On Wednesday, April 22, we convened the first meeting of the St. Vincent’s Chapter of the Order. There were seven men in attendance including me. One man was from St. Stephen’s Hurst, one from St. Mark’s, and three from St. Vincent’s. My good friend (for at least 57 years) Michael Becan was among them. Michael is a Deputy District Director in the Knights of Columbus. He was a great inspiration to me in the founding of the Order of the Knights of St. Michael. Michael arrived with his full regalia: tuxedo, gloves, cape, sword, and plumed hat!
We began the meeting with Evening Prayer. I stressed to the men the importance of establishing a habit of saying at least one of the Daily Offices every day. Prayer is the foundation on which we as a Church are built, and it is how we draw closer to God. We then discussed the importance of establishing a Rule of Life, which includes worshipping on the Holy Days of Obligation, adding the Special Days of Devotion, and the practice of personal sacramental Reconciliation. I explained how the General Confession and Absolution that we say in the Mass are fine for the minor venial sins we all commit. For the sins that weigh heavily on us, that make us feel shame and guilt, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation as written in our Book of Common Prayer. Many times I have heard a penitent person tell me that they felt as if a ton of bricks were lifted from their shoulders. I have heard this from several men who are not Anglican and who may not practice Religion at all. I urged the men to commit to making their confession at least once during the Easter season to their parish priest, or if they prefer to any other priest they may know.
We ended the meeting with prayer and committed to meet again on May 20, 7:00 PM, at St. Vincent’s Cathedral, in Seabury Hall. Thanks be to God!
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