Holy Baptism
Baptism is the death of ourselves as solitary beings, and our rebirth as a child of God — a child of the Light. Baptism means sharing in the crucifixion of Jesus and rising to new life in His resurrection life. We are initiated by water into Christ's body, the Church, and through baptism the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our heart.
Baptism for infants, children and adults is scheduled for four times a year: on Easter Sunday, on the Day of Pentecost (seven weeks after Easter Sunday), on the Sunday after All Saints' Day (November 1), and on the Sunday after Epiphany (January 6). Baptism by full emersion in water is also available at St. James. Please make arrangements by calling the Cathedral office.
e-mail with any questions, or call the Cathedral office at 559 222 3721
Holy Matrimony
The joining together of a man and a woman in Holy Matrimony is a bond and covenant established by God in creation. Jesus adorned this manner of life by his presence and his first miracle at a wedding, in Cana. To Christian people, marriage signifies the mystery of the union between Christ and his bride the Church, and the Bible commends marriage to be honored by all people.
The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity, and (when it is God's will) for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord.
Weddings at St. James may be arranged by calling the Cathedral office.
e-mail with any questions, or call the Cathedral office at 559 222 3721
Holy Eucharist
This sacrament was commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again. By taking into ourselves the heavenly food of Christ's body and blood, we strengthen our union with Christ and with one another, we receive forgiveness for our sins, and we receive a foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life.
The Holy Eucharist is celebrated at every Sunday service, and Monday through Friday mornings. All baptized Christians are invited to receive communion at St. James. Any person is invited to come to the communion rail for a blessing.
You may stand or kneel at our altar rail. Receive the bread by extending your hands, palms up. To receive the wine, please assist the minister in guiding the chalice to your lips. If you prefer, you may have the minister dip your bread into the wine and place it on your tongue (this is called intinction) by offering the bread back to him or her. If you do not wish to receive communion, you may cross your arms over your chest, and the priest will offer you a blessing.
e-mail with any questions
Confirmation
This is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ. It is especially suitable for those who may have been baptized as infants, but then spent a good portion of their lives on a spiritual journey towards the truth, and are now ready to say, "Jesus, please come into my life." Through Confirmation, the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to minister in Jesus' name.
Confirmation is accomplished through prayer and the laying on of hands by our Bishop. You must have been already baptized in the Christian faith, have received additional education in it (this is called the Catechism), be penitent of your sins, and now be ready to affirm your confession of Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior.
Confirmation may be arranged by calling the Cathedral office.
e-mail with any questions, or call the Cathedral office at 559 222 3721
Healing
Jesus expressed God's love for us most directly by his many miracles of healing. You may receive prayers for the healing of your body, mind, or spirit, at our altar rail after the Sunday 10:30 service. St. James also offers an evening Healing Service on occasion — please call the Cathedral office for dates and times.
The Unction of the Sick is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands by the priest, through which God's grace of healing is given. This rite may be arranged by calling the Cathedral office.
e-mail with any questions, or call the Cathedral office at 559 222 3721
Reconciliation
You may know this rite by the name "Confession." It is a private opportunity to come to God, with the assistance of a priest, and express our sorrows at the wrongs we have done to God, to others, and to ourselves. It is the fulfillment of Jesus' breathing on the apostles for them to receive the Holy Spirit and "if you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." This is Jesus' way of being present in a special and powerful way so that the penitent can hear the words spoken "Your sins are forgiven..." even as Jesus di
The benefit of Reconciliation is to unburden ourselves from the crush of regrets we have been carrying around for too long. This allows us to start afresh, and greet the dawn with a renewed and forgiven soul. We become reconciled with God, and with our brothers and sisters.
It is very human to feel a bit embarrassed to have to say certain things in front of another person. But this is a fear that evaporates when you walk through it. You will be comforted to know that the rite of Reconciliation ends with the priest asking God, "... and please pray for me, a sinner." We are all in the same boat, together.
If you have been dragging a sack of garbage behind you for too many years, and would like to dump it off, God invites you to come to him with it. Reconciliation may be arranged by calling the Cathedral office.
e-mail with any questions, or call the Cathedral office at 559 222 3721
These sacraments sustain our present hope, and anticipate its future fulfillment. They are the ways in which the spiritual world intersects with our physical world in a tangible manner. However, God does not limit himself to these rituals. The patterns expressed in the sacraments are an indication of the countless ways God uses material things to knock at the door of our heart, and ask to come into our life and share his love for us.
We invite you to join us at St. James for Sunday worship, where we spend an hour trying to discern God's plan for our life, and receive the grace and love he offers us.