Women's Day of Reflection, June 28, 2014, Holy Rosary Catholic Church ~ Photos by Ethel Cooley

Therefore, my dear brother and sisters, stand firm.  Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  1  Corinthians 15:58

Fr. Chester Smith, SVD

Sheri Cooley Brown, St. Paul's Church

Sr. Jamie Phelps

Gretta Barnes, Holy Rosary Catholic Church

~ Photographs by Ethel Cooley

Transformation Retreat Update ~ by Rosemary Overton

Hi Everyone!

This is my report on the Transformation Retreat. All of the participants that I spoke to said this was the best one of all they had attended. We let them do most of the work of having the retreat. They did a good job. It was very spiritual and uplifting.

We gave very nice gift bags to 24 participants. Two bags to two homeless people and two bags to a community organization.

The Health Committee thanks everyone who gave donations for the gift bags and a special thank you to Frances Pope for the labels for the gift bags.

May God bless St. Elizabeth's!

Peace and love,

Rosemary

Parish Retreat 2008 ~ Decide to become a Saint!

Isn't it true that when we decide on a particular career or a specific vocation, we go to a lot of trouble to plan the type of education we will need. We are also willing to prepare ourselves to do whatever it takes to reach that goal. What about deciding to be a saint?

This is a question that Fr. Matthias Lusembo, Parochial Vicar at St. Bridget Church and our retreat facilitator, put to us today. Why is it that we usually don't think that something as fundamental as becoming a saint is something we should decide for ourselves? This was a question that many of us had not thought of before. Of course, we realize that we are all called to holiness; but to be a saint seemed to be so far "above" who we are or who we can become, that we were momentarily at a loss to think that he meant US! Fr. Matthias reminded us that the people canonized by the Church are not the only saints that ever lived!

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After breakfast and a prayer service, Fr. Matthias spoke a little about his own journey to the priesthood and how he came to be in Richmond. He told us about the importance of discovering what God's Will is for ourselves through prayer and meditation on the Scriptures. That surrendering ourselves to God's Will is what will be pleasing to Him.

Fr. Matthias then developed our theme for the day, "How to be a Catholic in our changing times" by comparing what Catholics believe with the beliefs of the many other Christian denominations around us. There are many differences between Catholics and Christians of other denominations. For instance, Catholics believe in the authority of Peter and his successors, the popes, and Fr. Matthias showed us the scriptural basis for this belief; noting that God's Will becomes manifest through the Church.

Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist; whereas most other Christians see the bread and wine they offer as mere symbols and only a remembrance of Jesus' last supper with His friends.

He also cited differences in how we view the Scriptures. Most other Christians use the Bible as the sole authority in their churches. Catholics respect not only the Scriptures, but also Tradition handed down through the centuries of the Church's existence.

Other areas that Fr. Matthias touched on included the Scriptural basis for Penance/Reconciliation, our veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary (not worship, as some Christians believe of us) and the differences in the Catholic belief about abortion and the view of other Christian denominations.

In the afternoon session, Fr. Matthias asked for questions and discussions from those of us attending the retreat. Questions included the following: How do you discern God's Will for yourself? Why don't Catholics use the individual communion cups used by other Christian denominations, especially because of the possibility of catching the flu or other illnesses caused by drinking from the same cup? There was discussion about how to deal with moral issues that seem to be in the gray area, rather than completely right or completely wrong.

We want to thank Fr. Matthias for his presence with us today. Perhaps, after reflecting on his words, we may be able to make that decision to strive to become the saints we are called to be.

A Reflection on Eucharistic Prayer III

"Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise. All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit. From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name..."



Yesterday for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, our priest selected Eucharistic Prayer III, a portion of which surely expresses some of the most beautiful sentiments of any of the four Eucharistic Prayers. One cannot help but pray with our whole heart and mind and being, these beautiful and poetic words. Along with our priest who stands in the place of Christ for us, we offer our gifts of bread and wine; and our very lives to our Heavenly Father. We surely can do no less, in our thankfulness for all he has done for us.

"From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name..."

These words can only bring to mind, the 2000 year history of the Eucharist, during which period, some form of the command of our Lord has been celebrated. "Do this in memory of me," Jesus said. Whether in the catacombs or on the battlefield; in prison or among friends; in a magnificent cathedral or a simple country church, this command has been honored.

From east to west... all over the world, in every language, by every race of peoples, at any given moment in the day, this liturgy is being celebrated. Our God gathers his people to himself.

We, as the parish community of St. Elizabeth, are those same People of God; called to be holy, called to gather in his name, and called to make this perfect offering in his memory.

A Reflection on the Eucharistic Prayer II

"We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you."

Again, I heard and prayed these words from Eucharistic Prayer II that our priest had selected for Wednesday's Mass. Every time I hear those words, I am reminded that our God has raised us up and has given us dignity as human beings and "People of God." Though he is King and Lord, God does not require that his creatures cower at his feet.

Instead, what God wishes from his people is that we love and serve him. Just as we stand and offer, in union with our priest, "this life-giving bread, this saving cup" in memory of Jesus' death and resurrection, we offer ourselves to our God's service also.

To serve him, means serving our brothers and sisters around us, in our families, in our parish family, in our community and in our world. This is how we pay homage to our God and thank him for all he has done for us.

Everyone knows that this is not easy. We place many stumbling blocks in our way. It is so easy to be complacent... to let someone else do God's work in the world. It is easy to "talk the talk" but not so easy to "walk the walk." But Jesus did it...

Wherever the poor, the sick, the dying, the outcasts, the hurting people were... that's where you found Jesus. The people felt his caring touch as they reached out to him. He not only healed their bodies, but their hearts also. They listened to his words of hope that their God loved them with a tender and everlasting love; and they rejoiced.

Many years ago, I came across a beautiful definition of being a Christian. We are people who must "serve others; without limits, forever." This sounds like a daunting task; but not if you take one step at a time... one day at a time... We simply need to begin.

We pray God to allow his Spirit to move within us, so that we can reach out to others to truly become part of God's Presence in the world.

My Spiritual Journey ~ by Ronnie Archer

I have been attending Mass all of my life, originally at St. Joseph Church, and attended Van de Vyver Catholic school for all of my elementary years. I never gave much thought to spirituality, until I became a member of St. Elizabeth's Parish after the closure of St. Joseph Parish, which was heart breaking for the African American Community.

It could have been that I was not as receptive as I have since"matured" to be, but the community at St. Elizabeth's and the many opportunities that were offered to help develop the spiritual side of its members, contributed to my personal spirituality.

Under the pastorate and guidance of then, Fr. Mike Schmied and Sr. Miriam LaVelle, then pastoral associate, and through our Christian Education committee, and later, the St. Elizabeth Women's Group, retreats were offered, such as I had not experienced before. I had memories of only silent retreats, lasting all day without a word until lunch time, then back for more silent individual prayer, until closing. I found out that retreats could be informative, inspiring, uplifting, and opportunities for sharing with others.

At our parish, we had Christian Formation sessions before Mass, often with a lay person, either from our own parish or a non-member who came to share something valuable with us about a life changing experience. We had opportunities to ask questions, during the discussions, which were most informative and inspirational.

I've learned, and am much more aware now, that "we are not ONLY human beings" but, as we were once told by Fr. Pat Apuzzo, when he was our celebrant, that we are also"spiritual beings". That has also had a great impact on my personal spirituality. God made us in His image and when Jesus ascended to His Father, He left us a Paraclete, the Holy Spirit.

For the past twenty-nine years that I've been a member at St. Elizabeth, our parish has continued to offer many opportunities to help us walk our spiritual journey. Christian Formation programs during Advent and Lent, a special summertime session, and the annual Women's Group retreat, all of which have been a blessing to those who attended.

Because of our spirituality, St. Elizabeth parish has been empowered to reach out to the larger community by participating in Caritas, Freedom House, and Aids Ministry. We have also reached out globally by sponsoring several refugee families in the early 80's.

When I joined the parish, it was more diverse than it is now. As an African American, I appreciated the fact that our pastors had the insight to incorporate the music that has been endearing to the African American culture for years, into the Mass. This was done first, by inviting Holy Rosary’s Gospel Choir to celebrate with us until our own gospel choir was formed under the direction of Brenda and Ed Foster. Our current choir is directed by Rev. Rita Newson, and assisted by Kim Ford. Some of the original members are still in the choir. Since scripture is very important to us, many of the gospel songs come from the Old and New Testament stories, some speak of deliverance and comfort, which is a great part of the African American experience.

We have always been encouraged to participate in scripture sharing groups, not only in the Highland Park community where most of our members live, but also in the surrounding counties, where others of us live. I look forward to these scripture sharing times. They are interesting, informative, and sometimes even amazing, to hear another's interpretation of a particular scripture.

For the past year we’ve been blessed to have as our "shepherd", Fr. Andrew Sagayam, from India, who has shared a few of his liturgical customs with us. We have already implemented some of them at our Mass.

We began weekly Wednesday Liturgies before our ceiling collapsed; during Lent, the weekly Liturgies resumed, followed by Stations of the Cross. We are continuing our weekly Wednesday Liturgies, with very good attendance.

On Palm Sunday, after the reading of the passion, Fr. Andrew asked us to think about the characters in the passion. He called each of them by name, then asked us to reflect on which character we would consider ourselves to be, making Our Lord's Passion very personal for us.

The Triduum this year, was beautiful and symbolic. On Holy Thursday, the scriptures were brought to life by twelve "apostles", who were previously chosen to participate in the foot washing ceremony. The participants were given the names of the "apostles" and will serve in other ways throughout the coming year. After the Liturgy, Fr. Andrew also referred to the scripture in Matthew 26:v 38, by inviting the congregation to "visit" with Jesus, for awhile, and many people accepted that invitation to visit and spend sometime in silent prayer.

On Good Friday, Fr. Andrew explained the three crosses, saying one is the cross of rebellion, one is the cross of repentance, and one, the cross of redemption, and as we walked up to venerate the cross, we were asked to genuflect three times and reflect on each cross and accept the cross of redemption. I felt this forced us to look into the depth of our own souls. I believe that when we can relate personally to the scriptures, we bring them to life for us, and by identifying with Jesus, we further our own spirituality.

The Easter vigil began by processing from the church to the outside for the lighting of the new fire. We were given twigs to throw into the fire, symbolizing the burning of our old nature. During the vigil, Fr. Andrew baptized three: one adult and two children; three adults were confirmed and four children received their First Eucharist. We are looking forward to helping a couple celebrate the sacrament of matrimony at St. Elizabeth’s in the fall.

The attendance had already been on an increase before the ceiling fell; then during that challenge, and with the spiritual encouragement of our pastor and parishioners, our faith was strengthened. Determination was rewarded by GOD moving through others to assist us in our efforts to restore our sanctuary.

All during the restoration process, attendance continued to rise as some old members returned. We have since added new members, growing from 65 households, to a current 104 households.

To summarize, my testimony is that God has truly been working on my spiritual journey through St. Elizabeth parish; and equally confident that the presence of the Holy Spirit will continue to strive to make a Catholic presence in Richmond’s Highland Park.

The First and the Last ~ A Reflection

Something Fr. Andrew said to us recently has stuck in my mind and won't let go. Here is the quote and my reflections about the words he spoke.

"Whenever I begin Mass, I pray: Lord, this is my first Mass and this is my last Mass."

Now, these words portray an absolutely beautiful way of thinking; and we parishioners are indeed fortunate to have a priest who is intent on giving God and God's people the very best he can give. For indeed, that is what our priest's words represent. They also imply an awareness that his actions at the altar are not simply some routine he is obligated or expected to perform. These words have far reaching implications for him too, that may not be apparent at first.

"Lord, this is my first Mass..."

Surely, a newly ordained priest's first Mass is one not to be forgotten. Not only does he proclaim the "Good News" to his people, but for the first time, he becomes the living instrument who calls down our God's Son to become present in ordinary pieces of bread and a cup of wine. There at the table, through his words of consecration, those simple elements are forever changed. At the same time, the priest has also experienced a change, for this precious communion with our God is not for himself alone. Indeed, the priest must share this communion with his people. They too, must be drawn into this circle of holiness. This Body and Blood of Christ must become part of their very essence and being...and to touch their very souls. Truly an inspiring and humbling thought. We can be eternally grateful to God if our priest is able to celebrate each Mass in this frame of mind.

"...Lord, this is my last Mass."

No one knows when our time here on earth will come to an end and we come to rest in God's loving arms. Will it be today... tomorrow... or many years from now? We know not the time nor the place. Remember, that for several months now, we have heard the scripture readings telling us to be alert... to be ready.

So when we hear those words about a "last Mass," we recognize that we have a priest who is mindful of his own mortality and the fragileness of our lives. This awareness surely brings to a priest a deep sense of poignancy, in the knowledge that nothing is certain beyond this moment; not for himself nor for his people. Thus, each Mass becomes like his first Mass; a precious gift from God... as well as, an offering of himself to God and to us, God's people.

Parables as Allegories

If you were at Mass last Sunday, you were treated to a beautiful homily by Fr. Andrew about the Good Samaritan. Our pastor has a style all his own; many of his insights coming out of his Eastern background.

Most of the homilies and sermons explaining the parables of Jesus that we have listened to over the years have had their basis in Western European biblical exegesis or explanations. Biblical commentaries were concerned with historical settings and later, with literary forms.

The focus of the interpretations generally answered the questions of who the Gospel or Epistle writer was; which Christian community was the writer addressing; what did the parable mean to the Christians of the Apostolic or post-Apostolic times; and finally, what meaning can we derive from these parables in today's world. These types of homilies have a richness of their own and after hearing the Word about the Good Samaritan and listening to the priest's homily about it, we would return home secure in the knowledge of who our neighbor was and what we were to do in caring for even the least of our brothers and sisters.

In contrast, the homily we heard last Sunday turned the story of the Good Samaritan into an allegory, where all its elements were seen as having a symbolic meaning. An allegorical interpretation is perhaps the earliest method for interpreting the parables. For example, the robbers who attacked the traveler could be considered sin and evil. The half-dead traveler is humankind, beaten down by sin. The priest who passed him by represented the Law; the Levite, the prophets. The Good Samaritan was Christ who bound up the traveler's wounds and took him to the inn, which symbolized the Church. The two denarii that he left for the innkeeper represented the two Great Commandments that Jesus left us. The Samaritan's promise to return indicated the Second Coming.

My purpose in this article was not to enumerate all the symbols contained in this parable but to show how allegories can give us a different view of Scripture. I am truly grateful for this homily because Fr. Andrew is broadening our understanding of Scripture from a direction that we usually don't hear much about.

Much Ado About Sandals!

Ronnie and I have had email conversations this week about sandals! The conversations stemmed from references that Fr. Andrew made in recent homilies about the wearing of sandals. On the one hand, we have Moses being ordered by God to take off his sandals on Mount Horeb as a sign of respect because Moses was standing on holy ground. (Exodus 3:5)

On the other hand, we have Luke 15:22 and the putting on of sandals as a sign of respect. This is the story of the Prodigal Son and it offers the wearing of shoes in a totally different context. We are not talking about "holy ground" in this instance. To me, the reason the sandals were put on the bedraggled son who was returning to his father's house was to show that this prodigal son was not to be treated as a slave or a servant (who normally went barefoot in those days). He was being reinstated to the position he enjoyed before he left home in the first place. And my guess is that this reinstatement is a major reason why the "good son" was so jealous of his brother. He didn't think it was fair!

Thus, I see these incidences as both showing respect, though in different contexts. Moses showed respect to the Lord by removing his sandals when he learned he was on holy ground. The prodigal son regained respect (and his self-respect) when he was clothed in fine garments and jewels, and was given sandals to wear by his father.

Wednesday's Eucharistic "Lesson" ~ by Ronnie Archer

At the conclusion of Mass last Wednesday, June 13th, Fr. Andrew asked if we had ever noticed a gesture that he makes after the consecration, each time he is about to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. He told us that he asks God to bless each of the senses where sin can enter into us. With the fingers of both hands, he touches his temples (mind), so that his thoughts will be pure; the eyes, to avoid seeing anything sinful; the ears, to avoid hearing anything that would contribute to sin; and the mouth, to refrain speaking anything that is against God's will, therefore sinful.

Fr. Andrew said that he is going to begin having classes soon, to help us become better informed of some of the rituals of the Catholic Church, such as WHY we do what we do and WHEN certain rituals began. I do think that the classes will be helpful and interesting.

Finding a Quiet Place

I've been thinking recently about the old-timey Catholic days when I was a kid. That would put it in the late 1930's through the '40's and early '50's. Those too, were the days when Catholic Churches were always open during the day. People could stop by a church and pray for 15 or 20 minutes and then go about their business again. There was no concern that someone would steal anything from the church or that a person might be in danger by being in the church alone. The church was truly a sanctuary in those days.

As we all know, those days are long gone. Most churches are locked up tight now. There is fear in every community; whether inner city or suburb. And it's a pity...

I know as I grow older, I find I would often like to simply sit quietly in a church with my God in the Blessed Sacrament. To have an opportunity to open that door and go in for a few minutes; to be in His presence and listen to what He has to say to me. And have Him listen to what is on my mind too. And often, just to be...

I realize that I can find a quiet place at home and He will be there for me also. But it is simply not the same. Those who have experienced those open churches will know just what I mean.

Breaking Open The Word

Frances called me a couple of weeks ago and said that a few St. E's folks were finally going to get together at her house for scripture sharing like we used to do a few years ago and I was invited. These gatherings have been in the works for a couple of months now but for various reasons, the time was never right to begin. Well, the time had come!

So one night last week, we gathered in the Pope's living room with our "At Home With The Word" books and our bibles to pray, read and meditate on the next Sunday's readings. Frances had asked me to lead the group for that week and so we began.

So how do you go about starting up one of these bible study groups? It's easy. Get a half dozen (more or less) of your interested friends together. What Frances did was to ask people who lived closer to her. Another scripture group that started before Christmas draws St. E's folks from the Highland Park area.

The person who has been asked to lead the group that particular evening plans what they want to do for the hour or so that the gathering lasts. Here is what I did that evening. We started with an opening prayer, made up on the spot. Then I asked the participants to volunteer to read one of the Sunday readings. When the readings were done, we reflected on what the readings meant to us and how they could affect our lives; what the readings had in common with each other. Questions about Biblical history also found their way into our discussions.

These groups usually end with a closing prayer; but instead of that, I had brought my cd player along and a song that the choir may learn sometime. The song seemed very appropriate for these particular readings and I had thought of it as I was preparing for the gathering. "All of My Help" was the perfect ending for this evening.

Frances asked Vivian to lead the next gathering and she may decide on a different format. However, the main reason for meeting is to read and reflect on the Sunday readings to deepen our faith through our connection with each other and our God.

We set a date for the next gathering and afterwards, Frances had some light refreshments for us. Though refreshments aren't a necessary part of the evening, sitting around the table gives us an opportunity to catch up on our lives and to draw us closer together.

So how often do groups like ours meet? Some meet weekly; some monthly. Some meet during the day; most in the evening. We plan to meet every other week and for the time being, we will meet at Frances' house.

If you have any questions about setting up a scripture group yourself, that haven't been answered in this article, ask away!

Where Two or Three Are Gathered in My Name...

Fr. Andrew gave us some words to ponder yesterday. He reminded us that one emphasis of Vatican II was to encourage the formation of small groups within the larger parish. These smaller groups would make possible a closeness among the participants who gathered together for prayer or the sharing of scripture insights.

He also reminded us that we were already that "smaller group." That if our God wants us to remain together as a parish, he will see to it that we do; despite our concerns about finances and the cost to repair of our church building.

I am also reminded that several weeks ago, Fr. Andrew related an incident where a pastor of a large church asked him why we would even bother to fix the church. That with such a small congregation, why didn't we just disband and join other parishes. Fr. Andrew asked the pastor how many of his church members actually showed up for Mass. Obviously, the percentage of actual churchgoers in that large parish was not near the number of actual church members. At that, Andrew replied that ALL of his parishioners came to Mass! I had to chuckle about that when he said it; and I have thought about it more than once since.

And don't you know, we've known and have cared about each other for many a year; and we come together to celebrate our God with joyous song. Which reminds me: from my vantage point with the choir, I have noticed that people are singing out as never before, along with the choir. And this is so even with no hymnbooks! It is so encouraging to see the congregation singing also.