Censings

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Palm Springs, California Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Acts: 3:13-15;17-19 Psalm 4:2;7-10 1 John 2:1-5 Luke 14:35-48 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        We usually associate ghosts with Halloween. But believe it or not, sometimes Halloween and Easter get mixed up, like in today’s gospel, when the disciples thought they had seen a ghost when the risen Lord appeared to them. Today’s gospel is somewhat like the story of Thomas we heard last Sunday, where the disciples were scared of further persecution by the Jewish authorities. Here, however, they’re scared in a different way. That thought they’d seen a ghost! After all, Jesus had died, so the idea of someone coming back to life after death was a bit disconcerting to them.        But the actual word in the Greek text is not that for Ghost, but “pneuma”, or “...

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER – DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY April 12, 2015 Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Acts 4:32-35 / Psalm 118:2-4;13-15;22-24 / 1 John 5:1-6 / John 20:19-31 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.              {Sing, plainsong} “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”  I couldn’t have had a better set of scripture lessons on which to preach for our inaugural Mass today.  So many people have walked away from church, spirituality and religion overall because they don’t feel welcome.  Saint Cecilia Catholic Community is here to change that.  Here, all are welcome.         {Sing, plainsong} “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” What a wonderful text for Divine Mercy Sunday! Too much of conventional, classic Christianity, catholic or othe...