Icon of Saint Clement blessed today....

At this morning's service at St. John's Episcopal Church in Ashfield, Massachusetts, my Icon of St. Clement of Rome was blessed by the Rev. Eliot Moss.  Friday (Nov 23) was the Feast Day of St. Clement, so I am particularly content with how this has worked out, even though I know every imperfection in the Icon. 

 In many respects, today marks the culmination of a Tale of Three Churches. 

 The tale begins with the Church in which I was raised.  St. Clement's Episcopal Church, "The Fisherman's Church," in Baldwin Harbor NY.  It is the place where I began my Christian formation as a young child.  It no longer exists as an episcopal church, but its seaside location left a forever-image - an Icon - in my soul. 

The Second church would have to be St. Clement's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. An Anglo-catholic church, their website contains an account of the legends associated with St. Clement. The rector mailed me palms held by the celebrant on Palm Sunday, which I burned and mixed the ashes with the pigments in the creation of the Icon. http://www.saintclementsphiladelphia.org/ 

And, finally, my home church of St, John's (top picture).  At vicar Moss's suggestion, the Icon was set on the alter today and blessed using the Episcopal Occasional Service for such an event.  We were able to discuss St. Clement's life at the coffee hour afterwards.

Christ is the icon of the invisible God; all things were created through him and for him.

The Word became flesh:

And dwelt among us.

Let us pray (Silence)

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior manifested  your glory in his flesh, and sanctified the outward and visible as a means to perceive realities unseen: Accept, we pray, this representation of Saint Clement of Rome; and grant that as your people look upon it, their hearts may be drawn to things which can be seen only by the eye of faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen. 

So be it.
 
 Saint Clement Carol

1 It was about November-tide
A long, long time ago,
When good S. Clement testified
The faith that now we know.
Right boldly then, he said his say,
Before a furious king;
And therefore on S. Clement’s Day
We go a-Clementing.

2 Work in the mines they gave him then,
To try the brave old saint:
And there two thousand Christian men
With thirst were like to faint.
He prayed a prayer, and out of clay
He made the waters spring,
And therefore on S. Clement’s Day
We go a-Clementing.

3 An anchor ‘round his neck, they tied,
And cast him in the sea;
And bravely as he lived he died,
And gallantly went free.
He rests a many miles away,
Yet here his name we sing,
As all upon S. Clement’s Day
We go a-Clementing.

4 Our fathers kept it long ago,
And their request we make
Good Christians, one small mite bestow,
For sweet S. Clement’s sake:
And make this feast as glad and gay
As if it came in spring,
When all upon S. Clement’s Day
We go a-Clementing.