Censings

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT February 22, 2015 Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity ECC, Long Beach CA Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Genesis 9:8-15 Psalm 25:4-5,6-7,8-9 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:12-15 A SHORT HOMILY ADDRESSED TO CHILDREN ABOUT LENT + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.       Earlier this week, the Church observed Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time when we look at who we are and where we are going. The ashes we received on our foreheads remind us that we may not be on this earth forever, that we have to use our lives to make a difference, not only in our own lives, but those of others.        Lent is a season of preparation for Easter. It requires us to ask ourselves, "Why are we here?" The acts of discipline and self-denial associated with Lent, that is, fasting and the things we give up for Lent,  tell us to examine what is really important in our lives, and what is not.  In that ...

SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B St. Thomas Independent Catholic Church Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Leviticus 13:1-2;44-46  Psalm 32:1-2,5,11 I Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Mark 1:40-45 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        Humans are social beings.  That undisputed fact really comes home to us when we are sick. We look to other people to comfort and take care of us. Even terminal illnesses, which remind us that we might die, elicit comfort and support. When it comes to afflictions like cancer, friends and family rally to form networks to care for us. But among some so-called Christians, there seems to be one exception: AIDS, which is an acronym for “acquired immune deficiency syndrome.”  Their response seems to be to blame the victim, particularly if the victim was gay. Their underlying assumption is that somehow, sexual orientation was a choice that God should punish. Modern sc...