter stated, we are asking everyone to bring their pledge card to one of the weekend masses on Saturday and Sunday, November 19 and 20. Until then, come join us for the remaining sessions of our Joyful Offering series.
NOVEMBER 6 at 9:00 am
THE ULTIMATE JOYFUL OFFERING:
JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY MASS
How is our central act of worship a joyful offering to God? Father Lillie will lead this session in which we will explore the Eucharist and the role of offering in our worship. One of the stories of our Godly Play curriculum will be incorporated into this activity, and our children will join us for what promises to be an engaging time for all ages.
NOVEMBER 13 at 9:00 am
THE JOYFUL OFFERING OF OUR KUPUNA:
THE ALOHA MINISTRY & PROJECT DANA
We welcome Dr. Michael Cheang from Project Dana as our guest speaker on this day. St. Mark's participates in this interfaith ministry by having our parishioners volunteer their time, helping seniors of our community with their various needs. Come and hear about how our parishioners are making a difference in the lives of many people. Come and hear about how you might do the same! Discover more about our Aloha Ministry.
NOVEMBER 20 at 8:30 am
MAKING THE COMMITMENT TO BE A JOYFUL OFFERING: STEWARDSHIP INGATHERING FEAST
 On this day we celebrate Christ the King Sunday and the Feast of our Holy Sovereigns, especially Queen Emma our minor patron saint. Queen Emma was certainly a joyful offering for the people of our Islands, and on this special day, we invite everyone to offer their pledge commitment for 2012. We are asking everyone to come and place their pledge card in the offering at one of our masses this weekend. Between the Sunday morning masses, we will gather as a parish 'ohana for a potluck with Hawaiian music at 8:30 am. Come join the fun, and get to know some of our other members who attend a different mass!
JOYFUL OFFERING SESSIONS
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Stewardship Corner: From Sharon Schamber My father was the perpetual treasurer of a small Episcopal church in Minnesota. I grew up hearing firsthand the frustrations encountered by the treasurer of this parish and the meaning of stewardship. That term was not used. "Supporting the Church" was the terminology at that time. I remember well hearing my father say, "if we do not support the church, the church will not be there to support us when we need support." It was like a mantra to him, and as a result, I have pledged at each of the many churches our family has attended throughout the years.
I understood at a young age that church building maintenance, salaries for the ministers, diocesan assessments, and supplies were budgeted. No one ever mentioned outreach however, but I know that the women of the church gave a great deal of their time and their culinary talents when the budgeted funds were insufficient to cover all the needs or to support any new projects. Parishioners who had treasure (there were very few) did share as the need arose. By the Grace of God the little parish stayed viable until a few years ago. Then treasure, time, and talent disappeared. Could this have been due to the lack of focus on outreach and stewardship and too much focus on budgets, supplies, and assessments? I am personally relieved that stewardship and outreach at St. Mark's is alive and well, and I am grateful for the blessings that do flow to those who give freely of their time, talent, and treasure.
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The Catechumenate
 ALL SAINTS SUNDAYNovember 6 at 11:30 am
The catechumenate begins this Sunday, and it is not too late to sign up. If you are an adult who desires to be baptized, confirmed, received into the Episcopal Church, or have your baptismal vows renewed, please speak with Father Lillie.
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Give Aloha Update
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Give Aloha Campaign this year. Friends of St. Mark's gave a total of $3,996.00. This amount was matched by Foodland and Western Union for a final total of $4,826.99 for St. Mark's. Many mahalos!
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Coming Up at St. Mark's
| 03 | Th |
Richard Hooker
Noonday Prayer 11:40
Mass 12:00
| | 04 | F | Votive of the Departed
Friday Special Devotion
Morning Prayer 07:40
Mass 08:00
Lectionary Bible Study 08:45
Altar Guild & Flower Guild 09:00
| | 05 | Sa |
William Temple
Morning Prayer 08:40
Mass & Rosary 09:00
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05
06 |
Sa
Su |
ALL SAINTS' EVE
Evening Prayer 16:45 Service of Light & Sung Vigil Mass 17:15
ALL SAINTS' SUNDAY
Morning Prayer & Angelus 07:00
Low Mass 07:30
Rite of Healing 08:30
Rector's Forum 09:00
Godly Play for Children 09:00
Procession & High Mass 10:00
Pre-Catechumenate 11:30
| | 07 | M |
Wilibrord of Utrecht
Morning Prayer 07:40
Mass 08:00
| | 08 | T |
Anglican Saints & Martyrs
Noonday Prayer 11:40
St. Mark's Choir Rehearsal 18:30
| | 09 | W
| Weekday
Morning Prayer 07:40
Requiem Mass 08:00
Preschool Chapel 09:00
Vestry 18:00
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Save the Date for these Future Events!
Check out the parish website to find out about future events including the following:
Requiem Mass for Veterans, November 11
Monthly Parish Requiem Mass, November 12
Queen Emma Outreach Guild, November 12
Hawaiian Music & Ukulele Workshop, November 12
Feast of the Holy Sovereigns, November 19 & 20
Thanksgiving Eve Mass @ Epiphany, November 23
Thanksgiving Day Mass @ St. Mark's, November 24
Hawaiian Music & Ukulele Workshop, November 26
The Admission of Catechumens, November 27
St. Andrew the Apostle, November 30
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St. Mark's Episcopal Church is an inclusive church in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.
We are dedicated to sharing the good news of God in Christ through our celebration of the Sacraments, Liturgy, and Music, and by attending in Jesus' Name, to the needs of our members and the wider community. We are a welcoming ohana, cherishing our catholic and Hawaiian mission roots, and we rejoice in our diversity.
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SATURDAY
4:45 pm Evening Prayer
5:15 pm Sung Vigil Mass
SUNDAY
7:00 am Morning Prayer
7:30 am Low Mass
9:00 am Godly Play
9:00 am Rector's Forum
MONDAY
7:40 am Morning Prayer
8:00 am Mass
TUESDAY
11:40 am Noonday Prayer
12:00 noon Mass
WEDNESDAY
7:40 am Morning Prayer
8:00 am Healing Mass
9:00 am Preschool Chapel
THURSDAY
11:40 am Noonday Prayer
12:00 noon Mass
FRIDAY
7:40 am Morning Prayer
8:00 am Mass
8:45 am Bible Study
SATURDAY
8:40 am Morning Prayer
9:00 am Mass & Rosary
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Weekly Collection
for the Needy
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 Every Sunday we collect food and hygeine products for the homeless and the hungry. Will you remember the neediest among us? Donations may be placed in the basket at the entry of the church on Sunday mornings. The donations are blessed at the offertory of High Mass. Please be generous.
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Did you miss last week's E-Newsletter? Read it online. E-NEWSLETTERS
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St. Mark's Episcopal Church
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