eNews
1 November 2013


 

St. Thomas the Apostle is an Episcopal Parish in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.  We are called by God to be a holy place where love is found, where all are named and where hearts are freed to change the world.

 

St. Thomas has a great respect for both the rich liturgical heritage of the church and for living the message of social justice proclaimed by Jesus Christ. Whether you are young or old, gay or straight, single, married or in a relationship, female or male, poor or wealthy, you are welcome at St. Thomas just as you are...a child of God and an inheritor of God's grace.

Sermons

 

The Last Sunday After Trinity
The Last Sunday After Trinity

 

To view more sermons, go to our 

St. Thomas YouTube page!!!

All Souls' Day

 
On Saturday, 2 November, three Requiem Masses will take place (8am, 12pm, 7:30pm). Every name from the Parish Chantry Book will be prayed for during the course of the day:

Jan-Apr at 8am
May-Aug at noon
Sept-Dec at 7:30pm

At the 7:30pm Requiem Mass, the Parish Choir will be singing Camille Saint-Sa�n's Requiem Mass, Op. 54 (1878). The Parish Choir has been rehearsing this beautiful Mass since this past September when they were at Santa Barbara for their annual retreat. This hauntingly beautiful Requiem will be sung only once this year.

Please note that there will be no 5pm Latin Vigil Mass on this day. 
St. Thomas Going to the Getty (Canterbury and St. Albans: Treasures from Church and Cloister) - TOMORROW
 
This premier Getty Center exhibition celebrates two rare masterpieces of English medieval art: stained glass from Canterbury Cathedral and pages from the St. Albans Psalter, an illuminated book of psalms.Uniting the intimate art of book illumination with monumental glass painting, this exhibition explores how specific texts, prayers, and environments shaped medieval viewers' understanding of pictures in the era of artistic renewal following the Norman Conquest of England. Life-size paintings on glass depict the ancestors of Christ, and richly ornamented illuminations translate biblical texts into luminous pictures. 

The panels of glass have been temporarily de-installed and pages from the St. Albans Psalter, unbound-allowing visitors to experience these works at a proximity enjoyed by few in their long and storied histories. The windows would have been visible to monks sitting in the communal space of the cathedral's choir, and the psalter was meant to be held in one's hands as an object of personal devotion.

The early 12th-century manuscript's graceful, powerfully drawn figures and saturated colors mark the arrival of the Romanesque style of painting in England. The windows from Canterbury, made toward the end of the century, represent this style at its apex and are the finest examples of English Romanesque glass that survive.

We will be departing the church parking lot at 1:00PM via carpool. Please join us! For more information, contact David Silvas ([email protected]) 
 
 
Our Lady of Walsingham

On Thursday, 21 November, the Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham will meet for the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Holy Rosary will be said at 6:30pm followed by a Mass at 7pm. The cell will meet afterwards for a potluck dinner and meeting. All are welcome!
Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving On Wednesday, 27 November, the Eve of Thanksgiving, St. Thomas Parish will be celebrating a Solemn Mass with guest organist Blake Howard accompanying traditional Thanksgiving hymns! All are encouraged to attend.
Stewardship Meditation
 
 
 
Responding Proportionately

 

Do you know someone who has made a dramatic shift in his/her lifestyle? Perhaps a New Year's resolution was fulfilled. Perhaps their employment, family, or financial status changed and that impacted their lifestyle relating to giving of time and financial resources.

The story of Zacchaeus from Jericho is told in St. Luke 19: 1-10. You may remember Zacchaeus as the "wee little man" who climbed a sycamore tree to see our Lord. He was a rich little man engaged in a lucrative business - collecting taxes. And the more taxes he collected the richer he got.

Then he is converted and everything is turned around. What happened that caused Zacchaeus to be converted? We do not know. Perhaps he realized that getting richer was not answering life's questions or providing satisfaction. Perhaps Zacchaeus reached a point where he was searching for more meaning in life, and then discovered that new life in Jesus Christ.

Reading about current trends in charitable giving in America, we find that the amount of generous financial contributions is increasing, especially by those who are the wealthiest. And yet, many non-profits organizations are struggling because they can barely keep up with rising costs.

We all need to assess where we are personally with our giving, difficult as that may be. Many people just respond with, "I give what I can when I can." There are not many of us who can take the step like Zacchaeus - "half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Jesus is moved by this generosity.

Zacchaeus is a funny little man. But his story is a serious big story - a real challenge to us today. Perhaps we can best rise to this challenge by starting to give seriously through a conscious decision to offer a percentage or proportion of our resources to God's work. Perhaps it is volunteering service to one of the ministries of our Parish in addition to a specific percentage of one's income. And as God continues to bless us, we continue to grow in our giving. Like with Zacchaeus, meeting the Christ evokes a generous response!

Prayer: O God of abundance, guide me in pondering the example of Zacchaeus. Tell me what I need to learn by his example. Give me courage to respond faithfully in proportion to the blessings you have given me. Amen. 
The Guibord Center Presents
The President's Devotional Author Joshua DuBois in Conversation with Mo. Guibord

Guibord Center

Thursday, 7 November 2013
St. John's Pro-Cathedral
514 West Adams Blvd.
7:00pm



In the heat of Obama's first presidential campaign, staff member Joshua DuBois recognized the wear and tear of the campaign n his boss and asked the Senator if he could email a devotional to him each day. When Obama responded positively, DuBois prepared a message for the future president to read first thing in the morning - short snippets of scripture, inspirational stories, quotes, and prayers to provide counsel, encouragement, and inspiration.
 
The President's Devotional is a collection of the best of these message, meant to offer encouragement and daily inspiration for an entire year. Through his years of working closely with the president, DuBois learned many life-changing lessons as well as gained an inside view on the faith and values of President Obama. In addition to 365 of the best readings and prayers that were sent to the President, Dubois offers longer meditations on the spiritual lessons learned by accompanying the President as he faced many historic challenges - two elections, meeting Billy Graham, the Sandy Hook shootings, and more. Sources include Biblical verses as well as words of advice from notable figures, past and present, including Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., and Maya Angelou. A short prayer is offered daily.
 
Free admission! Books will be available for purchase. Book signing and reception follows. Please RSVP here!
In This Issue
Sermons
All Souls' Day
Outing to the Getty
Our Lady of Walsingham
Thanksgiving Eve
Stewardship Meditation
The Guibord Center
Daylight Saving Time Ends
Organ Recital
Stewardship Update
Parking
Quick Links
Daylight Saving Time Ends TOMORROW NIGHT
 

Daylight Savings Fall  

 

On Sunday, 3 November Daylight Saving Time ends. Before you go to bed TOMORROW NIGHT make sure you make your clocks "fall back" an hour.

The All Saints' Festival Sunday

 

Lections

Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-end
St. Luke 6:20-31

Celebrant & Preacher

Fr. Ian Elliott Davies

  

Deacon

Dea. Walter S. Johnson

 
Choir Master
Mr. James Keltner

 

Organist

Mr. Jeffrey Parola
Saturday's Music

 

Prelude

�l�vation ou Communion
by Camille Saint-Sa�ns
(1835-1921)

 

Offertory Anthem

Pie Jesu
by Lili Boulanger
(1893-1918)
Andrea Fuentes, soprano
Sunday's Music

 

Prelude

�l�vation ou Communion
by Camille Saint-Sa�ns
(1835-1921)

 

Offertory Anthem

Bow down thine ear
by John Wall Callcott
(1766-1821)
 

Postlude

"Pro Defunctis" from Sept Improvisations

by Camille Saint-Sa�ns
(1835-1921)
Organ Recital 

   

It's official! Organist Jeffrey Parola will be performing a recital on Sunday, 2 February 2014 at 5:30pm at St. Thomas. Mark your calendars now for this great event!

Stewardship Update 

   

We are most grateful to the following 66 Parishioners (as of Thursday, 31 October) out of a potential 219 who have prayerfully considered the role of St. Thomas the Apostle in their life and made a financial pledge commitment for 2014:

 

Caroline Adan
Kellie Jane Adan
Heather Amaral
David Anderson
Alex Bernal & Thomas Meissnest
Bob Beukema & Ken Mosesian
John Bollard
Bob Brkich & Ben Pratt
Malcolm Callison
Efrain Cisneros
Jennifer Collins
Craig Coogan
Donald Cummings
Bradford Daley
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies
John & Janis Davies
Lloyd Davis
Debby Driscoll
Michael Ensign Evans
Howard J. Gaass
Clint Gray
Bob Halvorson
John Harper
Ron Hartwig
Peter & Julie Heimark
Bob Henry & Linda Wendell
Helen Slayton Hughes
James B. Hughes
Louis Javier
Patricia Neal Jensen
Dea. Walter S. Johnson
Robert John Jones
Stephen Kemp
Taffia B. Kennedy
Ken Koonce
Helen Land
Bruce Larson
Joe A. Lopez
Doris Martin
Vincent G. Mazzucchelli
Andrew Miller & Whitney Wyatt
Robert D. Miller
Randy & Ruth Oglesby
Carolyn S. Olman
Erin & Windy O'Malley
Doris J. Parr
Jo Ann Ridenour
Christopher A. Rose
Charles L. Rumsey
Julian Sands
Daniel & Sarah Schulz
Anita Sherman & Joe Muro
David A. Silvas Steven Strom
Fr. Mark D. Stuart
Suzanne Tenner
Thomas G. Thanangadan
Reece P. Thomson
John Thornbury
Ayako Travis
James Vandernaald
Joseph Warren
Michelle Waterloo
Riva Winningham & Jesse Thompson
Addison Wright & Laurene Landon
Rex A. Yancey

LASchola

   

In November, please note that LASchola will accompany the Vigil Mass on the 30th of November, not the fourth Saturday. 

On This Day in 
Christian History 

   

On this day in 1950 Pope Pius XII released his "Munificentissimus Deus," proclaiming the "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The doctrine teaches that Mary was taken in body and soul into heaven at the end of her life. The belief was first propounded in Christian circles by St. Gregory of Tours in the late 500s

Coming Soon...

 

Please join us for many Parish activities.  Here's a sampling of upcoming events - a full list is available online 

   

9 November @ 7:30am

Homeless Feeding & Outreach


11 November

Parish Office Closed

 

16 November @ 10:30am 

Newcomer Orientation Series


20 November @ 7:30pm

Vestry Meeting  


23 November @ 7:30am

Homeless Feeding & Outreach

 

25 November @ 10:00am 

County-USC AIDS Clinic Feeding Program 

 

28-29 November

Parish Office Closed

 

30 November @ 5:00pm
LASchola sings the Mass 
Parking at St. Thomas

   

Regardless of what the signs read, parking on Gardner Street is now allowed on Sundays unrestricted between 7am and 1pm. There is no two-hour time limit! If you receive a ticket, please turn it in to the Parish Office.

 

Please make sure to remit your citation to the Parish Office promptly. The City may not dismiss citations that are more than two weeks late.

ePrayer

Prayer is at the center of our worship and binds us together as a community of faith.  This week we commenced our electronic prayer chain email.  A list of persons on the prayer list is sent weekly.
 
The prayer chain email is an opt-in list only - it will not be sent unless you sign up for it.  If you'd like to be on this distribution list, please update your profile (please use link at the bottom of the email, customized with your email) or contact the office.
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