Today is holy to the Lord, your God ~ A Reflection on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Ps 19:8. 9, 10, 15, Jn 6:63c

1 Cor 12:12-30

Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

In the First Reading from the prophet Nehemiah, we find that the Israelites have just returned to Jerusalem from their long captivity in Babylon.  During this time, many had lost knowledge and understanding of their religious writings, so Ezra the priest gathered the people together and began to read from the scrolls and to teach them about the Law of Moses.  Ezra explained that this day was to be a holy one to the Lord and there should be no grieving or sorrow among the people.  Instead there would be rejoicing and feasting because the word of God had returned to the people.

In a similar manner, Luke's Gospel tells of Jesus bringing a joyful and hopeful word to the people listening to him read in the synagogue of Nazareth.  He had taken up the Isaiah scroll and began this passage:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
To bring glad tidings to the poor,
...liberty to the captives...sight to the blind...
to let the oppressed go free... etc."

And to the wonder and consternation of his listeners, He said:  "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

If we read further in Luke's Gospel, we learn that instead of reacting with joy at the words of Jesus, the people rebuked him for claiming something beyond His station in life, that of the son of a carpenter of Nazareth.  How could God have these plans for Jesus?  And so they tried to throw Him from the hill on which Nazareth was built; but Jesus passed through the crowd without being harmed.

In contrast to the people of Israel in Ezra's time who were so filled with joy and so receptive at having the Law of Moses read and explained to them after such a long time, the people of Nazareth in Jesus' time had become deaf and blind to the meanings of the Word they were to live by.  They were not looking for someone like Jesus who lived and worked among them to fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah.  To them, Jesus was not the hero and savior they were looking for.




 ~ Image Source: Fulfilled Prophecy by Adina Henderson

St. Elizabeth's Epiphany Open House (Part 1) ~ by Ethel Cooley

Epiphany Sunday, January 6, 2013 was an especially fun day.  With the help of many friends of St. Elizabeth and Fr. Jim Arsenault, the St. Elizabeth Rectory had been transformed!  It was unrecognizable!

From 2 p.m. til 5 p.m., the doors of the Rectory were open to parishioners and invited friendly, hospitable guests.  The heavenly hors d'oeuvres were delicious!  Music and laughter could be heard throughout the beautiful space.

Some of the guests who chose to stop by were:  Wade Emmit, III, David, Veronica and Katie Lowenhagen, Cheryl Dulog and Marc Dulog, Rich Krafic, Rick Murphy, Annie and Sissy McEntee and Marilyn Lewis!

A special thank you to the St. Elizabeth Kitchen Committee for the preparations and their untiring service.  Gov. Timothy Kaine, now Senator Timothy Kaine, was able to stop by in spite of a very busy schedule!  He was kind enough to gift many of our parishioners and guests with invitations to the Inauguration of the President and Vice President of the United States of America!

On Monday, January 21, 2013 and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, many of us were able to witness a historic and blessed day!

~ Photographs by Ethel Cooley

St. Elizabeth's Epiphany Open House (Part 2) ~ Ethel Cooley

Continuing with Ethel Cooley's nice photos:

St. Elizabeth's Epiphany Open House (Part 3) ~ Ethel Cooley

Continuing with Ethel Cooley's nice photos:

Jesus' First Miracle: "Do whatever He tells you" - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ by Ronnie Archer

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Is 62:1-5

Ps 96:1-3, 7-10

1 Cor:12:4-11

Jn 2:1-11

Both the first reading and the Gospel of this Sunday, speak to "marriage and celebration."  In the Isaiah reading, we hear the Salvation of Jerusalem described; and in verses 4 and 5, the description is compared to a "young man marrying a virgin, so your Builder shall marry you and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your GOD rejoice in YOU."

The Gospel gives us the story of Jesus' first miracle performed at the wedding celebration at Cana.  Jesus was responding to His mother's plea or comment that the wine had run out.  She told the servers to do "whatever He told them to do."

In Corinthians, St. Paul describes the different kinds of spiritual gifts and different forms of services and workings...but emphasizes that it is the same GOD who produces all of them in everyone, distributing them as HE wishes.

We heard in our homily that Jesus knows all about celebrations and gatherings.  "Even though we all have our struggles and obstacles in life, He calls us to continue to gather as communities.  We touch each other in various ways.  We look beyond the bread we break and the cup we drink, and believe that Jesus is present with us.  God knows us in our struggles, but He wants us to continue to celebrate the life He gave us."

"We never know how life will treat us... but we put one foot in front of the other and walk on."

Are we grateful for the gifts described in the second reading, that our God gives to us; do we use them to make a positive difference for others?


Image: Wedding Feast at Cana by Christopher Marcello

A Reflection on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (C)

Baptism of Christ
Tapestry designed by John Nava
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Los Angeles, California

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (C)

Is 42:1-4, 6-7

Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10

Acts 10:34-38

Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

Probably everyone remembers the words from the third chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes: "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."  Today, Luke's Gospel provides us with just such an example.

Jesus' hidden life is coming to an end...  His baptism by John and the acknowledgement by His Father: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." mark the beginning of the public life and ministry of Jesus.  At the same time, John the Baptist's life of preaching is drawing to a close.  Soon he will be arrested and not long thereafter murdered at the court of Herod.  John knew who it was he was baptizing; someone mightier that he...  one who would baptize with the Spirit and with fire, not simply with water as John did....  someone whose sandals he was not worthy to loosen.

What would the ministry of Jesus be like?  We learn the answer in the beautiful reading from the prophet Isaiah.  We find that the Lord has called for a servant who will come forth, filled with the Spirit, who will bring justice to the nations.   In his gentleness and care for the people, this servant will not let hope be lost,  Instead, he will be a light to the nations;open the eyes of the blind and bring from the dungeons of sin, those who live in darkness.  This servant is Jesus.

The baptism of Jesus obviously made a strong impression on the Apostles, for we read in the Acts of the Apostles, that Peter describes how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.  Jesus then went about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil.  God was with him...

Jesus did not need the waters of baptism to cleanse himself of sin, for Jesus was sinless.  But by allowing himself to be baptized, Jesus showed us the way we are to go to reach the heavenly Kingdom.  We, who are born with sin, are to follow in his footsteps... Peter reminds us that God does not show partiality. Each of us is to take up our cross... those things that burden our lives... believing God's word that those who act uprightly, are accepted by him, no matter who we are... The Lord will bless his people with peace. (Resp)

         

Everyone's Messiah ~ A Reflection on the Feast of the Epiphany (C)

Feast of the Epiphany (C)

Is 60:1-6

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Matt 2:1-12

The birth of Jesus was not to be simply a local phenomenon. We know that Scripture had indicated that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and that he would rule a kingdom.  However, the Kingdom he would rule was not understood... We know that King Herod on learning about the birth, felt that his own kingdom was in danger because he believed this Baby would grow up to usurp his throne.  But an earthly kingdom is not what Jesus had been born to rule.  His Kingdom was not a political entity.

The arrival of the wise men brought forth another important aspect of Jesus' birth; that is, the universality of God's saving action.  These wise men had come from somewhere in the East.  They had followed a star - a star that seemed to beckon them to begin a journey that ended in a home in Bethlehem where they finally found the Child and his Mother.  No longer in the stable but in a house... a permanent residence.

Were these wise men friends or did they happen to meet up and decide to travel together because each one seemed to be heading in the same direction and each one knew about the star?  However it happened, these magi were not Jews... they did not know of the prophecies, only of a new star rising and to them, it meant a king had been born.  They had brought gold, frankincense and myrrh, worthy treasures for a king.  The magi themselves represented all peoples and showed that God intended that every nation and every peoples would be welcome in his Kingdom.

We read in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, that through the Spirit, it was now understood that "the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."  The wise men had already prefigured this inheritance though it was not understood until later.

Isaiah also had prophesied about the coming birth by calling on Jerusalem to "rise up in splendor... Your light has come!"  That the wealth of the nations would be brought to her.  Gold and frankincense, all "proclaiming the praises of the Lord."

Even the psalmist sang of the King who would "govern the people with justice"... and he would rule to "the ends of the earth."  This is the kind of Kingdom that Jesus meant:

"...he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.  He shall have pity on the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he will save."  (Ps 72)     


 ~ Image: Journey of the Magi by James Tissot, 1902

Feast of the Holy Family ~ A Reflection

Feast of the Holy Family

1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28

Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10

1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24

Lk 2:41-52

As we read Luke's Gospel today, we can easily identify with the boy Jesus, who in his humanity acted just like any other 12-year old who considered himself a man.  Indeed, by age 12, Jesus was only a year away from celebrating his Bar Mitzvah, the age at which he would be considered responsible for his actions... 13, being the age of his rite of passage to adulthood.

So instead of leaving Jerusalem with his parents, Jesus decided to stay among the scholars and teachers in the temple.  He wanted to listen to them and to ask questions, not to go home with his parents.  The teachers were amazed at his understanding and probably never thought that he did not live in the city.

In the meantime, Mary and Joseph discovered that Jesus was not among their relatives as they had thought.  Immediately, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.  You can imagine the fear they must have felt for his safety.  Finally, after three days, they found Jesus in the temple among the teachers and scholars.  Jesus seemed to have no concern that he had caused his parents so much worry; after all, "Did you not know I must be in my Father's house."

But Jesus, an obedient son, returned to Nazareth with his parents and remained with them.

How so like our own families.  All of us experience times of fear and misunderstanding in our own families, whether we be parents, caregivers or children.  Jesus had a mother and a foster father... many of our own families are different from the usual nuclear family.  Some of our families consist of a parent or grandparent, children and other extended family members.  Few of our families are perfect; but all of our families can be holy.

Holiness is the continual striving to be what God wants us to be.  In the first letter of John, we learn that we are, first of all, God's children.  We are part of God's family and that he loves us like a Father loves his children.  He asks us to keep his commandments and do what pleases him; that is, to believe in his Son Jesus Christ and to love one another as he has commanded.  This love first happens in our families.  The home is where we first learn how to love one another and then beyond the family, those whom we meet as we go out into the world.

Just as Jesus advanced in wisdom and age during his hidden years, so we also grow up; some of us to create our own families; others to become part of different types of family groupings, such as pastors or members of a parish family, or Sisters living in religious communities...  all of us striving to become what God wants us to be.



~ Image Source: The Holy Family

Christmas Eve at St. E's - With photographs by Ken Soistman

Many thanks to Ken Soistman for taking these beautiful photographs of Christmas Eve at St. Elizabeth's Church, December 24, 2012

Our Young People's Concert

Our Sanctuary before Mass began

Our Christmas Tree decorated with Christian Symbols

Our beautifully decorated Altar and Nativity Scene

Lector Shelton Jones

View of the Sanctuary

Fr. Jim gives his Christmas homily

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Bringing up the Gifts

"This is My Body"

"This is My Blood"

Eucharistic Prayers

The Body and Blood of the Lord

Ministers of Holy Communion

Preparing for Communion