LITURGY OF THE WORD

Sermons Of The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

To hear the sermons of The Rev. Johnson Russell CLICK HERE

Sunday, March 29, 2015: Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday

First Lesson: Isaiah (50:4-9a)

Psalm 31:9-16, Page 623, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (Philippians 2:5-11)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Mark (14:1-15:47)

Sermon: The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

Sunday, March 22, 2015: Fifth Sunday In Lent

First Lesson: Jeremiah (31:31-34)

Psalm 51:1-13, Page 656, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (Hebrews 5:5-10)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To John (12:20-33)   

Sermon: The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

Sunday, March 15, 2015: Fourth Sunday In Lent

First Lesson: Numbers (21:4-9)

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22, Page 746, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (Ephesians 2:1-10)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To John (3:14-21) 

Sermon: Deacon Darryl Burke

Sunday, March 8, 2015: Third Sunday In Lent

First Lesson: Exodus (20:1-17)

Psalm 19, Page 606, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To John (2:13-22)

Sermon: The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

Sunday, March 1, 2015: Second Sunday In Lent

First Lesson: Genesis (17:1-7, 15-16)

Psalm 22:22-30, Page 611, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (Romans 4:13-25)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Mark (8:31-38)

Sermon: The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

Email

monicahartford@gmail.com

NEWS AND EVENTS

Sermons Of The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

To hear the sermons of The Rev. Johnson Russell CLICK HERE

St. Monica's Website

To visit St. Monica's website CLICK HERE.

Directions To St. Monica's

For driving directions to St. Monica's, 3575 Main Street, Hartford CLICK HERE

From The Desk of  the Priest-In-Charge

Servant Leaders

Matthew 20:26-27st Century Kink James Version (KJ21)

26 But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

27 and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.

Jesus described leadership from a new perspective instead of using people for our own benefit, we are to serve them. Jesus' mission on earth was to serve others and give his life away.

A true leader has a servant's heart. Servant leaders (all of us) appreciate others' worth and use the gifts they have been given to further the KIngdom of God. "Stir up the gift of God which is in thee." (2Timothy 1:6)

Blessings and Peace!

Rev. Tracy

Black History Program and Lunch

Due to the weather the black History Lunch was rescheduled for Sunday March 1, 2015. 

Parish Meeting
The Parish meeting was held Sunday, march 15, 2015.
Birthdays And Anniversaries In March

Happy Birthday to: Richard Krausz 1st; David Hickmon and Denzil Ricketts 3rd; Shannon Holder 5th; Edwina Tuning 6th; Robert Rose 9th; Arlette Hurdle 13th; Cyrus Aimey 13th; Camille Lawrence 14th; Brandon Hall, Travis Samuda 15th
 Dee Flowers, Cherone Levy, Chantel Russell andEloy Toppin 16th; Jackie Cora Noel and Victoria Mitchell 18th; Mavis Blackwood 19th; Alton Esson, Everton Stewart and Tameka Wright 21st; Dennis Williams Sr. 24th;  Cynthia Paddyfote, Kaye Paddyfote  and Cheryl Thomas 25th; Gloria Burke and Philip hanson 26th; Barbara Reid and Oswald Smith 27th; Gilda Sheperd and Walter Benjamin 29th; Mary Reid 30th.

Happy Anniversary to: Marcus and Leslyn Clark 6th.

In Memory Of: Richard Ford and Cynthia Craig 1st; Miles Whaley 2nd; Lucy Stewart 3rd; Lawton Holmester and Dorothy Perry 5th; Irma Lyons 6th; Dorothy Wakefield, Mildred Jenkins and Katherine Lyons 7th; John Hoffman and Cora Williams 8th; Harold Cunningham and Kenneth Levy 9th; Winnifred McBean 10th; Marion Mobley and Percy Nelson 11th; Trudie Lawson and Dorothy Woodson 15th; Nell Smith and Ella Gamble 16th; Ronald Stevenson, Vernon Campbell, Ru Holmes and Lillian Woods 18th Fellie M. Canigan 19th; Rita Littman and Helen Watts 20th; Connie A. Hickmon, Mariam White and Albert Maule 22nd; Elizabeth Marvis and Edythe Gaines 23rd; Jessie Maule, Harold Bostie, Norbert A. Featherstone, Florence Robinson and Zepharia BRown 25th; Daniel Damiano III 26th; Mary Leckey 27th; Obed Pinnock and Robin Jones 28th; Robin Jones and Denise McCurrie 29th; Lawrence Smith 30th; Doriel Feurtado and Fannie Digs 31st.

Isabelle E. Brown
The family of Isabelle E. Brown wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to all the members of St. Monica's for your prayers, cards, telephone calls and your many acts of kindness. A special thanks to the Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell, The Daughters of the King, the Vestry and the Choirs for your love and support during this difficult time. Good bless you all. Nora      
Vestry Members

Carol Anderson, Cyrus Aimey (Junior Warden), Veronica Airey-Wilson, Joyce Asiedu, Winston Barnaby, Walter Benjamin (Senior Warden), Marie Brown-Harvey (Secretary), April Carter, Evelyn Green, David Hickmon, A. Bates Lyons, Joseph Noel, Evelyn Stewart, Terrie Thomas.

Music

Rochelle Holder - Youth Choir

Nathaniel Baker - Music Director/Organist

Rector Emeritus

Canon Cyril Burke

Email

monicahartford@gmail.com

ITEM OF INTEREST

Make Lent Count
"Lent" comes from the Anglo-Saxom word lencton-meaning "spring" or "lengthening" from the time of year when the days grow long. The season begins on Ash Wednesday  and ends with the Easter Triduum (Maundy Thursday through Easter Day), covering 40 days (excluding Sundays which are little feasts of the Resurrection). Some believe that the word "Lent" may derive from the Latin lentare, which means "to bend." This understanding reinforces a sense of Lent as a time of preparation for personal and collective transformation. having nurtures ourselves through Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, Lent becomes the time to look truthfully at ourselves and make changes. In the early church, Lent was a time of preparation for the Easter, Pascha (Christian Passover) baptism of converts to the faith. Persons. were to receive the sacrament of "new birth" following a period of fasting, penitence and preparatrion. Just as the children of Israel had been delivered from bondage of Egyptian slavery, we are delivered from the bondage of sin. The bible readings appointed for the Sundays in Lent continue to offer us a short course on the meaning of bpatism- our sacrament of initiation into the Body of Christ.

BOOK CORNER

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
by Reza Asian

I have heard Dr. Asian lecture, speak, preach and interview as a religious scholar in several venues. This book provides historians, people of faith and religious scholar with an important view of the political climate in which Jesus lived and why he was a threat to the Roman establishment. Regardless of one's faith, there is still a need to understand history and why things happened the way they did. In order to do this, it is necessary to remove the magic and the mystery surrounding a topic an to provide the reader with facts. This book does exactly tghat. As a person of faith who also loves history and who constantly seeks to understand the dynamics of past societies and the driving forces behind them, I found this book to be riveting.

Dr. Asian spoke at All Saints Episcopal Church if Pasadena, CA and provided the congregation with a moving glimpse into the historical jesus. It is wonderful to step outside    
of the Vacation Bible School stories and to have a deeper understanding about the dynamics of the world 2000 years ago when these revolutionary changes occurred in the Palestine. In order to understand the world, it is important to know the required history. Dr. Asian gives anyone interested in this subject matter a wonderful gift with his comprehensive understanding of this subject matter. This book is not a rebuttal to one's faith. It is a companion piece.
Review by Drew Levy-Nealon