Censings

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT February 14, 2015 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. David Justin Lynch Deuteronomy 26:4-10 Psalm 91:1-2;10-15 Romans 10:8-13 Luke 4:1-13 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN. If you’ve ever watched the television program “American Greed”, you know what temptation looks like, and you’ve seen the devil at work. Financial fraudsters tempt otherwise honest people into becoming involved in schemes to cheat people out of their money by telling lies and that they will be rewarded for doing that. If anything, that program teaches us that greed ultimately does not pay for anyone involved, for the victims, for those the fraudsters convince to become involved in their schemes, and for the fraudsters themselves. The message of “American Greed” is that everyone loses when they yield to temptation to get rich quick. Every day, all of us are tempted to sin for short-term gain leading to long term harm. If you yield to te

ASH WEDNESDAY – YEAR C  February 10, 2016 7:00 PM  Saint Cecilia Catholic Community  Rev. David Justin Lynch  Joel 2:12-18 Psalm 51:3-6; 12-14;17  2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 Matthew 6:1-6; 16-18   + In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.       I am an extrovert. I enjoy meeting people and interacting with them. I am one of those individuals who is not scared of speaking or singing in front of a crowd. Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Holy Week is a challenge for people like me. The people who do those seasons of the year well are those who groove on inward contemplation, who live an intense interior life with a capacity to reflect on the things of the heart, that which is at the innermost core of our being. That is the part of us to which the prophet Joel, the Psalmist, Saint Paul, and the author of the Gospel according to Matthew are speaking today.       Returning to, and reconciliation with, God, happens inside of ourselves. God does not inter

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME February 07, 2016 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 6:1-2A; 3-8 Psalm 138:1-8 I Corinthians 15:3-8; 11 Luke 5:1-11 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN. [Sing] “Have it your way, have it your way.” You probably recognize that as the Burger King Song. When sung to people in America, it affirms that we live in a society that places a great emphasis on freedom and individuality. Burger King is using empathy with that sentiment to sell burgers. It is effective advertising, because the ability and opportunity to be what you want yourself to be is the holy grail of happiness that many people seek. In today’s America, when you get what you want, when you want it, and how you want it, you are said to be truly in heaven. Many people think the entire world should be one big Burger King where you can “have it your way” twenty-four seven. We see, hear, feel, taste, and smell that th