Censings

FEAST OF SAINT MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS September 27, 2015 (transferred from September 29) Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Revelation 12:7-12 Psalm 138:1-5 Colossians 1:9-20 John 1:47-51 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.        Angels are everywhere. In the Bible, angels are ubiquitous from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation. You may recall that when Adam and Eve left Eden, God placed an angel to guard its entrance.  An angel appeared to Hagar in the wilderness to save her and her son Ishmael from starvation. Angels appeared to Abraham on several occasions. Jacob saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder between earth and heaven. Angels were also instrumental in the ministry of Moses, appearing to him at the burning bush, and when Moses led the Exodus through the Red Sea. Angels are copiously present throughout the prophecy of Zechariah and the Psal...

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B September 20, 2015 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Wisdom 2:12;17-20 Psalm 54 James 3:16-4:3 Mark 9:30-37        +In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN. Today’s gospel reading is the second of three “passion predictions” in Mark - we heard the first one last week. Jesus again said he was going to suffer and die, and like His previous prediction, the disciples didn’t know quite what to make of what Jesus was saying. They were more concerned about playing a game of one-upsmanship with each other, much as human persons often do.  Nowhere is that more true than among Christians. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, over thirty nine thousand denominations of Christians existed as of the year two thousand seven. Some were born out of long-simmering and serious theological disagreements. Others were formed because someone ...

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME September 13, 2015 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 50:4-9 Psalm 116:1-9 Philippians 2:5-8 Mark 8:27-35        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.        Usually when we talk about the cross, it is during Lent, in the context of the approaching death of Jesus on Good Friday, to be followed by His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Tomorrow is the Feast of the Holy Cross, when we focus on the cross itself and what it means for the Christian faith experience.   Not all Christians view the cross the same way. Generally, Catholic Christian churches have a crucifix, that is, a cross with the Body of Jesus on it to remind us of the human suffering of Jesus as one of us, while protestant Christian churches have an empty cross to communicate the idea of the resurrected Jesus as a present reality. ...

LABOR DAY September 06, 2015 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Proverbs 22:1-9 Psalm 125 James 5:1-11 Matthew 20:1-16        +In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        Labor Day is not a liturgical holiday. It’s not on the calendar of any church. So why are we celebrating a Mass to honor it? Catholicism is based on the dignity of the human person, which includes a calling to do some kind of work to support oneself and confer benefits on the community in which one lives.   Work is a good thing . Through work, humanity transforms nature, adapting it to human needs. Work is more than something one does to survive. Work is ongoing human participation in God’s creation. We exist because of God’s work in creating us. God created us in God’s image; and part of being God-like is working. God placed humanity in the Garden of Eden intending humanity ...

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME August 30, 2015 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. Dcn. David Justin Lynch Deuteronomy 4:1-2:6-8 Psalm 15:2-5 James 1:17-18;21b-22;27 Mark 7:1-8;14-15;21-23 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        What is religion? Is it a set of rules? Is it ritual? Is it what’s in a particular book or books? The short answer is, all of the foregoing. Whether one is Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, or even if one is a pagan pantheist, rules and principles of one’s belief system establish an ideal path for existence, marked by rituals, and anchored to sacred texts. Those are the markers that catch my attention when I encounter those whose traditions differ from mine. Religion allows us to reflect on what we think, how we feel, and what we do, or not do. The content of that reflective process determines our response to God and our fellow humans, even if one does...