VESPERS - Liturgy of the Hours

Vespers - Evening Prayer

Liturgy of the Hours

Please come and join us for the next three Friday's of Advent for Evening Prayer taken from the Liturgy of the Hours.

Schedule:

Friday Dec. 3rd at 7:30pm in the Little Church at Mullica Hill

Friday Dec. 10th at 7:30pm in the Little Church at Woodstown

Friday Dec. 17th at 7:30pm in the Little Church in Woodstown

The Liturgy of the Hours is the 2nd highest and public form of prayer next to the Mass. It is a prayer that dates back (at least in it's fundamental form) back to Christ and the Apostles, and even before them as the day was held holy by our Jewish brothers and sisters in their visiting the temple to pray at various times throughout the day.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Photo taken by me in Aug. of 2005 of "St. Paul's Outside the Walls"

1st Sunday of Advent: Be Prepared!

Today begins the New Year in the Church. Today we begin our eager and joyful waiting on the birth of the Lord. It is a time of watchful waiting. It is also and more importantly a time of preparation to receive the Lord. Jesus instructs us in today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, “To be prepared.”

In life we prepare for many things. Think of the student who prepares for his or her lessons. All of us were students once, at different levels, some present here today are currently students. Being a student is not always easy, but the formula for success is not hard. One word sums up being a student, “Study!” I understand that there are an exceptional few for whom school comes quite easily and not much effort is expended, but for most- the average person, we need to work hard at doing well. So, if I study for 30 minutes before I enter a final exam, the outcome will probably not be good. If, however, I do my assignments, take good notes, and study well the odds of a good and or excellent outcome increase.

Another such example of someone preparing well is the athlete. Again, a very select few are given tremendous gifts and will be successful with very little preparation, but for the most part the typical athlete must put in many hours of practice, watching game film, working on fundamentals, off season conditioning, and all the rest to stay at the top of their game and be successful, if not they will soon begin to drop off.

And it’s not just the student or athlete but this applies to a worker, regardless if you are an employee or if you own the company. The worker who is well prepared is usually also a worker who is diligent, efficient, loves his or her job, and it shows really quick. For the most part they are the ones who advance, while the one’s who complain are usually not well prepared, have not been efficient, and who come to work not for the success of the company but for their own success. There is no magic or difficult formula for success; rather it is simple, “be prepared.” That phrase will usually encompass the rest of what it takes to do well and be found ready to perform and to advance.

If we do all of these things for our earthly welfare, how much more so for our heavenly welfare. If we put so much time and effort in being the “a” student, or the “blue chip” athlete, or even the “exceptional employee,” what are we doing to become a “Saint?”

Our employer is God and His reward to us in being found prepared makes all the earthly rewards combined look like nothing more than dried up leaves flying across the street. God gives us work, school, and any other activity for our enjoyment, and He desires that we do all things well, but to never forget perspective. And the proper perspective here is that God is #1.

Today is our New Year and a great time to make that new resolution to make God #1 in our lives and in waiting for Him to be born not just on Dec. 25^th but every day. When we begin to skip days we miss another opportunity to study, to practice, or to complete our work assignments. When those days begin to pile up, it is then we get that “D” or “F” on the exam, or fumble the football on a crucial play or forget the play that was called, or even find ourselves looking for new employment. This kind of thing sneaks up on us. Yet, the Lord understands our weakness and that is why He gives us opportunity after opportunity to start again, “to become better prepared.” Our opportunity is now, this first day of our New Year. Together let us take it, so that when the Lord arrives He will say to us, “Enter into the eternal banquet, my good and faithful servant!” It is then that we will truly receive the greatest grade, perform the best play ever, and receive the greatest promotion!

Fr. John

Christ the King

This Sunday the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is an important feast for many reasons two of the most important is that it reaffirms the person of Christ as a Divine person and that the season of waiting will soon be upon us - Advent.

The Gospel text that is used is Luke 23:35-43. This is the passage which contains the famous "INRI" that was in-scripted over the head of Jesus by the Romans. Did we ever wonder what that inscription meant? We basically know it as "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews." One must remember the Romans had no ulterior motive about Jesus, they put Him to death because of political unrest, the sentence being treason. The Romans could care less whether Jesus called Himself God's Son or made Himself out to be God. However, the inscription INRI means much much more than what is presented in the Roman initials. The Jewish people would have cringed to see it, especially those who plotted Jesus' death.

In Hebrew Jesus the Nazarene (or of Nazareth) King of the Jews would have been Jeshua Hanozri Wumelech Haiehudim. The abbreviated or initialed form would have been JHWH. It could not be clearer, that even while dying Jesus was still revealing Himself to the world as "YHWH," God incarnate. That is why the Jews asked that the sign be taken down, but the Romans refused because they didn't see the Hebrew meaning.

First off, what are the odds that Jesus' name, place of birth, place and time of death, and by the Romans would lead to that inscription being placed at the head of the Cross and that it would read the sacred name of God, "JHWH?" They would be astronomical.

Jesus is truly King of kings. That title may have been used by others, but their message was one of power and control while Jesus' message was about love, forgiveness, and to become more like God.

When we look at the Cross what do we see? Do we see our savior God? Do we see ourselves up on that Cross with Him? When we were baptized that inscription was engraved into us, for we share Jesus' life so intimately we become images of Him. We are not God, but we are like Him, for the very reason that Jesus lives in us through the sacraments. Everything that was His is given to us. If so, let us truly live that inscription so just like the good thief, Jesus will also promise us that kingdom and say to us, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Fr. John Picinic

The Second Coming

I. Did you ever wait for something, such as

a) To drive (get your license)

b) To graduate high school and college

c) To begin dating, getting engaged, wedding day

d) New job, new car, new house

All of us wait for these moments, things, and persons in our lives. All of them good, but yet there is even something better that we should be waiting for and waiting for it with more expectation and desire, that is the Lord’s return, what we mistakenly sometimes call the end of the world. It seems odd to want something like the end of the world to happen, but it is exactly what the Lord wants us to do.

Since prophecy began we (human beings) have looked to the heavens for the apocalypse, Armageddon, the return of Christ, or the mistaken notion of “the end of the world.” Yet, our worldly desires for the most part prevail and we do not dwell on the Lord’s return, all the things I mentioned before distract us.

Before anything else this notion of the end of the world does not exist in Scripture, when the prophets, apostles, and Jesus speak of the second coming they are referring to a renewal, a major shift, a returning back to what the universe was like before the fall of man, a place of grace without sin, a new heavens and a new earth. One of our major prayers reminds us of this, “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen”

Even though we get caught up in our lives, our interest and curiosity will flare up from time to time regarding the return of Christ. Prophecy and end of the world scenarios have always peeked human interest. Through the 1950’s and up until the late 1980’s we lived through the cold war with Russia. If you remember there was always the threat of nuclear war. Movies, books, media took advantage of it and further fueled the threat of Armageddon. Some religions, such as Jehovah Witnesses predicted the end of the world in 1974, even Christians did such, ones who were prominent radio and television evangelists. It seems that this interest-curiosity has not subsided; we now have the Mayan prophecies regarding 2012 and a major shift in world events. Basically there is a part of us that wants to know, when will Jesus return?

Today’s Gospel from St. Luke affirms our desire to know, especially since the Apostles themselves asked, “Teacher, when will this happen?” Jesus, both in this Gospel and elsewhere makes it clear, “No one knows the day or the hour.” But that should not lead us to shy away from looking forward to Jesus’ return. Jesus tells us not to be afraid but rather, “When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand." Lk. 21:28

And St. Peter affirms that we should look forward to the Lord’s return, look at how many times he repeats that notion in his second letter, “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.” 2 Pt. 3:9-15

As Catholics we lean too much towards Jesus speaking symbolically regarding his second coming, we take the passage of, “no one knows the day or hour” too far. Sometimes we are the opposite extreme of fundamentalists who predict dates for the Lord’s return. What we wind up doing is saying things such as, “Jesus’ return means our own death or that these passages mean that we must change.” Both sentiments are true, but Jesus could not be clearer and he repeated himself often regarding a second coming. It will happen! And we will have around about idea when it gets close. Jesus would not leave us in the dark wandering around. It is true we will not know the precise day or hour, but we will be able to feel it and know that it is close. Jesus reminds us that we can read the weather and discern its outcome or what to expect, if we can read earthly signs, then those of us who are God’s children will surely be able to read the signs of our Lord’s return.

The two most important things for us who are awaiting Jesus’ second coming is that we take what St. Peter teaches us very seriously and that is to live holy and upright lives, if we do not we will not only be able to discern the Lord’s return but we will not even be able to recognize him now.

The second thing is, that we must be ready to let go of everything here on this earth, even our very lives and turn them over to God, because if we do Jesus promises us a crown of righteousness. This promise is true and written by St. Paul who was inspired by God. I will leave you with the words of St. Paul.

“From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. 2 Tim 4:8

Fr. John Picinic

Vacation

My dear friends, I am away until Nov. 12th, will begin posting again on Nov. 13th. If you, however, have a reflection or any questions please send them, thanks...Fr. John