WALKING BEFORE THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING
GREETINGS AND HOPE
Dear brothers and sisters, how are you today? I trust that you are blessed and highly favored. How are you weathering the storms of life? This situation. The delta strain of Covid, Last Sunday's first reading was particularly noteworthy. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord tells us that "The ears of those who are deaf will be cleared; and the tongue of the mute will sing and that streams will burst forth in the desert. In a word, bad situations do not have the last word. Bad times don't last forever because God is almighty and all loving. He comes to save mankind. This insidious virus and its variants will vanish in God's time. We pray to the Lord!
WALKING BEFORE THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING
"Gracious is the Lord and just; yes our God is merciful. The Lord keeps the little ones; I was brought low and he saved me. For He has freed my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living" (Psalm 116:5-9). Walking before the Lord means patterning our lives according to his commandments of life and love. "In the land of living or the land of life is an epithet for God's temple in Jerusalem, where the faithful had access to the life-giving presence of God." This temple is the Church. Do you pick and choose what God's commandments you will keep? Are you hesitant or afraid to go to his temple? Walk before the Lord in the land of the living and he will take care of your concerns and worries.
THE NAME ST AUGUSTINE IS MISSING IN THE LIST THAT MET THE GOAL OF THE CATHOLIC APPEAL
This was shocking and challenging. Thirty one parishes, out of the 41 parishes and missions in our Diocese have met their goal. I looked and looked for the name of our Parish - the Great St Augustine but I did not see it! Why? We have not yet met the goal. St Augustine is known throughout West Tennessee and beyond to excel in everything noble, excellent and pleasing. What has happened? Many answers came to my mind. Could it be that we do not have money and mind to help? Could it be that you do not understand that the donation is for God's work and not for white or black men? Could it be that you do not like me or our Bishop. Could it be that I did not motivate you well? Could it be that you are mad at me? Whatever is the reason, let us rise and show who we are. I know that we have a big project in hand but as they say no child is to be left behind. We need to meet our goal in the Catholic Appeal. We are not poor.
A MESSAGE FROM DR MARY - OUR YOUTH DIRECTOR.
May all our youths and their parents know that they are invited and expected at the Eucharistic Congress on Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9. You can register using the following link: https://cdom.org/eucharistic-congress-online-registration.I am adding my voice to that of Mary . Please make it a priority to be there. You will be blessed beyond words. In the gathering of all the youths of our Diocese, we do not want to be absent.
MASS ON MONDAYS AT ST AUGUSTINE
Since August I now do noon Mass at St Augustine on Mondays along with the 7:00 am MASS at the Missionary Sisters’ Convent. These are in addition to the noon Masses on Tuesdays (at St John on Lamar), Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and have 4:00 pm on Saturdays, 8:00 a.m and 11:00 a.m on Sundays at St Augustine. Please take the opportunity and come to Mass. There is no crowd during the weekday Masses. We sometimes have only seven people, sometimes three in our big Church.
CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY AND THE ROSARY BEFORE AND AFTER THE MASS
Beginning this Monday, we shall have a chaplet of Divine Mercy prayer before the Masses and the rosary after the Masses. This will help many of us who are not familiar with this powerful prayer for God's mercy to become acquainted with it.
SPECIAL THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR OUR SISTER ROSALYN CARPENTER
Our sister, Rosalyn, experienced the promise of God that he is always with us while she was at a restaurant for dinner and choked while drinking a glass of water. The life saving aid of strangers reminds us in a tangible way of God's presence. She received a magnificent blessing while being unconscious, experienced no pain or discomfort, safe and at peace until awakened, fully restored. Through the hand of Sean, the third person who attempted to revive Rosalyn, she was revived. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his love endures forever! The Lord said that our dear Rosalyn will live and recount his deeds.
INSPIRING OUR DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED MOTHER MARY
You know that you can donate flowers, light votive candles on the feast of Mary our Mother in her honor and in the memory of a loved one. May our choir lead us in the noble venture of inspiring devotion to Mary by learning and singing many Marian hymns on her feast days.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS TO OUR SISTER GLADYS YOUNG
Your love offering for Gladys yielded $1947. May the Lord God reward and replenish you. Please do not hesitate to do more. You know that the cost of living, renting or even buying a house is very high these days. It would be good if we can give her up to $5000.00. That might be a sufficient down payment for another home away from the one where her son was killed. So we need $3053 to reach this modest goal.
WHAT IS MORE?
The Lord says, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35). This means following the Crucified One and not being afraid of redemptive suffering and sacrifice.
GREETINGS AND HOPE
Dear brothers and sisters, how are you today? I trust that you are blessed and highly favored. How are you weathering the storms of life? This situation. The delta strain of Covid, Last Sunday's first reading was particularly noteworthy. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord tells us that "The ears of those who are deaf will be cleared; and the tongue of the mute will sing and that streams will burst forth in the desert. In a word, bad situations do not have the last word. Bad times don't last forever because God is almighty and all loving. He comes to save mankind. This insidious virus and its variants will vanish in God's time. We pray to the Lord!
WALKING BEFORE THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING
"Gracious is the Lord and just; yes our God is merciful. The Lord keeps the little ones; I was brought low and he saved me. For He has freed my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living" (Psalm 116:5-9). Walking before the Lord means patterning our lives according to his commandments of life and love. "In the land of living or the land of life is an epithet for God's temple in Jerusalem, where the faithful had access to the life-giving presence of God." This temple is the Church. Do you pick and choose what God's commandments you will keep? Are you hesitant or afraid to go to his temple? Walk before the Lord in the land of the living and he will take care of your concerns and worries.
THE NAME ST AUGUSTINE IS MISSING IN THE LIST THAT MET THE GOAL OF THE CATHOLIC APPEAL
This was shocking and challenging. Thirty one parishes, out of the 41 parishes and missions in our Diocese have met their goal. I looked and looked for the name of our Parish - the Great St Augustine but I did not see it! Why? We have not yet met the goal. St Augustine is known throughout West Tennessee and beyond to excel in everything noble, excellent and pleasing. What has happened? Many answers came to my mind. Could it be that we do not have money and mind to help? Could it be that you do not understand that the donation is for God's work and not for white or black men? Could it be that you do not like me or our Bishop. Could it be that I did not motivate you well? Could it be that you are mad at me? Whatever is the reason, let us rise and show who we are. I know that we have a big project in hand but as they say no child is to be left behind. We need to meet our goal in the Catholic Appeal. We are not poor.
A MESSAGE FROM DR MARY - OUR YOUTH DIRECTOR.
May all our youths and their parents know that they are invited and expected at the Eucharistic Congress on Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9. You can register using the following link: https://cdom.org/eucharistic-congress-online-registration.I am adding my voice to that of Mary . Please make it a priority to be there. You will be blessed beyond words. In the gathering of all the youths of our Diocese, we do not want to be absent.
MASS ON MONDAYS AT ST AUGUSTINE
Since August I now do noon Mass at St Augustine on Mondays along with the 7:00 am MASS at the Missionary Sisters’ Convent. These are in addition to the noon Masses on Tuesdays (at St John on Lamar), Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and have 4:00 pm on Saturdays, 8:00 a.m and 11:00 a.m on Sundays at St Augustine. Please take the opportunity and come to Mass. There is no crowd during the weekday Masses. We sometimes have only seven people, sometimes three in our big Church.
CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY AND THE ROSARY BEFORE AND AFTER THE MASS
Beginning this Monday, we shall have a chaplet of Divine Mercy prayer before the Masses and the rosary after the Masses. This will help many of us who are not familiar with this powerful prayer for God's mercy to become acquainted with it.
SPECIAL THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR OUR SISTER ROSALYN CARPENTER
Our sister, Rosalyn, experienced the promise of God that he is always with us while she was at a restaurant for dinner and choked while drinking a glass of water. The life saving aid of strangers reminds us in a tangible way of God's presence. She received a magnificent blessing while being unconscious, experienced no pain or discomfort, safe and at peace until awakened, fully restored. Through the hand of Sean, the third person who attempted to revive Rosalyn, she was revived. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his love endures forever! The Lord said that our dear Rosalyn will live and recount his deeds.
INSPIRING OUR DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED MOTHER MARY
You know that you can donate flowers, light votive candles on the feast of Mary our Mother in her honor and in the memory of a loved one. May our choir lead us in the noble venture of inspiring devotion to Mary by learning and singing many Marian hymns on her feast days.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS TO OUR SISTER GLADYS YOUNG
Your love offering for Gladys yielded $1947. May the Lord God reward and replenish you. Please do not hesitate to do more. You know that the cost of living, renting or even buying a house is very high these days. It would be good if we can give her up to $5000.00. That might be a sufficient down payment for another home away from the one where her son was killed. So we need $3053 to reach this modest goal.
WHAT IS MORE?
The Lord says, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35). This means following the Crucified One and not being afraid of redemptive suffering and sacrifice.
