St. E's Jazz and Food Festival ~ Saturday, August 4th!

Don't hold back! Make a Difference! - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 Kgs 4:42-44

Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

Eph 4:1-6

Jn 6:1-15

It's interesting to note that in both the first reading from 2 Kings, as well as John's Gospel, we are told about hungry people who need to be fed.  In  Elisha's time, we learn that a man has brought several loaves of bread to the prophet but his servant doesn't want to give it to the waiting people because it is too little to feed all of them.  Elisha essentially tells the servant, "Don't hold back!  Give the bread to the people.  There will be plenty left over!"  And so there was...  The man's loaves of bread made a difference.  Maybe others began to share what they had when they saw the man's generosity...  perhaps, God intervened so that the bread miraculously did not run out until everyone had their fill.

What is important about this for us today, is that we should never hold back in trying to help others in need.  Maybe all we have is a kind and understanding word... but that someone may have needed to hear that another human being cared enough to speak that word of comfort at exactly that moment.
In John's Gospel, Jesus and his disciples see the huge crowd that has gathered to hear the Good News and see the signs and wonders that Jesus had done among them.  Again, the people had not wanted to leave even though they were hungry.  The disciples were concerned because they had no way of providing food for the people.  They had only discovered a few barley loaves and a couple of fish... scarcely enough for one person.  But this didn't concern Jesus at all.  He had already determined what he was going to do.  "It doesn't matter that there is no more than these.  Just pass the loaves and fish around among the people... don't hold back!  There will be plenty left over," Jesus might have said.  And so it was.  The boy's generosity made a difference.  He didn't hold back anything that he had to give.  And Jesus did the rest!

The beautiful psalm this week is a song of praise that recognizes the love and concern of the Lord for his people.  "The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs."  And again, "...you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

This is our God...   and we are his people, called to do the same.  So, don't hold back!  Make a difference!


 ~ Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes - a Mosaic in the Church of St. Savior in Chora, Istanbul, Turkey

          

Breaking down the dividing walls ~ Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Jer 23:1-6

Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

Eph 2:13-18

Mk 6:30-34

In Mark's Gospel, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for the people who had gathered in the hope of seeing and hearing him.  Even though Jesus and his apostles had tried to find a quiet and remote place to rest, the people had anticipated their destination and had reached the spot before they did.  How desperately the people must have desired those words of hope and peace that only Jesus could give.  They were like lost sheep in need of a shepherd.

These people could have been anyone.  Jews, Gentiles, Greek, outcasts, the poor, the rich.  No matter who they were, they had one thing in common:  they were looking for someone who could give them hope.  To reconcile them, to teach them, to heal them, to let them know that God loved them.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul explains what Jesus did for the people of his time and is doing for us also.  Jesus realized that the divisions among peoples kept them at enmity with each other.  There could be no peace among peoples as long as they looked at each other as "other" with no connection with themselves.

It was through the cross that Jesus freed us all and brought us once more into a right relationship with God and our neighbor.  We live in this knowledge; and recognize that we are to continue spreading the Good News of our salvation.  We are brothers and sisters to each other and children of our Heavenly Father.  That means we are responsible for each other! Not that others become our burdens, but that we freely follow in Jesus' footsteps as shepherds to the lost and forsaken so that they too can live in hope as we do.


 ~ Image:  Shepherd with lamb              

Do you know any of these kids?

Ethel Cooley sent this picture to be placed on the blog.  Do you recognize any of the children?  Whose birthday party was this?

If you have any other old photos you would like to place on the blog, let me know...

Come to my house ~ Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Amos: 7:12-15

Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14 (8)

Eph 1:3-14

Mk 6:7-13

"Come to my house" is certainly an expression of hospitality and this is surely the kind of invitation that the disciples were looking for as Jesus sent them forth two by two to preach the Good News to the people.  We know from reading Mark's Gospel, each pair were going blindly, not knowing whether they would be accepted in the towns and villages they were headed for.  Jesus had given them the authority to drive out unclean spirits and to cure those who were sick; however, he would not allow them to take provisions or extra clothing with them.  Jesus wanted his disciples to trust completely on God's providence and on the willingness of the people to assist them in their needs.

Jesus realized that not everyone would accept his Good News or their need for repentance.  Those people would not show the disciples the hospitality that they deserved.  In those instances, Jesus advised the disciples to leave the town and shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against them.

In our lives today, we hear Jesus inviting us to come to his House.  To believe and trust in him; to gather together to hear his Word; to break bread together.  We know he is present in the midst of the community as we gather in his Name.  He is present as we share his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion.  He is present with us as we go out to share his Word in our daily lives by the way we live and love.

As we begin a new chapter in the life of our parish, we want to come together to work with our priest to bring the Good News to everyone who may have lost their way... To welcome home those who have been searching elsewhere.  All of us are needed to accomplish this task.  Each of us has a gift to offer the community.

Paul reminds the Ephesians and us, as well, that God loves us so much that he has destined us for adoption as his sons and daughters.  That he has a purpose for us; that we have been redeemed according to his plan, and that in the fullness of time, all things in heaven and earth will come together in Christ, our salvation...

This is Good News for sure!


 ~ Image by James Tissot, 1836-1902

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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Ez 2:2-5

Ps 123:1-2, 2, 3-4

2 Cor 12:7-10

Mk 6:1-6

It's an old story.  The prophet is not recognized in his own town.  Not only did this happen to prophets in the Old Testament, we see it happening to Jesus in today's Gospel.  The people simply did not believe that this young man was other than a local carpenter, the son of Mary, whose relatives still lived their ordinary lives in that town.  How could he be the worker of miracles whose fame had spread throughout the region?  It isn't surprising to us that Jesus was not able to perform mighty deeds in his home town...  The people lacked FAITH.  They wouldn't listen.

It was the same in Ezekiel's day, as we see in the first reading.  He was sent as prophet to the Israelites whom God described as being rebels and people who often resisted what God intended for them.  Even though they were the "chosen people" and had a covenant with God, they were stubborn.  The people lacked FAITH.  They wouldn't listen.

In Paul, we find someone who DID listen; who DID have FAITH.  In his second letter to the Christians of Corinth, Paul admits that he had received a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble, an affliction or a temptation that caused him much suffering.  He tells the Corinthians that he begged God three times to take this "thorn" away from him and God refused.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness!" is what God told him.  And Paul listened and believed him.  Paul had FAITH that despite the hardships and persecutions that came his way, he would gratefully accept them so that the power of Christ would always dwell in him.

We pray that our faith will be strong enough to withstand the trials and sorrows that come our way in this life.  We hold on to the words that Paul heard:  "My grace is sufficient for you..."  We believe that God will never give us more than we can bear...  that when we are weak, we are made strong... because of our faith in a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine.


 ~ Image by Ben Ma

     

Changes at St. E's!

We have been assigned a new priest by the Diocese.  Fr. Jim Arsenault received a rousing welcome on Sunday by his new parish family.  Fr. Jim is no stranger to our parish because he has come to celebrate Mass with us occasionally in the past when our priest was not available. Even though he is also parochial vicar in two other parishes in the city, his main responsibility will be St. Elizabeth's.

Fr. Jim is excited to be here and we are pleased to have him!

Photos from the African Mass ~ 6/16/12 ~ Provided by Ethel Cooley

Many thanks to Ethel Cooley for providing these photos.

If I touch the hem of His garment ~ Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24

Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13

2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15

Mk 5:21-43

In Mark's Gospel today, we read about two different types of people who have several things in common.  Both have great needs in their lives and both have seen or heard about this holy man, Jesus.  What they have seen and heard has brought them to a deep faith and trust in the healing powers of Jesus.

We have a synagogue official who is in the midst of a family crisis because his daughter is dying.  Despite what problems other synagogue officials might be having with Jesus and his popularity among the people, Jairus believes that only Jesus has the power to heal her.  He doesn't hesitate to fall at his feet and plead for Jesus to come to his home and lay hands on his daughter.

At the same time, a woman who has had hemorrhages for twelve years and has spent all her money on doctors who had hoped to heal her, has made her way through the crowd to Jesus.  She has heard of his healing powers and believes that there is no one else that can make her whole again.  However, she is considered unclean because of her illness and so cannot ask Jesus to lay hands on her.

"If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured," she thinks to herself. (Mk 5:28)...  She was immediately cured!

In the case of Jairus' daughter, the girl appeared to have died when Jesus arrived at the home of the synagogue official, but he told her parents to have faith; and indeed, Jesus took the child by the hand and raised her up and gave her to her parents.  

I wonder if we, in today's world, have the faith and trust in God that these two people had.  Sometimes it is difficult to have faith.  However, we are to trust even when things seem to be going badly.  Sometimes we even become angry with God... We are hurt because things don't turn out the way we believe they should.  We are not alone; even the prophets got angry with God at times, before they came to understand that God's ways are not ours.

The psalmist understood this when he praised God by declaring:  "Sing praise to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.  For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will."  (Ps 30:5)


 ~ Image found at Claverjesuit.org/hem.html    

          

July Birthdays at St. E's ~ Provided by Ethel Cooley

07/01 ~ Diane Neylan

07/04 ~ Nicholas Hall

07/06 ~ Kenneth Soistman

07/08 ~ Treshawn McCall

07/10 ~ Mackenzie Jaquez

07/13 ~ Woody Kaine and Cathy Richardson

07/15 ~ M. A. Allen

07/16 ~ Roger Pryor, III

07/20 ~ Mary Baker and Roland Smith

07/26 ~ Leila Moore and Lucy Thompson

07/27 ~ Keon Wilkins

07/28 ~ Cory Nero

07/31 ~ Tyshell Jones