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

10/02/12 ~ Barbara Vaughan and Stanley White

10/05/12 ~ Deshawn Murray

10/11/12 ~ Barbara White

10/19/12 ~ Sabiya Davis

10/21/12 ~ Cassandra Bland

10/22/12 ~ Stephonia Owolabi and Mary Walker

10/31/12 ~ Vivian Sullivan

Who is the Greatest? ~ Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 

Wis 2:12, 17-20

Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6-8

Jms 3:18-4:3

Mk 9:30-37

It is interesting to note how often we read about the disciples of Jesus talking amongst themselves about which one of them is the greatest.  Each of the synoptic gospels have versions of this incident.

Because the disciples recognized that Jesus is more than an ordinary man, each wished to be the most important person in Jesus' life.  They each had dreams of reigning along with Jesus in his future Kingdom.  How little they understood what Jesus meant when he spoke about the suffering and death he would have to endure before he rose from the dead to enter that Kingdom.  Jesus spoke about being a servant to others; his disciples thought only about power.

But Jesus admonished them and told them that if anyone wished to be first, he needed to take the last place and to be servant to all.  Jesus brought a child to them and said: "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me." (Mk 9:37)  This must have shocked his disciples since children had no real standing in the Jewish community until they came of age.  Jesus was teaching his disciples an important lesson in humility.

In the second reading, James describes what happens when one thinks only of power and control of others.  This selfish ambition and envy of what others have results in war and conflict.  Instead of this kind of behavior, James teaches about wisdom from above which is peaceable, merciful and gentle.  When one lives in a righteous way, one follows in the footsteps of Jesus. One's life becomes one of service to others with no thought of whether one is greater than another.
We pray along with the psalmist when he says:

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O Lord, for its goodness. (Ps 54:6-8)      

 

 ~ Image Source: A Concord Pastor's Comments

Brandon Crawley Baptism, 9/23/12 ~ Photos by Lula Lamb

Welcome to Brandon Crawley, baptized on Sunday, September 30, 2012
 St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.

Our newest Catholic Christian!

Thanks to Lula Lamb for these photographs!

Rectory Renovations: Before and After!

A Beautiful Transformation!

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After

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 ~ Thanks to Ethel Cooley for contributing these great pictures!

21st Anniversary Concert ~ St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir!

OUR GOD IS TRULY AWESOME!

LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN!

St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir

Celebrates its 21st Anniversary
Sunday, September 30, 2012
At 4:00 PM

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church
2912 2nd Avenue, Richmond, VA

Come join in an afternoon of great Gospel Music

Selections by St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir

and

Guest Choirs and Groups, including:

~ The Gospel Voices of Glen Allen
~ The Maggie L. Walker Alumni Gospel Choir
~ The Men of Goodwill
~ Holy Rosary Catholic Church Choir
~ Redeemed Ministries
~ Special Guest Musicians and Flag Ministry


Master of Ceremony:  Dr. Johnny Branch
Chicago Avenue Baptist Church

Who do you say I am ~ A Reflection on the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Is 50:4c-9a

Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9, 

Jms 2:14-18

Mk 8:27-35

"But who do you say that I am?"  This is the question that Jesus puts to his disciples in today's Gospel of Mark.  Jesus has already asked them who other people think he is. Now he wants an answer from those he calls his own.  These disciples have been with him since the beginning of Jesus' ministry so they must realize that Jesus is more than a prophet.

Peter does not hesitate to speak up:  "You are the Christ!"  His disciples believe Jesus to be the Anointed One of God.  The Messiah who has been promised...

In the first reading, Isaiah prophesies about a Suffering Servant, who willingly "...gave my back to those who beat me, ...my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting"... who was able to overcome all these insults because "the Lord is my help, therefore I am not disgraced..."  (Is 50:4c, ff)  But Peter has forgotten Isaiah's words and  is horrified when Jesus begins to teach them about his coming suffering, his rejection by the Jewish leadership and that he will be killed, though he will rise in three days.  Peter doesn't want the people to hear these words and so he rebukes Jesus.  Jesus has given the people hope by his words, miracles and actions; and Peter fears that their hopes will be dashed.

Jesus has strong words for Peter:  "Get behind me, Satan..."  He reminds Peter that he is thinking like a human being does; not as God thinks.  Jesus tells the people that those who want to come after him, will have to deny themselves, take up their own crosses to follow him.

This brings us to our own selves and to our own time.  Who do we believe Jesus is?  Scripture teaches us that we make a commitment to one Person: Jesus... the Way.  However, we may not all say, "You are Lord" in the same way, as our priest reminded us in his homily.  Our response to Jesus' question is answered by the way we live our lives.  Our response is more than Faith...

In the second reading, St. James writes to those early Christians that faith without works is dead!  In other words, there is more that is required of us.  To feed the hungry... to clothe those who have nothing to wear...  to help those in need... to forgive... to forget ourselves and go beyond ourselves...  just as Jesus did.  The crosses that we bear become lighter when we concentrate on others and forget ourselves.

The psalmist answered the question also, when he wrote:

"...he freed my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling..."(Ps 116:8)  Jesus is a saving Lord...


 ~ Image from I Blog Jesus

Judging hearts ~ A Reflection on the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) ~ by Phyllis Booth

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Is 35:4-7a

Ps 148:7, 8-9, 9-10 (1b)

Jms 2:1-5

Mk 7:31-37

In Isaiah's reading, we find the prophet explaining the power and compassion God has for His People.  He tells them that God wants them to be strong and remove fear from their hearts.  God is coming to save them from their inability to see what is evil and to distinguish evil activities from rightfulness.

In the second reading, James dwells on how we relate to others.  Consciously or unconsciously, we judge everything each day from the time we awake... we judge the day, food, people, especially loved ones and the poor.  The actions or appearance of our peers determines how we accept or reject them.  Instead, God looks at the hearts of His Children, not their clothes, money, job or social status.  We humans are capable of being deceitful and we use this ability to gain our selfish desires.  God, however,  judges our heart, not our appearance.

In the Gospel reading of Mark, we see the saving and healing power of God from Isaiah's prophetic teaching and James' teaching on living as a Christian.  Mark writes that Jesus takes the deaf and mute man away from the crowd.  When they are alone, Jesus puts his fingers in the man's ears, spits, touches his tongue and looks up to heaven and groans, and says, "Ephphatha!" - that is, "Be opened!"  These actions cure the man.  Jesus orders the man and the crowd not to tell anyone about the miracle.  The crowd and the man were so overjoyed that they couldn't stop telling others about what had happened.

Jesus' actions reveal the saving, healing and merciful power of God.  God found the heart of the deaf and mute man clean.  Therefore, he was worthy to receive the ability to hear and speak.  In our prayers and songs we ask God to create a clean heart in us because our heart holds our true feelings.  "It's the center of our love."



 ~ Image:  Jesus heals a deaf man by Alexandre Bida
Illustrations of the Life of Christ

It's what's inside that counts! ~ A reflection on the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Deu 4:1-2, 6-8

Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5 (1a)

Jms 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

It's what's inside that counts!  This is the lesson that we take from the passages of Mark's Gospel that we heard today.  Jesus was approached by the Pharisees who were charging his disciples with not observing the Jewish purity laws that Moses had given the Israelites centuries before.  Some of the disciples had not washed their hands before eating.  This might seem like a petty complaint but it was actually a serious charge that would reflect on whether Jesus and his followers could be counted as observant Jews; and if Jesus would be taken seriously as a teacher or prophet.

But Jesus realized that the Pharisees were again trying to trap him.  He saw what hypocrites they were and did not hesitate to respond to their charges.  He gathered the people together again and explained what true purity meant.  That it was nothing that comes from outside that would defile them; but what came from their hearts.  If they were evil inside, then they would steal, murder, lie, be envious, hate, commit adultery and so on.  Jesus was showing them by his own life, what purity of heart meant.  

In the second reading, St. James writes to his fellow Christians, that if we follow God's commands, take care of orphans and widows and keep ourselves unstained by the world, we will be pure and undefiled before God...

James' words have meaning for us today also.  He tells us to "Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls."  We are to let that word become so much a part of us that what then comes from our mouth is goodness, love, mercy and compassion... the purity of heart that we are to strive for.

We share this word with our family, our friends, our community and our world because this is what Jesus asks of us.  We are God's people and he works through us to bring about his Kingdom in our time.

Today's psalm response says it beautifully:  "The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord."  (Ps 15:1a)  Indeed, it's what's inside that counts!     




 ~ Image: "Pharisees and Sadducees come to tempt Jesus" by James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum