Thank you, Lord, for small businesses and for the many ways they serve the community, for the many ways they help the economy.
04 February 2013
Simcha Fisher on the Fairness of God
“To paraphrase Fulton Sheen, ‘There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate God. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be God, which is of course, quite a different thing.’”
In a recent commentary, writer Simcha Fisher reflected on, in light of the fact that the Bible says that God is good and yet there is so much evil in the world, perceptions that God is not fair.
To access her complete reflection, please visit:
Reflection Starter from G. K. Chesterton
“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” – G. K. Chesterton
03 February 2013
Five-alarm Fire Hits Portsmouth, NH, Condominium
A five-alarm fire heavily damaged Harbour Place, a condominium building at 135 Bow Street, Portsmouth, NH, on Friday, 1 February. The initial alarm was transmitted shortly before 1900 hours, and it was over three hours before the fire was declared under control.
The Portsmouth Fire Department was assisted by companies from Dover, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Newington, Newmarket, Pease, Rochester, Rye, and Stratham, NH, and Eliot, Kittery, and York, ME.
Media reports:
Portsmouth Herald: Bow Street fire causes more than $1M in damage (3 FEB 13)
Foster's Daily Democrat: Fire hits condos; Crews struggle to contain Portsmouth blaze (2 FEB 13)
New Hampshire Union Leader: Portsmouth condominium blaze now five alarms (2 FEB 13)
WMUR-TV: Firefighters battle 4-alarm condo fire in Portsmouth (2 FEB 13)
WCSH-TV: Five alarm fire on Bow street in Portsmouth (1 FEB 13)
WMUR-TV: Investigation begins for condo fire in Portsmouth (2 FEB 13)
YouTube: Portsmouth Blaze video - courtesy Helmar B. Herman
Background information:
Local 1313, Portsmouth Professional Fire Fighters
“Praise the Lord, My Soul”
As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of the Saint Louis Jesuits singing “Praise the Lord, My Soul”:
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13; and Luke 4:21-30. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 71 (Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 71 Sing of Your salvation and I will sing Your glory
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (February 3, 2013)
The Deacon’s Bench: Homily for February 3, 2013: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2 FEB 13)
Marcellino D’Ambrosio, PhD: Why Prophets Aren't Popular
The Quiet Corner: God’s generosity can’t be measured (31 JAN 13)
The Sacred Page: Why Do People Hate a "Good Person"? The 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (29 JAN 13)
Word on Fire: Sermon 630 : The Primacy of Love : 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dr. Scott Hahn: Prophet to the Nations (February 3rd 2013 - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
The Word Engaged: Justice Done in Love (Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
Dives in Misericordia: “The Mercy of God in the Mission of the Church” (15, continued)
Chapter 8 of “Dives in Misericordia” (“Rich in Mercy”) is entitled “The Prayer of the Church in Our Times.” It, and the document, concludes as follows:
“15. . . . In the name of Jesus Christ crucified and risen, in the spirit of His messianic mission, enduring in the history of humanity, we raise our voices and pray that the Love which is in the Father may once again be revealed at this stage of history, and that, through the work of the Son and Holy Spirit, it may be shown to be present in our modern world and to be more powerful than evil: more powerful than sin and death. We pray for this through the intercession of her who does not cease to proclaim ‘mercy...from generation to generation,’ and also through the intercession of those for whom there have been completely fulfilled the words of the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.’139
“In continuing the great task of implementing the Second Vatican Council, in which we can rightly see a new phase of the self-realization of the Church – in keeping with the epoch in which it has been our destiny to live – the Church herself must be constantly guided by the full consciousness that in this work it is not permissible for her, for any reason, to withdraw into herself. The reason for her existence is, in fact, to reveal God, that Father who allows us to ‘see’ Him in Christ.140 No matter how strong the resistance of human history may be, no matter how marked the diversity of contemporary civilization, no matter how great the denial of God in the human world, so much the greater must be the Church's closeness to that mystery which, hidden for centuries in God, was then truly shared with man, in time, through Jesus Christ.”
139. Matthew 5:7.
140. Cf. John 14:9.
To access the complete document, please visit:
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for Your great love that continues to call us to live a life rooted in You.
Msgr. Pope on the Four Pillars of Christian Life
“I and twelve other pastors, have been meeting recently to embark on a period and plan for renewal in our parishes. which focuses back on the fundamental mission of the Church, and of our parishes, and which seeks to restore a kind of back to basics approach to Church life.
“For too often many parishes are reduced from being lighthouses to clubhouses; from being thermostats which set the temperature of culture, to thermometers that merely record the temperature; from being places where Christ is central, and it is his wedding, to being places where Christ is merely an invited guest at our wedding feast.”
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the basics that need to be present in the life of a Christian, in the life of the Church - the teaching of the Apostles, fellowship, the Breaking of the Bread, and prayer.
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: The Four Pillars of the Christian Life (30 JAN 13)
Reflection Starter from Blessed Pope John Paul II
“A constant danger with Christians, even zealous Christians, is that they become so immersed in the work of the Lord that they neglect the Lord of the work.” – Blessed Pope John Paul II
02 February 2013
“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
In this video, the choir of Masuk High School (Monroe, CT) sings a fun version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”:
Background information:
Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for February
Pope Benedict’s prayer intentions for February are:
General intention: “That migrant families, especially the mothers, may be supported and accompanied in their difficulties.”
Mission intention: “That the peoples at war and in conflict may lead the way in building a peaceful future.”
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