April Birthdays at St. E's ~ by Ethel Cooley

Happy Birthday Everybody!






04/01 - Kenneth Majors, II

04/08 - Michelle Jordan and Doris Taylor

04/09 - Peggy Beverly

04/15 - Grace Alexis

04/18 - Kenneth Ford

04/23 - Rosemary Overton

04/27 - Jay Schwermer

04/29 - Katie Stell

On the Journey With Jesus ~ by Ronnie Archer

Palm Sunday

Here we are again... blessed with another Palm Sunday, to begin the most powerful and Holy Week of the year. Once more we are encouraged and invited to join and stand with Jesus on the journey.

In the Isaiah reading, because of the people's complaint about God's "abandonment," the prophet tells them that God has NOT abandoned them, but that their sins were responsible for their plight.

St. Paul's reading to the Philippians emphasizes the humility of Jesus Christ. "Though He was in the form of God, He did not deem equality with God, but assuming the role of servant," He presented Himself simply as a man. He took on the face that no one else wanted to take on.

In the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear how Jesus was "eager to eat the Passover meal with the disciples before His suffering." The disciples followed Jesus up to the Mount of Olives where He prayed. Even though He was Divine, He still was human, feeling human emotions, so when He went to the Mount, He asked God if HE was willing, to "remove the cup from Him"...but still being obedient, He told the Father, "Your Will, not Mine."

There were three times in the Gospel where Jesus' innocence was referred to, yet He was still persecuted and crucified. He was crucified by confused people who just did not understand.

The Word is still being fulfilled today. Innocent people are still being "persecuted and crucified" with some others standing by and not standing up with them!

Where do we stand in the story of Jesus' Passion? Are we allowing a "crucifixion" to take place and we do nothing?

Are we "standing" with the "crowd" who yells "crucify Him" by any of our sinful actions? Are we ignoring Jesus' command to love and forgive others? Jesus forgave before His actual crucifixion, by healing the cut off ear of the high priest's servant right before they arrested Him. Also prior to, and up until His death, Jesus forgave. He asked God to "forgive them because they knew not what they were doing."

Would we run away in fear, denying that we "know" Jesus, as Peter did? Or would we stay at the foot of His cross, as the women of Jerusalem and others did?

Where would we want to be? Where would we actually be? Would our fears prevent us from staying and standing with Jesus?

Do we pray for, and offer an encouraging word to someone who might really need it? Are we still crucifying Jesus when we fail to recognize the many chances in our own lives that we have to "stand with" Jesus?

We all need to examine ourselves and ask God for help to stay close to the cross of Jesus, standing with Him every day in whatever way the opportunity presents itself for us to do so...giving testimony to our love and devotion for Him.

Out of love for us, Jesus chose to die so that all of us might have a chance to live! Think about it!

2010 Holy Week Schedule

Sunday, March 28 - Palm Sunday - 8:30 a.m.

Monday, March 29 - Chrism Mass - 6 p.m. - Cathedral

Wednesday, March 31 - Confessions - 5:00 p.m. onward

Thursday, April 1 - Holy Thursday - 6:30 p.m.

Friday, April 2 - Good Friday Stations - 12 Noon

Friday, April 2 - Good Friday Service - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 3 - Holy Saturday Easter Vigil - 8 p.m.

Sunday, April 4 - Easter Sunday Mass - 8:30 a.m.

"Hope" - Part of our Lenten Journey ~ by Betty Alexis

Fifth Sunday of Lent
Hope! What a beautiful and most promising word for the Christian journey during this Lenten season. In today's first reading, we saw how God continued to give the people of Israel the promise of hope even when they felt quite destitute. God was prepared to forgive and forget all the "events of the past" that led up to the Israelites being in bondage - namely, their disobedience to God. This is a lesson to us today to remind us that God does not punish, but will forgive us even when we think our sin is too great.

In the second reading, we see how the Apostle Paul bears witness even to the every end. Paul, knowing and having experienced the goodness of Christ Jesus, implores us to keep our eyes on the prize - dying and rising with Christ Jesus. Paul does not show himself as being boastful, even though he could, but rather he humbles himself and continues with his onward journey to become a part of Christ Jesus' death and resurrection. Again, in this reading we are reminded to forget all that happened in the past, and to look towards the future for the promises of God. We, as Christians, need to understand that we serve a most gracious and forgiving God.

The gospel gave such a powerful message of how we need to be more merciful to our brothers and sisters. The scribes and Pharisees all believed that they were holy and very righteous, but unfortunately they were without mercy, for they were quite ready to put one of their own people to death. How often have we acted like the scribes and Pharisees in our dealings with our brothers and sisters? Do we believe that we too, are holy? Are we, at times, boastful Christians?

Let us be more like the Apostle Paul and really take stock of our lives, repeatedly asking ourselves the question: "Are we merciful?" The lesson in today's gospel is a perfect reminder to us of how we should search ourselves before we even think of condemning others. We need to remember that mercy is something that must go hand in hand with holiness and righteousness. During this Lenten season, we must seek Christ Jesus if we are to attain the prize of which Paul spoke. Also, remember Christ has already won the battle for us, and we are His people - we really should be glad indeed!

Forgive Unconditionally ~ by Ronnie Archer

Laetare Sunday ~ Fourth Sunday of Lent

The Divine message from Jesus today to all of us is, "if you want to be at peace and to be happy, then forgive unconditionally."

The first reading speaks of the Israelites celebrating their freedom from Egypt, and having a celebration of God, who accompanied His people to the Promised Land.

St. Paul, in the second reading to the Corinthians, says: "Whoever is in Christ is a new creation, old things passed away and new things have come." God has reconciled Himself to the world through Jesus Christ. We are God's ambassadors for Christ.

As the Father did in today's Gospel, God did not wait for us to come to Him. He came to us in His Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died to save us while we were still in sin.

The Pharisees and scribes were unhappy and complaining about Jesus' association with the tax collectors and sinners. Jesus told them the parable of the father of two sons and how the youngest son wanted to receive his inheritance and leave home. After squandering his money, he came to his senses. Realizing that his father's servants lived much better than he was, he decided to return to his home.

The son returned home to find his father welcoming him with love, gifts and a big celebration with food, music and dancing. The older son had never left his home but had worked, helping his father. Upon arriving home from working out in the fields, he heard the music, etc. and became angry. He did not understand the celebration and confronted his father.

The father told him that he realizes that he has been with him always and tells him to "look around him; everything he had would still be his, but they had to celebrate now, because his brother was 'dead' but he has now come to life again."

The older brother could look around and see the "tangible" signs of his father's love all about him. The father in the parable ran to meet his son, forgave and welcomed him home, even before the son said anything. Jesus told this parable to teach the Pharisees and scribes the lesson of forgiveness.

Our Loving FATHER will come to meet us also, even if we "squander our inheritance."

Jesus drives the message to us that we are welcomed unconditionally, if we want to be forgiven. What we need to do is to repent, become a new creation and reconcile ourselves to Him also. Then "we can rejoice and celebrate in God through Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:11)

The God of the Second Chance

Third Sunday of Lent







On this Third Sunday of Lent, we hear the story in Luke's Gospel about the fig tree that has been tended by the gardener for three years but has borne no fruit. The owner of the orchard sees this fig tree as a lost cause and orders his gardener to cut it down.

The gardener, however, asks that he be given one more opportunity to cultivate the tree. The owner of the orchard agrees and so the fig tree was given a second chance.

Isn't this so like our experiences with our God? He is the gardener of our souls who sees when we fail... when we sin... when our lives fall apart and we cannot bear fruit.

Does God give up on us? Doesn't He offer His hand to us instead? A hand of mercy and forgiveness so that we can repent and return to Him through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

God takes people who have failed and repented and gives them new life. God never gives up on us. He gives us many second chances! Just look at the life of Moses to see examples of the many second chances he was given.

Moses was saved from death as an infant when Pharaoh's daughter found him in a basket among the reeds at the bank of a river. He was raised in the royal household. When he grew up, Moses discovered the plight of his people, the Israelites, saw the injustice in their lives and murdered one of the people who was tormenting them. He became a wanted man. But that was not the end of the story for Moses. God selected him to lead His people to the Promised Land. God glorified Moses in front of his enemies.

Our God is like that. New opportunities grow out of our failures. God wants us to take up our cross and follow Jesus up the hill to Calvary. He does not want us to be fearful; but to have courage. He wishes us never to give in to the evil one. He wants us to know that with failure comes new life. Crucifixion becomes Resurrection.

We can be as confident as the Psalmist was, when he sang:

"He pardons all your iniquities; heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
He crowns you with kindness and compassion." (Ps. 103)

March Birthdays at St. E'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 ~ Ronald Timmons

03/24 ~ Lord Davis, Sr.

03/26 ~ Quentin Sullivan

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