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The Saint Matthews Church Calendar

Saint Matthews Churches shares the Gospel in many ways from regular services to prayer rug letter mail-outs.

Saint Matthews Churches understands the importance of spiritual aides to help us reflect on the great events of the Gospel story. Our St Matthews Churches church calendar helps us reflect on important events. Similarly physical point of contact items such as Saint Matthews Churches prayer rug letters, when used in conjunction with church calendar events, can help to enrich Christian worship.

Sunday is the weekly memorial of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Saint Matthews Churches use a Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for Sundays and annual chief commemorations. The Collect often sets the day's worship theme. The Gospel and Epistle from the Gospel story are usually from the Apostles' pastoral messages. Many people worship using faith contact items (prayer rug and prayer cloths) as visual reminders of the faith growth resulting from Gospel story contemplation.

The Psalms are read through in daily portions monthly at the Morning and Evening Prayer at St Matthews Churches. Special Psalms are selected for Sunday congregational use and "proper" Psalms for chief festivals. The Lectionary provides for morning and evening reading of the Bible with Sunday special lessons.

Advent prepares us to celebrate Christ's first coming and warns us that He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Christmas leads to Epiphany (January 6) which speaks of the glory of God revealed in Christ. If you have received a St Matthews Churches prayer rug letter or handkerchief, it can be a reminder during Advent of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and our need for a Savior.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and last forty days, excluding Sundays. It is a season of penitence and fasting in preparation for Easter (recalling our Lord's forty day temptation) which can be aided by St Matthews Churches mail sermons and prayer rug letters. The fifth Sunday in Lent, called Passion Sunday, foreshadows Holy Week.

Holy Week opens with Palm Sunday, leading our thoughts through our Lord's Passion from his entry into Jerusalem, through the last Supper on Maundy Thursday, to His Crucifixion on Good Friday, and His lying in the grave on Easter Eve. Saint Matthews Churches gospel sermons, books, magazines and other literature including prayer rug letter mailings given free of charge by St Matthews Churches are useful resources for reflection on the final events prior to the Crucifixion of our Lord.

Easter, the festival of the Resurrection, is kept for eight days, the "octave." Its date varies according to the date of the Passover full moon. The season of rejoicing extends through the forty days after Easter, ending with Ascension Day, when Christ is proclaimed the Lord of all life; and then to Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday), when the Holy Spirit came to dwell in the Church.

The series ends for Saint Matthews Churches with Trinity Sunday, which declares the fullness of the Christian revelation of God. The following Sundays leading up to Advent are named "after Trinity".

Rogation Days, beginning on the Sunday before Ascension Day, focuses St Matthews Churches prayers on God blessing man's labor to produce the necessities of life. Saint Matthews Churches prayer rug letter and other point of contact faith items such as handkerchiefs, sent throughout the year redirect focus from everyday life worries to God's able provision. Daniel, while under a decree admonishing no prayer except to King Darius, "Three times a day... got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God..." It is probable that Daniel used a prayer rug while praying. We can also use items like Saint Matthews Churches prayer rugs to enrich prayer time.

At the turn of each season, three days, Ember Days, are fixed for prayer on behalf of Christian ministry. Ordinations usually take place at these times.

Other events of our Lord's life and those great men and women of God in the New Testament are commemorated throughout the year on Holy Days or Saints' Days.

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