Saturday, January 1, 2011

LITURGY OF THE WORD AND WEEKLY READINGS












Sunday, January 30, 2011: Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
First Reading: Micah (6:1-8)
Psalm 15, Page 599, BCP
Epistle: Paul's Letter (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (5:1-12)
Suggested Readings For the Week
Monday Galatians 4:1-11; Tuesday Mark 8:1-10; Wednesday John 8:31-36; Thursday Galatians 5:1-15; Friday Galatians 5:16-25; Saturday Galatians 5:25-6:10.

Sunday, January 23, 2011: Third Sunday After Epiphany
First Reading: Isaiah (9:1-4)
Psalm 27:1, 5-13, page 617, BCP
Epistle: Paul's Letter (1 Corinthians 1:10-18)
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (4:12-23)
Suggested Readings For the Week
Monday Galatians 1:1-17; Tuesday Philippians 3:4b-11; Wednesday Galatians 2:11-21; Thursday Galatians 3:1-14; Friday Galatians 3:15-22; Saturday Galatians 3:23-29.

Sunday, January 16, 2011: Second Sunday After Epiphany
Bishop James Curry visited Saint Monica's for both the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services. He met with the vestry after the 10:30 service.

First Reading: Isaiah (49:1-7)
Psalm 4:1-12, page 640, BCP
Epistle: Paul's Letter (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (1:29-42)
Suggested Readings For The Week
Monday Ephesians 4:1-16; Tuesday Acts 10:34-44; Wednesday Ephesians 5:1-14; Thursday Ephesians 5:15-33; Friday Ephesians 6:1-9; Saturday Ephesians 6:10-24.

Sunday, January 9, 2011: First Sunday After Epiphany
First Reading: Isaiah (42:1-9)
Psalm 29, page 620, BCP
Epistle: Acts (10:34-43)
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (3:13-17)
Suggested Readings For The Week
Monday Ephesian 1:1-14; Tuesday Ephesian 1:15-23; Wednesday Ephesian 2:1-10; Thursday Ephesian 2:11-22; Friday Ephesian 3:1-13; Saturday Ephesian 3:14-21.

Sunday, January 2, 2011: Second Sunday After Christmas
First Reading: Jeremiah (31:7-14)
Psalm 84, pages 707, BCP
Epistle: Paul's Letter (Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a)
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (2:13-15, 19-23)
Suggested Readings For The Week
Monday Ephesians 4:17-32; Tuesday Ephesians 5:1-20; Wednesday Ephesians 6:10-20; Thursday Revelation 21:22-27; Friday Colossians 1:1-14; Saturday Colossians 1:15-23.


SAINT MONICA'S NEWS










Calling All Teachers, Counselors and Others
Fr. Davidson is inviting all teachers, former teachers, counselors and all interested members to a conversation about outreach to our schools in Hartford. We will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a Eucharist to honor Saint Paul. Our conversation immediately follow after the Eucharist.

Annual Reports
All Organizations of Saint Monica's Church must submit an annual report to the Church Office no later than January 15, 2011. You may contact the Church Office for the format of the report and what the report should include. Please feel free to contact either the Parish Clerk or the Church Office if you have questions.

Bishop Ian Douglas
Bishop Ian Douglas will visit Saint Monica's on Sunday, January 16, 2011 during the 10:30 a.m. service. He will meet with the vestry after the service.

Young People's Fellowship.
1. The Fellowship is taking orders for Valentine flowers through Sunday, January 30,2011.

2. The Fellowship will host a Black History celebration and dinner on Sunday, February 20, 2011. Tickets are $10.00 per person or $35.00 for a family of four. Please see members of the Fellowship for tickets.

Thanks To Mr. Scott and Others
We say thanks to George Scott for the donation of a platform for our lectern. Thanks as well to all who give donations and give of their time and talents to enhance the ministry of our church.

Saint Monican Newsletter
The Saint Monican Newsletter welcomes your stories and reflections as it attempts to build a culture of sharing our faith and memories with one another. Please encourage your children to send their stories as well. See Joyce Asiedu for more information.

Gospel Choir
Saint Monica's Gospel Choir has rescheduled it annual elections due to the visit of Bishop Ian Douglas on January 16, 2011. The elections will be held Sunday, January 23, 2011 immediately following the 10:30 a.m. service. The following are the officers of the Gospel Choir: 1) President; 2) Vice President; 3) Secretary; 4) Financial Secretary; and 5) Chaplain. All active members of the Choir are eligible to be nominated. The names of nominees should be sent to Terry Brown. There is a call for sopranos and altos. The Gospel Choir welcomes any member of Saint Monica's who is willing to share in the ministry of spreading the Gospel through song.

Episcopal Church Women
The meeting of the Episcopal Church Women has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 23, 2011 immediately following the 10:30 a.m. service.

Usher Guild
The Usher Guild is currently seeking individuals who are willing to give their time in serving as ushers in 2011 for either the 8:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. service. Ushers serve three Sundays per month for four months. Anyone interested in this ministry is asked to see either Marie Brown-Harvey or Everton Stewart.

Birthdays and Anniversaries in January
Happy birthday to Jessica Hurdle 1st; Christine Hurdle 5th; Cynthia Timoll and Doreen Radway 9th; Jennie Dixon, Tyreik Noel, and Hubbard Warren 12th; Winston Anderson, Elroy Toppin and Allen James 20th; Nellie Jordan and Joanne Silva 22nd; Lorraine Mapp 24th; Floyd Wyche 28th; Janice Binion and Lauren Toppin 30th; Barbara Neals 31st.
Happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson 16th; Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Wyche 30th.

Condolences
We record the death of Kathleen King who was buried Tuesday, January 4, 2011 and Auvita McKenzie.
We extend our sincere Christian sympathy to their families and friends.
May they rest in peace.

ITEMS OF INTEREST










Healthy Living
Age-proofing You Brain

Aging is inevitable; losing your mental acuity is not. That's the implication of the latest brain research, which is discovering that the choices we make throughout our lifetime about work, play, diet, social interaction, relaxation, and even spirituality have a significant effect on our ability to remain sharp well into old age.

Cognitive reserve is a buffer of extra brain structures and networks built by a lifetime of stimulating experiences. Education and intellectual inquisitiveness help build cognitive reserve. You can increase the density of your brain"forest" at any time in your life. A 2009 report from the Bronx Aging Study, which is following men and women in their 70s and 80s, found that the type of leisure activities they pursued as they aged was just as important as their education early in life. Researchers found that the more the participants engaged in mentally stimulating activities-reading, writing, working crossword puzzles, playing board or card games, participating in group discussions, or playing music- the longer they delayed the onset of rapid memory decline.

Passive activities, such as watching television, don't count. In fact, people who watch it 7 hours a day or longer run a risk of memory loss, according to a study presented at a medical conference by Mayo Clinic researches in April 2009.

Some Suggestions
1) Don't quit your day job. One way to keep the mental juices flowing is to work, especially if your job involves critical thinking and social interaction.
2) Mind your heart. Exercise, for example, boosts short-term brain function and wards off cognitive decline, according to two recent studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
3) Quiet your mind. To begin with, you are sharper when rested. In addition, rest gives your brain time to make connections to new information and shuttle it into long-term memory. Also give yourself time each day to meditate, pray, or simply tune out the demands clamoring for your attention.
4) Find good company. Your brain thrives in a social environment.
5) Check eyes and ears. Research suggests that simply providing older hospitalized patients with glasses, hearing aids, or other devices helps to keep them sharp, attentive, and aware of their surroundings.

Source: "Age-proofing Your Brain." Consumer Reports On Health (July 2010): pp. 1, 4-5.

Clergy
The Rev. Charles Davidson

Vestry Members
Carol Anderson, Cyrus Aimey (Junior Warden), Walter Benjamin (Senior Warden), Terry Brown (Treasurer), Marie Brown-Harvey (Secretary), Nora Brown, Arlette Hurdle, shannon Holder, Joyce Asiedu, Bates Lyons, Joe Noel, Peter Marsele, Clarence Tuning, Lloyd Wimbish, Herbert Bowen ( Hon)

Music
Rochelle Holder - Youth Choir
Nathaniel Baker - Music Director/Organist

Rector Emeritus
Canon Cyril Burke

Email
monicahartford@gmail.com

THE BOOK CORNER
The Violin of Auschwitz
by Maria Angels Anglada

When I received this book, I was surprised by how thin is was. I wondered how such a thin volume could possibly do justice to a story about the horrors of Auschwitz. As it turns out, this is a truly powerful tale of hope and struggle for survival in the worst hell ever inflicted by man upon man. The violin of the title is the product of a bet, made by the Nazi officers, whether a prisoner could build a quality violin in the camp. In the uncertain chaos of the camp, Daniel, who was a violin maker in his previous life, finds hope and escape in the building of the violin, though he is uncertain of his future beyond it completion.

The story is a reminder that even when confronted by the most extreme examples of evil, people are capable of finding a spark of hope, of continuing to believe that there might be a way to survive. It is that belief that keeps them from giving up, of continuing to live in spite of every effort to crush their spirit and will. It is also a reminder that we need to celebrate such stories to preserve the memory of those who weren't able to survive.
Review by Andrew W. Johns