Our
Response to the Current Situation of Coronavirus/COVID-19
Illness:
A Christmas Message from Mother Victoria
Dear Friends in Christ,
This will be a Christmas like
no other, at the end of a year like no other,
in the midst of a time like no other. God is
always doing something new. The One we know
as our Creator, the Source of all being, the
beginning and the ending of everyone and everything,
is always on the move. The rabbis point out
that God’s ancient Hebrew name, YHWH,
is a verb rather than a noun. God is Being itself,
in a state of constant becoming. And in Christ
we are part of the birthing forth, the great
unfolding, the great becoming, of God.
No part of the Christian story
is only about Jesus, including Christmas. Like
the angel Gabriel, we announce the Good News
of God’s love for all. Like John the Baptist,
we proclaim the coming of God into the world
and we prepare the way for God’s New Creation.
Like Mary of Nazareth, we receive the radiant
light of God into the depths of our very being.
We nurture it, and grow it, and wrap it in flesh
in the silent darkness of our lives. And we
bring to birth the One who births everyone and
everything in creation. And finally, like Jesus
the Christ, we live the reality of God’s
transformative compassion, co-creating with
both Creator and creation as we live God’s
Way of faith, hope, and love, drawing everyone
and everything along with us to the light and
grace of God’s infinite and eternal Love.
Read
full letter here...
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We are a loving and inclusive community of believers
and seekers who know that God is love (1 John 4:16), mercy
triumphs over judgement (James 2:13), and being a Christian
means living and loving like Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke &
John). Come and see!
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“The Universal Christ”
Book Study
Sundays at 10:45 am.
Resumes
on January 3, 2021
Join Zoom Meeting by clicking here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87491463867
As Fr. Richard Rohr says, “Christ
is NOT Jesus’ last name!”
Well, what is it then? Come and see! You
may just be amazed at how big and beautiful
Christianity really is!
Join us every time and/or any time. Sundays
at 10:45 am.
Use the Zoom link above. See you there!
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 As
you may all know by now COVID 19 has caused the
cancellation of both our spring and fall rummage
sales, as well as our Gift Auction in February
of 2021. Although everyone has been extremely
generous in fulfilling their pledges this year,
the loss of the gift auction revenue for next
year presents a very challenging situation for
the church.
Without this major fundraising
event we had to find alternate means to fill this
budget gap. Attached here, you will find information
about a calendar raffle we are launching in October
to help fill this gap. The concept is fairly simple.
For every 3 month period there is a dollar amount
associated with Monday-Friday, For $25
people can purchase a chance to win that
dollar amount. Numbers are chosen at random at
the beginning of the month. If your number is
chosen you will get a check for that amount in
the mail. We have sent this to all gift auction
attendees and we will continue to promote through
various means. We welcome your participation as
well. Details on how to enter are attached. And
as always, you can call Cherisse with your questions.
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Eucharistic Ministers are available to
bring Communion to those who are not able to get
to church for extended periods of time due to
illness or mobility issues. We are grateful to
Robin Henry for stepping forward
to co-ordinate this vital parish ministry. If
you know of someone who needs home, hospital,
rehab, or nursing home visits, please let us know.
If you would like to be trained to participate
in this beautiful ministry, please contact
Robin or Mother Victoria. |
Welcome to the WeShare family!
Want a more convenient way to support
St. Mary’s?
Want to support St. Mary’s consistently
throughout the year?
Want to make sure your pledge is there
when you can’t be?
Switch to electronic giving –
simply click on
the heart below or go to
https://saintmarysbythesea.churchgiving.com
Please feel free to contact
the WeShare customer
service team for assistance at WeShare@4lpi.com
or
call 1 (800) 950-9952 and select Option
1.
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FROM THE TREASURER
Please return your 2021 pledge cards
as soon as
possible or send a private email to
our treasurer Gary (gary.smerillo@smerilloassociates.com)
informing him of your
planned support of St. Mary's for the
coming year. It's absolutely imperative
for us to understand where we stand
financially so that
we can plan accordingly. Our fiscal
situation is very challenging
right now, and we need your help and
prayers. God bless you!
Gary Smerillo
Treasurer
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CHURCH SCHOOL
ONLINE LEARNING
Church School will be utilizing remote online
learning only for the foreseeable future.
Families who are interested in online Church
School should please contact the office to let
us know of their interest.
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SEAMEN’S CHURCH INSTITUTE
Traveling for business or pleasure?
Please consider bringing home the hotel’s
or ship’s toiletries to share
with the seafarer’s at SCI. SCI
is eager to receive travel-sized toothpaste,
shampoo, conditioner, lotion (hand or
body), and soap. Unscented items are
preferred. Please leave your donations
in the kitchen marked for Elaine
Long.
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ANNUAL PARISH
MEETING
The Annual Parish Meeting
will be held on
Sunday January 24th
at 11 am on Zoom
& FaceBook Live.
Please email all reports to Cherisse
by January 10th so
that she has time
to compile them and mail them out to
members
of the parish.
Join Zoom
Meeting here.
Meeting ID: 875
8609 0352
Passcode: 435009
Check out our 
Calendar of Events
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STEWARDSHIP TIME!
Please help me (Mother
Victoria) write my annual stewardship
letter. Email, text or leave a phone
message telling me who you are and why
you love St. Mary's. And yes, you WILL
be quoted, since that's the whole point!
?? Thank you so much!
DAY BY DAY
The newest edition of
the Day by Day is now available. If
you have not already let me know that
you would like a copy, please reply
to this email and I'll get one in the
mail to you right away. Cherisse
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MARY'S TABLE
Mary’s Table
provides food and fellowship to all
who hunger or seek companionship in
a loving environment of acceptance.
Started by parishioners of Saint Mary's
by the Sea Episcopal Church in Point
Pleasant Beach, and located there, Mary's
Table opened her doors on November 1
of 2012. Volunteers from other churches,
communities and businesses quickly became
involved in this worthy mission. Thank
you so much for all you do for this
wonderful ministry.
Read more...
Message
from St. Mary’s Emergency Food
Project
Hello everyone and
welcome Greg Gradel and Deb Alt, 2 of
our delivery people!
On December 3, Robean
and Ellen served warm Chinese Chicken
salad with green beans and mashed potatoes.
We delivered 246 meals at a cost of
$134. On December 17, Angie (who is
kindly filling in for Mary) served stuffed
shells with sauce, green beans and bread.
We delivered 243 meals at a cost of
$370.00 (that Angie gets at cost from
her supplier). Christmas Eve and New
Years Eve both fall on a Thursday and
as Mary's Table has always promised,
food will be available! On both days
we will deliver between 1-3. Updates
on cost and how many dinners go out
will be posted later. Thank you to all
the volunteers who give up their precious
time to make this happen! We are so
incredibly blessed to have volunteers
who, cook, deliver, pack meals, pick
up fruit and goodies every week, donate
food, give gift cards and cash to this
ministry! We could not do it with all
of you!!! As we quickly approach "the
most wonderful time of the year",
please remember that is not so for many
families who are struggling this year
due to the effects COVID has had on
our community. Let us continue to make
a difference, in whatever way we can,
to brighten someone's day.
Merry Christmas
all!
Love, Kathy
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The
Epiphany
January 6, 2021
O God, by the leading of a star you
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence,
where we may see your glory face to face; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Isaiah
60:1-6
Arise, shine; for your light has
come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses'
arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought
to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
Ephesians
3:1-12
This is the reason that I Paul am
a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--
for surely you have already heard of the commission
of God's grace that was given me for you, and how
the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as
I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will
enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery
of Christ. In former generations this mystery was
not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that
is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members
of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ
Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant
according to the gift of God's grace that was given
me by the working of his power. Although I am the
very least of all the saints, this grace was given
to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless
riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is
the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who
created all things; so that through the church the
wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made
known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose
that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence
through faith in him.
Matthew
2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from
the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is
the child who has been born king of the Jews? For
we observed his star at its rising, and have come
to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this,
he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and
calling together all the chief priests and scribes
of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah
was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem
of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
`And you, Bethlehem, in the land
of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the
wise men and learned from them the exact time when
the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem,
saying, "Go and search diligently for the child;
and when you have found him, bring me word so that
I may also go and pay him homage." When they
had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead
of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising,
until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw that the star had stopped, they were
overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they
saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt
down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure
chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to
return to Herod, they left for their own country by
another road.
Optional parts of the readings are set off in square
brackets.
The Bible texts of the Old Testament,
Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised
Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division
of Christian Education of the National Council of
the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
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St.
Mary's by the Sea is a Christian community
that
strives to create a sanctuary for ALL
seekers
and believers alike
to
come and experience the Love of God through Jesus Christ,
to
share that love with those around us
and
in the wider world,
and
to grow in faith
as
part of a caring Christian family.
