Rogation Sunday (Easter V)

This Sunday, the Fifth Sunday after Easter, we gather to celebrate Rogation Sunday, a day rich with meaning in our Anglican tradition. “Rogation” comes from the Latin word rogare, meaning “to ask,” and on this day, we come together as a community to ask for God’s blessing on our crops, our labors, and our lives. It’s a time to reflect on our dependence on Him for all good things and to seek His guidance as we strive to live out our faith.

Our Dependence on God

The Rogation Sunday Collect sets the tone: “O Lord, from whom all good things do come; grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration, we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same.” This is a humble admission that everything we have, our sustenance, our thoughts, our ability to act, comes from God. On Rogation Sunday, we traditionally ask for a fruitful harvest, but this prayer reminds us that our dependence goes deeper. We need His inspiration to even conceive of what is good, and His guidance to bring it to life. As we ask for His blessing on the earth, let us also seek His grace to align our hearts and hands with His will.

Living Out Our Faith

The Epistle from James challenges us further: “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” It’s not enough to hear God’s word on Sundays or nod in agreement. James compares a mere hearer to someone who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets their own face. True faith, he says, is active: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” This is practical Christianity, caring for the vulnerable and pursuing personal holiness.

On this Rogation Sunday, as we pray for our community, let’s commit to being doers of the word within it. How can we support those in need, the lonely, the struggling, the overlooked? How can we guard our speech and our lives from the world’s corruption? Our faith must bear fruit, just as we hope the earth will.

The Power of Prayer

In the Gospel, Jesus offers us a remarkable promise: “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” This isn’t a blank check for selfish whims, but an invitation to pray boldly in alignment with Christ’s will. On this day of asking, let’s bring our needs before God, prayers for our community’s well-being, for the work of our hands, for the growth of His Church, trusting that the Father loves us and hears us because we love His Son.

Praise and Peace

The Rogation Sunday propers also call us to praise. The Introit urges us: “With a voice of singing declare ye… the Lord hath redeemed his people,” and the Offertory echoes, “O praise our God, ye people… who holdeth our soul in life.” Even as we ask, we rejoice in God’s redemption and mercy. And in the Gospel, Jesus gives us peace: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Amid life’s uncertainties, we find comfort in His victory.

So let us embrace our calling as a people who ask and act. Ask for God’s blessing on the earth and on our lives, trusting in His provision. Be doers of the Word, showing His love in our community. Pray with confidence in Jesus’ name. And live lives of praise, resting in the peace of His triumph. May the Lord, from whom all good things come, grant us grace to live this out, today and always. Amen.

--  Fr Chris Fish+

To do good, and to distribute, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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Services & Events

Sunday Services,  9:00 AM and 11:15 AM Services, for online participation go to https://www.facebook.com/saintsofscotland

Nursery during both services

Sunday School, 10:30 AM, Rectory, Lower level

Wednesday at Noon – Holy Communion and anointing for healing

 Wednesday, 7:30 PM, undercroft, Discussion on the Saints, with Fr. Bragg, all are invited even if you have not been to prior discussions. Fr. Bragg’s class takes a chronological approach to the study of the saints, placing them in the context of their times and places in church history.  For online participation go to https://www.facebook.com/saintsofscotland

Thursday, May 14, Ascension Day Services, noon & 7:00 PM, Inquirer's Class will follow immediately after the 7 PM service

This Thursday only class will start immediately after the 7:00 PM Ascension Day Service, undercroft,  Inquirers class (everyone invited): Since Bishop Johnson will visit the Parish on Sunday, June 14 to offer the rites of Confirmation and Reception. Father Chris is offering an Inquirers’ Class leading up to the Bishop's visit. This class introduces and explores the life, faith, and practice of the Anglican tradition using Archbishop Haverland's primer, Anglican Catholic Faith and Practice. Together we look at the foundations of the Christian faith, the meaning of the sacraments, the structure of the Church, and the distinctive spirituality of Anglican worship shaped by the Book of Common Prayer. It is also an opportunity to ask questions, reflect on one’s own faith journey, and grow in understanding of what it means to live the Christian life within our Church. While the class  prepares those who wish to be confirmed and received into the Anglican Catholic Church, anyone who wants to learn more about Anglican faith and practice is warmly invited. If you are new to the parish, exploring Anglicanism for the first time, or attending for years and like a deeper understanding of the Church’s life and teaching, this class is for you. Please let Fr. Chris ( scotlandsaints@gmail.com ) know if you would like to attend.

Saturday, May 16, 8:30 AM, Men's Breakfast, cooked by the one and only breakfast chef extraordinaire Claude Crump, and an always inspirational Bible study and discussion with Father Bragg; good food, good fellowship, and great Bible study

Monday, May 25, Memorial Day Service, noon

Monday, June 1, 7:30 PM,  Vestry Meeting  in the undercroft

PARISH NOTES
1. This past Sunday (Easter IV) at the 9 AM service Father Chris baptized Gantsetseg Dundas, the wife of Peter.  We welcome her into our parish family.

2. The Diocesan Synod is fast approaching . It's in Hampton, VA, June 11-12.  If you're a delegate, alternate, or would like to attend and haven't registered, please register at https:/dmas-acc.org

 
MaRiH Crisis Pregnancy Center: Updated
Critical Needs & More

Below are 2 lists: the critical needs list and the needs list. Both have been recently updated:

Critical Needs:
Diapers, sizes 5 and 6
Spring/Simmer clothing (Boys & Girls), size 0-3 months, size 2T 
Baby Wipes
Baby Blankets
Baby formula: Similac Advance Formula
Bibs: toddler
Other needs:
Diapers, newborn, 1, 2, 3, 4
Spring/Summer Clothing, 3-6 month, 9-12 month, 18-24 month, 
Bibs, infant
Maternity clothes (Spring/Summer)
Wash cloths
Hooded towels
Diaper rash ointment
There are two options for helping the Center with these needs:
Option 1 
Amazon has all the specific items needed. You can order the specific item(s) and have them delivered directly to the Center.  

The MaRiH Center
3230B Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-4521
703-370-4774

Option 2 
Go to your local store, purchase the items requested and drop them off at church on Sunday. We will deliver them to the MaRIH Center.
 
Food Bank Needs
 
The food bank continues to need our assistance to feed the hungry. Please help this month with a food donation if you are able. Those we help feed are very thankful for the food we provide to them each month. Please also buy low sugar cereals (and not the kid's types that have lots of sugar). Also lower sodium products are better and more healthy.

Current needs include the following:
canned meats (chicken, corned beef, spam)
peanut butter
jelly
tuna
canned vegetables (corn, green beans - (regular and low sodium)
individual fruit cups (low sugar)
canned fruit (low sugar)
canola or vegetable oil (48 oz)
boxed cereal (low sugar) and instant or old fashioned oatmeal (18 oz or 42 oz)
pasta (regular and gluten-free):
instant potatoes
single serving fruit juice
macaroni & cheese
soups: Chunky or Progresso,noodle soup; chicken broth, cream of mushroom
coffee, cooking oil, flour, sugar

 

 


 
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Our mailing address is:
St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland
1607 Dewitt Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301-1625