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Rarely in the history of the Church has the course of its development been more significantly determined by one person than it was by Athanasius in the fourth century. Gregory of Nazianzus called him “the pillar of the Church,” and Basil the Great said he was “the God-given physician of her wounds.” Athanasius was born about 295 in Alexandria, and was ordained deacon in 319. He quickly attracted attention by his opposition to the presbyter Arius, whose denial of the full divinity of the Second Person of the Trinity was gaining widespread acceptance. Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria, took Athanasius as his secretary and advisor to the first Ecumenical Council, at Nicaea in 325, which dealt with the Arian conflict.

On April 16th, when we celebrated the Second Sunday of Easter, vandals attacked Temple De Hirsch Sinai, the largest Reform Jewish synagogue in Seattle. On the evening before Holocaust Remembrance Day, two men spray-painted several phrases and images, including “Ireal aas (sic) lied” and a Star of David, “apartheid” along with indecipherable words and a picture of a face with “Im (sic) still here” underneath. In a not terribly literate way, the point was made. It was an attack on the nation of Israel but done in such a way, in the courtyard of a synagogue, as to assault all Jewish people. That is anti-Semitism.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the most recent antisemitic vandalism several days ago at Temple De Hirsch Sinai. I’m sharing with you all the good words that our Cathedral Dean, the Very Rev. Stephen Thomason, shared about this incident. Please join me in praying for the people of Temple De Hirsch Sinai.

On this day, Maundy Thursday, we recognize the importance of Servant Ministry. Jesus shows us this, he washes the feet of his Disciples. During this time, most people wore sandals. Feet got very dirty as they walked around. This is one layer of servitude. Jesus says “You call me teacher and Lord…”

As we head into spring (which I’m assured really does begin almost as I write this), I bring good news. The Board of Directors of the Diocese of Olympia at their meeting on March 16 passed a motion to “accept the sales agreement proposed by Louis Randolf Homes, LLC, to purchase the northern portion of both parcels currently owned by the diocese that comprise the campus of All Saints Episcopal Church, Tacoma, for the cash price of $350,000.” This is the north portion of the property just beyond the portables.

George Augustus Selwyn was born on April 5, 1809 at Hampstead, London. He was prepared at Eton, and in 1831 was graduated from St. John’s College, Cambridge, of which he became a Fellow.

Cyril and Methodius, brothers born in Thessalonika, are honored as apostles to the southern Slavs and as the founders of the Slavic literary culture. Cyril was a student of philosophy and a deacon, who eventually became a missionary monastic. Methodius was first the governor of a Slavic colony, then turned to the monastic life, and was later elected abbot of a monastery in Constantinople.

When I think of what has happened at All Saints’ in the past year, I’m tempted to consider first the break-ins we’ve had—four since last September, each of them substantially damaging to the property. In my former Indiana parish, located in a poor neighborhood, we also had four break-ins, though these occurred over 17 years. It’s a different order of magnitude here apparently.

The designation of this day as the Feast of the Holy Name is new to the revision of the Prayer Book. Previous Anglican Prayer Books called it the Feast of the Circumcision. January first is, of course, the eighth day after Christmas Day, and the Gospel according to Luke records that eight days after his birth the child was circumcised and given the name Jesus.