The Sin of Omission ~ by Ronnie Archer

Today's readings warn us of living a comfortable, complacent lifestyle, without regard to the less fortunate living in our midst.

In Luke's Gospel, 16:19-31, Jesus uses a very interesting parable, giving a clear picture of the contrast between the poor and the rich. The rich man ate sumptuously and dressed royally each day, yet he was totally unaware of the poor man lying at his door covered with sores.

Lazarus' name was written in the Book of Life, because he was humble; he never complained; he maintained his silence during his times of trouble. He had the vision to see God, and when he died, he was called to Heaven. The rich man died and was in torment; his name was never mentioned in the story. He committed the sin of omission while alive. He did not LISTEN to the Word of God. He lived comfortably, with disregard to the poor around him.

Heaven and hell exist in the place WHERE we are - but only those who are called can see God. A person who has the quality of humbleness, and a presence of faith in times of trouble - not grumbling about their trials, maintaining silence and obedience is called to heaven.

We must believe in the Word of God; we cannot turn away and fail to recognize the Lazaruses in our world. We have to show and share human love. The Word is preached to us regularly. If we do not recognize God's Word; then it is preached in vain.

We must turn back to God. Only HE can give us eternal life. Apart from God, there is no life.

~ Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~

A Challenge for St. E's ~ by Phyllis Booth

Last Saturday's retreat showed how spiritual our parish members are; we're a great family. Reflecting on the day, I'm proud of being a member. We have faced many challenges during the past year. The greatest challenge is accepting responsibility to keep our priest and to remain a viable force in Highland Park.

This old lady feels we need to take on three other steps immediately. First, supporting our representatives on the Diocesan Planning Committee. Why do I think this way? Our parish knows what it's like to have a pastor, a coordinator, being a part of a cluster of parishes, and having an administrator. This is the perfect time to relate our ideas to Barbara Vaughan and Frances Pope on what works and what is needed to keep the Catholic Faith alive and possibly, keep our church open.

The second step is empowering members to take part in the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Formation Program (PMLF) in our diocese. Do you recall the old Ministries Formation Program (MFP) several members were a part of during Fr. Mike's tenure? Well, this is another opportunity for lay people to be a participant in an area of focus such as Liturgy, Pastoral Ministry, Catechetics, Youth Ministry or Business; as well as academic formation of the Catholic Faith. There is a shortage of priests and lay help will be needed in each parish. The diocese wants trained help in each parish. Are we up to this challenge?

The third step is training our children in the Catholic Faith. They are the future of our parish. We must teach them ourselves and give them experiences that will keep them in the Church. This cannot be done without catechists (teachers). At the present time, St. Elizabeth has no one certified to do the Pathways Program. We must pray for persons to commit to the training and serve while taking the course. Catechists are needed for the sacramental program, Confirmation, RCIA and Adult Education.

I'm concerned that we are satisfied with just Sunday and Wednesday Mass. We need to evangelize starting with the children of our parish.

These are my thoughts and concerns. I don't know how long I'll be able to serve in any capacity. What do you think of my concerns? Do you have any solutions?

St. Elizabeth's Retreat, 9/22/07 ~ by Mildred Green

The 2007 St. Elizabeth Parish Retreat was held at St. Francis/St. Emma in Powhatan, Virginia. As some of us arrived Saturday morning to start our retreat, we were greeted by Mieko Timmons and Barbara White, president of the Women's Group. We settled in to tell one another how we got turned around on the road! A total of 57 people came, including 4 young people.

The first group gathering was in the large room. The official welcome was given by Sr. Emma, with a little history of the place. St. Francis de Sales, at Mt. Pleasant and St. Emma, at Belmead, have a rich human history that includes Native Americans, African Americans and Europeans. The St. Francis/St. Emma site was build in the 1890's and had two high schools, one for girls and one for boys. These two educational institutions influenced the lives of many African American women and men. The schools located on adjacent plantations once owned by Phillip St. George Cocke, a wealthy Virginia planter.

Sr. Maureen then gave us some housekeeping information, as well as discussing places of interest to take a look at. The James Morris family along with the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament looks to the FUTURE and works to restore the granary, one of the historic structures on the grounds.

Sr. Angela: The drum calls us to prayer. As music of drums played, Sr. Angela gave us some thoughts of spirituality to reflect on. "Today is a day to treat yourself." A visual presentation put us in touch with God's Presence. There were questions for discussion: How do you LIVE spirituality? What components do you feel are essential to you spiritually? What words describe spirituality for you? How does spirituality affect your daily activities, work situation and relationships to the natural world?

As we went outside for about 15 minutes, we were asked to reflect on the four questions. Also, not to speak with anyone at this time, find a quiet place. We came back and shared our wisdom. There were lots of remarks about the questions. They were written out on small colorful stickers and placed on a board that was placed over the Altar at Mass.. Here are some of the comments: Look for and finding God's love ~ Let go! ~ Slow down and look ~ A daily quest ~ Trust on a higher being ~ Humble ~ Kind ~ Communicate daily with God ~ Prayerful ~ Compassion ~ and many more. The sun came out. What a beautiful day. Spirituality is not a choice; everyone is spiritual. It is what we do with our spirits and souls.

Sr. Elena: Her Mystery of Creation slides showed her wonderful work with the camera; her fantastic prints showed us how Nature speaks to us. We truly walked in God's Presence. She read a poem by Henry David Thoreau called "Walking." We took off in all directions for our Walk in God's Presence. Some went to the Historic Cemetery; some to the pond, the Mansion, the Memorial Garden, stables, granary, the St. Edward Cemetery, the dam and after a long and dusty hard path, down to the James River to dip our feet in the River. Some of us were outdone; walking back was out of the question, so we waited for the cars to come back for us. We had a choice to walk alone or sharing time with a friend on our walk. We truly met God through Nature.

Before going on our Nature walk, Fr. Andrew asked us to read Matthew: 2-7-8. He also prepared us for the Sacrament of Penance with some of his wisdom for those who wanted. Sr. Elena was available for Spiritual conversation.

Sr. Jean took people on The River of Life Tour, showing them the picnic spot and all the interesting things about the river. The young people and young at heart took advantage of this.

Some of us took some time to go through the memorabilia in the Mansion. Familiar names and faces jumped out at us, as we looked at the photo albums. On display is a picture of our own, the late Ron Handy, in his military uniform from the class of 1960. Other newspaper articles brought the place alive for me. All the different rooms of the Mansion, seeing them just takes you back in time. It's so sad to see the great place deteriorating. We prayed for the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

Mass was said by Fr. Andrew. He reflected on how Prayer can save many; prayer for your enemies. Only when you forgive that person in your heart. St. E's choir was amongst us for enjoyable selections, as always. We ended our retreat with a few announcements.

Thank you to all the Sisters for a job well done and the Women's group also. I think all enjoyed themselves. Meeting God Through Nature was just fantastic.

~ Photos by Mildred Green ~

1978 St. Elizabeth Parish Council Workshop Retreat

I was looking through some old church photos recently and came across this wonderful old picture of the St. Elizabeth's Parish Council at their October 1978 Workshop/Retreat at St. Joseph's Villa! Gosh, have we gotten old, or what??? Do you recognize yourselves? :) Almost 30 years ago!

Remember Loren - Wendy - Angela - Eric - Mary Ann - Marguerite - Phyllis - Sr. Miriam - Marie - Fr. Mike - Tom - Cathy - Anna - Perzelia - Jackie - Barbara W. - Bro. Steve? We were a fine looking bunch!

Maybe I'll put up some more pics from time to time.

Will You Be Ready? ~ by Larry Williford

Here are a few reflections on today's service at St. Elizabeth's. The theme that touched me was this question from Fr. Andrew: "Will you be ready when God calls?"

The Sunday Mass started with the procession of the choir joyfully singing, We've Come This Far By Faith. It was Sister Cora Marie Billings' 50th Golden Jubilee celebration of her vows into religious life. The church was filled with guests, friends and her church family.

In his homily, Fr. Andrew spoke about giving and being ready when God calls our name. He asked if we knew what was the meaning of true wealth. So many of us only think about our worldly possessions and being rich. But what is it to be truly rich in God's eye. How much do we give to others? I am not just talking about money or things like that. I am talking about love, a friendly smile, a kind hello, to forgive someone for the wrong they have done, to reconcile. This is what God has called us to do; to be a family with one another and to give service to others. Will you be ready when God calls your name?

Sister Cora was asked to give us a few words about her Jubilee and her service to God. She talked about how others have helped her to become the person she is today. She spoke of her devotion to Mary and how many important events of her life happened on feast days dedicated to the Blessed Mother. She asked the church and her friends to pray for her so that she will continue to be an example of a life committed to God. Sister then renewed her vows.

The choir helped to make this a real Jubilee for all, by singing songs requested by Sister Cora. The choir sang: Lord, I'm Available to You and It's Your Time.

- 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time -

Lyric's Baptism ~ by Diane Neylan

"...because I want to go to heaven..."
~ Lyric Aryana Weston

It seems like only yesterday that St. Elizabeth's was the site of Amy Williford's baptism. I remember how Fr. Mike dipped her in the font! On August 26, 2007, her daughter Lyric became the newest member of the St. Elizabeth family. As mommy and daddy, godmothers Mina and "Aunt D," grandparents Barbara and Larry, Uncle Vince, relatives, special friends and the extended St. E's family watched, Fr. Andrew baptized Lyric and welcomed her into the faith and into the parish family.

Lyric, who celebrated her 4th birthday on August 25th, was totally prepared for the day. She knew her Uncle Jason would lift her up so that Fr. Andrew could "pour water on her head." Those who watched could only laugh when she stretched out in Jay's arms and threw her head back! Lyric was also ready spiritually for this important day. When asked if she wanted to be baptized, her answer was "Yes, because I want to go to heaven." What a marvelous answer from a 4-year old! (Of course, I'm slightly biased since I'm her godmother.)

I think Amy summed it up best when she thanked everyone who was in attendance by saying, "You all helped raise me. How could I not provide the same love and support for my own daughter?!"

So, on Sundays, look for the beautiful, well-behaved little girl sitting in the pew with her family as she continues her life journey, strengthened and supported by the love and faith of the St. Elizabeth family.

Forgiveness ~ by Phyllis Booth

Today's readings show people seeking forgiveness for their sins. When we can't see, feel or touch the invisible God, we take bold steps on our own to satisfy our longing for God, by acquiring power, money and possessions.

Moses pleaded with God not to destroy the people he brought from Egypt because he knew God loved them and would keep His promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. This promise has extended through centuries and is one that people believe and depend upon today.

The second reading reminds us that God does forgive the greatest sin we can possibly commit. Because Paul was cleansed of his many sins, it showed us that the door is always open for all our sins to be forgiven. Paul was grateful for the gift he received and accepted his mission to bring Christ to others in a humble manner.

Paul spoke often about knowing himself. Through his conversion, he recognized his weaknesses and strengths. This knowledge enabled him to bring many converts to Christ. As Christians, we must examine ourselves and admit to ourselves our many faults and gifts. Ask God to help us use our gifts for peace and turn our faults into gifts that are useful in bringing souls to Him.

The Gospel's parables were familiar readings and dealt with wandering from the path of God's teaching, losing possessions and destroying our inheritance. In each instance, joy was restored when the lost objects were found.

It appears or seems that in today's society, we don't fear or believe in death. Modern technology often causes the young not to believe. The death God spoke of was the spiritual death of the soul.

In God's eyes, our souls become dark and ugly. We lose the precious gift of joy. We are separated from God and lose the sense of knowing Him and the love He has for each of us.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father (God) forgives his son with symbols not words. The kiss shows peace; the robe, the return of dignity; the ring, returning the seal of authority; the sandals, regaining his self respect, and the fatted calf bringing joy.

However, the father's joy was cut short by the jealousy, anger and self-righteousness of the older son. Once again, the father must show and remind this son how much he loves him. He is loved even though he hasn't committed any grave sins.

In families today, parents need to help their children to understand that they are loved and forgiven for their sins just as God loves and forgives parents for their sins. We must grow to believe that God delights in forgiving us and only asks that we desire to receive His mercy.

~ Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~

The Voice of the People ~ Finance Council Update

This month's "Voice of the People" meeting after Mass included an update by members of the finance council about the following issues:

1. Renovation of the rectory - the immediate need is to fix the outside of the rectory and monies are available for that.

2. Arrangements have now been made by the finance council to pay all or part of the salary and benefits of our priest. The exact amount will be known soon.

3. We have not yet received payment for the sale of the piece of property that the United Methodist group needs for their project. The sale depends on the city's agreement that the project begin.

4. The congregation is being encouraged to contribute more in their envelopes each week to meet the expenses of the new fiscal year.

5. Parishioners asked that a list of items needed for the rectory be given to the parish members. They also asked that more detail be given by finance council as to the needs of the parish.

Black Catholic Commission Report ~ July 2007 ~ by Rosemary Overton

Rosemary reported to the Black Catholic Commission about one of the sessions she recently attended at the National Black Catholic Congress.

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Session Title: Keeping Our Children HIV Negative

The presenters discussed how they have used a program called "ON THE UP AND UP and THE CHILDREN WILL FLY" to help parents talk to their children about HIV/AIDS and their sexuality. It also helps the teachers and other instructors to talk to children and assist parents on how to talk with their children. The program is a bible based program for grades 3-6 but they do have advanced material for older students. The primary goal of the program is to raise awareness about ways to prevent new infection of HIV, and for our children to adopt healthy practices.

The program has been used in Catholic schools but can be used in the Public schools, recreation, churches or any place where young people meet. Parental consent must be obtained and the parents or caregivers have to participate in the program.

It was a lively discussion because many of the attendees brought up the fact it is difficult to talk with some adults and youth because of the Catholic Church's teaching on the use of condoms and abstention.

The presenter advised them that the program can be used successfully, even with the position held in regard to condoms and abstention. Some examples were given and individuals were invited to remain after the session for more assistance.

We must do everything we can to prevent HIV/AIDS, especially in the African - American communities.

Please contact Rosemary if you have any questions regarding this program.

"Do You Have A Call Within The Call?" ~ by Ronnie Archer

Jesus' preaching attracted many people who wanted to be one of HIS disciples. His question was "why are you trying to follow ME?" Everyone who follows Jesus should have a call within THE call, or you cannot be a follower of Christ. Whatever our call in life is, (our vocation), we should do it well; but we should also have THE call to do whatever it takes to carry our own cross.

It is most important that we RECOGNIZE, and carry our OWN cross. Sometimes, we fail at this because we have not identified our own cross. Whatever our cross in life might be...health challenges, difficult family relationships, the loss of loved ones through death, divorce, etc., job loss, terminal illness, the frailties of old age... whatever they are...we need to take up that cross and carry it, following Jesus.

The Wisdom reading, 9-13, asks: "Who can know God's counsel, or who can conceive what He intends?" The one who knows God is the one who recognizes and takes up his OWN cross and follows Jesus.

There are arduous tasks that we have to undertake here on earth, in planning and preparing, and Jesus gave us two comparisons. Our first (Luke 14:28), is a tower (house) for our security; the second (Luke 14:31), is an army for our protection. So as we plan and prepare for these earthly needs, it is much MORE important to plan for our ETERNAL security and protection.

Luke's Gospel, 14:33, tells us that "anyone who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be a disciple of Jesus." Renouncing our possessions and family members CAN be done, but OUR cross remains with us. Can we join Jesus in the taking up of our OWN cross?

16th Anniversary ~ St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir

This year marked the 16th Anniversary of The St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir under the direction of Rev. Rita Newson. Our Master of Ceremonies again this year was Rev. Bruce Jones of Trinity Baptist Church. Guest choirs included the Holy Rosary Mass Choir, Redeem, and the Union Baptist Gospel Choir. The program closed with a benediction by Fr. Andrew Sagayam, our pastor.

We especially want to thank the Women's Group for serving the dinner after the concert. We hope you enjoy these photo memories of our beautiful concert.

The honorees march in!

The St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir!

St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir

Holy Rosary Mass Choir

Our Master of Ceremonies, Rev. Bruce Jones

Union Baptist Church Choir

Our Pastor, Fr. Andrew

The celebration continued in the Church Hall...

Unfortunately, there were no photos of the Redeem Choir.

~ Photographs by Jimmy Allen ~

Black Catholic Commission Meeting ~ by Phyllis Booth

The Black Catholic Commission meeting was held at St. Benedict Catholic Church on Saturday, September 8, 2007. The meeting was attended by Commission members, newly appointed Commission members, guests and Diocesan staff.

Reflections from Congress X were given. The eight principles were paired into four groups, brainstormed into three activities that coincide with the goals of the Commission. These activities will be developed into future plans for the BCC.

The Ethnic Ministry members reported that the current term of a priest is six years. The Ethnic Ministry group suggested the new priest be interviewed by the pastoral council of the parish and if the priest is selected, he should work with the current pastor for a six month period.

The next meeting of the group will be in December. If you have a concern that the Bishop can solve, notify Chris Thomas (St. Peter's) or Arthur Singleton (St. Mary's Basilica).

Sandra Antoine (Sacred Heart) appealed to the group to consider a donation to support the Capitol Square Civil Rights Memorial Foundation. This memorial will celebrate Virginia's Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. The request will be researched and placed on December's agenda.

Rich Miech, Director of Pastoral Leadership Formation Ministry engaged the group in a conflict resolution game. This activity helped members to evaluate how we respond to conflict in daily settings.

Michael Taylor (Basilica of St. Mary's) and Annette Wilson (Northern District Deputy of the Knights of Peter Claver) informed the group of the purpose of the Knights of Peter Claver. The purpose of the group is to render service to God and His Holy Church, to be faithful to its doctrine and to be sensitive to the needs of the Church, the family, fellowman and community. The structure of the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver offers many opportunities for Catholics to work for their parish. Further info can be found on the web at www.KofPC.org.

Carl Foreman from Catholic Relief Services gave a mini-presentation of the organization which serves 98 counties. Among the projects offered are Fair Trade, The Global Fellow Program, Rice Bowl, and Cyberbridge, through which U.S. high school students are linked to international high schools.

Welcome to Our Newest Parishioners!

Recently, Fr. Andrew introduced to the church, the first couple whose marriage he has celebrated. Kathleen Yates Freeman and Scott Marshall Stell were married on April 14, 2007 at Holy Angels Chapel - the home of the Camboni Missionary Sisters in Lakeside.

Today, we welcome them as new members of St. Elizabeth Church!

A St. Elizabeth's Welcome!

We want to welcome Msgr. Walter Barrett, pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, in his new role here at St. E's. As many of you already know, Msgr. Barrett was recently appointed Administrator of St. Elizabeth's, with Fr. Andrew as our Priest in Residence.

Msgr. Barrett is an old friend to most of the people here at St. E's. Indeed, many of our parish members knew him and his family from old St. Joseph's Church and Van deVyver School from years past.

We are happy to welcome him as a friend of our parish community.

My Spiritual Journey ~ by Ronnie Archer

I have been attending Mass all of my life, originally at St. Joseph Church, and attended Van de Vyver Catholic school for all of my elementary years. I never gave much thought to spirituality, until I became a member of St. Elizabeth's Parish after the closure of St. Joseph Parish, which was heart breaking for the African American Community.

It could have been that I was not as receptive as I have since"matured" to be, but the community at St. Elizabeth's and the many opportunities that were offered to help develop the spiritual side of its members, contributed to my personal spirituality.

Under the pastorate and guidance of then, Fr. Mike Schmied and Sr. Miriam LaVelle, then pastoral associate, and through our Christian Education committee, and later, the St. Elizabeth Women's Group, retreats were offered, such as I had not experienced before. I had memories of only silent retreats, lasting all day without a word until lunch time, then back for more silent individual prayer, until closing. I found out that retreats could be informative, inspiring, uplifting, and opportunities for sharing with others.

At our parish, we had Christian Formation sessions before Mass, often with a lay person, either from our own parish or a non-member who came to share something valuable with us about a life changing experience. We had opportunities to ask questions, during the discussions, which were most informative and inspirational.

I've learned, and am much more aware now, that "we are not ONLY human beings" but, as we were once told by Fr. Pat Apuzzo, when he was our celebrant, that we are also"spiritual beings". That has also had a great impact on my personal spirituality. God made us in His image and when Jesus ascended to His Father, He left us a Paraclete, the Holy Spirit.

For the past twenty-nine years that I've been a member at St. Elizabeth, our parish has continued to offer many opportunities to help us walk our spiritual journey. Christian Formation programs during Advent and Lent, a special summertime session, and the annual Women's Group retreat, all of which have been a blessing to those who attended.

Because of our spirituality, St. Elizabeth parish has been empowered to reach out to the larger community by participating in Caritas, Freedom House, and Aids Ministry. We have also reached out globally by sponsoring several refugee families in the early 80's.

When I joined the parish, it was more diverse than it is now. As an African American, I appreciated the fact that our pastors had the insight to incorporate the music that has been endearing to the African American culture for years, into the Mass. This was done first, by inviting Holy Rosary’s Gospel Choir to celebrate with us until our own gospel choir was formed under the direction of Brenda and Ed Foster. Our current choir is directed by Rev. Rita Newson, and assisted by Kim Ford. Some of the original members are still in the choir. Since scripture is very important to us, many of the gospel songs come from the Old and New Testament stories, some speak of deliverance and comfort, which is a great part of the African American experience.

We have always been encouraged to participate in scripture sharing groups, not only in the Highland Park community where most of our members live, but also in the surrounding counties, where others of us live. I look forward to these scripture sharing times. They are interesting, informative, and sometimes even amazing, to hear another's interpretation of a particular scripture.

For the past year we’ve been blessed to have as our "shepherd", Fr. Andrew Sagayam, from India, who has shared a few of his liturgical customs with us. We have already implemented some of them at our Mass.

We began weekly Wednesday Liturgies before our ceiling collapsed; during Lent, the weekly Liturgies resumed, followed by Stations of the Cross. We are continuing our weekly Wednesday Liturgies, with very good attendance.

On Palm Sunday, after the reading of the passion, Fr. Andrew asked us to think about the characters in the passion. He called each of them by name, then asked us to reflect on which character we would consider ourselves to be, making Our Lord's Passion very personal for us.

The Triduum this year, was beautiful and symbolic. On Holy Thursday, the scriptures were brought to life by twelve "apostles", who were previously chosen to participate in the foot washing ceremony. The participants were given the names of the "apostles" and will serve in other ways throughout the coming year. After the Liturgy, Fr. Andrew also referred to the scripture in Matthew 26:v 38, by inviting the congregation to "visit" with Jesus, for awhile, and many people accepted that invitation to visit and spend sometime in silent prayer.

On Good Friday, Fr. Andrew explained the three crosses, saying one is the cross of rebellion, one is the cross of repentance, and one, the cross of redemption, and as we walked up to venerate the cross, we were asked to genuflect three times and reflect on each cross and accept the cross of redemption. I felt this forced us to look into the depth of our own souls. I believe that when we can relate personally to the scriptures, we bring them to life for us, and by identifying with Jesus, we further our own spirituality.

The Easter vigil began by processing from the church to the outside for the lighting of the new fire. We were given twigs to throw into the fire, symbolizing the burning of our old nature. During the vigil, Fr. Andrew baptized three: one adult and two children; three adults were confirmed and four children received their First Eucharist. We are looking forward to helping a couple celebrate the sacrament of matrimony at St. Elizabeth’s in the fall.

The attendance had already been on an increase before the ceiling fell; then during that challenge, and with the spiritual encouragement of our pastor and parishioners, our faith was strengthened. Determination was rewarded by GOD moving through others to assist us in our efforts to restore our sanctuary.

All during the restoration process, attendance continued to rise as some old members returned. We have since added new members, growing from 65 households, to a current 104 households.

To summarize, my testimony is that God has truly been working on my spiritual journey through St. Elizabeth parish; and equally confident that the presence of the Holy Spirit will continue to strive to make a Catholic presence in Richmond’s Highland Park.

The First and the Last ~ A Reflection

Something Fr. Andrew said to us recently has stuck in my mind and won't let go. Here is the quote and my reflections about the words he spoke.

"Whenever I begin Mass, I pray: Lord, this is my first Mass and this is my last Mass."

Now, these words portray an absolutely beautiful way of thinking; and we parishioners are indeed fortunate to have a priest who is intent on giving God and God's people the very best he can give. For indeed, that is what our priest's words represent. They also imply an awareness that his actions at the altar are not simply some routine he is obligated or expected to perform. These words have far reaching implications for him too, that may not be apparent at first.

"Lord, this is my first Mass..."

Surely, a newly ordained priest's first Mass is one not to be forgotten. Not only does he proclaim the "Good News" to his people, but for the first time, he becomes the living instrument who calls down our God's Son to become present in ordinary pieces of bread and a cup of wine. There at the table, through his words of consecration, those simple elements are forever changed. At the same time, the priest has also experienced a change, for this precious communion with our God is not for himself alone. Indeed, the priest must share this communion with his people. They too, must be drawn into this circle of holiness. This Body and Blood of Christ must become part of their very essence and being...and to touch their very souls. Truly an inspiring and humbling thought. We can be eternally grateful to God if our priest is able to celebrate each Mass in this frame of mind.

"...Lord, this is my last Mass."

No one knows when our time here on earth will come to an end and we come to rest in God's loving arms. Will it be today... tomorrow... or many years from now? We know not the time nor the place. Remember, that for several months now, we have heard the scripture readings telling us to be alert... to be ready.

So when we hear those words about a "last Mass," we recognize that we have a priest who is mindful of his own mortality and the fragileness of our lives. This awareness surely brings to a priest a deep sense of poignancy, in the knowledge that nothing is certain beyond this moment; not for himself nor for his people. Thus, each Mass becomes like his first Mass; a precious gift from God... as well as, an offering of himself to God and to us, God's people.

Congratulations to Mieko Timmons' Organization, a 2007 Richmond History Maker!

Leadership Metro Richmond has selected The Micah Initiative as this year's most deserving organization in the category of Creating Quality Educational Opportunities and will honor them as a 2007 Richmond History Maker. The Micah Initiative brings together 47 faith groups that provide 600 volunteers to assist in 26 elementary schools in the Richmond Public Schools.

The Micah Initiative will be represented at the award celebration by S. Buford Scott and our own Mieko Timmons. Congratulations!

Conduct Your Affairs With Humility ~ by Ronnie Archer

The theme of the first reading, Sirach 3, and the Gospel of Luke 14, is humility. It is MOST important to GOD for us to be humble.

There is tension between humans and GOD, because GOD desires us to be humble. We feel that we are capable of doing certain things; but there is tension because we have not practiced humility. We have lost a sense of holiness. It is difficult to establish holiness when we forget GOD; and when we do forget GOD, we are making ourselves gods.

We have the power and capability to contain the nature of the spirit of GOD. But when we sin, we dull this power; and the only way to sharpen it is by humility. We have been chosen BY God to HAVE God within us. God will not destroy HIS own spirit. All of us carry an equal part of HIS spirit and an equal part of humanness. We can ALL go back to God, because we do possess HIS spirit.

Being humble is the first step to show God IN us; also the first step necessary to "shake" GOD, for HE wants to be WITH us when we are humble.

Giving to those who cannot repay is a form of humility. We should seek no "honor" for ourselves; for going to the "lowest" place, is where we are most likely to find JESUS.

"He who humbles himself will be exalted."