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In This Issue
Photos
Parish Notes
Altar Flowers
The Propers
Sermon
Đại Ý Kinh Văn

Upcoming Events



Saturday, Feb. 8

 

Vestry Retreat, 9 AM - 2 PM, at The Falls Church  

 

Sunday, Feb. 9

 

Odeon Concert, 4 PM  

 

Wednesday, Feb. 12

 

- Vestry meets Bishop Gulick and Ms. Ryland on transition, 7:30 PM 

 

Saturday, Feb. 22

 

Feed the Homeless at Bailey's Crossroads Shelter, 9:30 AM   

 

Friday, Feb. 28

 

Piano Student Recital, afternoon

 

Saturday, March 1

 

Hypothermia, 8 PM

 

Sunday, March 2

 

Hypothermia, 8 PM

 

Tuesday, March 4

 

Shrove Tuesday's Pan Cake Supper -- Game night, 5:30 PM 

 

Wednesday, March 5

(Lent Begins) 

Ash Wednesday Services, at 10:30 AM and 7:30 PM 

 

Friday, March 7

 

Hypothermia, 8 PM

 

Saturday, March 8


- Hypothermia, 8 PM

 

Sunday, March 9

(First Sunday in Lent)

  Hypothermia, 8 PM

 

Friday, March 14

 

Hypothermia, 8 PM

 

Sunday, March 16

 

- Evensong at the National Cathedral, 4:30 PM

 

March 28-30

 

- PYM Weekend for 6-7th Graders at Shrine Mont 

 

Saturday, March 29

 

Feed the Homeless at Bailey's Crossroads Shelter, 9:30 AM

      

Sunday, April 13

 

Palm Sunday

 

Thursday, Apil 17

 

Maundy Thursday service, 7:30 PM

 

Friday, April 18

 

Good Friday services, at 12 Noon and 7:30 PM

 

Sunday, April 20

 

EASTER DAY

 

Sunday, April 27

 

Odeon Concert, 4 PM  

 

Saturday, May 3

 

Feed the Homeless at Bailey's Crossroads Shelter, 9:30 AM  

Altar at Easter 2013      

Birthdays


February


15    Debbie Los

17    Douglas Payne

23    Frank Parrotta

26    Cheryl Thomas

27    Hong Pham

27    Liz Nguyen

 

March

4   Aaron Tingley

6   Fowell Tucker

6   Sophia Ellis

7   Wanda Nolan

7   Hugh Nicholson

9   Patrick Tingley

9   Brendan Tingley

12   Bobby Dubas

13   Milton Thomas

15   Jane Patterson Auld

22   Victoria Parrotta

26   Donna Herbert

27   Bob Cascella

28   Keith Gardner

31   Jennifer Phan

31   Gisela Johnson-Harbers

Our Prayer List

We remember in our prayer:

 

Dee Bailey, Kari Boeskov, Brandon, Rachel Burgess, Jane Chapman, Marie Cosimano, Tim Clary, Dorothy Connelly, John Davis, Michael Dickinson,  Loretta Dougherty, Nance Finegan,  Carolyn Gawarecki, Louise Gibney, Anne Goodwin, Jean Graham, Nick Giuliani, Katherine Hafele, Margaret Ellis Harris, Alek Hensley, Leslie Hogan, Cindy Hogman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Michael Horn, Mary Isibel, Lindsay Johns, Gray Johnson, Jamie Kaplon, Robert Kelley, Geoff Kent, Quinn Kimball, Jeffry King,  Peter Kosutic, Susan Lawrence, Thai Lee, Lois Magrogan, Colleen Mavrikas, Gregory McGinnis,  Evelyn Morgan, Danielle Morgan, Que Nguyen, Chick Nixon, Olive Oliver, Jim Owens, Gary Owens, Faith Poole, William Ross, Fern Shuck, Bill Sitler, Irene Skowron, Josh Smithers, Inez StantonCandi Stewart, Patrick Stefl, Barbara Stefl, Kara Stryker, Walter Sushko, Steven Talbert, George Thomas, Clara Torres, George Torres, Elizabeth Trigg, Tammy Vanphung, Michael Weekes, Warren Weinstein, The Crowley Family, The Westfall Family, Meredith Wiech, Bernard Williams, Donna Wolfe, Rudy Zimple.

 

               ____ 

 

Note: If you have a loved one or friend who needs prayer please call the church and leave a message at 703-532-5656, or write to Tinh+ at

[email protected]  or call him at 703-405-9571.  Also, should a name need be removed from the list, please let Tinh+ know promptly, and give the reason.  

 

 

Saint Patrick's Ministers 

The Ministers of Saint Patrick's Church are the People of this Parish

 

supported by

 

The Reverend  

Tinh Trang Huynh, Rector

 

Ms. Mariko Hiller,  

Music Director

 

Ms. Rachel Burgess,

Nursery Care

 

We serve our Lord as part of the Diocese of Virginia

 

led by

our chief pastors

 

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Bishop

 

The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff

Bishop Suffragan 

 

and  

The Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick,

Assistant Bishop 

The Vision of St. Patrick's

Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church is a community of care, called to be Christ-centered and multicultural in worship, Christian education and action to proclaim  Christ's love to the world.

   

Previous Issues of the Epistle
Please click here if you wish to see the previous issues of The Epistle

St. Patrick's Organized for Missions and Ministry 

 

SAINT PATRICK'S ORGANIZED

FOR MISSIONS AND MINISTRY

 
Vestry Committee:
Senior Warden: Kathy Oliver; Junior Warden:  Bill Houston;
Registrar: Winnie Lebo;
Treasurer:  Kathy Oliver; 

Other members of the Vestry:   Elisabeth Nguyen, Milton Thomas, Amelia Nicholson, Victoria Kennedy, Ann Nelson. 

 

GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Altar Guild:  Lois Cascella;  
Bell Choir:  Mariko Hiller; 
Sunday Service Bulletin:  Diem Nguyen, Steve Lebo;
Offering Counters:  Bob Cascella; Diocesan Council Delegate: Bill Houston (Kathy Oliver, alternate delegate);
St. Margaret's Circle:  Ann Nelson; Telephone Chain:
Alice King; Feed the Homeless:  Elisabeth Nguyen;
Odeon Chamber Music Series:  Mariko Hiller;
Westlawn Elementary School:  Winnie Lebo;
Falls Church Community Services: Catherine Dubas;
Hypothermia Shelter Program:  Hao Nguyen; 
The Epistle Newsletter Editors: Winnie Lebo and Cindy Rhoad; Flea Market:
Chris Nicholson; Prison Ministry: Nancy Burch;
Meals-on-Wheels: Amelia Nicholson;Sunrise/Bluemont:
Michael Knowles   

 

 

Join Our List
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January 6, 2014
Photos of the TET Celebration

   

  

 

 Parish Notes

- Our condolences to Loc and Tuyet Mai on the passing of Loc's mother, Mrs. Ky Thi Le, 86, on February 5, 2014, in Vietnam.

-  The Vestry will hold a retreat at The Falls Church on Saturday, February 8th, from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM.   Non-vestry members who are interested in church planning and activities for 2014-2015 are invited to attend.  If you wish to attend, please let Tinh+ know.

- Would you like to help our Lois Cascella  teach Sunday School at Saint Patrick's?  Please click here to sign up! All you have to do is pick the Sunday you can teach, put in your email address (which will not be shared) and click "submit."  Thank you! 

6th and 7th Graders:  Would you like to go to the PYM (Parish Youth Ministry) Weekend at Shrine Mont on March 28-30?  There will be a lot of fun there! Speak with your parents about it!  For more information, please ask Bobby Dubas when you see him in church.  Scholarships will be available through the Rector's Discretionary Fund. We hope to find a volunteer among the parents, to serve as driver and chaperon.    

-  Anticipating Tinh+'s retirement in July, Bishop Gulick and Ms. Lindsay Ryland, Transition Ministry Director of the Diocese, will meet with our Vestry at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, February 12th.

-  You are invited to share in the 2014 Lenten email series from Episcopal Relief & Development.  Each day during Lent you will receive a daily reflection, co-authored by a group of respected leaders from our international programs and across the Episcopal Church. During this season of reflection on our Christian faith, their writings will enhance your spiritual journey as they both inspire and challenge you.  Please click here to sign up to receive the ERD daily Lenten meditations by email.                   

  -  Would you like to volunteer to help make food for the homeless?  The upcoming Feed The Homeless event will be on Saturday, February 22nd, at the homeless shelter at Bailey's Crossroads Community Center (3525 Moncure Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22041).  Cooking will begin at 9:30 AM; serving at 12 Noon; leaving at 1:05 PM (no clean-up needed). If you can't volunteer in the kitchen, you can contribute in other ways, such as donating desserts and snacks, or donating money to the church for this purpose. Liz has establish an online sign-up sheet with VolunteerSpot. **Please note that 2014 dates have changed**. To sign up online or view new dates click here. For more information on this ministry, please contact Liz at [email protected], or call her at 703.861.4151.    

 

  - Please mark your calendars for the upcoming Shrove Tuesday Youth and Children's Pancake Supper, March 4, from 5:30p.m. to 7:30p.m.  More information will follow in future editions of "The Epistle".  

 

This Sunday's Altar Flowers 


The flowers on the altar this Sunday
are to the glory of God,
and are given by Chris and Amelia Nicholson
in thanksgiving for Helen Nicholson.

The Propers 

Sunday, February 9, 2014
This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday After The Epiphany

Texts: 

Micah 6:1-8
Psalm 37:1-6
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Matthew 5:1-12

 

Collect:   

  

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth:  Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace;  through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen. 

Last Sunday's Sermon 

Epiphany 4 -- Year A  -- February 2, 2014
Text:  Matthew 5:1-12 
------------

According to this year's lunar calendar,

today is the third day of spring,

and this year is the year of the horse.

The celebration of TET  has become a tradition at St. Patrick's since the time we became an Anglo-Vietnamese congregation.

------------  

For many Vietnamese, TET is the most sacred time of the year, when the spirits of their ancestors visit them and bring them blessings.

There are superstitious beliefs about TET,  

and one of them is that whatever you say or do,  

or whatever happens to you, 

on the first day of TET may mean good or bad luck

for the entire year. 

The people, therefore, are careful about their  

behavior at TET, 

like avoiding getting angry, or following      

a fortune calendar for the right time exit the house.

To some people,  

cleaning your house on the first day of the year by sweeping the floor is not advisable, 

for all the blessings that came at midnight

might follow the things

under the broom to the outside. 

----------------

In the past Vietnamese did not celebrate birthday. 

Modern Vietnamese learn birthday celebration from the West.

TET is the time everyone is one year older.

The children get good-luck money on the day they celebrate a new year that is added to their lives:

the older you get, the more respect you enjoy.

So on the New Year's Day,

you are aware of your age, 

and of the blessing of seeing yourself alive.

---------------

This past week I received a phone call from

the Reverend Letha Wilson-Barnard,

pastor of Church of the Holy Apostles in Minnesota,

where Toua Vang and his family came from.

Letha told me that a member of her church,

a Hmong young man,

a sergeant in the U.S. Army,

who was seriously injured by a mine in Afghanistan

and had been through surgery at Walter Reed.

His name was Thai Lee.

Thai did not do well the night before,

so when I came they had taken him from his room  

for a CAT scan.

At the hospital I met his mother, his sister and brother in-law.

His wife also came.

When I met him he was alert.

He asked who I was, and where my church was.

He offered me his hand to hold.

He squeezed my hand as I prayed,

especially when I mentioned his friends

who remained in Afghanistan,

and he shouted Jesus' Name as I prayed.

At that moment, both Thai and I realized

that it is a blessing to be alive.

---------------

We seldom realize that we are blessed.
We often pay attention to adversity.

It is a challenge for us to live in the present. 

Joan Chittister,

in her book entitled, "For Everything A Season,"

says that  "We live with one foot in tomorrow at all times...

We live overcome by losses and dissolved in spiritual ruin

or wasted by a dearth of spirit,

by a diminishment of enthusiasm,

by the dissipation of hope."

------------------

Jesus had no need for being eloquent when he spoke,

especially when he spoke about blessings.

Jesus Christ was keen about words from the heart. 

His words were always simple and true. 

In today's gospel, Jesus says,

"Blessed are the poor,

blessed are those who mourn,

blessed are the meek,

the merciful,

the peace maker and the persecuted."

-------------------

What kind of wisdom is this? 

In a world that is so mindful about power, wealth, success and happiness,

how can the poor and the meek be joyful?

Should one become poor in order to find blessing? 

Do you have to suffer persecution and injustice because of Christ to find blessing?

-------------------

Actually, the words of Jesus in this lesson

do not address the issues of this world. 

Instead, they speak to the existence of another realm --

the realm of God, the Kingdom of Heaven.

This age will come to pass,

the believer's mind is supposed to focus on the age to come. 

When Christ comes again,

all things will be made anew,

and so the coming of the realm of heaven.

This is what the Gospel of Matthew is about.

This is exactly what we Christians through the centuries proclaim.  

The theme about "this age" and "the age to come" is echoed throughout the Gospel of Matthew --   

from the story of Christmas   

to that of the disciples' encountering  

with the resurrected Christ.

The Gospel ends with the promise of Jesus

that he will always be with those who believe in Him

"to the end of the age." 

The blessing that Jesus speaks about is not something that makes people happy in "this age."

Blessing, in this sense, is not about gaining or winning.

Neither is it about having enough or having no trouble. 

You are blessed because you are included in the coming realm.

We are challenged to put such belief into practice.  

------------------

You and I are blessed because we belong in the Kingdom of God.

We may suffer hardship in this life.

We may be fearful about the future.

We may have to deal with health and identity issues,

and those of money, as well.

But Jesus reminds us that we are children of God.

The Father in heaven accepts us and has called us His beloved.

---------------- 

The Beatitudes was placed in the Gospel of Matthew

partly in order to deal with cynicism in the early church.

The teaching of Christ offers hope to the hopeless.

Christ  is the hope to those finding themselves poor in the spirit.  

As Christians, we place our hope on Christ.

Can we practice living in hope of the age to come?  

--------------------

Every Sunday, when we come together to worship,

we celebrate the blessings we have had in this place: 

people of different cultures coming together in the Name of Christ and accepting each other in His love. 

Focusing on the blessings helps us to stop worrying.

Focusing on the presence of Christ helps us to continue

in doing what we have been called to do.

We may then switch from being mindful about success

to being mindful about fruitfulness.

The teaching of Jesus brings us  to the one thing that He wants us to turn our attention to:  

stability.

We will find God's blessing right where we are,

in the present.

We should find blessing in our own community

and in our families,

lest we forget to give thanks for our loved ones,

neglecting the blessing of their presence, kindness and care.

--------------- 

As I celebrate TET with you all for the last time,

here at Saint Patrick's,

I give thanks to God for the blessings we share in this church.

We have been blessed because we trust in our LORD

and love each other.

We have been blessed because we reach out to proclaim

Christ's love to the world, especially to those less fortunate than us.

The Beatitude affirms God's providence,

and reminds us that the Church is not our own but God's.

And so there are three things that we want to be mindful of:

First, simplicity.

Second, hopefulness.

And third, compassion.

In the Name of God:  The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Đại � Kinh Văn Ch�a Nhật Tuần Trước  

 

Ch�a Nhật, 2 th�ng 2, năm 2014

Ch�a Nhật Thứ Sau Ng�y Hiển Linh

M�t Th�u 5:1-12            

 

--------------

Sau lễ h�m nay ch�ng ta sẽ ăn Tết với nhau tại nh� thờ. Tết l� một dịp vui cho mọi tuổi, nhất l� tuổi ni�n thiếu. Người Việt kh�ng c� tục lệ ăn sinh nhật kiểu T�y Phương. Ng�y tết l� sinh nhật cho mọi người. Tết l� dịp để ta ch�c ph�c cho nhau. Ch�ng ta tin rằng lời n�i c� sức mạnh, nhất l� trong khung cảnh thi�ng li�ng của ng�y Tết. Ai cu~ng muốn nghe lời ch�c ch�n th�nh.

            Trong đoạn Ph�c �m Ma-thi-ơ đọc h�m nay, Ch�a ph�n: "Ph�c thay cho kẻ ngh�o kh�, kẻ nhu m�, kẻ c� l�ng trong sạch, kẻ đ�i về sự c�ng ch�nh..." Đ� l� lời ch�c của Thi�n Ch�a cho lo�i người. Song lời ph�n ấy c� thể l�m họ sửng sốt. Trong một x� hội trọng vọng người gi�u sang quyền thế, sao bảo người ngh�o l� c� ph�c, d� đ� l� ngh�o vật chất hay ngh�o tinh thần? Trong c�i đời phải phấn đấu để sinh tồn, ai lo g� chuyện nhu m� hay c�ng ch�nh?

            Đức Gi�su �m chỉ hai việc sau đ�y: Thứ nhất, thế giới l� một c�i v� vọng. Thứ hai, Nước Thi�n Đ�ng đang đến gần, gần hơn bao giờ hết. Người tin Ch�a, d� ở trong thế giới đi�n đảo v� gặp nhiều cảnh kh� khăn, vẫn thấy m�nh c� ph�c v� Ch�a y�u m�nh v� đ� hứa cho m�nh Thi�n Quốc. Ta kh�ng ra vẻ đạo mạo, mang một khu�n mặt d�i, để được phước. Thi�n Ch�a quan t�m đến bạn v� chấp nhận bạn v� điều kiện, v� bạn c� thể sống thật với ch�nh m�nh.

            Phước hạnh, theo Đức Gi�su, kh�ng phải chỉ l� sự gi�u c�, sức khỏe hay th�nh c�ng, v� cu~ng kh�ng phải l� thắng lợi. Phước hạnh l� khi m�nh được b�nh an với Ch�a v� b�nh an với ch�nh m�nh. Phước hạnh l� an t�m, biết rằng m�nh được y�u mến. Đ�y l� sự nếm biết về thi�n quốc ngay khi c�n ở c�i trần.

            Lời Ch�a ph�n ch�nh l� � nghĩa của Hiển Linh: Ng�i Lời trở th�nh x�c thịt, b�o cho nh�n thế rằng họ c� ph�c v� được y�u mến. Đức Gi�su đ� ban lời ch�c ph�c cho ch�ng ta, những lời ph�t xuất tự tấm l�ng Thi�n Ch�a m� nh�n thế cần được nghe. Lời n�i tự trong l�ng l� lời đầy sức mạnh, c� thể thay đổi cả đời người: "Con được ta y�u v� điều kiện."

            Kh�ng mấy ai tr�n đời được hưởng lời ch�c ph�c theo lối nầy. Nhiều người tự thuở sinh ra chẳng bao giờ được nghe lời ch�c ph�c, nghe rằng m�nh được y�u mến. C� những thiếu ni�n mong nghe được một lời ch�c ph�c của ba mẹ. Ba mẹ cung cấp thật đầy đủ -- �o quần mới v� gi�y mới, v� đủ mọi thứ kh�c -- song ch�ng chẳng hề được nghe lời ch�ng tha thiết cần nghe, kh�ng được th� giờ gần gu~i, kh�ng được x�y dựng nền tảng tin k�nh t�m linh. V�i năm trước đ�y t�i gặp một b� mẹ Việt Nam trẻ tuổi, v� trong l�c n�i chuyện qua loa, c� ấy n�i với t�i rằng hồi nhỏ mẹ c� chẳng bao giờ �m h�n c�, v� m�i đến b�y giờ cu~ng chẳng khen c� một c�u.

            Trong quyển The Blessing ("Ch�c Ph�c"), của Gary Smalley v� John Trent, c� truyện một thanh ni�n kia c� cha rất nghi�m khắc: phải tu�n kỷ luật v� phải được điểm cao ở trường học. Lớn l�n, ch�ng đỗ đạt th�nh c�ng, nhưng kh�ng chấp nhận được m�nh. Ch�ng gia nhập Thủy Qu�n Lục Chiến, nhưng bị loại ra v� nổi n�ng đ�nh lộn với huấn luyện vi�n. Hai lần đ�nh h�n, hai lần bị từ h�n. Tại một buổi tham vấn counseling, người đ�n �ng nầy nhận ra rằng đời m�nh đ� thiếu một điều, đ� l� chẳng bao giờ được nghe cha ch�c ph�c. Ng�y cha chết, �ng chạy lại giường, lay c�i x�c v� kh�c gọi: "Ba ơi, thức dậy cho con, ba ơi..." �ng chỉ cần nghe một lần, một lần th�i, c�u n�i chấp nhận của cha: "Con ơi, con ngoan lắm, tốt lắm; Ba thương con lắm." Nhưng cha đ� đi m� kh�ng n�i được một lời cho con.

            Đức Gi�su biết r� điều ch�ng ta thiếu trong đời. Ng�i đ� ban lời ch�c ph�c cho ch�ng ta -- l� những người ngh�o tinh thần, bị tổn thương v� đ�i kh�t sự c�ng ch�nh. Ng�i nhắc rằng cho d� đời ch�ng ta bị hụt hẫng đến đ�u, ch�ng ta vẫn c� ph�c. Ch�ng ta kh�ng phải mồ c�i, v� kh�ng bị qu�n l�ng. Cha tr�n trời ch�c ph�c v� gọi ch�ng ta l� con y�u dấu. Nếu cha th�n x�c của ch�ng ta kh�ng n�i được lời ch�c ph�c cho ch�ng ta, th� Cha thi�n thượng kh�ng hề thất bại trong chuyện ấy.

            Ch�ng ta c� thể chọn than kh�c về qu� khứ v� ph�n n�n về hiện tại. Nhưng ch�ng ta cu~ng c� thể chọn nắm lấy v� �m chặt phước hạnh Ch�a đ� d�nh cho ch�ng ta, đến gần b�n Đức Kit� để t�m sự chữa l�nh. Với sự chọn lựa ấy ch�ng ta sẽ phải phấn đấu lắng nghe cả đời, chọn nghe lời ch�c ph�c m� Đức Kit� đ� ban bố, để loại bỏ c�c lời kh�c của đời. Ta chỉ kinh nghiệm được sự b�nh an của Ch�a khi l�ng ta y�n nghỉ trong Ch�a.

            Một khi ch�ng ta tập sống sự ch�c ph�c của Ch�a cho m�nh, giấu hồn m�nh trong Đấng tạo n�n linh hồn, v� hiến đời sống m�nh cho Đấng Ban Sự Sống, ch�ng ta sẽ c� thể vượt qua thử th�ch, thực sự ch�c ph�c, bằng h�nh động v� lời n�i, cho những người th�n thương, bạn hữu, v� ngay cả những người ngo�i đường -- lời ch�c tự trong tấm l�ng.

 


May God bless and keep you, and may God grant us peace. 

 

The Rev. Tinh T. Huynh

Rector of Saint Patrick's Church