Michaelmas

Michaelmas and Harvest Thanksgiving.

Hymns 190, 475, 262, 333

Old Testament Reading Genesis 28: 10-18

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Responsorial Psalm 65 Response: Sing to the Lord, all the whole earth

You visit the earth and water it; you make it very plenteous.

The river of God is full of water;

you prepare grain for your people, for so you provide for the earth. R

You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;

you soften the ground with showers and bless its increase.

You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty. R

May the pastures of the wilderness flow with goodness and the hills be girded with joy.

May the meadows be clothed with flocks of sheep,

and the valleys stand so thick with corn that they shall laugh and sing. R

New Testament Reading Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

GOSPEL John 1: 47-51

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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NEWS FROM ST MICHAEL'S

A warm welcome to new readers and to visitors and newcomers to St Michael's! A special Michaelmas welcome to our celebrant Fr Paul Matthias SSC – who will also kindly be celebrating Mass for us on Thursday - and to our visiting preacher, the Ven. Andrew Sewell, Archdeacon of Maidstone. Everyone is invited to today's Harvest Lunch in the Vestry Hall after Mass – a chance to get to know one another better. If this is your first time at St Michael's, do make yourself known so that we can welcome you properly!

Thank you to all involved in preparing and decorating for today, and thank you to the St Michael's Schools, who brought their own gifts to their rousing Michaelmas Service on Thursday morning. During this week a delivery will be made to the Food for Thought Food Bank attached to Maidstone Day Centre, Knightrider Street, where gifts will be well used and much appreciated. Can you help? Or if you would like to donate food – fresh or imperishable – please think of them (01622 674064). Their staff always have a friendly greeting for St Michael's! More Michaelmas festivity took place last week at Harbledown, and was enjoyed by a party from our parish. Mike reports: “Friends from other Society parishes in the diocese were given a warm welcome at St Michael and All Angels', Harbledown on Thursday for the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels. Celebrant at the Patronal Festival's Solemn Mass was the Rector, Fr Peter Harnden SSC, and the homily was delivered by Canon Clive Jones SSC, parish priest of St John's, Higham with All Saints', Perry Street. Canon Jones is Bishop Norman's representative in the Rochester Diocese. A generous buffet supper was provided after the service.“

Rising Cost of Living causing concern! The Fant and Bower Community Group draw attention to a series of events taking place in The Mall, Maidstone, 10.30 am to 2.30 pm, 3rd-8th October, when representatives from the Borough Council and other bodies will be there to meet people seeking advice on managing the cost of food, utilities and fuel. If you or someone you know is worried, they say, “You are not on your own, we're here to help.”

From Our Tower:

Kent County Association: Maidstone, Kent

St Michael and All Angels

Sunday, 25 September 2022 in 40m (6–1–24 in C)

1280 Spliced Surprise Major (6m)

384 Rutland, 224 Superlative, 192 each of Cambridge, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, 96 Pudsey; 33 com

1Roger Pocock

2Graham Heath

3Ray Taylor

4Mark Elvers

5Stephen Coaker

6Mike Birkbeck

7Kath White

8Neil Jones (C)

Rung on the Feast of St Sergius of Radonezh, Russian Monastic Reformer, Teacher of the Faith, 1392.

Friday, 30 September 2022 in 39m (6–1–24 in C)

1269 Cambridge Surprise Minor

1Emma Jarvis

2Terry Barnard

3Kath White

4Mark Elvers

5Philip Jarvis

6Neil Jones (C)

Early birthday compliments to Daphne Tester (5th October) and Heidi Elvers (3rd October).

Rung on the Feast of St Jerome, translator of the Scriptures and Teacher of the Faith, died 30th September 420.