Christmas Eve 2017 – Sung Mass 7:00 PM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community, Palm Springs CA Rev. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 9:1-6 Titus 2:11-24 Luke 2:1-14        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        Over the past few weeks, the world around us has been going through its annual drill getting ready for Christmas. We’ve been decorating, baking, partying, and of course, shopping. We here at church have been spiritually…

First Sunday in Advent – Year B December 03, 2017 10:30 AM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community, Palm Springs CA Rev. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 63:16B-17;64:2-7  Psalm 80:2-3;15-16;18-19 I Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN. In the secular world, Advent invites us to decorate our homes and buy gifts. There is nothing wrong with that, but for Christians, Advent is different. We will be preparing…

Authorship – Unknown Like the other three canonical gospels, the author of Mark is anonymous. However, tradition, as transmitted by bishop and apostolic father Papias who lived around 60-130 AD, holds that he was “John Mark”, a companion of the apostle Peter. “John Mark” is mentioned in Acts 12:12-14, which indicates John Mark’s mother’s house was a regular enough stop for Peter that the servants recognized him by voice alone. There are other mentions of John Mark in Acts 12:24…

Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Thanksgiving Day November 23, 2017 10:30 AM Rev. David Justin Lynch Sirach 50:22-24 Psalm 45:2-11 I Corinthians 1:3-9 Luke 17:11-19        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        Secular authority in our country designated today to give thanks, to show our gratitude for all the blessings of life. For most people, that includes family, friends, and perhaps economic success. Those prone to American Exceptionalism give…

Saint Cecilia Catholic Community, Palm Springs California All Saints & All Souls Sunday November 05, 2017 10:30 AM Rev. David Justin Lynch Sirach 45:1-10;14-15   Revelation 7:2-4;9-14 Matthew 5:1-12A        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        I look forward to All Saints Day every year because I get to sing “I Sing A Song of the Saints of God.” The words are by Lesbia Scott, and the tune was…

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time / Feast of Saint Francis October 01 2017 10:30 AM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. David Justin Lynch Ezekiel 18:25-28 Psalm 25:4-9 Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-31        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        Humility. That’s a very, very, difficult, extremely difficult, concept for humanity generally, particularly in the United States of America. Our culture communicates a message that sounds like this. “Be a…

LABOR DAY CELEBRATION September 03, 2017 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community, Palm Springs CA Rev. David Justin Lynch Sirach 38:27-32A  Wisdom 10:15-19, 20b-21 1 Corinthians 3:10-14 Matthew 6:19-24        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN. When I meet someone new, one of the first questions I ask is, “what sort of work do you do?” I ask that because more than anything else, our work, or lack of it, at…

August 27, 2017 Emmaus Community, Olympia, WA Rev. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 22:19-23 Psalm 138:1-3;6-8 Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20             +In the name of God, our Father and Mother, Jesus our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, AMEN. At least a few of you may have come to church expecting an excoriation of the Roman Catholic Church about the mischief of Petrine Primacy.  I’m not going to go there. Instead, I will look at today’s readings on a much deeper level….