A Word from The Rector: "Do you Love Me?"

Friends,

“Do you love me?”
Jesus doesn’t ask for admiration.
He asks for action.
Not sentiment—but service.
Not perfection—but faithfulness.
“Feed my sheep,” he says.

That Gospel—read on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul—was read at my ordination to the diaconate in 2015. It was a blisteringly hot day at St. Mary’s Kerrisdale, and I remember the weight of the vestments almost as clearly as the weight of that question.

That day didn’t mark an arrival. It marked a beginning—a quiet, enduring “yes” to a life of service: at the altar, in the world, and with others.

So when you surprised me on June 29th with a celebration of ten years in diaconal ministry, I was completely taken aback—and deeply moved. The cake, the card, the flowers, and then that “Angel Mouse”—each gift thoughtful and full of care.

That mouse, especially, struck a chord. When I was growing up, I was given a set of choir mice—stitched with love by the church bazaar ladies at my childhood parish– because my father was a member of the choir. More than just a cute nick knack- they were symbols of community, of being known and held within something larger. To be given one now, in this parish I love, felt like grace coming full circle. It now lives in my office—a small but meaningful reminder of the story we share here.

Thank you—for your generosity, your encouragement, and your companionship in ministry. I love what I do, because I get to do it with you. 

Even now—ten years on—I still hear that question. “Do you love me?”
Most days, I still find myself answering,
“Yes, Lord—you know I do.”

And in that same voice, the invitation comes again:
“Then let’s keep going—together.”

Blessings,

Alex+