Feast of the Holy Family ~ by Ronnie Archer

One of the most important feast days celebrated by the Church is the Feast of the Holy Family. Its theme was developed around 1893 as an optional diocesan feast by Pope Leo XIII, who wanted to emphasize the importance of the family during a time when family life had begun to deteriorate. The feast was extended to the entire Roman Catholic Church around 1921 by Pope Benedict XV. Since 1969, after the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, the feast has been celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas.

It is most important because the family is the source of the Church. Without the family, there is no society or no Church.

When God created the earth, He did not give His blessings to anybody; but He blessed the Sacrament of Marriage, when Jesus blessed the wine during the wedding at Cana.

Jesus was born into a family and lived with His family for the first 30 years of His life. He did not begin to preach until after He was 30 years old. He learned everything that He preached by being in a family.

We learn love, sharing, caring and forgiveness from our family life. We have to be able to forgive because we cannot establish a community without being able to be humble enough to forgive each other.

The difference in a holy family and a family is the holy family commits themselves to Jesus Christ every day.

Everyone in the family is important in their own role. The father is the backbone, the provider; the mother is the root, the nurturer. Through the parents' love and guidance, the children will learn the difference between right and wrong, and to live in a way that is pleasing to God. In turn, as they mature, they extend that into their own families.

The Church reminds us all to be in service of, and to pray for all families, especially those that are in turmoil.


~ Image by Hermano Leon Clipart

January Birthdays at St. E's ~ Ethel Cooley

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE!




01/01 ~ Tracey Lamb

01/04 ~ Nat Kaine

01/06 ~ Sharon Morton

01/10 ~ Almetia Strother

01/11 ~ Laverne Braxton

01/13 ~ Rosalie Robinson

01/16 ~ Mary Alice Hill

01/20 ~ Charice Jones

01/30 ~ Mildred Green

~ It isn't the load that weighs us down; it's the way we carry it.

(Author Unknown)

Image by Webweaver

Our Christmas Vigil ~ 2007 ~ by Ronnie Archer

Our Christmas Vigil began at 5:30 p.m. with beautiful performances by some of our children. TreShawn McCall, Stanley Lamb, Israel Murray all recited poems.

Tri Glover played O COME, EMMANUEL and HARK THE HERALD on the guitar. Robert Fitzgerald did a selection called GREENSLEEVES on the flute.

Four-year-old Lyric Weston sang SILENT NIGHT, accompanied by her godmother, Diane Neylan on piano, and her grandfather, Larry Williford, singing along with her.

Three-year-old DeShawn Goodwyn sang JOY TO THE WORLD, and Gabriel McDonough did a selection on his saxophone. We have great talent in our parish! The children's performances were enjoyed by all.

After the processional to the altar, the Nativity figures were brought in and placed in the manger. The Baby Jesus, by DeShawn Goodwyn; Mary and Joseph by Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth (Althea) Williams. Nat and Woody Kaine were the candle bearers, accompanying them up the aisle.

The readings were proclaimed by Katrinia Murray and Cathy Woodson, and the responsorial psalm was sung by Diane Neylan.

The Homily: GOD BECAME MAN

On this vigil of Christmas, the church calls us to reflect on the fullness of the covenant. Nobody ever thought that God would be born in human form. It was a real surprise for GOD to be born a MAN. It is beyond our imagination. He loved us so much that He came to share that love WITH us in human form; and by His birth, He elevated all of us.

Christ should be born in us, as we are called to establish His Kingdom on the Earth. We have as our mission from birth, to save, to care, to forgive, and to love. We should give Him the same Joy that He gave us by sharing that Joy with others.

-----

After Mass, everyone was invited downstairs to the hall to celebrate our Jesus' birth; complete with a birthday cake, as well as cookies and other desserts. We all sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and we left with SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT: the fact that GOD BECAME A MAN FOR OUR SAKES!

Advent 2007 Outreach Projects

Many thanks to our parishioners for supporting the Advent Outreach Projects. On Sunday, December 16th, 85 Snack Bags were distributed to the homeless in Monroe Park. Our thanks go out to Mildred Green, Michelle Jordan, Mary Threadgill and the "Just Faith" group from St. Bridget's Church for packing, distributing and talking with all who were in the park on Sunday.

Thanks also to Barbara and Larry Williford for delivering the food pantry items to St. Paul's Church so they could be distributed this week. This food pantry provides a much needed service to those in need in our community.

Christmas Memories ~ by Mary Ann Allen

I'm thinking about my childhood memories this Christmas Eve night. My parents emigrated to the United States from Germany during the 1920's and they brought their lovely Bavarian Christmas traditions with them.

My earliest memories have to do with a special Christmas display that my Dad built every Christmas in our living room. Sometimes, this display covered the length of a wall; sometimes, it was placed in a corner. It was always a flat waist high stand, built of wood and filled in with hunks of slag that were shaped into mountains. Built into the mountains was a wooden stable that was the center point and the reason for the display. Below the stable was a large meadow. All the crevices in the mountains and the meadows were filled in with beautiful mosses that my Dad found in the woods out in the country. There were lights embedded all around the display.

In the stable were the Nativity figures of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus in his crib. The Shepherd figures stood nearby; and further down in the meadow, the Three Kings could be seen travelling toward their destiny of meeting the Babe, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. On another flat area was a group of figures that represented the Last Supper. On the heights of the mountains, stood castles and fairy tale figures like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. ALL of these figures had been carved out of soap and painted with watercolors by my Dad. They were kept safe all year in a special case and brought out at Christmas time to populate the display. There were also other old ceramic and paper mache figures that my parents had brought from Germany. There was a bisque angel that I especially loved, that hung from the ceiling by a piece of thread.

This display was called a "Krippe" or Creche and was not only the highlight of our family's Christmas; but also became a favorite of the children in the neighborhood where I grew up. My Dad continued building this display through the 1960's so that his grandchildren could benefit from the old traditions. For a few years during the 1990's, I also built my own version of a Krippe, so that MY grandchildren could enjoy the beauty of this old German tradition. The photo accompanying this article is a closeup of one of my displays. You can see that I used rocks in place of my Dad's slag which was long gone. The moss came from the woods behind my house. The stable was made from an old piece of tree root. The soap carvings were passed down through my brother's family so I bought my own figures to populate my display. I hope that someday my grandchildren will take up the same tradition in their own families, in memory of the beauty they experienced here in my home during the Christmas season.

How Far Will We Go? ~ by Ronnie Archer

The Fourth Sunday of Advent means that a journey is coming to an end.

In today's first reading and the Gospel, we hear of the upcoming birth of our Lord, Jesus. Do we have the faith to "see" Christ, and to be as obedient as Joseph was in today's Gospel? Joseph, not wanting to expose Mary to shame, had planned to divorce her quietly, until the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him to "not be afraid to take Mary into your home... for it was through the Holy Spirit that this child was conceived."

We need to remember that God is WITH us, and we need to have the eyes of Christ to really "see" Him. Often we feel that we need to have signs; but we can experience God in our day to day living, in our interactions with those around us, in being truly forgiving of those who have hurt us and not harboring anger, in seeing Christ in others, and reflecting the Christ in us TO others... because Christ looked the same as we do.

Can we go as far in having the faith of Ahaz; and be as obedient as Joseph, confident that God will work to fulfill His promises in His own way and in His own time?


~ The Fourth Sunday of Advent ~

A "Thank You" to the Contributors to Our Blog!

Our St. Elizabeth's Blog recently reached its First Birthday! I would like to thank all of our contributors who have so unselfishly and so creatively written the articles and so generously shared their photos with me. Without you, our blog would not have been the success it has become.



Listed below are the people who have made this blog possible:

• Cathy Woodson
• Barbara Vaughan
• Veronica Archer
• Mieko Timmons
• Fr. Andrew Sagayam
• Phyllis Booth
• Ethel Cooley
• Mildred Green
• Sharon Morton
• Vince Neylan
• Larry Williford
• Diane Neylan
• Rosemary Overton
• Mary Walker
• Stephonia Owolabi
• Mary Ann Allen
• Vivian Sullivan
• Valerie Smith
• Patrice Schwermer
• Barbara White
• Sr. Elena Marie Henderson
• Rita Hatchett

If I have inadvertently missed anyone, please let me know so I can add your name to this growing list of contributors. My thanks to all of you!

A Reflection on the Readings of the Fourth Sunday of Advent ~ by Mary Ann Allen

Is 7:10-14

Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Rom 1:1-7

Mt 1:18-24

A BABY NAMED "SAVE" *

As I was reflecting on the beautiful readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, I was struck by the fact that Jesus was given two names. As Isaiah prophesied long ago that a child would be born who would be called Emmanuel or "God is with us", this prophecy was referred to again in Matthew's Gospel by the angel who spoke to Joseph in a dream hundreds of years later. The angel also made known to Joseph that the child that Mary would bear would not only be called Emmanuel, but he was to be named Jesus, a name that has its roots in the Hebrew verb, to save.

"God is with us to save" would be the name of this wonderful child soon to be born. The dream obviously made a profound impression on Joseph; for when he awoke, he immediately took Mary into his home as his wife. He had no more qualms about her pregnancy and his actions saved Mary from being stoned. He would always protect and care for Mary and the child as we will learn in future Gospel stories. Even though Joseph's world had turned upside down, his fidelity to God's commands reflected the same "obedience to faith" that Paul speaks of in his Letter to the Romans.

Paul reminds us that we are called to be holy. The Psalmist describes the person who is holy as one whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean and who desires not what is vain. He calls us to let the Lord enter our hearts, as Joseph brought Mary into his home. The Lord is standing at the door, waiting to be invited in.

Paul also reminds us that we are the beloved of God. It doesn't matter whether we are Jew or Gentile; whether we have different beliefs or customs; it is our common humanity that is the important thing. God loves us all and the Good News that Jesus brings applies to each one of us.

Sometimes it appears that God is silent and we long for a response from Him. Nevertheless, we maintain hope that God has not abandoned us; because long ago, He came among us as a helpless baby, whose name was "Save"... and He is with us still.



* Phrase coined by The Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann,

Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA

Called to Serve

During Sunday morning Mass, Ms Dawn Crutchfield, who is the Director of the Office of Black Catholics in the Diocese of Richmond, spoke to St. E's parish members about her role in sharing Black culture with the Church at large; as well as to take the concerns of the people to the Bishop.

Because the leadership of St. E's will be calling upon our people to form a new pastoral council for the parish in the New Year, Dawn explained the role of the pastoral council within a parish. This council is a group of people who are consultative to the pastor. The direction comes from the parishioners themselves who advise their representatives on what they believe should be happening in their parish. These representatives, together with the pastor, create a vision for the parish; the direction in which the parish will go.

There is a process of discernment that takes place to select people who make up the pastoral council of a parish. We will learn more about that process in January during our monthly Voice of the People meetings.

There were many questions about the role of Fr. Andrew in this process. Dawn explained the meaning of the terms: Administrator, Parochial Vicar and Resident Priest. Because of the many questions, it was requested that the meeting continue after Mass. Mass was then concluded.

During the additional meeting time, Dawn, as the representative of the Bishop, assured us that she would be meeting with the Bishop in the future and would bring any of our concerns to him.

Be Patient Until the Coming of the Lord ~ by Ronnie Archer

Patience is very important. For 2,000 years, people were waiting for the Lord to come. Impatience blinded them. Even John the Baptist was not sure if Jesus was THE ONE. He sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if HE was the one or not. Jesus sent them back with the message to John to be mindful of His signs of healing.

People had a different vision of WHO Jesus was. He was not the God who would come to judge and punish. He comes as a loving God of justice, peace and caring.

Our impatience will also blind us. We must wait and see what God's plan is. If we are too impatient, we might lose everything.

We need to enter unto joy, and ask God to bless us, so we WILL be able to recognize Him when He comes.


~ Third Sunday of Advent ~

A Reflection on the Readings of the Third Sunday of Advent ~ by Phyllis Booth

Is 35:1-6a,10

Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

Jas 5:7-10

Mt 11:2-11


The first reading for this Sunday speaks of the desert, the parched land and the steppe coming alive with all kinds of flowers. This miracle takes place so that God's people can return from exile and reap the benefits of his promise. They return singing joyfully and accept God's gift of a fertile land. The Glory of God is shown as he quietly forgives them, strengthens the weak and feeble, takes the fear from the hearts of those who are frightened and says, fear not. If they believe that God alone has done this for them, then the blind see, the deaf hear and the lame walk; sorrow and mourning will be no more.

Today we are anxiously preparing to celebrate the birth of God's Son and hoping we are prepared if he comes. God is still giving us signs in nature, in people and in his church that the promise is alive. He is still healing, blessing, forgiving and loving us. We must believe God's words.

In the second reading the Apostle James tells those waiting for the return of the Messiah to have patience. He gives an example of how the farmer patiently waits for the rain to water his crops. The farmer must be patient to produce good crops. We are asked to be patient in whatever state of life we find ourselves. We must not judge those who may be responsible for our situation. If we judge others, at the judgment we'll be judged in the same manner. While we are patiently waiting, we must grow in our faith. Become strong in your faith without complaining about whatever is happening to us, our family or friends. We are to accept all that life throws at us and wait for the coming of the Lord to receive our heavenly reward.

Matthew's Gospel gives us a John the Baptist who is doubting whether this person who is performing miracles is really the Messiah. We want to believe John knows the Messiah and believes without a doubt the one he baptized is the Christ.

John's disciples go to Jesus and ask the question, "Are you the one to come or should we look for another?" Jesus gives a simple answer. Tell John what you hear and see, the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised and the lepers are cleansed. I'd like to believe that when John received that message he knew in his heart this was the Messiah. Jesus acknowledged John's greatness to the crowd.

The first reading and the gospel parallel Isaiah's prophetic writing; what was seen and heard by the twelve apostles and Jews of that day.

Today's Christians are witnesses to the miracle of technology. Opthamologists help save sight, bionics help the physically disabled walk, eat, drive, etc. and computers help to communicate around the world in seconds. Are these God's miracles or man's?

The Messiah came to give life and to give life abundantly. Life for some seems to be an abundance. Therefore, we must do what Jesus told John's disciples to look closely at what we see and hear. To notice what is going on around us. To see the signs and power of God's presence in our daily lives and make a difference. We need an abundance of faith. Faith that God has not abandoned us. That the violence and wars today will not destroy this world while Christians have trust in God's love for his children.

One Person at a Time ~ by Vivian Sullivan

In the gospel today, John the Baptist exhorts us to prepare for the coming of Christ. To this end Isaiah speaks of the dream fulfilled and the unity of all God's creation. St. Francis of Assisi personified this by becoming the personal caretaker of animals, the lowliest of God's creatures.

Similarly, the call to bring salvation to all requires that we put this into practice by being good to one another. We must start our journey by being repentant and by being willing to share and serve. We were chosen to build the Kingdom of God here on earth. Making a difference in some one's life brings happiness to the receiver and forces us to respond to the needs of others. We build the kingdom of God one person at a time.


~ Second Sunday of Advent ~

~ Image by Hermano Leon Clipart

A Reflection on the Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent ~ by Cathy Woodson

Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-9

Psalm 72
Matthew 3:1-12


THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND


The readings for the Second Sunday of Advent brings forth the reminder that the kingdom is at hand and we want to be ready. Isaiah gives us an important message about the new life that will come when a "shoot shall sprout from the stump and his roots shall blossom to give us everlasting life." He speaks of justice, being neighbors, no harm or ruin on the mountain, and the earth being filled with knowledge of the Lord. This vision is powerful and helps us reflect on keeping ourselves open to God in us. We are hopeful as we prepare and pray, Come Lord Jesus.

Paul speaks to the Romans and shares encouragement, hope, joy and peace that comes with faith and belief in God. He reminds the Romans of the instructions that had been given to glorify God. In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist bathes the people with water, cleansing them and telling them to be ready when the mighty one comes. He even gives clear instruction: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Just proclaiming to be a child of Abraham is not good enough. We are called to live a life that shows that we believe and to live a life of preparing for the coming. We are called to bear fruit. It is not good enough just to proclaim Christianity, it must be in us.

Matthew is written with strong statements -- take heed, "produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance." This is serious, not to be taken lightly. Just as John the Baptist challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees, this season calls us to challenge ourselves in prayer and reflection.

December Birthdays at St. E's ~ Ethel Cooley

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE!

12/06 ~ Christyna Ford

12/11 ~ Burton Robinson, Sr.

12/12 ~ Archie Thompson, Sr. - Kiyoko Timmons

12/13 ~ Jannie Allen

12/14 ~ Katherine Lamb

12/17 ~ Keira Frizzelle

12/18 ~ Mieya Timmons

12/19 ~ James Thompson

12/21 ~ Perzelia Dandridge

12/22 ~ Sr. Elena Henderson - Frances Pope

12/26 ~ Lula Lamb

12/30 ~ Rita Hatchett - Julian Scott

~ When things go wrong, don't go with them ~ (Anonymous)

Make the Fair Trade Choice ~ Cathy Woodson

St. Elizabeth will begin using Fair Trade Coffee at parish activities and encourage you to purchase coffee and other items from the Fair Trade Table in the church hall. We will begin by selling coffee. Later we can add craft items and chocolate. To learn more go to the website: www.crsfairtrade.org

If you make the Fair Trade choice, you can help build an economy for everyone. Fair trade builds right relationships between buyers and sellers that are rooted in the principles of human dignity and solidarity.

Fair Trade:

• Respects human dignity
• Promotes the common good
• Advances economic justice
• Empowers disadvantaged people
• Connects us with the people who create the things we buy
• Cultivates global solidarity

The Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Program creates opportunities for us to bring these core values of our faith to bear on the choices we make as customers - choices that have the power to lift our brothers and sisters out of poverty.

For purchases, please make your check payable to: St. Elizabeth Catholic Church. Check would be preferred instead of cash.

Our Jesse Tree in Bloom!

The Jesse Tree stood starkly bare that morning as people filed into church for our First Sunday of Advent Liturgy. As the parishioners came into church, each person was given their construction paper leaf with instructions to write what they desired from this Advent Season.

Frances Pope, our liturgical minister, spoke to the congregation again before Mass began, to encourage the people to write of their hopes, petitions and praise; and to hang the leaves on the tree at the appointed time. The Liturgy Committee hoped that many of our people would participate in this Advent activity and that it would be a meaningful one for all of us.

After Communion, Frances alerted the congregation that the time had arrived; She invited everyone to come to the Jesse Tree and attach their leaves to its branches. To our delight, the parishioners rose as one and came forward to place their petitions, hopes and praises on our bare tree. It was an absolutely moving moment. The stump of Jesse had done more than sprout! Our tree was clad in leaves!

Will We Recognize Christ When He Comes ~ by Ronnie Archer

Advent 2007 began today, giving us the opportunity again to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ.

Every Christian should experience three types of Christ's coming. The first is that Christ was born. The second is Christ coming into our lives in Baptism, and the third is experiencing Christ in our present life and our future.

We should keep our eyes and minds open to recognize the little subtle times that Christ comes to us; often in the form of the needs of others... family, neighbors, friends. Any time that Christ's presence might come before us, we should be awake and ready.

If we do not show the love of Christ to those around us, who we do see, how can we say that we love Christ, who we do not see?

There will always be temptations and evil in our world, waiting to attack our family structure. We need to take on the armor of Christ for the battle. If we don't, we will be wounded forever.

MARANATHA! Come, Lord Jesus!

~ First Sunday of Advent ~