Dear Friend of the Cathedral

As the weather warms and Lent progresses we dare to think that Spring and Easter are close at hand. The Lent study course, looking at different ways to pray, continues next Monday in Cathedral Place with a session on the Psalms led by Gideon Strauss. Soup at 6:30, study at 7 pm, and Compline at 8:15.

Episkopé is offering a new way for the congregation to interact with each other (and with the preacher for the forthcoming Sunday) via the web site and Facebook, where the Gospel for the following Sunday is being posted each Tuesday. You are invited to read the passage carefully and then add your comments and questions. This Sunday’s Gospel is John 2:13-22.  All four Gospels tell how Jesus came in to the Temple in Jerusalem and drove out the money-changers and those who were selling animals. What does this say to you today? Here is the link to the web version and here’s the link to Facebook.

I’m going to offer you three other links to some fascinating stuff on the web site.

First of all, you can watch a video of Bertrand in conversation with Lee-Ann Matthews, an excellent way to learn more about our new Dean.

There’s also an interview with Bertrand in Presence (en français).

Finally, you can read an interview with Catherine St-Arnaud on Rising Up (version français ici) the blog put out each week by the capital campaign. Catherine talks about Nuit blanche, so I won’t do more than remind you that it is happening this weekend and hope that you will come and bring some friends. You can see posters for the various events on the Cathedral’s Facebook page. I suggest you come at 4:30 for Patrick’s Bach recital, stay to watch 4 fascinating very short movies made by Indigenous film makers, using material from the NFB archives in order to give a personal commentary on issues important to First Nations people. Finally grab a cup of Fair Trade hot chocolate and listen to a concert at 7 by Sympholies vocales, followed by the Gay Men’s Choir at 7:45 and perhaps view the various displays in the baptistery… All this richness before supper will give you a hearty appetite! After supper you could come back for compline at 9:15.

Would you like to contribute money for flowers to beautify the Cathedral at Easter, perhaps in memory of a loved one? Please let the office know in good time so that Elizabeth can print in the bulletin a list of the people being remembered.

Musica Orbium concerts are always amazing under the direction of Patrick Wedd. Rob Wells wants us to know that they will present the monumental masterpiece of J. S. Bach, St Matthew Passion, on Saturday, April 21 at 7 pm and Sunday, April 22 at 3 pm.  Musica Orbium will recreate the spatial layout of musical forces heard in the original performances with a complete choir, orchestra and soloists at either end of the church. The audience will be invited to join the musical forces in singing the 12 chorales included in this work. Please contact Rob Wells for further information. Tickets are expected to sell quickly and you save $5/ticket with advanced purchase.

We have received a letter from an American student who is looking for a Christian family to stay with while she studies physics at McGill, starting in September. For more information, contact me at the office on Tuesday or Thursday.

Here’s a final link to a site in which I am taking much delight, a collection of poems for Lent gathered up by the Diocese of Algoma. There is a poem and a commentary for each day of Lent.

http://dioceseofalgoma.com/UploadedFiles/file/LentandEasterPoetry.pdf

This Monday answers the question “What is prayer?” with a poem by George Herbert. Sunday’s poem is the light-hearted “Come Sunday by Duke Ellington” .If you google ‘Mahalia Jackson Come Sunday’, you will be able to listen to the You Tube recording of your choice! Duke Ellington captures a sense of Sunday as a day of rest and comfort for the weary and downtrodden.

On Tuesday the topic is discipleship. Kathleen Norris finds poetry in Jesus’s commands to his followers, found throughout the three synoptic gospels. See if you can spot how the stanzas are organised. The web site gives all the references if you’re curious. What do you make of the final imperatives in the last stanza? What is required of the Christian disciple?

Imperatives, Part 2 of Mysteries of the Incarnation
by Kathleen Norris

Look at the birds
Consider the lilies
Drink ye all of it

Ask
Seek
Knock
Enter by the narrow gate

Do not be anxious
Judge not; do not give dogs what is holy

Go: be it done for you
Do not be afraid
Maiden, arise
Young man, I say, arise

Stretch out your hand
Stand up,
Be still
Rise, let us be going.

Do you have a discipline for Lent which you’d like to share in next week’s newsletter? I’d love to include it.

Ann Elbourne

To receive this Newsletter earlier by email, and with it, additions like the Forum agenda, financial updates, minutes and reports, posters, photos, etc., simply send your coordinates to the Cathedral office…  the failsafe method is to email both Newsletter author and parish volunteer Ann Elbourne  and Parish Administrator Elizabeth Shama  .

MORE WAYS TO KEEP IN TOUCH

Subscribe to the Cathedral’s weekly capital campaign blog, RISING UP, edited by Hélène Montpetit, a super variety of photo- and video- essays on the life of this place.

Souscrire à l’edition français VISER HAUT!

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