Middletown transcript., 1917-01-20
ST. ANNE'S CHURCH NOTES

January 21st. The Third Sunday af-
| ter Epiphany.
Divine services:- 1920, Morning
Prayer, Litany & Sermon; 11.45, Sun
day School session; 7.3O, Evening Pray
er 4 Address.
Meetings. The Ladies Guild will
meet on Thursday afternoon at two
O'Clock, and the Junior Auxiliary on
Friday afternoon at four O'Clock in the
Parish House.
January 25th, is the Festival of The
| Conversion of St. Paul "And sudden
ly there shined round about him light
from heaven. And he fell to the earth. 3"
Acts IX:3, 4.
This feast is worthily placed next to
the Epiphany, for it commentaries the
manifestation of Christ to one who was
at first a great prosecutor. and after
ward a great teacher and leader of the
Christians. 1t pleased the Lord to
make himself known to Saul in won
derful manner, at the very time he was
brea thing out threatenings and slaugh-
ter against the disciples. His eyes
We're blinded, but his soul was enlight-
ened; and thenceforth he himself be-
came willing to suffer all things, even
unto death, in behalf of the Master
whom he had despised, and whose fol-
lowers he has pursued with such cruel
hatred. We may well remember this
event with reverence and thankfulness,
since it not only proved so wonderfully
the power of God, but has left such
mighty and enduring results for our
good Though the last called. ST. Paul
labored more abundantly than any of
the Apostles, and did more to extend
the gospel. by planting churches 'even
to the utmost bound of the west,' and
writing for their instruction and con-
firmation epistles which shall remain
for the edification of the Christian
world, to the end Of time He has
well deserved by his labors among
heathens nations the title of Apostle
to the Gentiles After life of unex-
ampled suffering and achievements, he
was beheaded at Rome in a general
persecution of the Christians, under
Nero
The New Year begins with Four
Million out of the required Five Millions
for the Church Fund raised. Congratu-
lations to everybody who has helped, a
long lists of people and especially to the
Bishop; of Massachusetts and his
Office associates in New York.
But only two months remain in which
the final million is to be subscribed;
and million dollars is a great deal
of money to raised in two months. In
many places, though something has
been done, the work has not been
brought to a head The actual sub
scriptions have not been turned in.
There were legimate reasons for the de-
lay in many places; but TIMES UP.
Let all diocesan and parochial COM
mittees finish up their work now, I'M
MEDIATELY!
viii this year bring peace? While
that will wholly depend upon the at
titude of mankind, God grant it will be
Righteous Peace among the Nations of
the World. 1t is not Peace by slavery
and degradation to yield to wrong, and
this must never be; yet the goal the
church seeks is the Peace of the World
by the recognition that all men are
brothers, and by the banishment of
evil from the face of the earth so that
there will be nothing left to fight a.
gainst. Arbitrauions and treaties are
mperatives aids. but after all they are
only the signs and symbols of the de-
sire within us to listen to the Voice of
the Master when He said Little chill
dren love one another" The thing
that produces war is the spirit of war.
and only one thing can counteract that,
namely the Spirit of Peace. This means
that every soul must be impressed with
its beauty, and then nothing whatever
will persuade anyone to mar it. What |
a glorious message for the Church to |
carry.