7th Sunday of Easter - 5/24/2020

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] good morning and welcome to st. Cecilia today we celebrate the seventh Sunday of Easter music and prayers for today's liturgy can be found on the parishes website or on the link right below this video our opening song of Tay is singing a new church verses 1 3 & 5 [Music] morning everyone nice to see you it's good to be back after the two-week hiatus I guess wasn't a vacation I'll tell you that but it's just good to be back it's good to be back with you guys and to be and the space together to be with all of you you know here in Massachusetts we get the word this week that houses of worship could be reopened in phase one and you know so some people just automatically assumed the doors would be flung open and it's business as usual but you know we're really trying to do the right thing here it's got a lot of discussion trying to map out seats you know what will it really allow for us to have in the building who gets in who doesn't you know how do you work all these things out and just what's the right thing in light of what's going on with the virus so we will not be opening up this week or next week just let you know you know we've got this great technology right now and we're going to keep that going to reach into the hot sand the homes of so many and we will continue this to when the time is right for us to open up so we'll stay in touch there's a lot of conversation going on but just to hope you hope you understand it's it's not because I get to sleep in or anything or any one of us gets to sleep in in the morning you know it's because we really want to do the right thing in the right way at the right time two other quick things first of all I just want to say thank you to all of you who were watching and friends parishioners here at st. Cecilia people from all over the country and in the world two Sundays ago on Mother's Day it is not how my brothers and I ever anticipated celebrating Mother's Day it happened so quickly and you know when Jesus talks about it's like a thief that comes in the middle of the night you don't know the day of the time and that's exactly what happened and you know there are a hundred thousand people in our country alone who are having that experience and I'm thinking of Donna Morrissey's family Donna just died less last night former spokesman for the Archdiocese for the for the Red Cross beautiful beautiful person things just happen so quickly and you know so I want to remind people you know before we speak too too quickly and don't think which I oftentimes do before I speak you know before we just say it's a bad flu it might be for somebody who is relatively healthy but we still don't even know healthy people are getting taken down - so let's let's just have some some gentleness and and some understanding some empathy for others especially those who've lost loved ones it's it's not something for us to politicize on any level but really to kind of gather around people who have lost loved ones and I have felt that my brothers have my nieces my sisters-in-law our family my cousins and aunts and uncles so I can't thank you enough I especially want to thank Tommy Murphy from the Murphy funeral home for being so really pastoral you know at a time like this the commissioners Dempsey and Finn and the Chiefs from the Boston Fire Department lieutenant Brennan from the North Redding Police Department day at going to the cemetery of something something beautiful and I'll never ever forget in my heart just how grateful we are we want to tell you and to all of you for the food the cards the texts the emails letters flowers just the the generosity to the estelle fund all those things that mum mum was interested in you know feeding people and taking care of people and your generosity is overwhelming and we hope to use this in all the good and right ways to help people through this time she would be over the moon happy with that I got a card from one of the Paulist fathers Mike McGarry down the street at the Paul Center and so grateful and it's a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and it says nothing can make up for the absence of someone we love and it would be wrong to try to find a substitute we must simply hold out and see it through that sounds very hot at first but at the same time it's a great consolation for the gap as long as it remains unfilled preserves the bond between us lastly it's Memorial Day weekend it's a gorgeous weekend out there at least here in Boston and we remember those who've given their lives in service for our country they've given their lives literally I remember my father talking about hand-to-hand combat in Korea unimaginable for a guy like me veterans who come back but who are forever scarred from the inside out with all kinds of post-traumatic stress all fighting and negotiating fraud democratic freedoms and processes to be preserved and that they gave their lives they fought so that they would not be undermined they'd be preserved from internal and external foreign and domestic threats let's remember our veterans this weekend and today with great gratitude for the country in which we live let's begin our celebration on the seventh Sunday of Easter in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit amen the Lord be with you and with your spirit take a breath settle our spirits just be quiet for a second and be aware of God's mercy an infinite forgiveness and understanding Lord Jesus you call us into deeper relationship with you and with the father lord have mercy lord have mercy Christ Jesus you remind us that this is eternal life Christ have mercy Christ have mercy and Lord Jesus you remind us that when we suffer in this world for doing what is good you are with us lord have mercy Lord so may our good and loving God then have mercy on us forgive us our sins and bring us to new and eternal life [Music] - let us pray O Lord graciously hear our supplications so that we who believe that the Saviour of the human race is with you in glory may experience as he promised us until the end of the world his abiding presence among us he who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever a reading from the Acts of the Apostles after Jesus had been taken up to heaven the Apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet which is near Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey away when they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying Peter and John and James and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartholomew and Matthew James son of Alphaeus Simon the zealot and Judas son of James all these devoted themselves with one Accord to prayer together with some women and Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers the word of the Lord Lord is my light and my salvation folks would I be afraid should I be a friend Lord is my light and my salvation the Lord is my light and my warmest would I feel the Lord is the stronghold of my life before he should ice [Applause] [Applause] [Music] is my light and my solid face [Applause] [Applause] [Music] is my night under my salivate [Applause] [Music] a reading from the first letter of Saint Peter beloved rejoice to the extent you share in the sufferings of Christ so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultant Li if you are insulted for the name of Christ blessed are you for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you but let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer a thief an evildoer or as an intriguer but whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name the word of the Lord [Music] well the Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you a reading from the holy Gospel according to John glory to you so jesus raised his eyes to heaven and he said father the hour has come give glory to your son so that your son may glorify you just as you gave him authority over all people so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him now this is eternal life that they should know you the only true God and the one whom you sent Jesus Christ father I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do now glorify me with you with the glory that I had with you before the world even began I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world they belong to you and you gave them to me and they have kept your word and now they know that everything you gave me is from you because the words you gave to me I have given to them and they accepted them and they truly understood that I came from you and they believed that you sent me I pray for them I do not pray for the world but for the ones that you have given me because they are yours and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine and I've been glorified in them and now I will no longer be in the world but they are in the world while I'm coming to you the gospel the good news of the Lord praise to You Lord Jesus Christ I don't know about you but those John Gospels once in a while can be like I'm in you your and me the glory you gave me I gave to them and they're yours and they're mine but all's yours and mine together because I mean like I I never used to like really get into those readings and I don't know for some reason and it's not just because of you know what happened two weeks ago and losing mum it's just it makes me think though about whatever time we've been given here on this earth long or short let's just say it's it's a hundred years give or take it could be three years it could be a hundred and three years but when you think about that timeframe in light of the concept of eternity eternal life it's a pinprick and yet we think sometimes our days are interminable it's a long life it ain't even mum a month away not even from from being 88 she loved life but I know my mother was a believer and she's passed that on to us and we continue to pass it on huh my mother knew we never talked about it like this that we're just moving through but there's a belief system there that kind of guides in shapes who we are what we do and how we do what we do it's been modeled for us by Jesus it's all we got to go to see what he did how he loved how he went to the margins how he judged less loved more how he healed and fed reminded people of goodness beauty dignity and worth all those things that I say over and over and that's what Jesus was about how many people in the world are that way who are those people in your life in mine and then can you and I be that way for other people reminding people of their goodness beauty dignity and Worth as we're moving through Jesus was pretty clear I'm going back to you God I've got my own in the world people who get my message because there are detractors out there there are people out there who do not buy the message there are even wolves and sheep's clothing' that say that they do but the reality is there are people who get it and people who don't and he modeled for us what to get so if we're just moving through and that's not meant to scare us or get us upset or make us panic if it's something that's saying yeah we get a limited shelf life here on this earth and we don't know the day at the time of our as we've experienced this week and so many people have how do we go through life what's important do you and I ever think about how we live in our lives or are we just mindlessly on the hamster wheel going through life can't wait to get to retirement can't wait to get this house I'm gonna get that gonna get this like is our life filled with more meaning one of my kids from Columbus high school back in the day when I was teaching in the early 80s Powell oh I love this kid he's not a kid he's a father of two two kids now and his beautiful wife Alyssa he's sitting me hey Padrino he says do you ever think of eternity I'm like of course I do I'm in the business of course I do what do you mean he goes a gazillion gazillion bazillion I like in other words he was trying to say it never ends infinity huh and I saw how can you think about these things he says cuz I think about it eternal life eternal life doesn't start I believe when we take the last breath here on earth okay then the clock starts and now we've entered into eternal rest eternal life it's language that we use I get it we but eternal life is now it's a way of being in the world it's connected with Jesus and what he was about it's about being in relationship with him it's about being in relationship with God that's eternal life and tonight today's gospel Jesus is talking to God and he in his prayer he's he's saying it but everybody else is kind of listening and he says now this is eternal life ready drumroll what is it what is it Jesus that they should know you the only true God and the one who you sent Jesus Christ that's eternal life it's not when the clock starts ticking after the last breath eternal life is knowing God our turtle life is not a place or a time frame it's a relationship it's about being in a deep relationship an intimate relationship with God you know back in the day I remember this might be a little inappropriate but you'll get what I mean here we go I remember people would say about like you know knowing this one in in in in knowing somebody in the biblical sense and I was like what's that mean to know somebody in the biblical sense you know even in the Bible they used knowing as something so deep and intimate in linking on the deepest levels when you know someone in the biblical it's the most intimate of Acts huh God wants that intimacy from you and me God wants us to know him to be in that deep relationship with him that's eternal life just think about it for a second with our relationships with each other we got people their acquaintances we use the term friends lightly and loosely but the deepest friendships or family relationships I bet the deepest ones are the ones where people know each other truly know the other person and take the time to get to know that person and put the energy into that God wants the same thing from us not just a show up at mass on a Sunday put some money in the collection basket go feed somebody go to the Pine Street and go to the soup kitchens do all these beautiful things so it's great stuff we're called to do that God wants a real live relationship with us so that that can inform all these things that we do this is eternal life as Jesus said and so I'm gonna ask the question if it's about knowing God do you know God do I don't let the robes fool you the role the robes the titles a ton of us maybe don't know God does God know you and me do we know God are you real in your relationship with God as real as we are with each other in our relationships so that it could get hot in the kitchen sometime and it won't jeopardize the relationship people can disagree people can get heated are you and I real with God do we have a real life ongoing conversation dig in stop now man do you and I talk to God like I'm talking with you to you like we talked to each other the beautiful beautiful prayers and our traditions of the our Father the Lord's Prayer how the Hail Mary all the beautiful prayers those present the nuns saying the Solvay Regina Regina to all of these beautiful prayers and do you also do I also talk with God like this God is yearning for that I believe God is psyched about that do we have an ongoing conversation do you and I trust God to have a back-and-forth or do we think it's gonna be like the stern old man with the white beard up on the sky saying watch it pal you're overstepping your boundary God God can handle all of this stuff we do it with each other why not with God as my family has seen in these past two weeks and has as have a hundred thousand others in our country Morrissey family last night we know that we are just moving through this life on this earth in this world eternal life is now let's start the conversation or for we're already into it let's beef it up let's deepen that relationship with God because God wants nothing more than to give us what we need I firmly firmly believe that and so I leave us with a couple of things for the week number one do you have a little bit of a different understanding now of what eternal life might mean not just a timeframe or after the last breath but a way of being knowing God a relationship number two a you and I willing to put time into that relationship so that we get to know God better but God gets to know us better and then third and last at the end of our day whether it comes by a surprise or we see the landing strip in front of us have we been living eternal life all along by following the ways of Jesus and not just seeing it as when the last breath comes and we enter into eternal rest something to think about God's waiting for us jump into the convo let's stand and profess what it is that we believe I believe in one God the Father the Almighty and the maker of heaven and earth of all things visible and invisible and I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God born of the father before all ages God from God light from light true God from True God begotten not made consubstantial with the father through him all things were made for us and for our salvation he came down from heaven and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became human where our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate he suffered death it was buried he rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have I believe in the Holy Spirit the Lord who proceeds from the father and the son with the father and the son is adored and glorified and I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the Dead and the life of the world to come amen knowing that we all need help along the way whatever timeframe we've been given let's make our collective prayer now known to the good God who desires to be in deep relationship with us or the church that we may deepen our identity as people who know God and be strengthened by the spirit to carry on the mission of Jesus each day that we may draw strength from Jesus promise to be always with us we pray for a new outpouring of the spirit upon the Christian community that God will heal the wounds in the body of Christ free us from fear and unite us in mission and worship we pray as we commemorate Memorial Day let us gratefully remember those who gave their lives and service to our country for all who have come back with post-traumatic stress for veterans and for all those currently serving who put their lives on the line every day for the ideals of freedom justice and equality we pray for all the hourly workers kappa who keep us fed healthy and safe for scientists and researchers looking for cures and vaccines and for those on the front line of care nurses doctors first responders and all health care workers and AIDS we pray for leaders of church and state as they grapple with the ramifications of reopening society for those who have lost their businesses for the furloughed and the unemployed for all who have been lost in the mix of this pandemic for all of us who are still isolated lonely anxious or fearful that God will grant us healing perseverance and peace we pray for all who are ill particularly those with kovat 19 and for the sick and suffering among us for Caden voice dan mullen John Kelly Jones I'm Maureen O'Connor Irma daily Carol Poyer Joe Murphy Terry Eppolito Kayla st. Pierre Marie Butler Camille McDermott dr. Phil Pulaski Lizzy corker Michael de Nicholas Bob minutes hello Scott man Dave McCauley Marie pura and William Carol we pray for all who have died especially Virginia O'Neal John McLoughlin Jerry Yakko Jerry olimpio Maisy Mullin Estelle unis Geraldine McCarthy Danny McLaughlin Donna Morrissey Jon Karl Raymond F Martin Elaine knock Maureen cristela McDermott Tim Tainan Fred Mason Jr Patricia Kiernan Walter Whelan and all of our loved ones for their eternal peace we pray for the intentions we hold in the silence of our hearts we pray good and loving God Almighty and eternal as we gather this morning week after week we hope to deepen our relationship with you and you with us our celebration of the Eucharist do that it may have propel us to a deeper prayer trust and love of you we ask all this through Christ the risen Loyd you know as always the collection takes place at this time so as we've been asking folks to do over the last few months please take care of yourselves and take care of all those who who are in need you know in your own circles and I want to thank everybody for being so generous to toward moms fund the Estelle fund last week it means it's overwhelming it means so much to our family and to what we can do here in the parish in her name to help others we've received so much affirmation from the live stream and we never anticipated the power and the reach of it for so many people who are isolated or at home so just so glad that you're watching from and participating from wherever we may be your donations to the parish at this time will enable us to really continue it long-term and we love doing this each Sunday we've been looking into ways that we can kind of continue it a little bit more professionally so there's a couple of ways to donate if you look right down on your your screen there you can give a one-time donation the link is right there on the video you can give a recurring gift if you want to be part of our I give program and you can also do venmo but i cannot thank you enough for your generosity and for keeping us us going [Music] and so would you pray my friends that my sacrifice and yours may be made acceptable to God the loving and Eternal Father in blood we ask you to accept the prayers of your faithful with these sacrificial offerings of bread and wine that through the celebration of Eucharist we may pass over to the glory of heaven all through Christ the risen Lord give me an amen Lord be with you let's give thanks to the Lord our God it is right and just truly right and just yes it's our duty but it's our eternal salvation always and everywhere to know you God to give you thanks Holy Father Almighty and eternal God for the Lord Jesus the King of glory conquered sin and death he ascended into the highest heavens as the angels gazed in wonder mediator between God and humanity judge of the world and Lord of Hosts he ascended not to distance himself from us but what we his members might be confident of following where he our head and founder has gone before us therefore overcome with Easter joy every land and people exalts in your praise even the heavenly powers with all the angelic hosts sing together the unending hymn of your glory [Music] but God you are holy indeed Yoda found the source of all holiness of eternity make holy these gifts of bread and wine by sending your spirit upon them like the dewfall that they may become for us the body in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ at the time that he was betrayed and entered willingly into his own suffering his passion he took bread and giving you thanks he broke it and then he gave it to his disciples saying take this all of you and eat of it this is my body which will be given up for you in a similar way when supper was ended he took the chalice once more giving you thanks he gave it to his disciples he said take this all of you drink from it well this is the chalice of my blood it's the blood of the new the eternal covenant and it will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins so do this in memory of me the mystery of faith [Music] Sunday after Sunday as we celebrate the memorial of the death and the resurrection of Jesus we offer you Lord God this the bread of life and the chalice of salvation we give you thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you humbly we pray that partaking of the body and blood of Christ we may be gathered together into one by the Holy Spirit Lord remember your church spread throughout the world bring us to the fullness of charity together with Francis our Pope and Sean our Bishop the religious the clergy with all your people and lord remember all of our sisters and brothers who fallen asleep in that hope of resurrection we especially remember mom Estelle we remember Virginia O'Neal and John McLoughlin Jerry olimpio and Maisy Mullen Geraldine McCarthy Danny McLaughlin Donna Morrissey John Kyle Raymond Martin lay knock marine cristela McDermott we remember Tim tine and Fred Mason Jr Patricia cannon Walter Whelan and all those you and I love and miss so deeply would welcome them into the light of your face and have mercy on each of us we pray that with the Blessed Virgin Mary the mother of God Joseph her spouse with the apostles and all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life and may praise and glorify you simply by the way we live on our lives through your son Jesus Christ our Lord fritzsche through him with him in him O God Almighty father in the unity of the Holy Spirit all glory and honor is yours now [Music] let's joy together praying that beautiful prayer that Jesus gave us our Father hallelujah your kingdom give us this day forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those and lead us not into temptation but deliver us deliver us Lord we pray from every evil graciously grant peace in our days that by the help of your mercy we may always be free from sin and safe from all distress as we await the Blessed hope and the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ for the kingdom the power well Jesus you said to your apostles I leave you peace my peace I give to you look not on our sins but on the faith of your church and graciously grant us peace and unity in accordance with your will who live and reign for ever and ever and the Peace of the Lord Jesus especially at this time in our world be with all of you let's offer each other a sign of that peace [Music] behold the lamb of God the one who draws us into eternal life through a deeper knowing of the Father one who takes away the sins of the world blessed are those called to the supper of the land Boyd [Music] so let us pray well God our Savior hear us grant us confidence that through this Eucharist these sacred mysteries there will be accomplished in the body of the whole church what has already come to past in Christ the head he who lives and reigns forever and ever amen you guys I can't think you know I mean it's so beautiful to hear this music and these songs it's just such a beautiful job Nico such a beautiful job John for videoing and when Robin and everybody it's just it's good to be back I want to thank Bishop Bob Reed who was here last week he was he was fantastic you know and can you believe that guy's older than me he looks good huh what's up with that he was fantastic Bishop Reed we're so grateful that you came it was it was awesome and then father Peter grower a beautiful faithful neighbor next door the all-black goblets of the Virgin Mary has just been so so generous Peter thank you so much it's good to be back and then lastly you know I don't know if anybody's out there thinking like well he didn't talk that much about his mother you know as I've said it's this grief interrupted right I'll send you you find yourself at a cemetery and you didn't have a wake and you didn't have a funeral Mass and gathering with people it's just it's so weird it's just everything's different all these rituals that we have that kind of can provide a container for us to to have our grief and tell our stories it's all you know what backwards so it's it was so beautiful to Cemetery but I I couldn't talk too much about mom today because it's a little too little too raw and emotional and I wanted to be focused and I'll pepper her with her in as as time goes on for sure but thank you for your continued prayers for my family for me for her and for all of our loved ones we've missed so deeply thanks the Lord be with you the good god bless us the Father Son the Holy Spirit our celebrations although let's go forth deepening that knowledge of a God who loves us eternally [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause]

Channel: Saint Cecilia Parish

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Length: 74min 45sec (4485 seconds)

Published: Sun May 24 2020