Dear Friend of the Cathedral,

Let us pause for a few minutes to acknowledge joy – the joy of friendship and the support of the church community, the joy of the chance to relax in the warm summer weather, the joy of lifting our spirits into the presence of God.

Vivian, our Spiritual Director asks:

What pulls you out of yourself?  “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (I John 4:6b)  In this article from the Guardian, John Rusberger, an editor who is an irregular church goer, tells Mark Vernon how he regularly plays the piano and this leads Vernon to ponder music as a spiritual practice. “To be good at something doesn’t just take time. It takes commitment, and that, in turn, must originate in your love of it. Similarly, to know something well necessitates loving it first – so that you have the motivation to take the time to get to know it well.”  Does your regular prayer … or anything that pulls you out of yourself… provide a devotion as steadfast as this consistent musical practice?

For some people, spiritual devotion might take the form of creating or appreciating art. The cathedral will participate again in the city-wide Journées de la culture the first weekend in October and once again Natasha will be curating a display of paintings, drawings or sculptures created by members of the cathedral community. The theme is music – what a happy coincidence! Please start working on your masterpiece and contact Natasha to get more details about her requirements and to let her know what you are planning.

There are two separate events this Saturday where we can experience, first, the joy of community and then the joy of music. From 12 until 1 pm in the delightfully cool Undercroft you can enjoy the Cooking with Local Food Workshop. The dishes created will be eaten picnic style on the lawn and shared with the people who hang out around the cathedral.

The Oasis concert at 4:30 will be given by the 38 singers of the Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choir who will perform a wide variety of choral music. They will also be singing on Sunday at 10 am, leading the worship with a selection of music from well-loved composers like Schubert and Byrd. The joyful tone of the service will be set by John Rutter’s introit, “For the Beauty of the Earth” followed by the hymn “Morning has broken”. The young people have been touring Ontario and will spend a few days in Montreal and Quebec City. They will be at St George’s Church for a concert on Sunday afternoon and then go to St Joseph’s Oratory. I think their devotion to music will be plain to see.

For details of all Oasis Musicale concerts visit http ://www.oasismusicale.blogspot.ca/

Another occasion of great joy will be the Diocesan Pride Mass on August 12. Elizabeth Welch will preside and Donald will preach. The music will be led by Le chœur gai de Montréal and the Cathedral Singers. This will be a wonderful community celebration as we affirm our recognition of the contributions made by our LGBTQ friends to the life of the diocese, thank God for their gifts and pray for our way forward supporting each other.

The service will start with a candle-lighting ceremony which will include this call and response when the candle of community, one of 8 candles, is lit:

Presider  Let us remember with thanks communities, who are open in accepting, supporting and celebrating.
Let us remember with thanks our own experiences of community – in times of rejoicing, in hard times, in the very ordinary times and rhythms of life.
Let us be mindful of those who, in quiet desperation, need so very much the support we have from time to time so wondrously received.

All  May we give thanks for the strength of community, be open in our welcoming, and celebrate with joy and pride the diversity of gifts and people that weave this rich tapestry of life.

Two other special services worth noting are a Choral Eucharist on Saturday, August 6th, at 12:15 celebrating the Transfiguration of the Lord and presided over by Amy, and a Choral Eucharist, also at 12.15, on Monday, August 15, for the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Paul as celebrant.

Because August is holiday season – a cruel reminder of which I received when booking plane tickets to Alberta – this will be the last newsletter until the end of August. Tania is now back in the office after her holidays so if anything urgent crops up she will email the parish. So, if you do receive an email from the Cathedral office in the next 3 weeks, be sure to read it!

Be joyful!

Ann