Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - 7/18/21

[Music] so [Music] um the lord is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] feed me [Music] we shall convert my soul to bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his namesake for his name for his name [Music] i will [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] against them that troubles [Music] [Music] i before [Music] kindness and mercy i follow me for the days of my life right [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign so [Music] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so so so good morning welcome to saint cecilia today the church celebrates the 16th sunday in ordinary time for those that are participating this morning virtually music and prayers for today's liturgy can be found below the video on the parish's website or by clicking the flow code for those that are in person music and prayers can be found in the worship aid i invite you all to stand and greet each other opening song this morning is there's a wideness in god's mercy [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] my [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] morning everyone welcome to saint cecilia i uh i know we're in boston but it feels like seattle uh with all this rain this past week and month the wettest july almost or second anyway on record and yet seattle's getting all the the heat and so we're thinking of and certainly praying for everybody out there with the fires the heat and all that's uh all that's happening but it's good for us to be together uh this morning uh here in in the flesh present and then virtually want to welcome all of you who are watching from all over the country it's uh it's just good for us to gather each week as the community in person and virtually together at the table to break open the word a couple of quick shout outs i first want to say hello to cecilia consilvio it's cecilia's birthday she wrote me this beautiful note so cecilia i know you guys are watching today all the way from medfield she watches every week with her parents and her brothers the apostles luke simon and jude so this is quite a family and saint cecilia are in their midst so happy birthday cecilia and thanks for writing and sending that beautiful note and i also want to give a happy birthday to jonah hearn from valhalla new york john and his wife claire watch faithfully every week and john turns 90 so we want to wish you a happy birthday john and i know i just got to meet a few folks coming in uh there are folks in from paulding ohio paulding ohio do you know where it is i don't know but it's got 4 000 people in it so we have folks in from cincinnati indianapolis uh all the way from arlington mass ah the o'tools are in the house uh and uh we have a berkeley student in from kentucky and um i even just met somebody from san fran so i know i left somebody out but just want to say thank you and welcome it's good for us to be together under this one roof from near and far and also uh very close in hot and spirit so with that feeling warmth hopefully welcomed let's begin our celebration as we call on the source of all that we're about as we begin in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit the lord be with you let's settle our spirits take a breath be in the presence of each other and in the presence of the source of mercy forgiveness and all truth lord jesus you truly are the good shepherd lord have mercy christ jesus you lead us to restful waters christ have mercy and lord jesus you pull us away to regroup to rest a while lord have mercy may our good and loving god then have mercy on us forgive us our sins and bring us to new and eternal life [Music] [Music] glory oh lord jesus christ [Music] [Applause] [Music] mercy on us [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] ah so let us pray a god and protector of all those who hope in you without whom nothing has a firm foundation nothing is holy bestow in abundance your mercy upon us and grant that with you as our ruler and guide we may use the good things that pass in such a way as to hold fast even now to those that forever endure all through christ our i read the lord one a reading from the book of the prophet jeremiah woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture says the lord therefore thus says the lord the god of israel against the shepherds who shepherd my people you have scattered my sheep and driven them away you have not cared for them but i will take care to punish your evil deeds i myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which i have driven them and bring them back to their meadow there they shall increase and multiply i will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble and none shall be missing says the lord behold the days are coming says the lord when i will raise up a righteous shoot to david as king he shall reign and govern wisely he shall do what is just and right in the land in his days judah shall be saved israel shall dwell in security this is the name they give him the lord our justice the word of the lord uh so [Music] beyond my fears beyond my fears god is my shepherd so nothing shall i want i rest in the murders of faithfulness and love i walk by the quiet waters of peace [Music] gently you raise me and heal my weary soul you lead me by pathways of righteousness and truth my spirit shall sing the music of your name [Music] [Music] r [Music] [Music] my [Music] have lord me up in the face [Music] oh from [Music] your death and mercy follow me all the days of my life i will dwell house of my god [Music] forever [Music] from death [Music] a reading from the letter of saint paul to the ephesians brothers and sisters in christ jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of christ for he is our peace he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity through his flesh abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two thus establishing peace and might reconcile both with god in one body through the cross putting that enmity to death by it he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near for through him we both have access in one spirit to the father the word of the lord [Music] oh [Music] [Music] i call you friends says the lord you are my disciples i make known to you all i've learned from my father [Music] [Music] the lord be with you a reading from the holy gospel according to mark so the apostles gathered together with jesus and they reported all that they had done and all that they had taught so he said to them come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while you see people were coming and going in great numbers they had no opportunity even to eat so they went off in a boat by themselves to a deserted place but the people saw them leaving and many came to know about it so they hastened there on foot from all the towns and they actually arrived at the place before them and so when jesus disembarked and he saw the vast crowd his heart was moved with pity for them for they were like sheep without a shepherd and so he began to teach them many things the gospel the good news of the lord now i gotta tell you as i've said before i don't pick the readings they're not conveniently placed into our midst on this 16th sunday of the year uh today because of all that's going on with the shepherds in our midst whether it's in our church in our country in life in general it's what it is so if you ask me it's divinely inspired i'm hoping what i say is divinely inspired and you don't just take it as my own you know personal opinion leanings i'll tell you what my opinion is gladly but everything i say i hope is rooted in this and i want us to be able to hear what i say today in light of what was so beautifully proclaimed as you guys proclaimed the scriptures this morning you with me said enough of a disclaimer not a disclaimer but a stage setter i don't know woe to you shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock that was written in the year well i don't know what year but it was written around 600 bc well before jesus even came on the scene think about it the same dynamics were going on in human history and with human beings way back then not two thousand years ago but even before then because it's human nature to screw up and to mess up to use a religious term to sin and the hebrew notion of sin was if you think of an archer and i say this over and over again because i want us to get it into our minds and into our hearts who's got the bow and arrow like this and the target straight ahead the arrow flies and it misses the mock that's the hebrew notion of what it is to sin we miss the mock and for those from san francisco and cincinnati and indianapolis we miss the mark all right that sounds like mork as in mork and mindy but anyway you know what i mean huh mr mark every one of us we're reminded when we're baptized to be kept free from sin free from missing the mock certainly is a career choice right huh free from missing the mark because we're all prone to it and then when you get into positions of power and leadership even more so are we prone to these things so jeremiah the prophet was speaking to his people in the religious authorities back then and he's speaking to us today he's not only speaking to the religious leaders today in our church and in general the priests the bishops the deacons but he is also speaking if we broaden this to the politicians of our day the shepherds of our country he's speaking to the social media influencers he's speaking to the media moguls who are making billions off of peddling false information i think jeremiah is speaking to all who have sway over the opinion of others to tell the truth it's pretty basic we all learn it from our parents when we're kids don't lie there's a reason i say over and over again it's in the top ten you know the ten commandments because it's a biggie it undermines everything when we lie in our marriages in our relationships what i do i mean we even try to justify it by saying well you know it's just a little white lie you know so yeah sometimes i find it so easy to do that this is me i find it me the priest right so easy to do that that i i i like and i'm gonna sound like you know i'm ricky righteous up here but like i try not to do the white lies because it's too easy and it's tougher to stand in the truth and then you start believing this stuff yourself and then we pass this on to each other i know me do we know ourselves but then when you get up into these big levels and you can influence people on so many deep levels and we're peddling lies it's a recipe for disaster jeremiah is speaking to all who perpetuate disinformation fear-inducing rhetoric in alternative facts those are big words all comes down to one word three letters begins with an l ends with an e fill in the blank there lies untruths and they come out in general and then they come out in particular and some of the the big issues of today that i've been thinking about would be the stuff that's in the news fall selection results i've noticed as i've listened on the radio and different other places that we get our news from that commentators are now saying not the claims of somebody but they're saying the false claims it's interesting to hear that in particular the claims about false election results or the claims about the covet 19 vaccine i've listened to people recently i was surprised when some good friends of mine said they weren't vaccinated because they found that or heard that more people are dying from this vaccination than from all the others that have ever been out there and i was like what what what are you where is this base from what like what where are you getting this from i wondered who's peddling this disinformation i read in the paper today coronavirus infections in the u.s rose nearly 70 percent not 7 percent not 17 7-0 in a single week officials reported friday in hospitalizations and deaths rose 36 percent and 26 respectively and then it goes on to say that many of these hospitalizations and deaths that's and cases have been happening in places where there isn't a high rate of vaccination i'm not trying to peddle my opinion here i'm trying to read the facts listen to the science what's empirical use my head follow my gut like i hope we all do and try to figure out what's right and true in the dissemination of information but there are others who are peddling other things i also believe that dr fauci is a good shepherd i don't know him he didn't pay me to say this he did go to holy cross he does have a jesuit influence here but dr fochi says smallpox smallpox and polio would still exist in the u.s if false information was prevalent back then what is that predisposition for us to to not believe are we just be like digging in intellectually stubborn politicizing everything i don't care what side any one of us is on who voted for who any of that kind of stuff what's real what's true thou shalt not lie speaks to that we have to have something that grounds us in what is good and right and true i think with so much that we have heard and seen in the media again on both sides both sides fox and cnn and uh and msnbc all these different places right newsmax all like whatever paper you read whatever whatever podcasts and blogs you listen to and read there has to be integrity in the reporting there seems to be no integrity or worthiness to any of this behavior that doesn't deal with the truth for whatever reason sister mary mcglone says it seems that all you need today is just adroit social media skills and unscrupulous intentions but you know what she says back in the day the same stuff was going on they had these deceitful troubadours that would go around singing people weren't fully educated so these troubadours would go around town and they'd make up these these little ditties these songs and this would kind of sway the opinion and it would probably be you know making fun of so many people and for whatever reasons and then we all know our friend johnny gutenberg huh johannes gutenberg what did he come up with the printing press huh the bible and post-gutenberg's invention people were able to write and publish and get stuff out there and now we have public opinion influencers peddlers of self-serving fear-based inaccurate and fake news online on tv on the radio we're definitely people in need of good shepherds again no matter what side any one of us is on this is going to be an equal i hope opportunity challenging homily to all of us about the truth where we find it and who speaks it so who are the good shepherds in your book what determines who and what a good shepherd is in all of our unique shepherding roles i don't see too many goat sticks in here i don't smell too many sheep but every single one of us in this church today and watching today is in a shepherding role as parents what i do grandparents as civil servants as community leaders as priests popes presidents and politicians in the media in the corporate world we're all called to be shepherds we're all called to be good shepherds first and foremost good shepherds don't lie they protect they are interested in the truth even when it's uncomfortable inconvenient and not what we all want to deal with or hear self included who likes to deal with the truth all the time i don't good shepherds are about what is good and right and true they lead people to green pastures and beside restful waters as we so beautifully heard sung they don't lead people to places of more confusion fear-filled places where people don't know what's real or what's fake what's true or false what's right or wrong good shepherds make us feel safe because they know what is true and therefore we will be safe they make us confident and they bring us peace good shepherds as it says in the psalm lead us through the dark valley fearing no evil because the good shepherd is by our side during those rough and uncertain times don't you want to be in that role don't you want to be a good shepherd to the younger ones don't i not does good shepherd doesn't mean being a perfect shepherd it means trying to do the right thing in the toughest of times this isn't so much about power this is about leadership leadership good shepherds give us courage courage to name and stare down evil to stare down lies in untruths when we see hear and know them but let me tell you for me sometimes it's easier either to run the other way or to not say anything it's tough you could lose the friendship look how our families have been affected by this stuff look how long-standing friendships have ruptured and the repair doesn't seem to be too quick in coming good shepherds provide us and provide for us so that only goodness and kindness will follow us all the days of our lives as it says in the psalm so to the younger crew i'm going to say this to you guys to the not so young crew anymore i'm going to say it to us we need good shepherds in our country in our church and in our midst who like jesus when he was on the boat and off the boat in today's gospel are attuned to people's needs are aware of them look they hadn't even had time to eat come away to a deserted place and rest a while they probably thought like all right we're going to get an hour before all these we got to be back in action you know and the people like go over there and they all get over there before they get there and jesus's heart was moved with what pity because they were like sheep without a shepherd wouldn't the shepherds of today corporately churchilly ecclesiologically elastically you know what i mean in the church and politically we're attentive to the needs of the others the people who are the sheep without shepherds who are dying and getting sick from lies and disinformation that's being peddled as you get richer we need leaders of church and country who have the means to influence in the media and in person to be leaders in truth think of these words honesty integrity authenticity courage goodness strength and in doing what is right ready in the eyes of god what does that mean that means in the ways that jesus modeled for us we don't need bad shepherds who peddle deceit and self-serving lies dishonesty and division so i've said that a million times there it is so this week that's code for put your seat backs up and you stow your tray tables all right this week let's take a little time to come away by ourselves to some deserted place whether that's physically to get in the car or get a plane and go someplace or to stay right here and just go inside to a nice quiet peace filled place and rethink our own ways of shepherding rethink what it is that we hear and read rethink what it is that we believe in general and then specifically and expressly what we believe with the pressing issues of our day in this divided country and sometimes in this divided church what we think about politics election winners voter suppression redistricting the vaccine let's just ask ourselves that no matter what side we're on or who we voted for or what we think about the vaccine are we looking at these issues in the way that jesus would i know that's kind of a heavy thing to do when you go away to a deserted place and you just want to relax and let the mind chill but let's think about these things let's feel the needs of others as jesus did when he saw them on the boat let's respond appropriately to help them and guide them and as it says in the in the last reading where does it say it no in the end of the first reading from jerry to govern wisely to do what is just and right working to bring together the scattered flock by telling the truth woe to those who mislead and scatter the flock you have not cared for them time to start hey by the way i say all this stuff as a shepherd in training here 30 years in training but still in training huh don't pitch a perfect game so we're all in this together wherever we're at on the journey let's stand and profess what the faith is that we profess i believe in one god the father the almighty and the maker of heaven and earth of all things visible and invisible 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 but 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 for our sake he was crucified unto pontius pilate he suffered death and was buried but he rose again on the third day in accordance with the scripture 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 in his kingdom will have no end i believe in the holy spirit the lord the giver of life who proceeds from the father and the son who with the father and the son is adored and glorified who has spoken through the prophets like jeremiah holy catholic and apostolic church i confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins 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 with lies truth honesty discernment of what's good and right and true with leadership let's come before the lord as a community this morning and make our needs known for us as church that we may be expressions of god's truth and way of being in this world that we may not lie that we may be instruments of god's healing care to all who find life's journey burdensome we pray for those overwhelmed by activity that god will help us to slow down and be aware of the gifts and blessings that are in our lives every day we pray for a spirit of compassion that god will touch our hearts with care and concern for all whom we find difficult needy or demanding we pray for pope francis and the bishops that they may have the hearts of true shepherds and guide the church closer to jesus and into greater unity and for all who serve in ministry that god will bless their efforts help them to keep their lives in balance and work through them to show a true shepherd's care we pray [Music] for all who have suffered abuse that god's loving compassion will fill them with hope and courage and heal their bodies minds and spirits we pray for all those dealing with natural disasters the floods in europe the fires in the west drought and famine in so many parts of the world we pray for all who are ill particularly those with covet 19 and for the sick and suffering among us mary pickering joe monahan baby dante edward fallon rick marion licamelli diane robitaille holder billy carey kyle george peter salvadosan claire maloney patricia axmeyer dan camanetti tony peretta bernard anderson josephine mason james mooney richard sullivan janet roberts kathy laughlin nancy jordan kaden boyce nancy walterman mary brackett marianne olszewski xavi lopez richard carmen bob haas bart hanselman kathy conroy and dick walsh we pray lord hear our prayer for all who have died especially margarita gibrae pat and sean healey tavi tosuriero robert souza priscilla mcnally chris shaw and bill lawless for their eternal peace we pray and for the intentions we hold in the silence of our hearts [Music] we pray lord god thank you for this gift of faith that drags us out of bed and plops us in these pews or wherever it is from where we're watching may this faith take root within us that makes us interested in what's real and good and right and true help us to shepherd wisely in whatever our shepherding roles are and know that we ask all this in the name of jesus christ our lord the good shepherd amen please be seated i just want to say thank you in advance for your generosity toward the parish over the past year and recently for all those watching if you could just take your phones and for those in the pews take your phones you can click on the little flow code the q code on your your worship aid and we really encourage you to sign up for the i give program we are starting to pass the basket again but that's just in hopes to you know make it easy for folks who are visiting but we really encourage you to sign up for the programs and once again thank you for your shepherding this parish forward [Music] precious [Music] [Applause] [Music] take my hand leave me alone [Music] [Music] take my hands [Music] and the day [Music] is [Music] r and so would you pray my friends that my sacrifice and yours may be made acceptable to god the loving the gentle father may the lord accept the sacrifice at these hands to the praise and glory of your name for our goodness lord god who in the one perfect sacrifice brought to completion varied offerings of the law we pray that you accept these gifts of bread and wine from us your faithful servants make them holy as you blessed the gifts of abel so that what each one of us has offered to the honor of your majesty may benefit the salvation of all especially the most vulnerable in our midst all through christ our lord give me an amen all right the lord be with you let's lift up our hearts and let's give thanks to the lord our god it's truly right and just yes it's our duty but it's our eternal salvation always and everywhere lord to give you thanks father almighty and eternal god for in you each one of us lives we move and we have our very being and while in this body we not only experience the daily effects of your love and care for us but even now we possess the pledge of life eternal having received the first fruits of the holy spirit at our own baptism the spirit through whom you raised up jesus from the dead we now hope for an everlasting share in eternal life through the paschal mystery so we join with the angels we join with the saints as in joyful celebration we acclaim [Music] oh blessed is he who comes in the name of oh [Music] lord god you are holy indeed you're the fount of all holiness all life all truth make holy these gifts of bread and wine send your spirit upon them like the dewfall that they may become for us the body and 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 and once more giving you thanks he gave it to his disciples and he said take this all of you drink from it for this is the chalice of my blood it's the blood of the new the eternal covenant 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] [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 the chalice of salvation we give you thanks that you've held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you humbly we pray the partaking of the body and blood of christ we may be gathered 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 john our bishop the religious the clergy with all your people and lord remember all of our sisters and brothers who fallen asleep in that promise that hope of resurrection we especially remember margarita gibrae pat and sean healey tavi teza riero robert souza remember priscilla mcnally and chris shaw and bill wallace and all those you and i love and miss so deeply lord 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 pleased you throughout the ages that we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life and may praise and glorify you simply by the way we live out our lives through your son jesus christ our lord for it's through him with him and in him oh god almighty father in the unity of the holy spirit that all glory all honor is yours now and forever [Music] ah at the savior's word the word of the good shepherd formed by divine teaching by the holy spirit let's pray as jesus taught us our father who art in heaven hallowed be your name your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily prayer and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us deliver us lord we pray from every evil graciously grant peace in our day 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 in the coming of our savior jesus christ for the kingdom the power the glory are yours now and forever lord jesus you said to your apostles i leave you peace my peace i give to you look not on our sin but on the faith of your church and graciously grant us peace and unity in accordance with your will who live and reign forever and ever and the peace of the lord jesus be with all of you in a covert aware way let's offer each other a sign of that peace peace you guys you're the best [Music] us [Music] [Music] me [Music] god behold the lamb of god the good shepherd who shows us the truth for he is the way the truth and the life the one who takes away the sins of the world blessed are those called to the supper of the lamb lord you're not worthy that you should enter it only save me so for communion we invite you to please remain seated in the ushers we'll start to bring folks uh down around from the side aisle so if you guys could please uh do that and um and then once those guys come forward we'll start like normal from the front pews come down two lanes take your needs [Music] [Music] i am is seed that died to be reborn i am the bread that comes from heaven i am the vine that fills your cup with joy [Music] [Applause] [Music] the truth that sets the captive free i am in the life that raises [Music] [Applause] [Music] that guards you night and day you are my flock you know the shepherd's [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] today [Music] in his eyes you are god's dwelling place on me your rest like living stones a temple for god's praise [Music] this is [Music] i [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] i am [Music] [Applause] jesus [Applause] this is drink this is when god [Music] so let us pray lord we ask you to graciously be present to us your people the sheep of your flock and lead those that you've imbued through this eucharist with these heavenly mysteries to pass from former ways to newness of life all through christ the good shepherd our lord good morning just a couple of things um as we are ramping up to our regular schedule here we're discovering that we could probably use a little bit more help um so we're asking people that are here pretty much every sunday 9 30 mass to consider maybe being one of the greeters or a eucharistic minister or an usher lecter's choir the choir is going to be starting up in the fall so i would just like you to think about this over the summer and see how you could help especially downstairs also we'll be doing coffee and pastries downstairs every sunday after the masses so we can use help with that hospitality team as well we're going to have a an event on a wednesday evening august 11th kind of a volunteer kickoff orientation that should be a fun evening uh to get people involved so think about it over the summer we'd appreciate it yeah and if you're not a morning person maybe being a greeter isn't the right ministry for you you know what i mean and uh you know same thing with voices and uh you know reading and all this kind of stuff but get involved and you know if you get a chance this bulletin it's kind of a it's a great like photo on the front of somebody who's just kind of away by themselves at a deserted place see if you can do that at some point this summer check out what's going on inside and read this beautiful article by faye corpender the still small voice of god quietly answers you know we've got all kinds of other voices in our head saying you're not good enough you're too good at this you're this all the ego stuff this is beautiful meditation and something to take away this week and spend some time with the lord be with you may the good god bless us the father the son and the holy spirit our celebration's over let's go forth as shepherds shepherding rightly in the model of the good shepherd thanks be to god have a good week as we conclude our liturgy please join in singing in the king of love my shepherd is verses 1 2 and 4. 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Channel: Saint Cecilia Parish

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Length: 83min 20sec (5000 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 18 2021