SAINT JAMES WELCOMES YOU
The Mission of Saint James
Saint James exist to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in worship and ministry, seeking to include all of God's children, both those in our community of faith and those beyond our doors, while offering the love of Christ.
In 2011, St. James Episcopal Church of Bradley Beach celebrated its Centennial.
ABOUT
For more than 100 years, Saint James has been a home to parishioners that gather and work together to bring Christ to our community and to the world.
LET'S CONNECT
We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your personal needs or those of your family. Call us to speak by phone or make an appointment or email us.
Father James T. Yarsiah, Priest - In - Charge
Phone: 732-775-5414
Email us at: saintjamesbb@gmail.com
605 4th Avenue
Bradley Beach, NJ 07720
CURRENT WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in-person and on Zoom
All are welcomed!
CHURCH TEACHING ON LENT
Q: What is Lent?
A: Historically, Lent is the forty-day period before Easter, excluding Sundays, it began on Ash Wednesday and ended on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday). In recent years, this has been modified so that it now ends with evening Mass on Holy Thursday, to prepare the way for Triduum.
Q: Why are Sundays excluded from the reckoning of the forty days?
A: Because Sunday is the day on which Christ arose, making it an inappropriate day to fast and mourn our sins. On Sunday we must celebrate Christ's resurrection for our salvation. It is Friday on which we commemorate his death for our sins. The Sundays of the year are days of celebration and the Fridays of the year are days of penance.
Q. Why are the forty days called Lent?
A: They are called Lent because that is the Old English word for spring, the season of the year during which they fall. This is something unique to English. In almost all other languages its name is a derivative of the Latin term Quadragesima, or "the forty days."
Q: Why is Lent forty days long?
A: Because forty days is a traditional number of discipline, devotion, and preparation in the Bible. Thus Moses stayed on the Mountain of God forty days (Exodus 24:18 and 34:28), the spies were in the land for forty days (Numbers 13:25), Elijah traveled forty days before he reached the cave where he had his vision (1 Kings 19:8), Nineveh was given forty days to repent (Jonah 3:4), and most importantly, prior to undertaking his ministry, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness praying and fasting (Matthew 4:2).
Since Lent is a period of prayer and fasting, it is fitting for Christians to imitate their Lord with a forty-day period. Christ used a forty-day period of prayer and fasting to prepare for his ministry, which culminated in his death and resurrection, and thus it is fitting for Christians to imitate him with a forty-day period of prayer and fasting to prepare for the celebration of his ministry's climax, Good Friday (the day of the crucifixion) and Easter Sunday (the day of the resurrection).
