St. Aidan's Anglican Study Group

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St. Aidan's Anglican Study Group St. Aidan's Anglican Study Group is for people who wish to learn and discuss traditional Anglican Faith and Practice

Aidan's Anglican Church, Chestertown, Maryland is a mission parish of St. Paul's Anglican Church, Crownsville, Maryland.

08/17/2026

Joshua Báez homered on the first pitch he ever saw in the Major Leagues. Then he homered in his second at bat.Then he homered in his third.

23,752 people have played in a Major League Baseball game. He is the first one to ever do that.

Wrigley Field. Saturday afternoon. Cardinals and Cubs.

Báez is 23 years old and he found out he was going to the big leagues on FRIDAY. He was in Durham, North Carolina with Triple-A Memphis, had just changed into his workout clothes, when his manager pulled him aside.

His teammates piled on him.

His words: "It was kind of like a shocking moment, just because you don't know when it's gonna happen."

He barely slept that night. By Saturday morning he was in the visitors clubhouse at Wrigley with 30 members of his family somewhere in the building.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol's advice before the game was basically to breathe. Face Matthew Boyd, put the ball in play, and take a second to enjoy it.

First inning. Batting fifth. First pitch of his Major League career, a 93.4 mile per hour fastball up in the zone.

He hit it 449 feet to dead center, halfway up the bleachers.

That is the longest home run any player has ever hit in his first career plate appearance in the Statcast era.

And Marmol saw something on his face rounding first: "There was a calmness and a smile, like, I'm here."

Fourth inning. Second at bat. Same pitcher. Boyd throws a changeup over the middle and Báez puts it 382 feet down the left field line for a solo shot to take the lead back.

Sixth inning. Third at bat. Craig Counsell leaves Boyd in to face him a THIRD time, in a one run game, with Boyd approaching 90 pitches.

Báez hits it 368 feet the other way to right.

Left field. Center field. Right field.

Three home runs, three at bats, three different pitches, all off the same pitcher, all to different parts of the ballpark.

Five RBIs. Cardinals win 8-4.

His fourth at bat produced a line out to left, which is now officially the first out of his Major League career.

Here's the historical context, because it's staggering.

Only eight players in the history of baseball have ever hit two home runs in their debut. Bob Nieman, with the St. Louis Browns in 1951, was the only man to ever homer in his first two at bats in the same game.

Nobody had ever hit three in a debut. Not one player in 150 years.

He's also the first Cardinal to homer in his first Major League at bat since Adam Wainwright in 2006.

And one more thing, because someone did the math. If you had put ten dollars on Joshua Báez hitting three home runs in his first three career at bats, the payout would have been around $7.58 trillion.

You'd have been richer than most countries on earth.

But here's the part I keep coming back to.

Joshua Báez was a second round pick out of Boston in 2021. He was 18 years old and figured he'd be in the big leagues in about two years.

It took five.

Five years of the minors, adjustments, and rough stretches. This season he finally broke out and led all of Triple-A with 34 home runs, seven more than anyone else in the sport.

And what he said about the whole thing, hours before he made history, is the best part of the day:

"It's a roller coaster. You have to go through so many things on and off the field. I was just an 18-year-old, and I had no idea. But I'm 23 now, and I'm glad to be here."

Even Craig Counsell had to give it to him: "He hit three different pitches for home runs. He beat us for sure."

Was it the best debut in Major League history?

There isn't a debate. It's the only one of its kind ever played.

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08/17/2026
07/04/2021

Propers for Independence Day
July 4.
The Collect and Lessons
The Collect

The Epistle

The Gospel


The Collect

O ETERNAL God, through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle
Deuteronomy x. 17.

THE LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: he doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.


The Gospel
St. Matthew v. 43.

JESUS said, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

04/01/2021

Propers for Thursday before Easter, commonly called
Maundy Thursday.
The Collect and Lessons
The Collect

The Epistle

The Gospel


The Collect

ALMIGHTY Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, did institute the Sacrament of his Body and Blood; Mercifully grant that we may thankfully receive the same in remembrance of him, who in these holy mysteries giveth us a pledge of life eternal; the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.


The Epistle
1 Corinthians xi. 23.

I HAVE received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.


The Gospel
St. Luke xxiii. 1.

THE whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate . And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: no, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him, in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

Or else this that followeth.

The Gospel

St. John xiii. 1.

NOW before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

03/25/2021

Propers for The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
March 25.
The Collect and Lessons
The Collect

The Epistle

The Gospel


The Collect

WE beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Epistle
Isaiah vii. 10.

MOREOVER the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.


The Gospel
St. Luke i. 26.

AND in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

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