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In This Issue
Parish Notes
Prayer for Saint Patrick's
The Propers
Sermon
Đại Ý Kinh Văn

Upcoming Events



Friday, March 14

 

Hypothermia, 8 PM

 

Sunday, March 16

 

- Lenten Forum: Presentation on Mental Health Issues, 12 PM.

 

- Evensong at the National Cathedral, 4:30 PM

 

March 28-30

 

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

 

Sunday, March 23

 

- Compline and Dinner, 5:30 PM (Feed-the- Homeless Menu) 

 

Saturday, March 29

 

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

 

Sunday, March 30:

 

Lenten Forum:   "Dakota 38", 12 PM  

 

Sunday, April 6:

 

Forum on Transition, 12 PM 

      

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

March

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

 

April

 

5    Douglas Payne, Jr.

8    Philip Nicholson

10    Joseph Dubas

11    Anna Chanu

17    Hong Nguyen

17    Audette Frazer

19    Savannah Frizzell

21    Cheryl Gardner

22    Amy Phan

23    James E. Ellis IV

24    Lindsay Gardner

27    Pat Gardner

28    Carolyn Auld

30    Cate Johnson

 

Church Sign by Loc Phan  

Our Prayer List

We remember in our prayer:

 

Cathy Anderson, Dee Bailey, Kari Boeskov, Brandon, Jane Chapman, Marie Cosimano, Tim Clary, Dorothy Connelly, John Davis, Michael Dickinson,  Loretta Dougherty, Nance Finegan, Luis Garay, Carolyn Gawarecki, Louise Gibney, Jean Graham, 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, Geoff Kent, Quinn Kimball, Alice King, Peter Kosutic, Susan Lawrence, Bruce Lineker, Lois Magrogan, Evelyn Morgan, Danielle Morgan, Que Nguyen, Chick Nixon, Mary Esther Obremskey, Olive Oliver, Jim Owens, Gary Owens, William Ross, Fern Shuck, Irene Skowron, Josh Smithers, Inez Stanton, Candi Stewart, Patrick Stefl, Barbara Stefl, Kara Stryker, Walter Sushko, George Thomas, Elizabeth Trigg, Tammy Vanphung, Michael Weekes, Warren Weinstein, The Crowley Family, The Westfall Family, Meredith Wiech, Bernard Williams, Rudy Zimpel.

               ____ 

 

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

stpats3241@gmail.com  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   

 

 

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March 13, 2014
 Parish Notes

Lenten Series.  Please join us in this Sunday's forum, which will be on mental health issues. Guest speaker is Ms. Paula Gaudino, Director of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services, Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute.  We will meet in the church following worship.  All are invited to attend.

Linda Rice-Johnston, of Knox Presbyterian Church, speaks on FCS ministry to the needy in Falls Church, March 9, 2014.


FCS News.  The Falls Church Community Service (FCS) needs volunteers for its furniture ministry.  FCS volunteers pick up and deliver donated household items for distribution to those in need.  They work either on Saturday or on Sunday afternoon.  If you would like to participate in this good work, please let Tinh+ or Catherine Dubas know. 

- "Together We Can Make A Difference" is our Lenten challenge. In the narthex there is a large cart, which we wish to fill with items for the needy in the Falls Church area.  We plan to take the items to FCS at Knox Presbyterian Church on Palm Sunday after church.  Please bring your gifts when you come to worship and place them in the cart.  The items that are most needed are:  paper products (toilet tissue, paper towels, disposable diapers and wipes), coffee, rice, jelly, canned fruits (not pineapple), and vegetable oil.

Join us in attending Evensong at the National Cathedral -- 4 PM, Sunday, March 16th.  Arrive early!  Parking is underground.  The service of Choral Evensong for that day will be sung by the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys.

- Compline and Dinner.  Mark your calendar and come join us in the service of Compline at 5:30 PM on Sunday, March 23rd.  Dinner will follow with the Feed-the-Homeless menu.   Found on page 127 of the Book of Common Prayer, and on page 104 of our Bilingual Prayer Book, Compline is a service with prayers and psalms for night time devotion, which can be said in a gathering or when alone.  There is a short prayer in the service that you may like, which reads, "Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace."  There is another prayer in the service that speaks to the yearning of the human heart: "Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen."  All are invited to participate in the service and dinner.

Easter Flowers - Easter Flowers.  If you would like to offer flowers in "memory of a loved one" or as an "offering of thanksgiving" at Easter, please send $12 to the Altar Guild.  Please contact the church to indicate how you would like your donation to appear in the Easter service bulletin.  You may fill out the form that comes in the Sunday service bulletin, or call and leave a message at 703-532-5656, or send an email to  stpats3241@gmail.com. Checks should be made payable to the "Altar Guild of Saint Patrick's," earmarked "Easter Flowers," and mailed to Saint Patrick's Church, 3241 Brush Dr., Falls Church, Virginia, 22042, or dropped in the alms basin during worship.

-  Beloved Evelyn West, 98, passed away peacefully last week in Catonsville, Maryland.  Her sons Bill and Robert were with her at the time she died.  Evelyn's ashes will be buried in Arlington Cemetery -- the date and time of the service for Evelyn will be announced.  Evelyn and Bill West were long-time parishioners of Saint Patrick's. Bill passed away in 2002, and he served as St. Pat's Junior Warden.  Our condolences to the West family. 
     "May her soul, and the souls of all the departed,
      through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."
                                                                                                            (BCP, Page 502)

-  Many thanks to Mr. Elvis Pratt, cousin of our Dylis Benjamin, for the beautiful organ music he offered last Sunday at the conclusion of our worship service.  Elvis is organist of Wesley's Chapel, London, England.  He and his family are here in the Washington area for a visit.

Organist Elvis Pratt


From left: Tinh+, Elvis, Baby Jethro and Kaliza Pratt

Bishop Johnston - Bishop Shannon will visit Saint Patrick's on the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, June 8th.  Service that day will be held at 2:00 PM.  The candidates for confirmation are:  Marie Van Beek, Alexander Benjamin, Rylton Thomas and Kate Burgess.  Parents of young children for baptism on that day please contact Tinh+.  Please pray for the candidates for confirmation and baptism.

- The Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper was cancelled due to our winter weather.  However, we still have all of the food stuffs needed to hold this event.  Watch The Epistle for news of a Pancake Meal at a future date.

- Happy Birthday to Milton Thomas!

Prayer For Saint Patrick's 

Below is one of the prayers offered at the Vestry Retreat on February 8th.


The Propers 

Sunday, March 16, 2014
This Sunday is the Second Sunday in Lent 

Texts: 

Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17

 

 

Collect:   

 O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy:  Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son;  who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.  

 

Last Sunday's Sermon  

Sunday, March 9, 2014

The First Sunday in Lent

Text:  Genesis 3:1-7;  Psalm 32;

Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11   

______________

 

 

In the Great Litany we said this morning

there is a prayer that reads,

"From dying suddenly and unprepared, 

Good Lord, deliver us."

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

In church tradition, Lent is the forty-day period of penitence that precedes the celebrations of Easter.

We don't like to talk about death,

and we don't like to talk about sin.

Yet Lent reminds us of our mortality and our sinfulness. 

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

"From dying suddenly and unprepared...Good Lord, deliver us." 

What a prayer. 

For me, that is the most striking in the entire Litany.

We fear sudden death, and we don't want to die unprepared.

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

The issue of sin is brought up in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament:

God sees what God created as "good,"

but there is still "the deep" that exists.

The earth, in the minds of the ancient biblical writers and the original readers of Genesis, is flat, and the sky above it is a dome, which is solid up high.  

The dome serves as a covering shell for everything below.

There are the waters above the dome, and there are the waters below it.

The  dome has openings, like windows, 

so that from time to time,  

when God allows,  

water may fall down through them,  

and we say, "It rains."  

(When so many plugs are pulled, like in the story of Noah, flood happens!) 

In the creation, God prepared the dry land,  

perhaps by raising it a little higher,  

before bringing all the living things into being. 

God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear."  And it was so. 

The DEEP, or "the water,"

is where evil and chaos continue to exist. 

Evil and chaos always lurk at the periphery of creation,

looking for a chance to come rushing in.

God created the world that was good.

Yet the world is not perfect.

Evil is a mystery. 

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

According to Genesis, evil chose the snake as its agent,

coming to Eve from the Deep.

Eve listened to the snake's lying words.

She ate the delicious forbidden fruit, and so did Adam. 

Both of them sinned against God,  

and, therefore, we sin against Him, too. 

God created humans and gave us the freedom to make choices.

Humanity chose disobedience. 

Humanity has rebelled against God,  

wanting to be as powerful, as wise and as

knowledgeable as God. 

Humans are after the false gods,

and they even worship themselves.

That is what we learn from the first book of the Old Testament.

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

Now, let's go to the first book of the New Testament --

The Gospel of Matthew gives us the story of Jesus' temptation. 

Jesus was tested by the devil three times.

The book depicts Jesus and Satan being next to each other physically.   

Yet the conversation happened only in the mind. 

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

The first test is about power --  turning the stones into bread:  Exert your power and see yourself somebody!   

The second test is about being spectacular and relevant: 

Jump down, so that everyone will applaud you and accept you.  

The third test is on whom to worship: "If you worship me, and do what I tell you to do,"said the devil, "all of your desires will be fulfilled."

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

At the core of the issue is the question,

"Where do I put my trust?"

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

Unlike Adam, Jesus chooses God at each test.

To Jesus, what God thinks about him

is more important than what the world thinks about him.

Jesus chooses to trust in God alone.

He chooses God to be his dwelling place.

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

Where is our dwelling place in this world?

Psalm 32:7 reads,

"All the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; 

when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them."

The notion of overflowing great waters is not about flooding that threatens life and properties.   

It is about the power of evil, the irresistible threat.  

Another psalmist says,

"I have hidden your Word in my heart, so that I will not sin against you."

 

---------------------  

In the Letter to the Romans, Paul tries his best to explain

what he has in mind about humanity and sin.

He says, "Just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all,

so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all."

In the Book of Genesis, Adam sinned and, as a result, all of us became sinners.

But in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is the New Adam, who is perfect, and saves us from sin.

In Jesus we are no more condemned.

Because of Jesus, we can claim God's forgiveness. 

God counts as righteous anyone who believes in Jesus.

--------

Jesus made the right choice.

Jesus chose to put his trust in God.

He chose God as his dwelling place.

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

The life we live is full of trouble.

We try to forget about the issues of death and sin

by keeping ourselves busy.

The thought on sudden death can bother us at times. 

Yet as believers we trust in the Lord. 

We can hope,

because our Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection.

Only in Him can we find our dwelling place.

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

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

Amen.


Đại Ý Kinh Văn Chúa Nhật Tuần Trước  

 

Chúa Nhật Đầu Tiên của Mùa Thống Hối

9 tháng 3, 2014

Kinh Văn:  Mát Thêu 4:1-11

 

Mùa Thống Hối là mùa rất đẹp trong truyền thống Hội Thánh.  Hôm nay là Chúa Nhật đầu tiên của Mùa Thống Hối.  Trong Anh Ngữ, chữ "Lent" nghĩa là Mùa Xuân.  Trong Mùa Thống Hối chúng ta suy nghĩ về hai vấn đề chính:  tội lỗi của con người và sự chết.  Hai điều nầy chúng ta thường không nghĩ đến.

            Đối với người Việt Nam, vấn đề tội lỗi không thích đáng.  Nếu chúng ta ăn ở hiền lành, hiếu kính cha mẹ, không trộm cắp và làm điều sai quấy (nói dối chút chút không sao, và nếu có ngoại tình chút chút cu~ng không sao), thì không thể nào cho rằng mình có tội.  Chỉ khi nào bị bắt quả tang làm bậy bị đưa ra tòa và chứng minh rõ rệt thì mới công nhận là mình có tội, và đây là tội đối với xã hội. 

            Con người có hai bề:  Bề ngoài thường che dấu bề trong.  Chữ tội lỗi, trong ngôn ngữ của Hội Thánh, nói về con người bên trong, và nó không hẳn chỉ về sự vi phạm trước pháp luật xã hội; nó nói về sự vi phạm trước mặt Chúa. 

            Luật của Chúa tóm tắt trong hai điều:  hết lòng kính yêu Chúa, và yêu người lân cận như mình.  Không làm trọn hai điều đó là tội.  Đức Giêsu nói rằng tội không phải chỉ ở hành động mà còn ở lời nói và tư tưởng.  Chỉ có tư tưởng bất chính là đã là phạm tội trước mặt Chúa.  Nhiếc móc người thân hay bất cứ người nào khác, làm cho họ tổn thương, cu~ng đã là tội rồi.

            Điều thứ nhì mà chúng ta nghĩ đến trong Mùa Thống Hối là sự chết.  Ai cu~ng sợ chết, và ai cu~ng muốn tránh nghĩ đến nó.  Ít người muốn làm việc cho nhà đòn. Mục Sư cu~ng không thích làm phép xác.  Nhưng càng tránh thì chúng ta lại càng sợ chết hơn nữa.  Tất cả những xung đột lớn nhỏ, từ chiến tranh trên thế giới đến chuyện lục đục vợ chồng con cái, đều bắt nguồn từ cái sợ chết.  Tổng Thống nào rồi cu~ng chết.  Bạo chúa nào cu~ng chết. Chồng mấy vợ rồi cu~ng chết. Con học giỏi hay học dở cu~ng đều chết.  Không sớm thì muộn, ai cu~ng chết.  Người ta tránh nghĩ đến cái chết bằng sự thi đua thành công và khoe khoang quyền lực cu~ng như tài khéo và tiền bạc.  Khi nghĩ đến sự chết thì chúng ta hỏi về ý nghĩa cuộc đời và tự hỏi chúng ta thuộc về ai.

            Trong Phúc Âm Mathiơ, Đức Giêsu chịu ma quỷ cám dỗ, và sự cám dỗ ấy liên hệ đến vấn đề sợ chết.  Cuộc đối thoại giữa Đức Giêsu và quỷ không phải là mặt đối mặt mà diễn ra trong tư tưởng.  Ba điều Đức Giêsu bị cám dỗ là:  cái ăn (power), tiếng vỗ tay của thiên hạ, và đối tượng phụng thờ.  Điểm chính là mình quyết định quay mặt về hướng nào:  hướng về đời hay hướng về Chúa. 

            Ma quỷ trưng dẫn Kinh Cựu Ước để thách Đức Giêsu khiến đá trở nên bánh mì mà ăn, rồi nó đưa Ngài lên nóc đền thờ (trong tư tưởng) và bảo hãy trổ tài nhảy xuống, và sau đó đưa Ngài lên núi bảo rằng hãy thờ nó thì nó sẽ cho cả thiên hạ. 

            Đức Giêsu cu~ng dùng Lời Kinh Thánh để đối đáp và khước từ sự cám dỗ. Ngài quyết định hướng về Thiên Chúa.   Đó là sự khôn ngoan của Đức Giêsu.  Khôn ngoan khác với khôn khéo. Người ta phải khôn khéo mánh mung để thắng hơn trên đời, song sự khôn lanh không nhất thiết mang đến đời sống tốt.

            Bài học về sự cám dỗ Chúa chịu cho chúng ta thấy sự khôn ngoan của Đức Giêsu.  Kinh Thánh bảo rằng sự khôn ngoan dẫn chúng ta trong con đường của người thiện.  Trong sự khôn ngoan có hai điều nhắc nhở chúng ta: tội lỗi con người và cái chết.  Áp dụng ý thức về hai điều đó vào lời nói và hành động hàng ngày sẽ thay đổi thái độ và cái nhìn của chúng ta về mình, về đời và về Chúa.  Chính ý thức về tội lỗi và cái chết khiến con người nên bén nhạy hơn trong sự tự đối chất, tự vặn hỏi về động lực của tư tưởng, hành động và lời nói của mình trong những chi tiết của đời sống hàng ngày.  Từ đó, thay vì chỉ trích, phê bình, cãi cọ, giận hờn (người thân trong gia đình hoặc bất cứ ai khác) hay chạy trốn trách nhiệm, chúng ta dám đối diện với lỗi lầm của mình và thành tâm hối cải.  Nói dễ, làm khó.  Xin Chúa thêm sức cho chúng ta.  Mùa Thống Hối là mùa rất đẹp trong truyền thống Hội Thánh.

 

 

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

 

The Rev. Tinh T. Huynh

Rector of Saint Patrick's Church