Masks are not required, although some people continue to wear them to services–you’re welcome at the Nativity, whatever decision you make for yourself!
You can join the service, live or later, via YouTube. The live-stream begins at about 9:45 am, and the service begins at 10 am. You will also be able to watch or re-watch the stream on YouTube at this link at any later time.
The order of service is available here. It includes the readings, responses, and the words to the hymns–helping you to join in as fully as possible via the live-stream.
Today we’re observing the Holy Day of Saint Mary Magdalene, whose feast day is July 22nd. Mary has suffered in history, due to an unfortunate conflation of her and other figures. Here’s a short introduction to her and a sense of why we observe her feast, taken from For All the Saints:
Mary was called the Magdalene because she was a woman of
For All the Saints (220)
Mag’dala, a village in Galilee. In the Gospels it is said that Jesus
cast seven demons out of her and that she was one of a group
of women who followed him and used their wealth to provide
for the rest of his companions.
Mary accompanied Jesus to Jerusalem, and three of the evangelists
— Matthew, Mark, and John — give her first place among
the women disciples who stood nearby while their Lord was
crucified. All the Gospel accounts agree that, on the morning of
the third day, she went to his tomb in order to anoint his corpse
— and was astonished to find the tomb empty, except for mysterious
strangers who told her that Christ was risen. According
to John, it was just then that Mary became the first to behold
and speak with the risen Lord himself; John also reports that
Jesus appointed her to proclaim the news of his resurrection to
the apostles. For this reason Mary Magdalene is regarded as
their equal by the Eastern Church, for she was the apostle to the
apostles.
Our cover image is a Coptic icon of the risen Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene in the garden.