Reflection for the Solemnity of the Christian Family

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Family
the center of love

And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

As a young man of 12 (prior to the acknowledged age of maturity for a Jewish young man – the age of 13), Jesus was already maturely aware that He had been sent to carry out His Father’s will, to be close to His Father in heaven in all that He was to say and do. Of course Mary and Joseph did not fully understand that. They would have expected Jesus to still be immature in the knowledge of God.

Jesus clearly points out that He had to be about His Father’s work regardless of whether the world or His human parents saw Him as mature or immature. He shows us that the perceptions of the world do not matter as long as we stay focused on our true work.

How hard it is for us to stay true to God’s work among the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Children’s lives are fully programmed. Youth are busy with studies, sports, extracurricular activities and homework of course. Many parent’s work lives seem never ending now that we are connected 24/7 will smartphones. Retirement doesn’t mean sitting in a rocking chair anymore.

Staying true to God, to our faith in Christ, to the work the Holy Spirit calls us to do, requires an environment that places being in the Father’s presence as the greatest good. All the education, money, talent, and activities in the world are worth nothing if we loose our souls – our relationship to God and our heavenly family – in the process.

The environment that is our support, that shows us the way to eternal success, and that keeps us true and present to God is family –the Christian family. Family that believes in love, which is truly connected to the truth of love, will place God first and foremost in its life. That family will pray together, will worship together, will live in faithfulness to each other, will support and prepare each other for a life that is forever.

What a worthless gift we leave if we only provide for the near term. God’s family – provides forever.

Jesus sat in His Father’s presence in the temple, feeling at home, breathing the air of His own proper place. As families in Christ – centers of love – let us follow Jesus. Let us be present to God, breathe His life as our greatest goal, our desired good, and as our gift of love to each other – parents, children, and grandchildren.

October 2013 Newsletter

Family, family, family – it is all about family, plus craft fairs, coffee hours, our School of Christian Living, welcoming the newly baptized, and those who have joined us at the table of the Lord — that and more all in our new newsletter. Check it out, stay informed and see our action packed schedule. You may view and download a copy right here — October 2013 Newsletter.

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Free Lunch on Sunday – September 29th

Please come and join us for Free Lunch on Sunday, this Sunday, September 29th, from 11:30am till 1:30pm. This event is always free and open to all. Enjoy family friendly foods, dessert, coffee/drinks, and more. Free Lunch on Sunday is held at Holy Name of Jesus in our parish hall located at 1040 Pearl St., Schenectady (CDTA Route 353 – Pearl Street stop).

Soup on Sunday Flyer - Fall

God Bless Emjai Rose

Yesterday, Saturday, September 21st, we welcomed Emjai Rose into the family of Christ through the sacrament of baptism. It was a wonderful occasion made extra special by the presence of family who were in town. In baptism Emjai joins us in living God’s compelling over-arching story – a story in which we love, honor, serve, and sacrifice, supporting each other in living the life, the story, God calls us to live. God bless you Emjai.

Soup on Sunday, this Sunday at 11:30am

Please come and join us for Soup on Sunday, this Sunday, June 30th, from 11:30am till 1:30pm. Soup on Sunday is always free and open to all. Enjoy soup, sandwiches, special food for kids, dessert, coffee, and more. Soup on Sunday is held at Holy Name of Jesus in our parish hall located at 1040 Pearl St., Schenectady (CDTA Route 353 – Pearl Street stop).

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Jesus, Bread of Life
BLESS OUR ADVOCACY AND OUR COMMITMENT

As your love has called us
LET US PRAY WITH CONFIDENCE

As your love has held us
LET US ACT WITH COURAGE

As your love has blessed us
LET US UNITE WITH HOPE
THAT NO ONE MAY GO HUNGRY.
AMEN

Prayer (c) Kathy Galloway, Christian Aid

Reflection for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

fatherson

My children must be
…righteous before the Lord.

We acknowledge that what makes a man righteous is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ.

What is righteousness? It is an attribute implying that a person’s actions are justified, that the person has been “judged” or “reckoned” as leading a life that is pleasing to God. Some of the attributes of righteousness are being upright, just, straight, innocent, true, and sincere.

The Jewish teachers instructed that righteousness was equivalent to following the Law very strictly. The Jewish people have to work at righteousness by carrying out tasks.

St. Paul shows us that righteousness is more than mere acts, even if they are right acts. It comes from faith. Faith in Jesus leads us to performing right and proper acts, but those actions do not come first. Rather those acts derive from faith.

Jesus offers us the salvation He has won for us. Belief and faith in His coming, life, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming provides the benefits of that salvation. In our act of faith in Him, in the waters of regeneration, in accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our membership in the community of faith we are changed to a people who do for the right reason, Jesus.

As changed people we walk in faith and have – already own – what has been won for us through God’s righteousness.

The good and righteous fathers among us have instilled this lesson in us. We are most aware of this when we consider WHY we do what we do.

Our dads showed us the way to go – teaching that we must do things for the right reason. That reason should never be simple adherence to a law or rule. Simple obedience out of fear, or just because, is never a good enough reason. We have to look and consider more deeply the “why” behind what we do.

As those with faith in Jesus Christ we do right, not because society says so or imposes penalties for doing wrong, but because doing right flows from faith. By faith we understand, by faith we live, by faith we walk in His footsteps. We are a people whose first instinct is to love, to do right, to live with integrity, to forgive – all coming from faith.

Simon the leper didn’t get the kind of righteousness faith demands. He wondered why Jesus showed love toward the sinful woman who was anointing His feet. Simon relied on the law in determining what should be done (while forgetting the laws of hospitality). Jesus showed him that her faith was the way to righteousness.
Let our lives and our reasons for doing be based on faith; pleasing to God, pleasing as precious ointment.

Special Note – Events and Times for Sunday, December 16th

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out – Acts 3:19

Next Sunday, December 16th, we observe the Third Sunday of Advent, the lighting of the Third Advent Candle. On this Sunday we traditionally add to our Advent preparations during Holy Mass with a special Advent Penitential Service.

Proper Advent preparation requires that we free ourselves of sin. This is our opportunity. In this special preparatory moment we are better able to examine our conscience and put forth our best effort to make things right with God and our neighbor. These special penitential services occur only twice a year – so it is vitally important that we attend, participate, and celebrate together.

Following Holy Mass we will take time to enjoy fellowship, our Youth Christmas presentation, and join in preparing all those wonderful meatless dishes we will share with each other at our Vigil Dinner starting at 11:30am.

To allow sufficient time for our Penitential Service, Holy Mass, our Youth Presentation, and our Vigil Dinner we will begin at 8:45am with the lighting of the Advent Wreath immediately followed by our Penitential Service, receipt of the Sacrament of Penance, and Holy Mass. We are pleased to have Fr. Rafał Dadiełło from Holy Spirit Parish in Little Falls join us to administer the Sacrament of Penance and to offer Holy Mass.

St. Paul reminds us: All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation — 2 Corinthians 5:18. God gave His Holy Church the power to loose us of our sins -– come and be made free once again in the love of God who has reconciled all things to Himself in Christ Jesus. Then free, join in celebrating the coming season with each other.

Month of All Souls – remember the souls of your family and friends

As the days of October pass the days grow shorter, the colors of autumn take hold, and our thoughts turn to the Commemoration of All Souls. The Holy Church sets aside the month of November to commemorate those who have preceded us in holy death.

As Christians we recognize that death is not an ending, but rather a change. We pass through death into everlasting life. We remain joined with all those who have died. We rely on them for their intercession on our behalf. They rely on our prayers and intercession to ease their transition, their journey into the glory of heaven.

We will remember our dearly departed during the month of November according to age old Catholic custom of commemoration and prayer…a custom known as “wypominki.”

If you would like the souls of loved ones to be remembered during the Commemoration of All Souls and at all services throughout the entire month of November, please send the names of these loved ones to Deacon Jim by Sunday, October 28th. Alternately, you can E-mail the names of those you wish commemorated by E-mail to Deacon Jim.

We will celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints on Thursday, November 1st at 7:30pm followed by the the reading of the names of all the faithful departed.