Palm Sunday – Saint Cecilia Catholic Community March 25, 2018 – 10:30 AM Rev. David Justin Lynch Mark 11:1-10 Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalm 22:8-9,17-20, 23-24 Philippians 2:6-11 Mark 15:1-47        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        Everyone loves a parade. It’s a time to march around to be seen by others for a purpose. Yesterday, my wife, Sharon, and others from our parish and I participated in a parade…

By Rev. David Justin Lynch Philippians, Galatians and Romans have Paul concerned about the Judaizers, those who believed that Gentiles, that is, non-Jews, who wanted to follow Jesus should be required to observe the Jewish law. The Judaism of Paul’s time looked to the Old Testament with its 613 very detailed commandments that controlled many aspects of daily life as defining how one appears in God’s sight. The message was that to make things right with God, one has to…

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT (Laetare) March 11, 2018 10:30 AM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. David Justin Lynch 2 Chronicles 36:14-16;19-23  Psalm 137:1-6 Ephesians 2:4-10 John 3:14-21        +In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.        The news this year has featured many rescue stories.  First responders, and even ordinary citizens, have heroically saved many lives — human, canine and feline — from fires and floods. My wife, Sharon, and I…

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT March 04 2018 10:30 AM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. David Justin Lynch Exodus 20:2-3;7-8;12-17 Psalm 19:8-11 I Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.  Imagine a major “boiler room” operation in Palm Springs, where telephone solicitors are sitting in cubicles dialing for dollars, victimizing people out of their life savings selling vacant land. Imagine further that our police received enough complaints,…

Lent marks a distinct change of pace in our liturgical life. The tone of our Mass becomes introspective instead of our usual exuberant style, which will return at Eastertide. In Lent, we add a spoken confession and those parts which are sung are quieter and often in a minor key. While Advent in our parish is nota penitential season, Lent is. For us, Advent is a time of expectation of the Incarnation, while Lent is a time of preparation for…

Epiphany Sunday – January 07, 2017 – 10:30 AM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. David Justin Lynch Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-2;7-8;10-13 Ephesians 3:2-3A;5-6 Matthew 2:1-12        + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. My mother was an actress. She tried, but failed, to get me to follow in her footsteps. But I loved the theater, so I worked behind the scenes as a lighting technician, designing the lighting for productions,…

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…