Parish Quarterly - St. Paul's Church, Kandy

Message From the Acting Vicar

Dear Members of the Risen, Ascended and Spirit- Bestowed Community in Christ,

While an unusual greeting, it best suits the liturgical flood we underwent in this quarter.

Starting with the fifty day, ‘most joyous celebration’ of Easter, we entered into May and June, months known for its many remembrances.

Some are very important secular events such as the May day (1), International family day (May 15), World Displaced Persons day (May 20), World Environment Day (June 5), YMCA Foundation day (June 6), Day against Child Labour (June 12), UNESCO Interfaith day for Peace (June22) followed by UN International Widows Day (23 June).

On the Church calendar front, May this year is having three feasts! And these account to a major portion of all the Principle feasts of the Anglican Church. We start with Ascension day/Sunday, feast of Pentecost and the feast of the Trinity. The Sunday following Trinity is known as Corpus Christi where we specially give thanks to the high-point of all our divine services, the Holy Eucharist.

These are mentioned by the lectionary as it is essential that we include these within our spiritual journey through the calendar year. How we remember each of these can be direct (like emphasizing it in the introduction of a service) or creative (like shaping the full service including the message) to remind ourselves of the importance these remembrances hold.

From June we enter into what is known as an Ordinary Time, where there are not as many remembrances. The liturgical colour turns Green and we are specially called to think of our own Spiritual Growth. The gospel readings reflect directly on the teachings of Jesus on what our attitudes and behaviours must mean for others.

The post –Trinity Sunday season also leaves us as a church family to have more space for our own ministries. At St. Paul’s we have nearly twenty such ministries, and we depend on all our dedicated sisters and brothers who voluntary give their energy and time into these, to continue the good work. On the Diocesan front, we are called to participate in the work towards the 75th anniversary of the Diocese. The celebration has been planned with several focuses and will be remembered in multi –stage events; to and from the main thanksgiving service on 1st February 2025 at Kurunagala.

Let us uphold the St Paul’s family, Diocese and indeed the Nation as we draw nearer in this election year, remembering above all else the justice, peace and comfort God affords to all who are suffer the brunt of the economic and other crises in the current day in our country.

May God journey with us! With prayers in the name of the Holy Trinity….