A Covenant written on our Hearts ~ by Mary Threadgill

In the first reading, the Lord tells Jeremiah that he will make a new covenant ; one which will not be broken, unlike the previous covenant which was broken by the people of Israel even as He led them out of Egypt.

This new covenant will have His new laws which will be placed upon their hearts and not on stone. This new covenant commands us to love one another as He loves us. He will give us a clean heart and will remember our sins no more.

One can see Jesus giving His people a second chance to do His will and have life everlasting.

In the second reading, the writer of Hebrews tells us that "When Jesus was in the flesh He offered prayers with loud cries and tears to His Father in Heaven who could save Him from death. His prayers and cries were heard because of his reverence..." We have all offered prayers with cries and tears to our Father in Heaven to save us from the many trials we have in our lives; and like Jesus, the Lord has answered our prayers because of our Faith.

Finally in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells Andrew and Philip that the hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Using the example of a grain of wheat which falls to the ground and dies; and then produces food for our body, Jesus is telling us that like this grain of wheat, He will also die and then rise again to live in us and become nourishment for our souls.

His second example "whoever loves his life loses it," may be a warning that the great pleasures in the world and evil ways will lead to a sin-filled life; thus, losing our way. But one who hates his life - trying always to walk in God's path, resisting life's temptations and doing His Will will lead us to eternal life.

Jesus also acknowledges that He was troubled about His impending death and questions if He should ask His Father to save Him from His hour. But then, He realizes this is why He came.

In times of overwhelming trials and grief, we are "troubled" and some of us have asked our Father, "Why me?" Then, at some point, we look to Him, our Savior, for strength and guidance. Through faith, we know He will bring us through.


~ Fifth Sunday of Lent ~

For God So Loved The World ~ by Ronnie Archer

This Sunday, the midpoint of Lent, calls us to be joyful, trusting in the expectations of the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

The first Reading, II Chronicles, tells about the dissolution of the kingdom of Jerusalem and the wickedness and disobedience of the people; even the message sent to save them. The people despised the warnings and mocked the messengers that God sent to warn them. Through all of this evil, God was still patient. He had love and compassion for the people and wanted them saved.

Everything happened to fulfill the Word of the Lord spoken by the prophet. It took a foreign king, inspired by God, to proclaim: "All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord, God of heaven, has given to me, and He has also charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem. Whoever, among you belongs to any part of His people, let him go up, and may His God be with him!"

In today's second Reading from Ephesians 2, we hear that even while we are still sinners, God has great love, mercy and grace for us. God's mercy was revealed in action to us by Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.

Today's Gospel from John speaks to us about believing. "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life."

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but might have eternal life."

God sent the "Light" into the world, but some people preferred darkness to light, because of their sins. God calls each of us to the "Light". God loves us so much, His mercy is so rich, He always thought about our Salvation.

What is our visible, touchable sign that we love God? Let us not be led by selfishness, but what is good for our community and those around us. Be sincere... make a visible gift to God.

He gave us a visible sign of His love for us, His only begotten Son! "Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget You!"


~ Fourth Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday ~

Free: Long Term Care Seminar ~ Rosemary Overton

Rosemary sent this information about a Circle Center Adult Day Services Seminar:


Thursday, March 26th, 4 to 5 p.m.

"Maintain Your Ability to Choose - Long Term Care Strategies"

presented by

J. Larkin Brown
Long Term Care Specialist

Circle Center Adult Day Services
4900 West Marshall Street
Richmond, VA

To register:

Please call Lynda Gormus at 355-5717
Email: lgormus@circlecenterads.org

Seminar is free but seating is limited.

A Recipe for Life ~ A Reflection by Betty Alexis

The first reading today talks about a jealous God whose promise to us is that if we love Him and keep His commandments, He will have mercy on us. The depth of God's love is illustrated in this scripture. God made it a point to tell Moses that He is a jealous God. Imagine how Moses felt after receiving this message for the people. Since God is extremely jealous, we must be very careful not to antagonize Him, as it is clearly stated in the first reading the consequences of disobedience.

We learn too, that God has big plans for us, especially since we were chosen by Him. It is evident that God is not going to let us off the hook so easily. God has put into place a "recipe for life" for mankind: The Ten Commandments. If we follow this recipe, we will all have life everlasting.

The paradox, that is spoken of by Paul, places the cross of Jesus in an inexplicable position; as some people still need signs and wonders to believe in God. However, those who have been called by Christ have no need for signs. For we know that Jesus' death on the cross - the ultimate sacrifice, is enough for those of us who believe. The same God who can inflict punishment on third and fourth generations of people is also a very generous and merciful God who has promised to be merciful to the thousandth generation of those who keep His commandments.

Why do some of us, when things are going great in our lives, tend to forget how we got to that point? We forget that God is the focal point in our lives and we revert to our old ways. This is what happened in the Gospel reading and is why Jesus had to cleanse the temple. The people did not consistently follow the "recipe for life" that was written. The "jealous God" we learned about in the first two readings was evident here. God's passion for us is so great that if we allow Him to dwell within us (consume us), His love alone would be sufficient.


~ Third Sunday of Lent ~

Obedience Brings God's Blessings ~ by Mary Ann Allen

In our first reading this Sunday, we see that God has put Abraham to the test to see whether he will obey God's command. We can't help but wonder what Abraham must have thought when God ordered him to take his only son to be sacrificed to the Lord. Abraham surely recalled God's earlier promise to make him the father of a great nation. How could this happen if God now asked for the sacrifice of Abraham's only son? But Abraham didn't hesitate. He immediately set out for the mountain with Isaac to do the Lord's bidding.

As we all know, God recognized the internal action of obedience to His command in Abraham's heart; and for that reason, God sent His messenger to Abraham to tell him not to harm the boy.

Because of Abraham's obedience, God again declared a blessing on Abraham and his descendents; that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him.

In the Gospel reading, we find ourselves drawn to another mountain. This time with Peter, James and John, who see Jesus transfigured before them. Standing with Jesus are Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the prophets; both standing as witnesses to Jesus in His Glory. The voice of God speaks to the apostles acknowledging that Jesus is His Son. "Listen to Him."

Do we take this command of the Lord to heart? Are we obedient to God's call for us to listen to His Son? Again, God looks into our hearts for the answer. If we are afraid of this commitment we need only to remember St. Paul's words to the Romans: "If God is for us, who can be against us." We draw courage from God's love and care for us when we see that God did not spare His own Son; but allowed Jesus to suffer and die on the cross for us.

So, Christ calls us to that same mountain; to be obedient to His Father's call to listen to Him. If we listen and allow God to enter our hearts and lives, we will become a light to others. God's promise to us is that we will live with Him, where our light will shine forever.

"O Lord, I am your servant; ...you have loosed my bonds."


~ The Feast of the Transfiguration - Second Sunday of Lent ~

March Birthdays at St. Elizabeth's ~ by Ethel Cooley

Happy Birthday, Everyone!





03/03 ~ Sheryl Smith

03/04 ~ Thomas Allen

03/08 ~ Phyllis Booth

03/10 ~ Kelmern Tunstall

03/13 ~ Gia Terreforte

03/15 ~ Devorah Cephas

03/16 ~ Mira Davis, Isreal Murray and Clifton Wright

03/19 ~ Marguerite Branch and Joseph Smith

03/22 ~ Stanley Lamb and Akhira Walters

03/23 ~ Raymond Chita and Ronald Timmons

03/24 ~ Seon Davis

03/30 ~ Carolyn Baptiste

03/31 ~ Ethel Cooley, Micole Jordan and Marva Williams


~ Everybody lives for something better to come ~

Anonymous

Repent, and Believe in the Gospel ~ by Ronnie Archer

On this First Sunday of Lent, the Genesis reading speaks of the covenant after the flood, that God made with Noah, his family, descendants and every living creature that was with him.

God's covenant was the "bow in the clouds." When we see a rainbow, it really should remind us of God's love, faithfulness, and His mercy for all of us. God's promise is to never again destroy all the earth and all bodily creatures by the waters of a flood, because of the sins of humanity.

The second reading from 1 Peter 3:18-22, tells us that "Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that He might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, He was brought to life in the Spirit."

God waited patiently in Noah's time, while he built the ark; and out of that deluge, eight people were saved through water. "This prefigured baptism," which saves us now; not to cleanse the body, but is "an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Today's Gospel from Mark, speaks of the "Spirit driving Jesus out into the desert." Jesus was surrounded by wild beasts and tempted by Satan. Temptation comes to a person who has a special gift. Jesus was tempted because Satan knew that He had the gift for the World. God never leaves us alone. Jesus was able to resist temptation because God's angels were with Him all the time.

Temptation is satisfying one's own self; one's own will rather than the Divine Will. We cannot overcome temptation if we are not focusing on the goal, but instead, wavering.

Jesus' mind never wavered. He was focused the entire time on His goal. He knew His Father's Will.

Honesty is Salvation. Our forefathers made a covenant with God, but do we really feel it? How many times do we really receive the Word? There's a difference in merely hearing, and receiving and feeling the Word.

We are often caught up with so much of the things of this world, that we forget what our goal is, which is Jesus Christ.

Let's ask God to help us to remember that He is with us at all times. Ask Him to help us to set our minds at all times to do what we need to do, realizing that God's Word is important.

Unless we empty ourselves to become "poor", we cannot ask for the richness of God.

"This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel."


~ First Sunday of Lent ~