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Mark 1: 12-15
To the desert
in the Spirit of God-
the will of your Father
your only food-
you went.
Jesus,
take our hand;
lead us to your wilderness.
Protect us from our wild beasts within.
Let your self-giving there summon us
to your revolution of tenderness.
Let it be our life-giving
food for the
fast.
(Mark 1: 12-15)
The Sunday Website of Saint Louis University
READINGS
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Remember to view videos of the Synod on our website and on our Facebook Page.
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Remember to bring something for the food bank!
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Please know that you can email us your Prayer Requests.
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Mass at 10:30 am on Sundays.
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Contemplative Prayer and Scripture Study
Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm in the Sacred Space. Meeting every week alternating each week with Contemplative Prayer and Scripture study.
Recommended books:
Open Mind, Open Heart: a Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel by Rev. Thomas Keating. Prayer: Our Deepest Longing by Rev. Ronald Rolheiser. For more information contact Fr. David. |
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Emmaus ECC
Celebrating God's wonderful diversity
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Interfaith Works
Urgently Needed...
The Emergency Overnight Shelter located here at First Christian Church needs the following items: - Blankets
- Socks
- Gloves and hats
- Hand warmers
- Coffee and creamer
- Plates, bowls, sliverware
Contact Meg Martin by email: [email protected] or call: 360-357-7224. |
Good Shepherd Community of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion
New Mass time is 5:00 pm
Sundays. Contemplative prayer at 4:00 pm prior to mass.
In Tacoma WA
Christ Episcopal Church 310 North K street
In Trinity Chapel
Contact Father David.
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We Celebrate Lent 
The season of Lent is upon us. This year let's focus on hearing and understanding what Jesus says when he begins his public ministry: "This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Change your hearts and minds, and believe this Good News!" Believe it. Believe the good news. Believe that the God revealed by Jesus as a God of compassionate Love is the One God. Let's allow the love of God to overcome all remnants of fear we may still harbor in our hearts. Father John shares this reflection from Rev. Riohard Rohr with us today: Grace God's love is total, unconditional, absolute, and forever. The state of grace-God's attitude toward us-is eternal. We are the ones who change. Sometimes we are able to believe that God loves us unconditionally, absolutely, and forever. That's grace! And sometimes because we get down on ourselves, and carry guilt and fear and burdens, we are not able to believe that God loves us. Biblically, that's the greatest sin: not to believe the Good news, not to accept the unconditional love of God. When we no longer believe God loves us, we can no longer love ourselves. We have to allow God to continually fill us. Then we find in our own lives the power to give love away. Richard Rohr, The Great Themes of Scripture
I'd like the community to have a business meeting even though I cannot be present this Sunday. Here are some items you should talk about: update on our finances, times for our Holy Week services, Communal Reconciliation for Lent, plans for advertising during Lent, Creating our new Easter candle, and anything else that you think should be discussed.
I am still looking for a few community leaders to join me on a Visioning Committee (We really need members).
This committee would look over the Liturgical Calendar and brainstorm together what our community might do during the year, and then bring our suggestions to the community business meetings. This committee could meet by phone, or after mass, whatever worked best. Let me know if you are interested in serving on this committee. Don't be afraid to volunteer for this committee... it could even be fun.
If you or someone you know is looking for a wonderful way to be Catholic, you can find an authentic Catholicism at Emmaus ECC. We are a Catholic community that is welcoming of all. We do our best to follow the teaching and example of Jesus, and welcome everyone into our community, and to our table -- regardless of their race, gender, marital status or sexual orientation. Following the example of Jesus, we believe that everyone is the beloved daughter or son of God, and welcome at the table of the Christ. No kidding!
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First Sunday of Lent
Embrace Our Reality as Children of God The Liturgical Calendar has brought us now to Lent. We began in anticipation and yearning with the season of Advent. In the growing darkness we yearned for the Light. During Advent we remembered why we need the light so badly; we measured the darkness of our world and remembered why we yearn for Christ. At Christmas we celebrated the Light of God coming to us in the Incarnation. This is the moment; this is the event when our whole world shifted. Because of Jesus, who is the Light Incarnate, nothing will remain the same because the darkness has been defeated. During the Sundays after Christmas - sometimes called the Sundays of Epiphany - we have remained joyful. Our days are getting brighter as we learn what it means that Christ has come into our world. We have been learning what it means to be a disciple, and what the kingdom of God is like. We have learned that Christ comes to call us back to our original purpose - to be the image and likeness of God. We are created to represent God to the whole earth; to be like God - to be loving, accepting, forgiving and compassionate people. But now the Liturgical Calendar calls us into Lent. Just like Jesus, the Holy Spirit leads us into a desert experience, into a wilderness. Like Moses, like Israel, like Elijah, like Jesus we will spend 40 days on our Vision Quest with God. Just like them, we too are tested - not just during the season of Lent, but daily by all that opposes God, and opposes the ways of God. We are tested to see if we will be discouraged and give up. We are tested to see if we will decide to just go along with the way things are in our world, in all its darkness. We are tempted to doubt that we really are the sons and daughters of God; we doubt that we have any special ministry to perform in this world; we doubt that we are worthy or deserving enough; we doubt that God really loves us just as we are. We are tempted to forget about the Kingdom of God and put ourselves first, to become self-centered and self-sufficient. We are even tempted to believe that Christians should somehow have an easier, better and more secure life than non-Christians. Jesus goes into the desert to learn what it means to be the Beloved One of God, and to embrace this identity. He comes out ready to embrace his mission. So, like Jesus, we go into Lent not to naval gaze at our personal sins, but to embrace what it means to be the sons and daughters of God; to be baptized into the Body of Christ. We are expected to come out of Lent having prepared ourselves to embrace the mission of God to the world. Mother Kedda
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The Ecumenical Catholic Communion
Catholic Identity means we are: - Eucharistic. All that Catholics do flows toward the "Breaking of the Bread", and all we will do flows out of Eucharist. Eucharist is at the very center of being Catholic. Being a Eucharistic people is the chief identifier of being Catholic. We bring ourselves, and all that we are and do, to the table. We come with thanksgiving. We recognize Christ and we recognize the Body of Christ in the Breaking of the Bread. We are sent out (ita missa est) to transform creation.
- Incarnational. We Catholics use the stuff of creation to express mystery. We are earthy people and use the stuff of earth to speak to us about God and mystery. We know that the way IN to people is through their senses. Often this stuff is what people think of as showing their identity as Catholics. There is lots of "Catholic stuff": Holy water, oils, bread, wine, candles, bishops, priests, deacons, ashes, palms, holy cards, rosaries, pictures/icons/statues of saints, colors, altar, ambo, font, tabernacle, etc. Our symbols need to be "done large" so they speak well.
- Sacramental. Catholics highlight the stages of life through ritual and celebration. These sacraments are transformative, celebrating change; celebrating new life. There are at least 7 sacraments, and I would not be opposed to having more.
- Graced. Grace is the starting place for our theological understanding of the relationship between God and Creation. All that is created is good. We begin by seeing all humans as created in the image of God. People are basically good.
- Charismatic. Church is based on the active presence of the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit for the community. The Spirit of God acts in the Church. It is the Spirit of God that acts in sacraments, blessings, etc. Epiklesis.
- Communion of Saints. There is a continuum of relatedness of those who have gone before us, those who are alive today, and those who will come after us. We are one. We are on a common journey; we are a pilgrim people, streaming through time. Note, Catholics believe in the afterlife, and saints are very good at symbolizing that belief.
- The Common Good. Our moral stance is communal. Preference is given to that which is best for the common good, not just to what is best for one individual. Even in individual choices we ask: if everyone did this, what would be the consequences on society as a whole? Social Justice - seeing that everyone gets their share of resources for a good life -- is a key ingredient in Catholic life.
- Revelation. Our faith tradition is based on the fullness of revelation, past, present and future, not "Bible Only". Scripture is incarnational: God's revelation as given through very human means, conditioned by time, place and culture. Our understanding grows.
- Inclusive. Catholics means "here comes everybody." Catholics have unity with diversity; we are the big umbrella. Not only are we inclusive of all people, we are inclusive of all prayer types and spiritualities, from contemplative to charismatic; from "rote" prayers to centering prayer; inclusive of liturgical expressions from chant to dance.
- Absorbent. Catholicism takes in culture and transforms it, rather than rejects it. From Christmas trees to Easter eggs, to spiritual practices, to feast days themselves, we absorb culture and make it part of us. Nothing human is foreign to us.
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Schedule:
Community Business Meeting: February 22, after mass.
ECC Regional Chrism Mass: March 25th, 6:00 pm.
Contemplative Prayer/Scripture study -- Thursday afternoon from 3:30 to 5 pm
BIBLE 101: A new study is being planned for this coming year. It will probably take place after mass on Sundays. Let Mother Kedda know your interest. This will begin after we get through our special events in January and February.
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| Regional ECC Meeting
The Ecumenical Catholic Communion has several regions. We are located in the Pacific Northwest Region. Representatives from our communities, or parishes, gather once a month to meet with our Vicar, and to do regional business. We also get to know each other, and are reminded that we belong to something greater than our own little community in Olympia. We need more lay representatives at these meetings! For years the laity have complained that they have no voice in the Church. Well, you are invited and encouraged to attend these meetings. In order to encourage more participation we are going to have our meetings by phone, and not as often as we have been having them. Watch the schedule for our next meeting.
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 Interfaith Works
Volunteer Opportunities:
Would you be willing to volunteer, or to recruit a volunteer, to help with Interfaith Works programs? Lots of opportunities are listed below. IW office staff is ready to offer all kinds of support services to volunteers.
To get involved, or to request information about any program, please call 357-7224, 9:00am to 2:00pm Monday through Thursday.
The Peoples House: To advance the social inclusion and empowerment of the homeless through innovative practices of sheltering, mental health and emergency basic needs coordination.
The Women's Shelter: The Interfaith Women's Shelter now provides refuge for homeless women throughout the year. Single homeless women in need of shelter should call the SideWalk Advocacy Center Shelter HelpLine at 360-515-5620 Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to be screened. A shelter volunteer will also be available nightly between 7:00-9:00 pm only to arrange urgent access to the women's shelter. Faith communities house the shelter on a rotating basis and it is staffed by volunteer hosts. Other volunteers do laundry, move shelter materials from location to location and provide transportation. The program welcomes volunteers and donations of new twin sheets and pillowcases, as well as toiletry items.
Go HERE to read more about Interfaith Works, and all their programs. |
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NOTICE
The Sacraments of Marriage, Reconciliation and Anointing, are available upon request. Preparation is required for Baptisms -- for parents when children to be baptized are below age seven; for those over age seven, our community supports the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Our priests are also happy to meet with you individually, and confidentially, to discuss any spiritual or pastoral concerns you may have.
Email: Mother Kedda
Email: Deacon John
We Support Marriage Equality
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