August 2007 Birthdays at St. E's ~ by Ethel Colley

Happy Birthday, Everyone!






08/03 ~ Ashanti Williams

08/07 ~ Mary Jaquez

08/09 ~ Peter Thompson & Mieko Timmons

08/10 ~ Walker Bland

08/11 ~ Mary Dunn & Christopher Jaquez

08/12 ~ Lisa Moore, Nichelle Scott & Daphne Sylvester

08/20 ~ Paulette Wright

08/21 ~ Vincent Cotman, Jr.

08/23 ~ Melvon McMillan

08/25 ~ Lyric Weston

08/26 ~ Tracey Hall


"You can't help a person uphill without getting closer to the top yourself!"
~ Unknown ~

God Will Answer Your Every Need ~ by Minnie Davis

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We need to be childlike and respond immediately to giving and sharing. We must not have greed or selfishness in our hearts to hear God's Word.

We will make a change and act on it. Habits that are unbecoming and wicked must be done away with. It is a chance to show love, gentleness and patience to one another. Listen to His Word. He will speak clearly to you.

Jesus saw a large crowd of people coming toward Him. One of the disciples, Andrew, said to Jesus: "There is a boy who has five loaves of barley and two fish." The loaves and fish were distributed among the crowd of people. They ate their fill, with fragments left over... twelve baskets full!

In the first reading, the man brought Elisha twenty barley loaves and grain, and thought it was not enough to feed one hundred people. The Lord said: "They shall eat, and there shall be some left over."

We can see the connection between the first reading and the Gospel. They are very similar in feeding a lot of people with what appeared to be not enough. We must be responsive to the needs of others and not think that we do not have enough to share. Be patient and kind to one another. All things are possible in any situation. Give, and it will multiply. Show that you care.

In the second reading, Paul urges us to "live in a manner worthy of the call you received." We need to bear with one another with love and patience and humility.


~ Icon Title: "Feeding the 5000"
Found at Telling Secrets ~

Coming Soon! 1st Annual Jazz and Food Festival

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church
2712 Second Avenue
Richmond, VA 23222


1st Annual Jazz & Food Festival

Date: Saturday August 1, 2009
Time: 12 Noon - 5 PM
Place: St. Elizabeth Church Park Grounds

Directions: Next to the Fire Station on Second Avenue

Join us for a fun-filled afternoon for both the young and young at heart. Enjoy:

1. Music - jazz, and a disc jockey
2. Food - American, Soul, and West Indian cuisine
3. Raffle drawings - numerous items
4. Games and activities - for children and adults
5. Items for sale - crafts, clothes, jewelry, books

Refreshing Our Souls ~ by Mary Ann Allen

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus saw the exhaustion of His apostles after they had returned from the missionary journey He had sent them on.

"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile," He said to them. and so they set off by boat for a place where they could be alone.

Jesus recognized that it was important for people to take time for themselves. To give our best, we need to take care of ourselves so that we can renew our strength to do our work effectively.

But what often happens when we have made our plans, real life intervenes...

The people who had gathered around Jesus had such a need for His loving and tender concern for them and they so yearned for the power of His words, that they decided to follow the boat along the shore and even reached the place before Jesus and the apostles did.

As we know, Jesus saw this multitude of people and was moved to compassion for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd; so leaving the apostles to recuperate on the boat, Jesus disembarked and began to teach the people.

Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, is in sharp contrast to the evil shepherds that Jeremiah condemns in the First Reading. Those shepherds misled and scattered the people and God would punish them because of it. God promised that He Himself would gather together the remnant from every land and lead them back to their own land.

God promised them that someday He would raise up a "righteous shoot to David" - someone who would reign and govern wisely and "do what is just and right in the land."

This someone, of course, was Jesus. As the Psalmist tells us, this Good Shepherd would give us rest. He would provide for us and guide us. He would refresh our souls. Even if fearsome events took place, He would be at our side, giving us courage.

Jesus was continually drawn to those in need; and in Him, these multitudes saw their hope; that He would break down the walls of enmity and would bring them peace.


~ Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~

Graphics by Hermano Leon

Mr. Frank Salotti - + July 12, 2009

Please pray for the repose of the soul of long time parishioner, Mr. Frank Salotti, who died Sunday, July 12, 2009. His family called the parish house to thank our priest and parishioners for the pastoral care and concern he received during his last illness. May he rest in peace.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. Please check the Times-Dispatch for visitation times and date of the funeral.

We Are the Glory of God ~ by Ronnie Archer

In the Amos reading, Amaziah, priest of Bethel, told Amos to go elsewhere to prophesy, because Bethel was the king's sanctuary. Amos let him know that he was not a prophet by profession, nor was he in the company of prophets...but that GOD has called him to prophesy.

The Ephesians reading reminds us again, that we are loved and chosen by God; "before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before Him." We are destined for adoption through Jesus Christ. "In Him we have redemption by His blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the favor of His will, for praise of the glory of His grace that He granted us in the beloved."

We hear in today's Gospel of Mark that Jesus "summoned" the Twelve Apostles and sent them out two by two, to preach His Word. He told them not to linger if there were those who did not want to hear them speak about God.

It is important each week that we make our journey to church. Church reminds us of who we are. Before the world God chose us, we are glorified as long as we are His children. It is important also to understand our gifts, given to us by God. They are freely given and we should share them freely with others.

How many of us freely give of the gifts that have been given to us?

If we are not happy, then maybe it is because we are not giving as God intended for us to do.

By our Baptism and our faith, God has "summoned" all of us to prophesy, and we all are expected to accept this call. We have to hear the Word of God calling us and then put it into practice.

When we come across those who do not want to hear what we have to say about God, that is their problem. We will have done what God has called us to do and we should move on to others who will accept it.

We choose our own judgement if we do not hear and accept the Word of God and then put it into action. We need to be able to show our "fruits".

In love, we were chosen and destined according to God's will to exist for the purpose of giving HIM glory.

Let us pray for the humility and the strength to hear and accept God's call and act on it. Amen.


~ Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~


Graphics by Hermano Leon Clipart

My Grace is Sufficient for You ~ by Phyllis Booth

The first Reading opens with the prophet Ezekiel responding to the call of God to go and speak God's word to the Israelites. God wanted the Israelites to repent and follow His prophetic promises and not to continue to rebel against God like their ancestors. God informed Ezekiel that the task would be difficult due to years of rebelling and hardness of the hearts of the Israelites. Ezekiel's message would be so penetrating that they could not deny that a prophet was in their midst. Are there prophets in our midst today?

Our Christian baptism calls us to become Christlike and we receive the Holy Spirit who helps us to seek and hear God's words in our daily life. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be a prophetic voice in our home, at work and in our community when necessary if we open our hearts to receive God's prodding. Yes! There are prophets in our day. We are God's Prophets!

Second Corinthians reveals that St. Paul had this prophetic blessing. St. Paul was able to deliver God's redemptive messages and promises to many churches and citizens of his day. Paul was kept from becoming egotistical by a thorn in his flesh. Although he asked God to relieve him of the pain, God's answer was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."

Do we respond to a difficult lifestyle change with the knowledge that God's Grace is sufficient for us? I don't think so! We tend to try all the suggestions and advice that modern psychology, doctors and friends give before going to God and emptying our hearts and seeking His wisdom. Is this because our Faith is not linked to Christ?

The Gospel of Mark illustrates how Jesus wasn't accepted as a Prophet in His own town. Jesus' neighbors' Faith wasn't very strong. Faith must be linked to Jesus Christ. They blocked their own salvation because they used their minds to form a false conception of Jesus. Therefore Jesus wasn't able to use His wisdom, healing power and skill in His own town. They couldn't conceive that Jesus' words were the voice of God.

God's voice has been described in many forms in the Bible. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we know that God's voice is one of Redemption. God wants to love us and give us what is best for us.


~ Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~