A Reflection on The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Feast of Corpus Christi

Deu 8:2-3, 14b-16a
Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 (12)
1 Cor 10:16-17
Jn 6:51-58

We all know how we feel when we haven't eaten all day. Our bodies soon alert us to the need for food by the pangs of hunger we feel.

Our soul and spirit can experience hunger also. We recognize this hunger as a deep yearning for union with our God. This feast of Corpus Christi, that we celebrate today, is a reminder for us of the gift of love that Jesus left for us on the night before He died; a gift that allows us to experience a measure of that union... His Body and Blood in the form of the consecrated Bread and Wine that we consume each time we receive Communion.

Through the priest's words of Consecration, we believe this ordinary bread and wine becomes the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ... that same Body that was sacrificed and Blood that was shed for us on Calvary. The Body and Blood that gives us life.

In today's Gospel of John, Jesus speaks to us of the importance of accepting and receiving His precious gift: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you." (Jn 6:53)

And again, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in Me and I in him." (Jn 6:56)

In the Corinthian reading, Paul beautifully reminds us that we participate in the Body of Christ when we break the bread and bless the cup. And that "...we, though many, are one body..." (1 Cor 10:17)... a wonderful description of the community of believers.


~ Image by Hermano Leon Clipart

Father's Day Surprise

Thirteen St. Elizabeth's men were honored on Father's Day Sunday, the 19th of June, for their continuing commitment of time and talent for the good of our beloved parish. The awards were a wonderful surprise for the recipients and for our parishioners, as well.

The recipients were the following:

1. Howard Braxton
2. Shelton Jones
3. O'Dell Mealy, Jr.
4. Eugene Ponton
5. Jay Schwermer (will be honored next Sunday)
6. Robert Shannon
7. Thomas Smith
8. Ken Soistman
9. Scott Stell
10. James Strother
11. Thomas Williams
12. Cliff Wright
13. Larry Williford, MAN OF THE YEAR!


Each of the recipients received a standing ovation as their names were called, for without their dedication, we could scarcely continue as a parish. We thank you so very much for all you do for your St. Elizabeth Parish Family. God bless you each...

After Mass, there was a breakfast in the parish hall in honor of Father's Day, which was also observed and celebrated this day.

Our thanks also to Barbara White who coordinated the award event and to all who provided and served the breakfast.


~ Photo by m.a.allen

"God so loved the world, that..." ~ by Ronnie Archer

Trinity Sunday

Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9
Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
2 Cor 13:11-13
Jn 3: 16-18

This weekend we celebrated the SOLEMNITY of the Most Holy Trinity. To celebrate Trinity is to celebrate the fact that God IS Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the fact that Jesus was true God and true Man!

To be a real Father, you have to have love. It is most important that we know that God IS love! He loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to the world to be the Savior of the world.

Jesus died on the cross because of love. If we love, then we also have to trust... trust in Jesus.

We were baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and each time we, as Catholics, make the sign of the cross, we show that we believe in the Trinity: three persons in One Divine God.

Jesus gave up His life by suffering and dying for us, all because of LOVE. We are "connected" to each other by the love that God has for His creation. We are expected to show that same love towards each other and treat each other in a way that we believe that the Triune God lives within them, as well as within us.

We've heard in the past that God loves "community" and that is exactly what family is. Let us rejoice that God IS Family. As Christians, we have to show examples of God's love to others. We are called to strive for His holiness.

...HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON!



~ Image from Turn Back To God

Christmas Eve 2010 pictures ~ Better late than never!

Christmas Eve at St. Elizabeth's: the Children's Concert and Mass. These lovely photos were taken by Ken Soistman.

Lord, Send Out Your Spirit ~ Pentecost 2011

Pentecost Sunday

Acts 2:1-11
Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 29, 31, 34
1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23

Jesus has ascended to His Father; the Apostles and the other believers are now truly alone and they are frightened. Even though Jesus has promised that He will not leave them alone; that He will send the Holy Spirit to make everything clear to them, the Apostles needed to be in the company of each other as they waited for an event they still did not grasp.

And thus as they were all gathered in one place, Jesus' promise was fulfilled. All of a sudden, their lives were changed. As the tongues of fire rested on their heads, they became filled with all the gifts the Holy Spirit can give. No longer was there any question in their minds as to what they had been called to do. The fear, that had paralyzed them, disappeared. Their minds were opened and they now understood all that Jesus had tried to teach them.

Filled with this same Holy Spirit, they went out among the people and testified to the mighty acts of God!

What does this event mean for us today? Because the Spirit has entered our lives and guides the entire Church, we know that we will never be abandoned by God. The Holy Spirit unites us; He guards and protects us; for the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Love. The love that we possess through the Holy Spirit calls us to action. - to do what we can to help others, especially those less fortunate than we are. We give witness to God's love by what we do for others. Actions speak louder than words, we were reminded by our priest.

Working through us and through the love we show toward others, God renews the face of the earth.


~ Image from Spryfield Community Church

Behold, I am with you always ~ by Josephine Fernando

The Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1:1-11
Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (6)
Eph 1:17-23
Mt 28:16-20

The triumph of Our Resurrected Lord climaxes on Pentecost. However, before that, we have the Ascension. Forty days from Easter is the Ascension of Our Lord, and the tenth day from then is Pentecost (the fiftieth day after Easter).

After Easter, the Lord appears to His apostles and others by breaking of bread and by giving peace (Shalom). On June 2nd, we celebrated the Ascension, which in our diocese is transferred to the following Sunday. The Lord ascends to the throne of His Father to prepare mansions for us. However, He tells His apostles not to leave Jerusalem for He will send the Holy Spirit. This is the second greatest feast in our Church, next to Easter. However, this year all the feasts are late, for Easter was very late since it followed the Lunar calendar.

The Ascension of Our Lord is the second decade of the Glorious Mysteries when we say the Rosary. This shows the concern of Our Lord to take us home, when we finish with our earthly voyage. Therefore, He is preparing us for a permanent place in heaven.

As Father mentioned during his homily, the four steps in imparting a new skill are as follows:

1. I do, you watch.
2. I do, you help.
3. You do, I help.
4. You do, I watch.

When Our Lord ascends to Heaven, the apostles are confused and they ask the Lord whether He was going to bring back the kingdom of Israel. However, the Lord quiets them by saying, it is not their job to know about that. Then the Lord tells them about His mission of preparing a room for us in Heaven. So Jesus is stepping aside and watching what we will do.

He also told the apostles and He also tells us, that we need to be in prayer for the infilling of the Holy Spirit and moreover, that we are not alone; for He is with us even to the end of the earth. A powerful promise, to bank on the Risen Lord, the Ascended Lord and the Lord who is going to fill us with His Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

So the Lord did train His apostles. We also have the Bible to fall back on and to follow exactly what the apostles did and learned from Our Lord. However, the Lord watches each one of us, because the mission given to Christ by His Father is the mission that Our Lord passed on to His apostles and today, it is to us. Go therefore, and baptize people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, not only in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, but to the ends of the earth. So let the mission of Our Lord be our mission too as we become filled with the Holy Spirit.


Image by e-watchman

"I will not leave you orphans" ~ The Coming of the Spirit

The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20, (1)
1 Peter 3:15-18
John 14:15-18

As we meditate on the readings each week, we see that they are bringing us ever closer to the feast of Christ's Ascension and to Pentecost. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that if they love him and keep his commandments, the Father will send the Holy Spirit to teach and guide them after Jesus leaves their earthly presence forever.

The word, IF, places a condition on the followers of Jesus... and on us also. That condition is to love. When we love, we are able to obey the person we love. And Jesus tells us that we must keep his commandments. When we love and obey, we willingly place the needs and desires of the other person before our own. In other words, we are able to renounce self in the interests of the other...we are able to sacrifice.

We cannot live for ourselves alone. The selfishness that living only for ourselves breeds, places us in opposition to what it means to be an adopted child of God and an heir of the Kingdom. Instead, we are to imitate Jesus, whose life is the perfect example of love, obedience and sacrifice.

Love means reaching out to others... just as Jesus did when he told his disciples, "I will not leave you orphans..." (John 14:18)




~ Image by Turn Back To God

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

Happy Birthday, Everyone!






06-03-11 ~ Joyce Coy

06-04-11 ~ Howard Braxton

06-05-11 ~ Ernest Ponton

06-06-11 ~ Vince Neylan

06-07-11 ~ AndiSymone Nero

06-08-11 ~ Angela Julia Gilbert

06-10-11 ~ Larry Williford

06-11-11 ~ Jonelle Nero and Mary Threadgill

06-13-11 ~ Traven Carter

06-16-11 ~ Barbara Williford

06-17-11 ~ Lord Davis, Jr

06-18-11 ~ Angela Cotman

06-20-11 ~ Keira Beverly

06-21-11 ~ Thomas Brown and Sierra Green

06-22-11 ~ Deborah Moon

06-24-11 ~ Scott Stell

06-29-11 ~ Chanda Kim Ford



~ Clipart by Webweaver