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Dear People of Ascension,
Here is one of my favorite poems for St. Francis Day. In all my years of Animal Blessings, I have never been presented with a pig. But I love the idea that part of what we do in blessing is “reteach a thing is loveliness,” and the poet’s tenderness in describing in detail “the long, perfect loveliness of sow.”
So may we see, and bless, the beauty of all God’s creatures, including ourselves!
Liz
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Saint Francis and the Sow
The bud
stands for all things,
even for those things that don’t flower,
for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;
as Saint Francis
put his hand on the creased forehead
of the sow, and told her in words and in touch
blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow
began remembering all down her thick length,
from the earthen snout all the way
through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail,
from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine
down through the great broken heart
to the sheer blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering
from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking and
blowing beneath them:
the long, perfect loveliness of sow.
| | Blessing of the Animals; Feast of St. Francis, Today, October 4 – Join us for our final celebration of the Season of Creation honoring the saint who preached to the birds and called a wolf his brother –with the blessing of the animals following the 11 a.m. service today, October 4. The blessing will be around 12:30, giving those who live nearby a chance to go and get their animals; however, you are also welcome to bring well-behaved pets to church that day. Tell your friends! | | | Do you like to color? Especially for children and their families- we have copies of “the Sunday Paper” a cartoon version of our gospel each Sunday, along with crayons and clipboards available from the ushers. Please ask for one if your child would enjoy this during the service. | | | |
Regular Service Schedule
SUNDAY
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Side Altar)
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist w/ Music
(Church & Livestream)
6:00 p.m. Meditation & Sacrament (Church)
WEDNESDAY
6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Church)
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Evening Prayer Every Weekday Evening
via Zoom
Join us each weeknight at 5:30
for Evening Prayer & discussion.
Click this link to join: ascensionnyc.org/eveningprayer.
To call in (voice, no camera), dial 929-205-6099; the meeting ID is 880 1981 1224.
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Long Term Prayers
Pray for: Allejandro and Jesus, Barbara, Brielle, Dorothy, Elaine, Ellen, Judith, Jurek, Lucas, Stewart, Jen, Alice & the Kisiya family, Jennifer, Ketty, Sara, William Wynter, Eric, Eileen, Rural & Migrant Ministry, all detained at Delaney Hall, all refugees and asylum seekers, and New York Haiti Project and the St. Luke’s Episcopal School in Martel. We remember all who have been killed by ICE, or died in custody this year: Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Keith Porter, Geraldo Lunas Campos, Victor Manuel Diaz, Heber Sánchez Domínguez, Parady La, Luis Beltrán Yáñez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, Lorth Sim, Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, Emmanuel Clifford Damas, Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, Royer Perez-Jimenez, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and Joan Sebastian Guerrero. We pray especially for a just peace in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Cuba, and in our own country.
Please keep these people and intentions from our long-term prayer list in your own prayers. We hope to keep our intercessions in the liturgy both faithful and fresh, as we persist in prayer for those who need it.
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Prayers! Did you know you can submit your prayer requests online? Go to ascensionnyc.org/prayers and type in your prayer request. Be sure to add them. Requests submitted by noon on Thursday will be included in the Sunday bulletin. (Any requests after that will be included in the following Sunday bulletin.) | |
A Prayer for Spiritual Communion
If you are attending any of our services online, we invite you to use this prayer at communion.
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
| | People Who Lunch, Wednesday October 7; 12:30 p.m. - Are you at home during the day or working near the church? Please join us for lunch on the first Wednesday of every month for some simple food and good conversation. Please let us know you are coming (info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620) so we know how much food to prepare! (You are also welcome to bring your own lunch if you prefer; we will have coffee, tea and water on hand.) We hope to see you there! | | |
Weekday Zoom Adult Small Group:
Learn, Pray, and Grow Together!
Starting in October, join us on a weekday evening, 8:00–9:30 PM, via Zoom. Vote for your favorite book or topic and your preferred meeting day during Coffee Hour, or submit your interest online. For additional information, contact our intern, Yunjeong McSeol.
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Ascension Forum Series: Being Human in the Age of AI, Oct. 11, 25, & Nov 8. Artificial intelligence (AI) is dominating headlines. Leaders of the major AI labs are promising a near-utopian future, and then warning (often in the same document) that AI could be an existential threat to humanity. Clarity is in short supply and confusion seems to be abundant. Join for this three-part series, where we will engage in conversations about how AI works, the societal issues it raises, and how people of faith can respond. These conversations will be led by Clay Williams. Clay has a PhD in computer science and an MA in theology. His doctoral work used AI in computational models of the immune system. Clay brings these interests together to offer insights into how AI works, contrast AI with human thinking, and help spiritual communities reflect theologically on the place of AI in our world.
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The Transitus of St. Francis. From the earliest days of the Franciscan Order, the followers of St. Francis have gathered on the anniversary of his death, October 3rd, to celebrate his transitus, that is, St. Francis’ passage from earthly life into everlasting life. This year marks the 800th anniversary of his death and we will be celebrating this most holy observance at St. Mary the Virgin (145 W 46th St.) at 6:00 p.m.
“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape.” Canticle of Creation, St. Francis
| | | Liberian Quilt Exhibit at St. Lukes Church, October 3; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. St Luke's in the Fields is hosting a Liberian quilt exhibit with handcrafted quilts for sale form the Bensonville Diaspora. Proceeds suipport Liverian quilt-makeing guilds and their families. Click here to read the flier. | | |
Immigration Legal Support Fund – Recently our diocese announced a new Immigration Legal Support Fund to support immigrant families in our congregations and neighborhoods throughout the Diocese of New York. The Legal Fund will help those navigating immigration under urgent and vulnerable circumstances to access legal resources. We're starting with a $50,000 contribution from the Bishop’s discretionary funds. Help us to match this amount to keep families together. With your support, we can do more so that no one faces the system alone. Your contribution makes possible same-day response, family preparedness, limited-scope appearances, and urgent filings. You can contribute here. To learn more about the Immigration Legal Support Fund Click here.
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Your Pantry Needs You!
Ascension Outreach Inc. needs additional volunteer participation. The program is robust and developing in some great ways- and we need more hands-on help. Won’t you consider helping strengthen our service to our neighbors?
Saturday opportunity: 8 to 9:30 am on the first and third Saturday of each month.
Upcoming Dates: October 3 & 17. If you have questions or wish to join us, please contact Fr. Ed: fatherchinery@ascensionnyc.org, or 732-910-7017.
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Open Church Schedule
Open Church - Mondays through Fridays, Noon to 3pm. If you would like to volunteer for this ministry, please contact Gretchen Dumler or contact the church office (info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620.
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Sunday – October 4 – Feast of St. Francis
Holy Eucharist (Side Altar) 9:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist with Music (Church) 11:00 a.m.
In person and online (Ascensionnyc.org/Sunday)
Blessing of the Animals (Front Garden) 12:30
Meditation & Sacrament (Church) 6:00 p.m.
Monday – October 5
Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.
Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.
Lectionary Bible Study (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday – October 6
Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.
Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday – October 7
Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.
People Who Lunch (Parish Hall) 12:30 p.m.
Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.
Holy Eucharist (Church) 6:00 p.m.
Building & Grounds (Hybrid) 6:45 p.m.
Thursday – October 8
Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.
Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.
Friday – October 9
Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.
Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m.
Saturday – October 10
For food assistance or to volunteer, please contact Fr. Ed (fatherchinery@ascensionyc.org).
Sunday – October 11
Holy Eucharist (Side Altar) 9:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist with Music (Church) 11:00 a.m.
In person and online (Ascensionnyc.org/Sunday)
Ascension Forum Series: Being Human in the Age of AI (Parish Hall) after the 11:00 service
Meditation & Sacrament (Church) 6:00 p.m.
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If you need information to connect to one of our Zoom events please call the church office at 212-254-8620 or email us at info@ascensionnyc.org
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