Be Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only ~ by Ronnie Archer

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The people of Israel were being warned by Moses to carefully observe the statutes of God, so that they may live, enter into, and take possession of the land that was promised to their forefathers.

The second reading today from James, reminds us that all good things and every perfect gift that comes to us, comes from God. We are to be doers, as well as hearers of God's Word.

Mark's gospel for today, tells of the Pharisees' and scribes' criticism of Jesus' disciples, in observing the external fact that they ate with unwashed hands, not following the tradition of the elders.

In each of the readings, Jesus calls us to commitment. The Israelites were called to hear and observe God's commandments, giving evidence of their wisdom and intelligence to the world. There are three things that are necessary to be a real Christian. They are faith, deeds and intention.

We are called to put our faith into action. All of us have been given a seed to eternal life through baptism.

The Pharisees were placing more attention on the ritual of purifying themselves outside than the more important fact of purifying from within. Jesus wanted them to put emphasis on what was of more importance - the commitment to God's commandments, not human tradition. Nothing that enters from the outside can defile a person, but those sins that are within us, defile us.

God always looks internal at the heart; we are accountable to God, and the pure heart qualifies us as a Christian.

Let's ask God to increase our faith to inspire us to be transformed, so that we will be an example that will reflect Christ's presence daily in our world today.

AMEN

September 2009 Birthdays ~ Ethel Cooley

Happy Birthday Everyone!







09/01/09 ~ Kariin Timmons

09/02/09 ~ Gloria Johnson

09/04/09 ~ Ariana Alexis, Astrid Jones & Thelma Neal

09/05/09 ~ Stanley Glover, III

09/06/09 ~ George Strother

09/08/09 ~ Shelton Jones

09/09/09 ~ Meghan Barbato & Terence Smith

09/10/09 ~ Erica Green Miller

09/11/09 ~ Arteria Moore

09/18/09 ~ Veronica Archer, Jonathan Frizzelle, Isaiah Goodwyn, Michael Moore & Fr. Andrew Sagayam

09/23/09 ~ Maria Barrow

09/24/09 ~ Maria Strother

09/30/09 ~ Valerie Smith

Lord, to whom shall we go? ~ by Mary Ann Allen

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

For the last several weeks, we have been listening to Jesus' beautiful Bread of Life discourse. We have heard Jesus tell us that He is the Bread of Life... That whoever eats this Bread will live forever. That the Bread He gives is His flesh for the life of the world. That whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood has eternal life and that Jesus will raise them on the last day.

In today's Gospel we see that not all of Jesus' disciples could accept His teachings. "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" they murmured. And they walked away forever and returned to their former way of life.

How sad, we wonder, that these once dedicated disciples could not take the final step of faith: the commitment of their lives to Jesus.

But wait! This is not simply an event that took place two thousand years ago. Can't you hear Jesus asking us for the same commitment? Asking us the same question?

"The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." And then, the question: "Do you also want to leave?"

You see, we are being challenged every day to give our lives to or for something. As Christians, there are only two choices. Do we give our lives to human society, to money or glory or family? We ponder this even though we know that society has been formed by human beings in all their brokenness, betrayal and sin.

Or do we give our lives to Christ? To the God who long ago made a covenant with His people; that He would protect and take care of us in return for the commitment of our lives.

Can we respond as Peter did? "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

The psalmist invites us to "taste and see the goodness of the Lord." Jesus calls us in the same way. He wants us to put our words of commitment into action and to follow in His footsteps. But His footsteps lead to the Cross. That is a "hard saying." Are we prepared to live our lives as He did? Because His body was broken and His blood shed, we can expect our own share of suffering and sorrow.

But like the Jackfruit, whose outer skin is rough and difficult to slice into, there is a sweetness inside if we can persevere. For us, that sweetness is sharing in the covenant that heals. It is the gift of the Eucharist - the Bread of Life - Christ's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity that will sustain and strengthen us in our journey home to our God.

To whom have you given your life today?




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The Jackfruit Tree

~ From a suggestion by Diane Neylan ~

A Look Back ~ Father's Day 2009 ~ The Men's Choir

On Sunday, June 21, 2009, the St. Elizabeth's Men's Choir graced our Father's Day Mass by lending their fine voices to singing our God's praises. Kim Ford, our choir director, did an excellent job in selecting and teaching our men the music that was used.

The congregation was delighted to welcome the men's choir and we are hoping there will be more opportunities for them to sing.


I took these few pictures with my cell phone but unfortunately, they did not come out very clear. Nonetheless, I wanted to add them to the blog to document this fine effort by our men.

Eternal Life Giving Food And Drink ~ by Ronnie Archer

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time


For the past few weeks, we have been hearing about the "FOOD" from heaven. This Sunday's Wisdom reading speaks about the invitations and preparations for a meal. Wisdom offers the food of eternal life, but foolishness offers "food" which leads to death.

The second reading of Paul to Ephesus, also warns us about how to live "not as foolish persons, but wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil."

Today's Gospel from John, continues the theme of life giving food and drink. The crowd is still quarreling, saying "how can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus told them that "unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you."

We have a choice to make... to be wise or to be foolish. True wisdom knows that Jesus was sent by God and that Jesus IS the bread of life. If we choose the folly of this world over Jesus... it will lead to ruin and death.

It was hard for the crowd to accept what Christ had said to them... to eat of His flesh and to drink of His blood; because they were not open to God's will. We have to first be aware... to make the right choice; then to discern the will of God. Finally, we have to give thanks at all times for everything. We cannot approach God with pre-conceived notions.

What are WE looking for? Immediate happiness that will eventually fade away, or eternal happiness?

So many today are living in ignorance, not realizing what wisdom is. They think that it means to live the ways of the world. It means that priorities are where the world places them...concentrating on the luxuries of the world, money, power and other things that, in the eyes of God, are wrong, but continuing anyway because so many others are.

True Wisdom is to live in faith in Jesus Christ, following Him and His ways. When we partake of the Eucharist, Jesus is continuing His presence with us in His Body and Blood.

The Assumption of Mary is a perfect example of how God rewards... Mary gave God a dwelling place in the human Jesus and God rewarded her with a place in heaven!

Let's not live our lives in foolishness, but in wisdom and remembering that God is calling us to receive Him.

AMEN!


~ Graphics by Hermano Leon Clipart ~

More from the First Annual St. E's Jazz and Food Festival ~ Photos by Mildred Green

Jazz and Food Festival 2009

~ Cutting the ribbon to open the Jazz and Food Festival ~

One of Mildred's beautiful creations!

Our young people manned the snow cone/popcorn concession.



Enjoying the Music



The popular Moonwalk



Crafts for the young and not so young!

Like my bonnet?

These beautiful photographs were taken by Mildred Green

"Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord" ~ by Ronnie Archer

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the first reading of this Sunday, Elijah finds himself in the emptiness of the desert, after one day's journey. Exhausted, he asks God to end his life. An angel of the Lord touched him and told him to get up and eat. He did as told, but wanted to go back to sleep; the angel came back a second time, touched him, ordering him to get up and eat again. He listened and obeyed, and was strengthened for forty more days of the journey.

The second reading of Ephesians warns us not to "grieve the Holy Spirit of God. All bitterness, fury, and anger must be removed from us, along with all malice." We are warned to love and forgive each other as God has forgiven and loved us in Christ.

In today's Gospel, we hear how the Jews grumbled about Jesus because He said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They did not believe that Jesus came down from heaven, they felt that He was claiming to be more than an average person among them. They just did not know that HE was the Living Bread of life. They could not see it in a spiritual manner.

How do we approach the Eucharist? Do we look at it and really believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist? Do we sometimes find ourselves in the dryness and experiencing the emptiness of the "desert?" Don't we sometimes find ourselves feeling like we are at the end of our journey, without enough strength to keep going, and we feel "this is enough?"

It is very likely that most of us have felt that way at some point in our life. That is when we should keep our ears open to the Word of God. Often we try to solve our own problems ourselves, when we should be crying out to the Lord.

Jesus teaches us, and assures us that "He is the living bread from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; the bread that He will give is His flesh for the life of the world." He came to bring us abundant life, the bread that will sustain us for life, nourishing us forever.

Listen to Jesus Christ, be true followers of Jesus Christ... live in love, be forgiving to one another, as Christ was. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit; each time we give love and forgiveness, the Holy Spirit comes.

We all are on a journey... what will we pick up... Jesus Christ or the material things of life?

First Annual St. Elizabeth's Jazz and Food Festival

If you had driven by Second Avenue and Fourqurean Lane last Saturday afternoon, August 1st, you would have seen a party in progress. If you had parked your car and strolled into St. Elizabeth's Park, you would have been assailed by the mouthwatering smells of fried fish, barbecue, hot dogs, and all the other aromas that sent you right to the line of people assembled to taste some of the goodies that had been and were being prepared by the parishioners of St. Elizabeth's.

And that's not all! There was LIVE MUSIC!!! JAZZ MUSIC!!! All from a variety of groups who played for our entertainment. It was wonderful! Very fine...

There was more! Plenty of fun for the children in the neighborhood too! Kids were tumbling all around the Moonwalk and there were lots of craft and game activities for them too.

There were tables set up where people could get health and legal information and other handouts, as well as tables full of books, collectibles and religious items that people could purchase.

Despite rain earlier in the week, Saturday was hot with lots of sunshine and even some breeze to cool us off. The water concession and the snow cone machine stayed busy all afternoon.

The festival was a big success! We learned a lot and you can be certain that next year's Jazz and Food Festival will be better than ever!

Jesus, the Wonder Bread ~ by Ken Soistman

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The crowds that were following Jesus woke to find that He was not there. As they searched for Him, they finally found Him on the other side of the lake. They had previously experienced a miracle when Jesus fed them with only a few loaves of bread. They were still living in the "old nature" of what Jesus could do for them. They were looking for ideas that fit or satisfied their earthly agendas, perceptions or pre-conceptions.

When they asked Jesus, "what must we do to do the works God required?" Jesus responded, "Believe in me." He explained that the true bread from heaven is not for the bodily appetite "a snack," but the incarnate Jesus Himself, the bread to satisfy the hungry heart "life."

We are asked to move to the "new nature" through Jesus. We are asked to follow the words that Jesus said to the crowds - to believe in Him. It is human nature to "grumble," to look at life and say that everything is not going the way you want it. But the "new nature" says to see where God has helped us to move forward. The Eucharist is Life!

We should not be living our lives to see what God or the Church can do for us, but living the "new nature" and do for God. By doing this, God will be there for us and give us Eternal Life.


~ Icon from Hermano Leon Clipart ~