Saint Charles Episcopal Church

05/31/2026

05/24/2026

Let us pray:

O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

04/28/2026

In Christ we are all one.

04/16/2026

Christ taught us in many different ways that we should wish to imitate him by our own kindness and genuine love for one another." – St. Maximus the Confessor. ✨

How are you showing kindness to those around you today? Let's find small ways to put our faith into action.

04/10/2026

Almighty and gracious God,
We thank You for the gift of our parishes,
for the fellowship of believers and the blessing of community.
We praise You for the freedom and joy
of gathering together in Your name
to worship, to pray, and to grow in faith.
Strengthen the bonds of love among us,
and make our churches places of welcome,
service, and hope.
May our worship bring glory to Your holy name
and our lives bear witness to Your grace.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

04/03/2026

Almighty and Everliving God, on this Good Friday we come before Your cross in awe and humility. We remember the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who stretched out His arms upon the hard wood of the cross that all might come within the reach of His saving embrace. Grant us the grace to behold the depth of His love and to enter into the mystery of His suffering for our sake.

In our sorrow and repentance, help us to trust in Your mercy. Strengthen us to walk in the way of the cross, that we may find it none other than the way of life and peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

03/22/2026

03/13/2026

Lord Jesus,

I come before You with a humble heart, acknowledging my need for Your direction in my life. I confess that at times I feel uncertain about which way to go and I long to follow the path You have set for me.

Teach me to hear the gentle voice of Your Holy Spirit. Quiet my heart so I can recognize Your guidance and give me the courage and faith to obey, even when the way is unclear. Help me to trust that You are leading me with love and wisdom on this journey.

Shape my desires to match Your will and grant me discernment to choose what brings glory to Your name. May I walk closely with You, confident that You will never leave me alone.

In Your precious name I pray, Amen.

02/27/2026

Join us for prayer and worship with the Bishop of Washington, The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde on Sunday, March 8 at 5 pm during our Wilderness service. Bishop Budde will be our preacher for the evening.

The Wilderness service intentionally creates space for contemplative spirituality, blending silence and music within the structure of ancient liturgical worship and the beauty of our Gothic cathedral.

Following the service, Bishop Budde will engage in conversation with our Dean, The Very Reverend Richard Lawson, Bishop-elect of Alabama. Both the service and the conversation will be livestreamed at sjcathedral.org and on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

02/17/2026

In a time when so much is crumbling, is burning, I don’t want to romanticize the ashes that come with destruction and devastation. As we approach Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, I do want to keep asking what the Holy One can do with dust, and to keep looking for how I can be part of that. So many blessings to you, beloved ones, as the new season arrives.

BLESSING THE DUST

All those days
you felt like dust,
like dirt,
as if all you had to do
was turn your face
toward the wind
and be scattered
to the four corners

or swept away
by the smallest breath
as insubstantial—

did you not know
what the Holy One
can do with dust?

This is the day
we freely say
we are scorched.

This is the hour
we are marked
by what has made it
through the burning.

This is the moment
we ask for the blessing
that lives within
the ancient ashes,
that makes its home
inside the soil of
this sacred earth.

So let us be marked
not for sorrow.
And let us be marked
not for shame.
Let us be marked
not for false humility
or for thinking
we are less
than we are

but for claiming
what God can do
within the dust,
within the dirt,
within the stuff
of which the world
is made
and the stars that blaze
in our bones
and the galaxies that spiral
inside the smudge
we bear.

—Jan Richardson
from Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons
janrichardson.com/books

Image: “Ash Wednesday Cross”
© Jan Richardson
janrichardsonimages.com