Archbishops Invite Anglicans to Pray & Light Candles

As Canadians continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial and national archbishops of our Church are inviting Ontarian and Canadian Anglicans to join together in prayer and light a candle of hope. 

Archbishop Anne Germond, metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, has released a pastoral letter entitled, "A Word from One is a Word from All." The letter includes 13 messages of encouragement and hope from the Ontario House of Bishops.

"I have never been more proud to call myself a Christian than I am in this moment, as followers of Jesus become visible signs of God’s unconditional love to one another," writes Archbishop Germond in her message. "As our world is torn apart by fear, uncertainty, panic, and hopelessness, we have the privileged vocation of being living signs of a Love that can bridge all anxieties and heal all wounds. May people say of us, “See how they love one another”, and in that catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God that Jesus announced."

The pastoral letter also includes an invitation for Ontario Anglicans to light a candle in their windows on Sunday March 22 at 7:00pm, in the spirit of the Gospel passage, "I am the light of the world, says the Lord; those who follow me will have the light of life” (John 8: 12). This initiative, mirroring one from the Church of England, seeks to be a "visible symbol of the light of life, Jesus Christ, our source and hope in prayer" in all of the province's towns, villages and cities.

Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, is also asking Canadian Anglicans to light a candle as part of a national day of prayer planned for Sunday, March 29, on the fifth Sunday of Lent. 

"All around us, while many are in quarantine or self-isolation, the church is blossoming with prayer," writes Archbishop Nicholls. "We are digging deep into the heart of our faith to lift our voices in the sure and certain knowledge that the Holy Spirit hears our intercessions, thanksgivings and even our groans."

The Primate invites Anglicans to join the Anglican Communion on this day of prayer for repentance—to pray for the whole Communion and for the whole world engulfed in COVID-19. "Light a candle of hope in the window of your home or on the porch," says Archbishop Nicholls. A special service will be livestreamed on the national church's Facebook page on March 29 at 7:00pm and prayers will offered for a variety of concerns, including "for the whole world as we share in the effects of COVID19."