This month we are focusing on LOVE, not just romantic love, but family love and how much we love to be a family. We will be talking about family, marriage, and temples for family home evenings because
There is nothing in this world as important as the creation and perfection of family units (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Improvement Era, June 1970).
The whole aim and purpose of the gospel is to enable men and women—united as one in the Lord—to create for themselves eternal family units in eternity. Celestial marriage prepares us for the greatest joy and happiness known to mortals and for eternal life in the realms ahead” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, Nov. 1979).
“Happiness in marriage and parenthood can exceed a thousand times any other happiness” (Elder James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 1977)
For our first family home evening, we started off talking about the Plan of Salvation. We lived with Heavenly Father before we were born. We are His children. We loved Him with all our hearts and wanted to become like Him so he created this Earth so we could become like Him. Even though we can’t remember living with Him, He didn’t leave us alone. We have prophets, the scriptures, prayer, the Holy Ghost, and FAMILIES to help us. Wouldn’t it be sad if we came down all by ourself and had to figure things out without a mom or dad? Heavenly Father promised that if we kept His commandments and covenants, that we could become like Him AND live together forever as families. Because dad and I were married in the temple (hold up a picture of the temple), we can be together as a family.
We drew a picture of our family and discussed what the roles of each person were. Then we went to the table and wrote down things we loved about each family member on hearts. Then we HEART ATTACKED the kitchen. This was a great way to build family unity and remind ourselves of why we love to be a family.
EGBERT VALENTINE TRADITIONS
- Heart attack the kitchen
- Go to the temple as a family and take some pictures (after our family home evening lesson on why temples are so important)
- Have a WE LOVE TO BE A FAMILY DAY
- Write a special note to each person in your family telling them the top 10 things you love about him/her and give it to each person on Valentine’s Day
- Love Jar
- Love Letters to Your Spouse
I got most of these ideas from the Power of Moms website: Seven Family Activities to Fill February with Love. The family fun day idea is from April Perry: A Valentin’s Tradition Your Family Will Never Forget. I will briefly describe what we plan to do as a family for each of these activities
WE LOVE TO BE A FAMILY DAY
8-9 Special Breakfast
9-9:30 Morning Routine (scriptures, morning chore, clean house)
9:30-10 Look at Family Photo Album from 2012
11-12 Games & Valentine Day Hunt (hunt for Hershey Kisses)
1-2:30 Play Games with Caleb while Daniel naps
2:30-5:00 Children History Museum
6:00 Scriptures and MOVIE with popcorn
We put 22 activities in a jar that are love, service, and spiritually oriented (this is to increase our love for our family, friends, neighbors, and our Heavenly Father). The plan was to do one a day (we aren’t going to do one on Mondays or the family fun day or temple trip day). Some of these activities are to show the kids how much Heavenly Father loves them – it is to show them that the Lord gives us Valentines (Love Notes) all the time.
JAR ACTIVITIES for 2012
1. “heart attack” someone’s front door
2. do a “secret service” for someone in your family
3. Read a story about loving and caring for others
4. pop some popcorn and watch a fun movie that has a love story
5. make a special Valentine for a school or church teacher
6. Make a Valentine for Grandparents
7. Make Valentines for friends in the ward (kids in primary class)
8. Valentine Hunt (invite a friend)
9. Pick out two toys at All A Dollar for a Friend and Deliver them
10. Have the boys help make dinner and deliver it to a family in the ward
11. Act out a story from the Scriptures (Daniel in the Lions Den)
12. Watch a Living Scriptures Video
13. Watch a Mormon Ad Video on service or kindness or love
14. Watch a Bible Video from lds.org
15. Do an activity from the Friend Magazine
16. I LOVE…
Pass around a heart and have everyone talk about the people or things that they love (or activities they love to do). Give compliments to each other
17. Read The Grump (story from The Friend magazine, February 2013)
18. Read You Are Special and give out stars to Caleb and Daniel
19. READ What Really Matters by Charlotte Wood Wilson (from the Friend magazine, February 2013)
20. Do the story of the creation (place pictures on hearts) to show the kids how much the Lord loves them – look at all He did for them!
21. Use a picture of the world and put the pictures of all the wonderful things Heavenly Father has given us (temples, prophets, scriptures, etc) to show how much Heavenly Father loves us (maybe go outside and collect things Heavenly Father has made for us)
22. Make Crayon Hearts (invite a friend)
You will need: Waxed paper, Crayons, Scissors, Pencil sharpener, Iron, Hole punch, String or ribbon, Paper towel
What to do:
1. On a piece of waxed paper, draw a large heart.
2. Use the pencil sharpener to make crayon shavings, and sprinkle them on the heart you drew. Your finished heart will be whatever colors you include. Put another sheet of waxed paper on top.
3. Put a paper towel on top of the waxed paper to protect your iron. Have an adult help you iron the two layers of waxed paper together.
4. Once the wax paper has cooled, cut out the heart you outlined earlier. Punch a hole near the top and thread a string or ribbon through it for hanging.
5. Repeat this process to make more hearts. Surprise someone you love by hanging these hearts where they will find them!
LOVE LETTERS TO YOUR SPOUSE
This idea is from The Red Headed Hostess blog: 12 Days of Love Notes. She made it up around Christmas time, but Jared and I never got around to it so we are doing it this month instead to strengthen our marriage. For 12 days you take one of the following topics, write about it, and then give it to your spouse.
On the _____ day of February, my true love said to me…
1. Favorite memory of us from 2012
2. One of my best qualities
3. A future goal together
4. I love you because…
5. A favorite funny memory
6. How you have made me a better person
7. Why I am proud of you
8. If I could give you anything it would be
9. I am grateful for you because…
10. This is what I tell others about you…
11. Something you do that makes me laugh
12. Little things you do that I appreciate


The Secret of Authority
May 12th, 2022
Authority has become a dirty word. Anyone with authority is either lording it over the weak and innocent or answering for its neglectful misuse. In America we question authority. We usually don’t like authority, and often dislike those who have it over us.
The problem is… we don’t understand what authority is.
where does authority come from?
All authority comes from God.
Why? Because anyone who has legitimate authority is allowed to have it by God’s permissive will and in the end, any human being who legitimately has authority over another human being has to answer to God for how they used it. No one would have any legitimate authority unless God allowed it.
Authority comes from the Latin auctoritas, or auctor, which means “originator”. It is also where we get the word “author”. And the first “originator”, the “author” of all that is good, is the also the originator and author of authority.
Jesus acknowledged Pilate’s authority, but only because God had given it to him:
He entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.”
Jesus acknowledged that His own authority also came from God the Father:
“For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak.”
OK, so authority comes from God… but what is the secret to exercising authority?
it's all about love!
The secret to authority is love.
When God gives authority, He commands it be used with love. To be properly used, authority MUST be used with love. To understand this better, we need to see how love flips the popular idea of authority on it’s head.
God gives authority as a means to serve others, not as a means to be served. In order to serve authority must be used in conjunction with love. If not, it’s tyranny.
Father’s have authority to take care of their children. A police officer has authority to protect the innocent. A governor has authority to execute the laws of the state to safeguard the welfare of the citizens. These are all forms of service.
Let’s say a police officer tells people to stand back from a dangerous situation in a public street. He has authority to do this not because he’s better or smarter or earned some right to be bossy at the police academy. He has authority to serve those people by keeping them out of harms way.
Even though Jesus acknowledged His authority came from His Father, the authority was also His authority, as He is God the Son, equal to the Father. The crowds were amazed because Jesus taught like one who HAD authority.
“And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”
Other rabbis would quote another great rabbi, like the one who taught them, but Jesus would say, “Truly, I say to you…” taking all the authority upon Himself.
As well, Jesus demonstrated His authority by deeds:
“And they were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.‘”
Now, Jesus did everything with love, including using His authority. One individual, a centurion, had been watching Jesus. As a soldier, he understood authority and recognized that Jesus had great authority, and also great love.
“As he entered Caperna-um, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; be it done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.”
Interesting that Jesus acknowledged this man for his great faith after he demonstrated his understanding for Jesus’ authority. And this man was blessed with his words being repeated everyday at Mass: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
Jesus gave His authority to the 12 Apostles, the first pope and bishops of the Church:
“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
Jesus concluded His lesson of authority and love at the Last Supper, when He washed the Apostles feet:
"When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you."
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave His Apostles His authority once again and instructed them to teach, with His Authority, and baptize, indeed to dispense all the sacraments, until the end of time:
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.‘”
When the Church teaches, she does so with the authority of God. When the Church baptizes, confirms, forgives sins, exorcises demons and gives us the Eucharist, she does so with the Authority of God… and with love.
March 30th, 2022
As your Godfather, I’d like to tell you some things about God and the Catholic Church that I wish someone had taught me when I was your age (or younger). Some of this you may know, some you may not. I thought I’d save the time it’d take to interview you and just tell you all of it.
I’m going to present you with cut and dry, tell it like it is, straight forward facts.
#1: God exists
First, God exists. No one can prove otherwise and the universe could not exist without a God to design and create it. We live in a fine-tuned universe, otherwise known as the Anthropic Principle. This principle, which is conventional wisdom in physics, refers to how our universe operates according to a set of specific numeric values and how our existence in this universe depends on these values being precisely what they are. For example, in order for life to exist, the energy density of empty space must be perfectly accurate to a number with over 100 decimal places. Precise measurements like this point to a grand designer of the universe. Because of this, statisticians have stated that it is statistically impossible for the universe to have randomly come into being. It is more likely for you to randomly cut five hundred trillion pieces of wood and have them perfectly fit together to build a huge mansion than for the universe to have randomly come into being without God. The chances are better for me to buy one lottery ticket in all 50 states and win them all. Someone designed and created the universe. This Someone is God.
#2: JEsus is god
Second, Jesus Christ is God. We know He existed, historical records all agree on this. We know He is reported to have taught about God, to have worked miracles, been crucified and on the third day rise from the dead. The Bible is an undisputed historical record of all this. We also know the He Himself claimed to BE GOD. We also know that hundreds of people who claim to have seen Him after He rose from the dead allowed themselves to be killed rather than deny Jesus. This includes 10 of the apostles, who knew for sure if Jesus really rose or if it was a lie. Over the next 250 years the life expectancy of a Christian was quite low (if one became a Christian you were likely to end up nailed to a cross, in a lion’s mouth or without one’s head)… Despite all this – people kept joining up. It got to the point where the largest empire of the era, Rome, declared Christianity as the official religion of the empire 350 years after it had crucified it’s Founder, Jesus Christ. It went from one Jewish carpenter/preacher with 12 lower middle class friends/followers to the most dominant religion in the world. How is this possible?… unless…
Jesus had to be God. Too many people who saw Him work miracles and who heard Him speak would have been alive to dispute the claims of the apostles if they were not true. And why would so many go to their deaths for something they knew was a lie? And how, with no electronic means and against the power of Rome, did Christianity become so wide spread so fast? Nothing like this has ever happened before or sense in the history of the world. The power of God is the only explanation.
#3: jesus created the catholic church
Third, Jesus created the Catholic Church. This is the one and sole reason for being Catholic. If this is not the reason that you’re Catholic, then you need to think about why you would want to be in any religion at all. Maybe you’re Catholic because the teaching is good, or because your family is Catholic, or because the pope is cool… but none of these reasons - or any other reason - not one - is as important as this one fact: God created the Catholic Church. What else do you need? Who’s religion would you rather be in? I’ll be in God’s clubhouse if you need me, thank you very much.
How do we know that Jesus created the Catholic Church? History. As recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 16) Jesus gave St. Peter the Keys to Heaven. Jesus said the He was going to build a Church and use Peter as its foundation and that whatever Peter decided would be held up in Heaven. Later in chapter 18, and other parts of the four Gospels, Jesus Gave the 12 apostles the authority to pass on not only the teachings He gave them, but also teachings that the Holy Spirit would reveal to them after Jesus ascended into Heaven. This authority to teach the truth about faith and morals, because it comes from God, is infallible. It has been passed on to all the popes and bishops up to this day. This is why we know the pope is right whenever he officially teaches on faith or morals. The best place to find a compilation of Church teaching is the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Jesus also created the Church to pass on the saving grace, or sanctifying grace, He earned for us on the cross. The Church does this through the seven sacraments. Deacons, priests and bishops have the authority to dispense God’s saving grace in the sacraments, so we can be transformed and made holy from the inside out. If we respond to this grace with love for God and others, according to the teaching of the Church, then we are in effect choosing to enter Heaven when we die.
#4: it's all about jesus
Forth and lastly, our Catholic Faith is all about one thing, a relationship with Jesus. Everything else, Mass, morals, sacraments, prayer, the Bible… everything – is there to point to or help – this relationship. If you don’t have a real relationship with Jesus, if you don’t strive to know and love Him, then everything else is in vain.
How do I have a relationship with Jesus, you ask? I’m glad you did. Here are the top ten ways to have a good relationship with Jesus (in no particular order):
- Set aside 15 minutes to pray, every day; no matter what.
- Make learning and following what Jesus teaches through His Church your top priority in life.
- Go to Mass each Sunday and holy day of obligation and learn what is going on during Mass and what you are really supposed to be doing there (besides standing, kneeling and sitting).
- Go to confession once a month.
- Get the Catechism of the Catholic Church and read about one page every weekend.
- Read one chapter of a gospel each week until you’ve read all four gospels. Then start all over again.
- Sign up for an hour of Eucharistic Adoration each week, or at least go once a month.
- Find a young adult Catholic group in your area and join it.
- When you find yourself thinking about what you want and what you need, think instead about what your family and friends want and need – then act on it.
- Remember that God loves you more that you can fathom, that God is interested in every facet of your life, and that no matter what happens God is there with you and will always forgive you.
Let me know if you have any questions.
What is Truth?
February 28th, 2022
Today people seem to have lost an understanding of objective truth.
The powers of the world around us are subtlety, and sometimes not so subtlety, nudging and pushing people to believe that everything is subjective – that there is no objective truth, or that we can make or define our own truth...that what is true depends on an individual’s thoughts and feelings on the subject.
Basic philosophy and common sense tell us this wrong, and it is important that we understand why.
Objective truth and subjective truth
In examining truth we have:
- A subject – the person observing the truth.
- An object – the thing being observed.
Subjective truth refers to truth that comes from the subject – the person observing. Objective truth refers to the truth coming from the object – the thing being observed.
Let’s use an example to demonstrate. Ryan has an apple. From Ryan’s point of view, which is subjective truth, apples are delicious. Ryan also likes the way this apple looks, because it is red, and he likes the color red. These two truths, that Ryan likes the taste and appearance of the apple are subjective truths, because they come from Ryan, the subject. When Trisha takes a look at the apple, she is reminded that she does not like the taste of apples. As well, she prefers the color green, and does not find the appearance of red things pleasing to her. All of these truths are correct, even though they are different, contradictory even, because they come from two different subjects, not from the object itself.
Next Ryan sees that besides being red, the apple is missing its stem. These two truths, that the apple is red and is missing it’s stem, come from the object, the apple, so they are objective truths. No matter how many people look at the apple, it will always be red and always be missing it’s stem. Trisha can observe that she does not like the red color of the apple, but she cannot deny that it IS RED. This truth comes from the apple – the object. The subject, the person looking at the apple, cannot change that.
let my people go
Now, lets look at another object – a moral object - the Ten Commandments. Let’s say that when Ryan looks at the Ten Commandments and he does not like them. He does not like being told what to do. This is a subjective truth. How Ryan feels about the Ten Commandments comes from Ryan. However, when Ryan observes the Ten Commandments, when he studies them, he sees that they come from God.
Not only that, but they actually ARE GOD, because the 10 Commandments are Divine Revelation – God revealed, which means the attributes of God are where the 10 Commandments come from.
Let me demonstrate this further by asking you a question:
“Does God will something because it is good, or is something good because God wills it?
What answer did you come up with? Most people go with the second option, that “something is good because God wills it?” But that is not correct. God did not arbitrarily pick and choose some things to be good by willing them and some things to be evil by not willing them.
The correct answer is that “God wills something because it is good.” The trick here is the word good. We immediately think that some list of “good things” cannot exist outside of God, forcing God to will them. But that’s just it – the “good things” are NOT outside of God.
Jesus said in Mark 10:18 “No one is good but God alone.” The “good” in our questions above IS GOD. God is not just a “good God”, He is Goodness itself. All that is good comes from the very attributes of God. So, when God wills the good, He wills himself.
God is Truth. God is Love. God is Life.
The Ten Commandments command us to Love, to respect life and to be truthful. The truth of the Ten Commandments do not depend on how Ryan feels about them, but on the Ten Commandments themselves. And the Ten Commandments not only come from God – they are God. All of divine revelation, moral truths and other truths of our Faith, are truths about God. Once again, that is what divine revelation means – God revealed.
So when you or someone else says that they don’t think or feel that a moral teaching of God is true for them, remember this – what someone thinks or feels about the teachings of God does not affect the objective truth of these teachings. For they have as their object God Himself.
The Difficulty of Sharing the Faith
February 10th, 2022
One of the difficulties we have as Catholics is trying to explain our Faith to those outside the Catholic Church.
Why does the Church teach what it does about things like artificial birth control, same sex attraction or Communion to those who are not Catholic. We get uncomfortable trying to explain these kind of things to our non-Catholic friends.
We are made to feel judgmental, old fashioned or just plain stupid.
Why is this?
we don't know
Well, one reason is we don’t always know why the Church teaches what it does. We simply know that the Church teaches “such and such”. But when challenged as to why the Church teaches something, we are left shrugging our shoulders.
Another reason, closely connected to the reason above, is that we forget that the teachings of the Church are not some arbitrary rules that were voted on by a group of theologians, or decided upon by some pope 1000 years ago. The teachings of the Church on truths and morals are from God – they reveal God.
We believe that God exists as three persons in one God, the Blessed Trinity. We believe that the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, became a human being. We believe that the Son of God, Jesus, died in reparation for our sins so we could be forgiven and be in Heaven with God. We believe that Jesus taught us about God and God’s plan for mankind. We believe that Jesus created the Church, His Kingdom, to preserve and pass on the truths He taught and dispense the graces He earned on the Cross through the Sacraments.
We proclaim belief in all this every weekend when we recite the Creed. But when it comes time to live the Creed… to stand up for that belief… we often fall short.
But if we hold firm to the beliefs above, and learn to explain to others what we believe, we can often help people understand the Catholic Faith. I spend a lot of time teaching and writing about how to do this. However, this blog post is not about how to explain the Catholic Faith. What I would like to do he help you understand why, sometimes, no matter how we explain things, some people don’t seem to hear us.
we don't understand
Jesus is recorded explaining this in different passages of the Gospels.
Here in Matthew, Jesus is asked why He has started teaching in parables:
“Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it”. (Matthew 13:10-17)
Jesus explained to His disciples that some people are not able to understand the truth because their will is not God’s will. They have chosen sinful lives over God’s commandments. This leads to a darkness that can not be overcome unless they repent and turn away from their sin. They need to respond to God’s call in their hearts, and God will change their hearts. This is a work of the Holy Spirit. Just hearing the teachings of God will fall on deaf ears unless they allow God to change their hearts.
Jesus knew who was ready to turn away from sin and who came to see Him just to be entertained by a miracle, or fed because they heard about the multiplication of the fishes and loaves. So, Jesus would tell parables. He knew those who were ready would understand it, maybe not fully, but at least enough to draw them closer to God and the truth.
Read the following passage from St. John’s Gospel:
"So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me; if any man’s will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority."
Jesus is saying that if your will is to do the will of God, you will recognize the truth and recognize Him. Now read from just a few verses later. See how some of the people believe in Jesus and some do not, even though they are all witnessing the same thing.
Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!”
In another passage, this time from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches directly against trying to teach deep truths to unbelievers:
“Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you.”
Jesus was explaining that if you take the holy treasures of the Faith, the truths we hold dear, and tell someone who is far from God, then they will degrade what you have said and attack you for saying it. We know this all too well when we try to explain the truths of abortion or same sex attraction to someone who has no interest in following Jesus.
it's all about relationship
What this really comes down to is a relationship with Jesus. If you love Him you will want to do His will and you will grow to accept and understand His teachings.
So, what do we do?
Again, listen to Jesus. The first thing He said as he began His public ministry is, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Translation: “The time is now! God has awesome plans for us. He not only wants to fill our lives with His love right now, but also invites us to live forever with Him in the next life, in eternal joy! What do we need to do? Repent and believe that Jesus Christ has saved us!” In other words, we need to introduce Jesus to them. Share Jesus and His Gospel (Good News) with them. This is evangelization. This is how it must begin. It may take a day or several years, but it is where it begins for everyone.
So, in review:
- We need to know the basics of our Faith and why we believe that the Church teaches the truth.
- We need to know how to explain some of the common questions people have about the Faith, in particular the moral questions that our society has so much trouble with.
- We need to understand that often people will not listen or understand. There is nothing we can do about that. It does not mean they are lost for good, but we need to be more patient with some people. God is patient with us and them, and we need to be also.
- We need to recognise that a relationship with Jesus begins with an introduction – evangelization. Not everyone we encounter knows Jesus. We may have to provide the introductions.
P.S. – I’d advise reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Theology for Beginners by Frank Sheed to anyone who wants to learn the teachings of the Catholic Church better.
JANUARY 27TH, 2022
“While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. When they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult, and people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi”; which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and walked (she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.” (Mark 5:35-43)
Jesus tells us not to fear, but to believe. In the midst of the worst of suffering, the loss of a child, Jesus tells us not to fear. Jesus is trusted by the father of the little girl, even when others laughed at Him.
Death and taxes
Now I know what some of you are thinking, “Jesus raised his daughter, but he did not raise my daughter, son, mother, father, friend.”
Yes, that is true, but don’t get blinded by that. The father believed in Jesus before his daughter was raised, not after. We know how the story ends, but the little girl’s father did not know. Everyone was telling him she was dead. Everyone was making fun of Jesus and the man’s faith in Jesus, but he still believed.
However, the truth embedded in this miracle of Jesus runs deeper. It involves a truth we don’t like thinking about: death.
Our lives here on earth are temporary. Everyone dies. And everyone goes on to live forever… somewhere. Often our problem is that we make choices which don’t take this fact into account.
The world we live in doesn’t look at life through the lens of this truth. We tend to limit our thinking to just our life on earth. The world views death as an ultimate end. This life is seen as a time we need to make the most of… in terms of money and pleasure. We have sayings like, “You only live once”.
We fear the unknown, and in this case, we fear the thing not yet experienced. We have never been to Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. God has told us about them, but we doubt God, and we get influenced by the way the world thinks, though not intentionally, and maybe even unconsciously. Then we fail to carry our belief in God’s promises into our day to day lives. This comes to light most of all when we have to face death.
For example, let’s say a person loses their spouse. This is indeed a most difficult thing to deal with. The sadness of missing ones spouse is very difficult to go through. However, what if the surviving spouse despairs because of all the things their spouse never got to do? What if they lament that they will never see their spouse again? Is this not a kind of denial of the reality of Heaven? I’m not trying to be insensitive. I say this with compassion and love.
i know the plans i have for you
You see, everyone dies. We may be ninety seconds old or ninety years old, but we all will die. Those we leave behind will be sad, but they will all die too. I know this all sounds quite morbid, but here is my point. We are all striving for Heaven, so we can be happy with God and our loved ones forever. And while our physical life on earth is sacred and should be protected, we need to act more like Catholic Christians who understand that – ultimately – we are all trying to get to Heaven.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also.” (John 12:25-26)
Like all things, prayer will help us be better at this. We can pray to God and ask him to open our eyes to spiritual realities and help us to be mindful of them and allow them to guide our thoughts and actions. Pray for the grace to remember that this life is not the end, but only a drop in the ocean of God’s love for us.
Remember, the little girl in St. Mark’s Gospel died, but Jesus had other plans for her… and He has great plans for us as well.
January 20th, 2022
Love is an often misunderstood word. We use it to mean so many different things. I love pizza. I love my wife. The word “love” is used in the two previous sentences in two very different ways. When I do things for my wife in hopes that she has what is good, it means I put her needs over mine so she may have what is good. When I do things for pizza in hopes that pizza has what is good, it just means I put lots of cheese and pepperoni on the pizza. The love we give another human person (not pizza) is what the meaning of life is all about.
Love is to will what is best for the other. What is best for the other is God. So, we want what God wants for the other. For me this sometimes means taking the trash out for my wife. What does taking the trash out have to do with God? It is an act of service to my wife, an act that says, “I will do this unpleasant thing so you don’t have to do it.” This is what Jesus commanded us to do when He washed His disciples feet. When I perform acts of service for my wife, just as God does for us, I treat her like God would treat her. I bring the love of God, through me, to her, because it is God who commanded me to love. But I must choose it myself, I could not truly love do it without God’s help. Love is impossible for us without God’s grace.
While God can give anyone the grace to love at any time, it is in His wonderful plan of salvation God empowers us to love. It is through the power of the sacraments that we are transformed into the image of Jesus when we love.
The sacraments graft us into the Body of Christ – His Church. After we receive a sacrament we must then make use of it. We have not made use of a sacrament until we take the divine love grafted into us by the Holy Spirit… and give it away – to both God and each other.
God is love
"He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." (1 John 4:8-9)
St. John tells us that “God is love.” This is because the Holy Spirit is the perfect love between the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is God, so God is Love. God is three divine persons in one divine nature – and God’s nature is to love.
Two important things to remember…
- Sometimes love is not welcomed like we wish. Loving my daughter may mean me telling her to take out the trash. I am responsible for teaching my daughter how to love like God loves. By doing this I am loving her and helping her be closer to God. Love wants what is good for the other, but the good may not be what the other wants or realizes is good.
- Love is an action. It is an act of the will. We have to choose to love. I am not talking about the emotion of love. The emotion of love is an attraction to someone. Over time the emotion can develop into strong feelings we hold dear, but we cannot depend on them. While they can help us to love, we also must love when there is no emotion. Or even more difficult, when the emotion is negative.
A little more on that second one. Jesus taught:
"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:43-47)
Jesus was not telling us to have warm and fuzzy feelings about our enemies. Indeed He understands that we don’t. Rather, Jesus is telling us that loving those we have good feelings for is not as great as loving those we have no feelings for or negative feelings for. He wants us to pray for them and do what is best for them as far as possible. When Jesus commanded love, He was commanding us to make a choice – to put the other first so they may have what is good.
more than a feeling
The mistake of believing that love is primarily a feeling has been disastrous for many relationships, particularly marriages. So many couples get divorced because they, “fell out of love.” I challenge you to find a couple married for more than 5 years who have felt “in love” the entire time. Marriage is not something we are compelled to do because our emotions are in charge, and neither is divorce. Marriage is a choice to commit yourself to love someone, to “promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life.” You’re not promising warm feelings all the time, and you should not expect them. Yes, sometimes separating from your spouse is the only thing you can do, because of very difficult situations, but not because your feelings have changed. And like the teaching Jesus gives above about loving our enemies, when we love without the help of positive emotions, it is a greater kind of love.
So, love is a choice we make. Regardless of how we feel, we should love. And when we love, we are patient and kind; not jealous or boastful; not arrogant or rude. When we love we do not insist on our own way; and are not irritable or resentful. When we love we do not rejoice at wrong, but rejoice in the right. When we love, we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things. (Adapted from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:9-12)
How Christmas Brought Peace
December 29th, 2021
This is a popular word people associate with Jesus – often at this holy time of Christmas. St. Luke tells of the angels visit to the shepherds on the night of Christ’s birth.
After the angel announces the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, a multitude of angles appear and sing:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” -Luke 2:14
“Peace among men with whom he is pleased’? What does that mean exactly?
the prince of peace
This particular verse is from a translation of the Bible called the “Revised Standard Version”. It is a Catholic translation and is considered by many to be the most accurate English translation we have.
Let’s look at some other Catholic Bible translations of this verse:
- “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” is from the New American Bible.
- “Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.” is from the Douay-Rheims Bible.
There is a theme here. Peace is dependent on something else. It is for men with whom God is pleased, on whom God’s favor rests… people the Douay-Rheims Bible calls “men of good will”.
“Men of good will” means that your will is good, or in other words, your will is to do God’s will. This is the most descriptive and helpful of the translations above, because it doesn’t just tell us that peace comes to those who have God’s favor or to those God is pleased with. “Men of good will” tells us what we need to do to have peace:
We need to follow God’s will.
This is why the “Gloria” at Mass was changed a few years ago, from “Glory to God in the highest. And peace to His people on earth” to “Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace to men of good will.”
By the way, many of us are very used to another translation of this verse that is, well… not quite accurate… and may be another reason for people’s confusion about “peace” and “men of good will”. In the Peanut’s Christmas Special, which has aired annually for over 50 years, Linus quotes Luke’s Gospel using this translation, which is the King James Version of the Bible. It’s the Protestant translation used by most non-Catholic Christians. It reads, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Anyway, back to the Catholic verse. What is peace then? Surely, it doesn’t mean that war never comes to those who do God’s will. It doesn’t mean you will not have enemies or have people who don’t like you. Jesus Himself had enemies and still does today.
It may help to look at what Jesus said about the peace He brings… after all, He is the “Prince of Peace”
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. -Matthew 10:32-39
Well… that doesn’t sound very peaceful, does it? The peace we so often think about is not what Jesus is bringing. He makes it very plain. Following Him will cause division in our lives, right up to losing our lives if need be, because many people will not agree with our choice to follow Jesus, and those people will often be in our own household.
OK, so Jesus does not bring the kind of peace where everyone gets along with everyone else. So what kind of peace does He bring?
“If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” -John 14:23-27
Jesus gives the kind of peace that comes with knowing you love Him, because you do His will… you keep His word… and the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) come and make Their home with you. So that no matter how much craziness is going on around you, you have God with you, so your heart is not troubled and is not afraid…
You are at peace with God
All baptized Christians who struggle to do God’s will have this peace… to a point, but there is so much more! Truly living in God’s peace takes time. Sin, anxiety and fear get in the way. To have this kind of peace more fully we need to pray every day. We need to frequent Mass, adoration of the Eucharist and confession. We need to do God’s will more faithfully… every day.
An excellent book on peace was written by a French priest and spiritual master named Father Jacques Philippe. It is titled, “Searching for and Maintaining Peace”. You can purchase it online by clicking HERE. I highly recommend this book, as well as the many other excellent books written by Father Philippe.
So, Christmas brought us Jesus and Jesus showed us the path to true peace.
Authority, Power and Holiness
December 8th, 2021
These three attributes all come from God, but not in the same way.
Those in authority, with the power to do great things, often have it thrust upon them, like a mother or father. As well, a man or woman, when elected to a high office, go from having no authority or power to all at once having a lot.
Authority and power are good, and should be used to love and serve others, but we know that is all too often not the case. Unfortunately, people often think they deserve the authority and power God has allowed them to have, and don’t look at it as a gift and responsibility.
Then there is holiness.
This can come with earthly authority and power, but its real authority and power is far greater, much different and often unnoticed by the world.
What child is this?
When we read the Christmas story in the Gospel of St. Luke, there is an interesting list of people:
"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with
Mary, his betrothed, who was with child."
We are told of the following people in order:
- Caesar Augustus – ruler of the entire Roman Empire. Thought of as a god by Romans.
- Quirinius – Governor under Caesar with authority over the region of Israel.
- Joseph – head of his family with authority over Mary and her Child.
- Mary – Wife of Joseph and mother of her unborn Child.
- The Child – an unborn baby under the authority and protection of Mary and Joseph. He is completely dependent on them.
This is Christ the King
This is how the world sees these people at the time Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem with their unborn Child.
However, that is not what God sees. In God’s eyes, the entire list is reversed:
- The Child – The Son of God – the Second Person of the Holy Trinity – all powerful, eternal and creator of all things. He has complete authority and power over all.
- Mary – The Mother of God – immaculate – full of grace – She is holier than any other created person and the most powerful saint in heaven.
- Joseph – The Foster Father of the Son of God – righteous and good, Joseph is second only to Mary in holiness.
- Quirinius – just a man.
- Caesar Augustus – just a man, not a god.
Let loving hearts enthrone Him
Now, the authority given to Caesar Augustus and Quirinius is real.
God allowed them to have authority over the Holy Family.
But the true authority, the real power and the holiness we all seek – came from the Child – and those close to Him received His grace.


News & Events
Life Through Death
- September 17, 2014
- Posted by: LSEM
- Category: Devotions
John 12:23-24 – Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
These verses give us a beautiful picture of the necessary sacrifice of our Savior. A kernel of wheat must be buried in the ground before it can become a blade of wheat producing more seeds. The kernel must die, before it can become a plant and live. Jesus had to die to pay for our sin. But death did not hold him in the tomb. Christ has power over death. His resurrection showed His victory! Because Jesus is God, He offers us eternal life to all who believe in Him. Jesus knew His crucifixion lay ahead. He knew His purpose for coming into this world. Christ was to take on the sins of God’s people upon Himself. Satan has great power but He has no power over our Savior. We rejoice Christ’s victory over death because that makes us conquerors over Satan.
We look forward to eternal life that is given to us because of Christ’s victory over the cross and His resurrection. 2 Timothy 2:11 says, “If we died with him, we will also live with him…” God is faithful to His children. He promises us eternal life with Him. Death is not the end, it is only hurdle we shall overcome because of the “Blood of the Lamb.” Amen!
A devotion by Rev. Jeffrey P. Howell – Director, Programs and Services


Balgonie, Saskatchewan, Canada
Sunday: 10:30 AM
First Communion & Confirmation classes start on September 2020.
St. Joseph’s School of Religion Facebook Group
Every third Thursday of the month from 6:00pm to 8:30pm in the church hall.
Contact Fr. Chinh Vu @ (306)-771-2387
Box 9, Balgonie, SK, S0G 0E0


by Michael A. Cowan
In the ancient book of wisdom called Proverbs we read: “Without a vision, the people perish.” I might add, without a shared vision, we are left with divisions. Divisions limit, they damage, they kill.
The quality of life for all in the New Orleans to come depends not only on fair and feasible plans to fix the many things that are strained or broken here, but also on a shared vision underneath all our plans. It is painfully evident that New Orleans currently lacks such a unifying vision. I am convinced that Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for America can light the way to a diverse, prosperous and equitable future New Orleans, and I would like to remind us of that dream, its source, and its challenge to us in New Orleans today. In 1962 Dr. King said:
“When the desegregation process is one hundred percent complete, the human relations dilemma of our nation will still be monumental unless we launch now the parallel thrust of the integration process. In the context of what our national community needs, desegregation alone is empty and shallow. We must always be aware that our ultimate goal is integration, and that desegregation is only a first step on the road to the good society. Integration is creative, and is therefore more profound and far-reaching than desegregation. Integration is the positive acceptance of desegregation and the welcomed participation of [all] in the total range of human activities. Integration is genuine interpersonal, intergroup doing. Integration is the ultimate goal of our national community. We do not have to look very far to see the pernicious effects of a desegregated society that is not integrated. It leads to physical proximity without spiritual affinity. It gives us a society where elbows are together and hearts are apart. It gives us spatial togetherness and spiritual apartness.”
People of good faith acting together for the well being of all: That was Dr. King’s American dream. He had a special name for it, which he discovered in the writings of a white theologian: the “Beloved Community.” The list of things that cry out to be done together across lines of ethnicity, religion and class in New Orleans will overwhelm us if we let it.
As a lifelong member and ordained minister of the black church, Dr. King’s prophetic vision was deeply shaped by the Jewish prophets. How often and how powerfully did we hear him retrieve the unforgettable words of Amos: “Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” I want to dwell for a moment on the vision of “righteousness” from the great Jewish tradition, because it was the foundation stone of Dr. King’s vision, and because I am convinced that it holds particular meaning for our troubled city — and nation — right now. According to the biblical record, in times of trial, when despair filled the horizon of the Chosen People and there seemed no way out, God’s spirit would come upon that community through anointed leaders. When it did, three things always happened.
First, the system of justice was restored to reliable and proper functioning for all. Second, those who had been marginalized — the widow, the orphan, the outsider — came into fuller participation in the public life of the community. Third, those who had renewed their commitment to justice and the inclusion of all had a powerful experience of God’s presence among them.
In New Orleans today, our first Beloved Community challenge is restoring proper functioning to our criminal justice system. But as Rabbi Busch of Touro Synagogue reminded me, in the Jewish tradition, the practice of justice is not limited to proper operation of the criminal justice system; it extends to the entire functioning of government. Government must operate efficiently and equitably for all citizens. Waste, corruption and cronyism in city government have been a millstone around the neck of New Orleans. Envision a New Orleans known for transparent, accountable, and efficient city government. Many of us here may find that impossible to imagine, but remember: Without a shared vision the people perish.
In post-Katrina New Orleans, we also face the profound “Beloved Community” challenge of including all in the recovery and future of the city. Whether the current hot topic is public housing, neighborhood rebuilding, or public schools, we have seen plan after plan dismissed, paralyzed, or limited to a snail’s pace by flare-ups of ethnic and class divisions. Without a shared vision people suffer and perish, and our very real ethnic and class divisions bear a significant measure of responsibility for the agonizingly slow pace of our recovery. Reaching out actively to include those who have been marginalized in the life of our city is also the public work of righteousness, the work of establishing the “Beloved Community.”
Why has it been so hard for New Orleanians before and after Katrina to speak with one voice, to share a vision for our future? I believe the answer is that black political leaders and white business leaders have been unable to come to agreement for the well being of all, while civil society leaders from our faith, non-profit, neighborhood, and higher education institutions have been too segregated from each other to insist that they do so. Compounding this impasse is the social fact that in our preoccupation with the politics of white and black, we have consistently failed to acknowledge the presence and welcome the participation of New Orleans’ Hispanic, Asian, Arab and other cultural communities at the table of public life.
New Orleans has struggled against surges of despair that threaten to drown hope itself. For all who trace our faith to the willingness of a man named Abraham to go when and where he was sent — Jews, Christians and Moslems — the experience of hope is tied to the conviction that we are not alone in this moment of supreme challenge, that our God cares about how history goes, including the small but precious piece of history called “New Orleans.”
That is our choice. May Dr. King’s God-given dream of the “Beloved Community” named America recapture our hearts and imaginations and move us to transform the promising beginnings into a mighty stream of genuine interpersonal and intergroup doing for the well being of New Orleans and this nation. Without a shared vision the people perish; but with one, they flourish.
Michael A. Cowan is a theologian at Loyola University in New Orleans. The preceding commentary was adapted from a speech.


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The Rock, Bury BL9 0AH, UK – 0161 764 2452
The Parish Church is situated in the centre of Bury on the Rock. Coffee shop and gift shop inside the church. Beautiful Victorian architecture. Stained glass windows. Open to the public . Also used as a concert venue!
Welcoming and friendly staff. Good cafe. The Fuseler Regimental Church with all the battle honners on display. car parking spaces. In the centre of town
54 Harvey St, Bury BL8 2RD, UK – 0161 764 1630
Lovely little church
St Maries Presbytery, Manchester Rd, Bury BL9 0DR, UK – 0161 764 1048
Good place to worship and god's warmly welcome by peristners. Love this church to go and thanks and praise the lord. Good quiet place for worshiping. Highly recommended. X
Nice friendly people.


Then he took him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; Luke 2:28-31
The story of Simeon and Anna the prophetess is very brief. They waited in the temple until baby Jesus was brought in. They knew, right away, who he was. The Holy Spirit informed them that the Messiah was coming and when Mary and Joseph brought him in, who he was.
How wonderful! So many railed against Him, and tried to confound him, but these two were already waiting for him when he was yet a baby. This passage can easily be passed up or forgotten, yet it is so rich.It has been noticed that "gentiles" are mentioned first among those who would be blessed. Some see it as a foreshadowing of the church, with Israel, later having their blindness removed, after the church is complete. I see it that way too.
Such obscure people, yet so blessed by the Spirit. Simeon and Anna show that patience and waiting for Christ will be rewarded, no matter how long it takes.


College Summer Worship begins on June 10 at 8:00 pm in the College Annex. Don't miss out on community and an opportunity to worship together because you are on summer break or working a summer job. If you are in Lubbock join us Sunday evenings through August 19.
*All time, dates, locations subject to change
The IABC College Ministry serves a free meal every Sunday at 7:15 pm.
Chef Frank manages the IABC Food Ministry and he receives rave reviews on his
'home-cooked' entree, sides and desserts.
Come for the good food and stay for a great worship experience!
*Menu and Dates subject to change:
Mar. 4 Beef/Cheese Enchiladas
Mar. 18 Chef Frank's Pizzeria Pizza
Mar. 25 Soft Beef Tacos
Mar. 29 Baked Spaghetti Marinara (This is a Thursday Easter Service)
Apr. 8 Chicken Fajitas
Apr. 15 Cane's Chicken
Apr. 22 Chef Frank's Pizzeria Pizza
Apr. 29 Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers
May 6 Beef/Cheese Enchiladas


At the age of 21 the Lord visited a young man and from that visitation,
his spirit was impregnated with a vision of the deliverance, healing and
empowerment for the people of God.
God planted the seed of Kingdom Fellowship International Church, Inc.
into the spirit of Rev. E. Edward Robinson, II. In the Year of Our Lord
two thousand six we began to see the manifestation of a prophetic
dream come into reality.
The purpose of this assembly is to: Build God’s Kingdom, One Life at a
Time. For we know that the Kingdom of God is not meat nor drink but,
Righteousness, Peace, Joy in the Holy Ghost. We also know that the
Kingdom of God does not come with observations; it’s not here nor
there but it’s in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore
our resolve is to preach the Good News-The glorious gospel of Jesus
Christ to men and women everywhere.
It is our mission to fulfill Christ’s great commission to the church.
Therefore our goal is to reach the Lost and empower the Found; to
make believers out of sinners, disciples out of believers and leaders out
of disciples. Out purpose is to express the love of God to All Mankind.
We are not a conventional church; however, we hold true to the core
values of Holiness and teach our members to live in compliance to the
unchangeable Word of an unchangeable God. We know that the world
is ever changing and ever advancing in technology; so it is our resolve
to use every means possible to fulfill the will of God for our church and
encourage people to do the same in their lives.
Statement of Purpose


BARCELONA. 13 June 2022 – The Philippine Consulate in Barcelona celebrated the 124th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence with around 250 Filipinos and friends from across Catalonia. Aragon, Valencia, Balearic Islands and Principality of Andorra.
The program kicked off with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem led by second generation Filipino Andrea Rafanan followed by video messages from President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuiller. Consul General Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro gave an inspiring message of solidarity. “We want to focus on programs geared towards addressing the needs of the Filipino community, and we need your support and cooperation to achieve what we need to do to rise to the challenges facing our community,” said Lazaro.
Brief ecumenical prayers for unity were also given by leaders of major religious groups - Fr. Francis Frane, Minister Froiland C. Enriquez Jr., Bishop Felicisimo Cordero, and Mr. Marlon Española respectively represented the Catholic community, Iglesia ni Cristo, the Christian community and the Muslim community.
Leaders of big Filipino associations under the Consulate´s jurisdiction also gave their congratulatory messages. The leaders then showed their solidarity with the Consulate by taking part in a cake-cutting ceremony led by Consul General Lazaro. Third-generation Filipino Patricia Alcedo sang “Umagang Kay Ganda” while the cake was being cut.
Attendees became emotional when Filipino-Spanish Ms. May Jalocon sang “Bayan Ko.” The sentimental atmosphere later turned into a festive one with the community singing of “Mamang Sorbetero and “Pinoy Ako” which brought the house down as the community jammed, danced and lively sang together.
After the program, the guests were treated to a sumptuous Filipino breakfast with lechon.
The event provided an excellent opportunity for the members of the Filipino community under the Consulate´s jurisdiction to foster greater camaraderie and solidarity.
In the evening, the Consulate led the PID mass celebrated by Fr. Francis Frane at the Parroquia de San Agustin/ Parroquia de la Immaculada Concepcion y San Lorenzo Ruiz in Barcelona. During the mass, Santo Niño de Ternate, which was part of the Santo Niño Exhibit at the Consulate, was turnover to the Parroquia, which will be the Holy Statue´s home for one year.
Consul General Maria theresa S.M. Lazaro (3rd from right, first row) with the staff of Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona.
Consul General Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro delivers her message during the ceremony to celebrate the 124th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence at the public area of PCG on 12 June 2022.
Ecumenical prayers for unity by leaders of major religious groups:
Fr. Francis Frane, Minister Froiland C. Enriquez Jr., Bishop Felicisimo Cordero, and Mr. Marlon Española respectively represented the Catholic community, Iglesia ni Cristo, the Christian community and the Muslim community.
Cutting of cake led by Consul General Lazaro with the Filipino community leaders which symbolizes unity and solidarity.
More than two hundred fifty Filipinos and friends gathered for the occasion.
PCG family and the kids posed in front of the Bahay Kubo and Sorbetes cart designed by the creative talents of Filcom.
Filipino breakfast with lechon enjoyed by everyone


The University of San Francisco’s Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership (ICEL) is in its 36th year of service to the Church and the world. To date, ICEL has educated more than 1,000 rigorously trained, caring, and dedicated faith-filled women and men, religious and lay, from 32 countries and 45 states to serve in all levels of Catholic education. The program leading to the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Catholic Educational Leadership (CEL) prepares its students for effective leadership in Catholic education. The curriculum is designed to allow students the opportunity to explore additional areas of interest, such as Learning and Instruction, International and Multicultural Education, Organization and Leadership, and Technology.
The Master of Arts in Teaching Reading/Reading Certificate program (MATR) is designed to help teachers follow USF’s mission to pursue social justice and the common good by ensuring that all students have fair access to high-quality education with a foundation in literacy. The program prepares new and experienced K-12 educators as reading professionals who provide expert literacy instruction in their own classrooms, work as reading tutors and literacy support providers, serve as school literacy coaches, and contribute to the larger debate on literacy policy as engaged scholars.
The Special Education Master’s and Mild/Moderate Education Specialist Credential Program is designed to prepare interns for special education careers in diverse, multicultural, urban schools. The program offers two pathways. One for candidates who already hold a teaching credential and one for those who are new to the profession. Both of the program pathways include working as paid intern teachers in Bay Area schools. This program can also include the Bilingual Authorization.


Hello and welcome to Day 78 of Pray for Ryde with only one more week to go until we have completed 2020 hours of prayer. My name is Reverend Kerry Birch and I am the minister of Ryde Baptist Church. Today we are praying for Vets & Rescue Centres in the Ryde area.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am the least likely person to be talking about pets. In recent years, the only pet I have kept, and that unsuccessfully, was a single goldfish. However, pets are valued members of many households, and for the lonely can quite literally be a lifeline.
For some people, the animals in their lives are guide dogs, hearing dogs, or have been trained to pick up on the first signs of seizure, coma or fit. There are many working animals locally, working from stables or farms.
There are animals whose welfare are being looked after by conservation groups, some of which are protected on the Island, such as the ubiquitous red squirrel. Wildlife becomes endangered when inappropriate development encroaches on its habitat. Even domestic animals can suffer from cruelty or neglect and are grateful for rescue and care.
We are reminded that one of the first jobs for the first human being was to name the animals. In Genesis 2:19-20 we read,
‘Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.’
Long before Doctor Dolittle, St Francis of Assisi gained a reputation as a lover of the environment and animals, and even has him preaching to the birds. The painter Giotto includes among his famous frescos the depiction of the first nativity scene with real animals surrounding the manger of the Christ-child.
So, we pray for those who look after animals within the Ryde area. We pray for the vets, including Island Vet Care, Pet Doctors and the Medina Veterinary Group; for those vets who look after working animals as well as domestic pets. We pray for the dog groomers, who work from a base or a van.
We pray for those who rescue and rehouse animals, including Cats Protection, Dog Rescue, the RSPCA, and others. We pray for those who care for the habitats of animals, including the local wildlife trust, conservation groups, and the statutory authorities responsible for planning and the environment.
We pray for those people who have animals in their care, at home or at work. We pray for those who rely on their animals for their safety, or for their companionship. We particularly pray for those who are finding it difficult in these hard times to be able to feed and look after their pets properly. Indeed, we pray for all, who like the very first human being, know their special animals by name.
We finish with the Prayer of St Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy
O Divine Master, grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it’s in dying that we are born to Eternal Life
Please join us this evening at 7pm for our daily Zoom prayer meeting:


For twenty-five years I did something that I enjoyed doing. I pastored a small church. It wasn’t all pressure free but it was fun.
I loved preaching. I loved watching people grow in their faith. I loved the community involvement. I loved working with leadership teams as we planned together for the future. I enjoyed it all. There were frustrations and difficulties but the rewards were second to none. I have a book in which people, when I left the church, wrote how I had impacted their lives. I wouldn’t trade that book for all the money in the U.S. mint.
I didn’t think that I would ever have the opportunity to pastor again but God in his infinite grace has given it to me. For the foreseeable future I will be serving as the part – time interim pastor of New Dundee Baptist Church. Paul Kowtecky, who had been there for nineteen years, recently resigned and the church has asked me to serve until a new pastor can be found.
I will still be serving as Director of Small Church Connections with all that that involves. I am in the beginning stages of a project that I believe will be helpful to all small churches across Canada. I will be sharing details in future blogs. Enough to say right now that the two jobs will keep me busy in the months ahead.
So what am I excited about? Many things, but I want to share three of them in the remainder of this blog entry.
Preaching on a consistent basis
When I was a pastor, I found that preaching every week was a pressure. The pastor prepares all week for that message on Sunday morning. She studies. She agonizes over the structure of the message. She worries that she might distort the focus of the biblical passage. She shares the finished product with her congregation and then five minutes after the service is over that sermon is history and she has to start all over again.
Almost every pastor with whom I have spoken has shared that there is a special pressure that comes from the demands of weekly preaching. Having said that I must admit that I love it. I love taking a section of God’s word and breaking it down into a format that people can understand. I love the actual preaching. There is nothing quite like looking at your audience and knowing that they are attentively listening to the Word of God that can transform their lives.
For the past few years I have been in a position in which I could preach the same sermon over and over again. There are advantages to that but I am looking forward to wrestling with a new passage every week. I have already set out a schedule for the first six months of sermons and every message will be a new message prepared for the very first time. That will be fun.
Loving the same group of people over time
I have no idea how long I will serve as interim pastor. I have told the church that as soon as they find a new pastor, I will step aside. On the other hand, I will try to be there for as long as they need me.
There are few things more enjoyable than to watch people grow in their faith over time. Whether I am at New Dundee for a few months or a few years, I look forward to working with the same group of people for as long as I am there.
There are many things that I can’t do in a small church that large churches are able to do. I won’t have the highly skilled worship teams that are part of every large church. I won’t have any staff other than my wife with which to work. I won’t have the financial resources that large churches have.
There is, however, one thing that I can do as well as any pastor in Canada. I can love the people whom God has entrusted to my care. I am looking forward to sharing in their lives: rejoicing with them in their times of blessings and sorrowing with them when they hurt. That is what being a pastor is all about.
Putting ideas into practice
For the past few years I have spent a lot of time reading about small churches, interviewing small-church leaders and developing strategies for helping small churches make an impact. I believe that church is not about numbers. It is not about programs. It is not about budgets. It is all about impact. Whatever the size of the church, the challenge is to make an impact on the people who attend and through them on the community that surrounds the church.
It is possible to experience numerical growth and never make this kind of impact. Impact comes when people are transformed by the Holy Spirit when he does his work in their lives. When that happens, those people who have been transformed will take their faith outside the walls of the church to the people in the community.
I am excited about putting what I have learned into practice. I am looking forward to the journey that I will be making with the folks at New Dundee Baptist Church as we explore together how all of this works.
To my fellow pastors
You truly are an amazing group of people. You work there in the trenches day after day serving the people whom God has entrusted to your care. You strive to bring God’s message to your people week after week so that the Holy Spirit can take it and impact lives. You serve people often at great personal sacrifice so that those people can feel God’s love in their lives.
I am honoured once again to be numbered among you. May God bless each of you as you serve him this week.


Visitors to our church often comment on the high standards maintained by our altar servers. This is unquestionably down to the training given and the example set by Wilf Doyle. All servers work towards achieving membership of the Guild of Saint Stephen and proudly wear the guild medal while they are serving at Mass.
The letters XP are the first two letters of the name Christ in Greek. At the top of the medal is the crown of victory given by God to everyone who overcomes evil, especially those who die for him. At the bottom are the palm branches, the traditional signs of martyrs who died for Christ. The Latin words are the Guild motto, "Cui servire regnare est" - "To serve is to reign". The guild members declare that to serve on the altar is to serve Christ Himself. And the reward for all good and faithful servants is a share in His kingdom.
There is a bronze medal awarded when a server is accepted into the guild; a silver medal can be given for ten or twelve years' faithful service, while a gold medal can be granted after fifty years' membership of the guild.
This page has only recently been created. More details about CAFOD will appear in due course. You can find out more about the work of CAFOD by clicking on the logo above.
CAFOD: Over the last year since August 2017, our parish has donated £340.78 to CAFOD, which includes the Harvest Fast Day 2017, the Lent Fast Day 2018 and any other fundraising activities. Many thanks for your generosity. Altogether nationally, £4.2 million was raised for the Lent Fast Day; this will be match-funded by the government. This money will be used to fund an ambitious three-year project to help families in Zimbabwe, Eritrea and Zambia feed themselves.
Children’s liturgy is provided for children of primary school age (3-11 years)
Younger children are welcome to participate with the support of a parent/carer
A team of volunteers, mostly parents/carers, lead Children’s liturgy. We operate a 4-week rota. We are always delighted to welcome new helpers
Children’s liturgy takes place during the first part of our Sunday mass at 9am
It lasts for approximately 25 minutes
Children’s liturgy takes place in the St. Gregory’s church hall
We meet in church for the start of mass and return to church at the offertory
In Children’s liturgy, we share the Gospel of the day and respond to it through activities such as
acting out the story
When we return to church, the children participate in the offertory procession. They tell the congregation what they have been doing and display their pictures
Each week, the children receive a LOOK and/or ICHTHUS sheet to take home. These contain information and activities that support their understanding of mass
The children play an active role in special celebrations during the year, for example
each year, the First Mass of Christmas is celebrated as a children’s mass. The children lead our celebration by reading, acting out the Gospel, singing and the preparation of gifts
during Lent, the children lead a Stations of the Cross service
in May, the children make a crown of flowers for our statue of Mary
The APF (The Association for the Propagation of the Faith) has been supported by St. Gregory's Parish since 1976 and has contributed most generously, mainly through the "Red Boxes" which are emptied quarterly. Contributors receive a quarterly magazine which keeps them updated on the work of the Association. The local secretaries are Bron Coleman (Sileby) and Joan Wiggins (Barrow) who would welcome enquiries on how you could support the Association. Detailed information about the work of the APF can be gained by clicking on the blue link above.
Bron and Joan have taken over from Bridget O'Dwyer who has been responsible for the red boxes for very many years. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude for the wonderful work in which Bridget has been engaged for such a long time; she has been an inspiration to us all. The phone call with the gentle reminder that it was "that time of the year again" was a feature of her stewardship. The splendid sums raised for the missions are a tribute to her efforts.
CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BARROW
The aims of Churches Together in Barrow are:
to work and pray together for Christian unity
to enable the churches as pilgrims together to develop growing relationships in mutual respect for the fellowships, ministries and traditions of member churches;
to encourage churches to worship and pray together, and to reflect together on the nature and purpose of the church in the light of its mission - each church sharing with others the treasures of its tradition and
to enable the churches on appropriate occasions to respond to the needs of society and to witness to the Gospel together.
Currently the four churches are Holy Trinity Anglican church, Barrow Baptist church, Barrow Methodist church and Barrow Catholic community.
The enabling group meets three times a year to plan joint activities.


For more than 170 years, Southern Baptists have sought to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people everywhere. Southern Baptists believe that the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind, with His ultimate revelation being the Gospel message of redemption through Jesus Christ. For that reason, Southern Baptists have summarized their biblical convictions in a confession of faith called The Baptist Faith and Message.
For more information on Southern Baptists read the article "Meet Southern Baptists."
The Southern Baptist Convention is a missional organization designed to facilitate maximum impact for Kingdom missions and ministries, designed and sustained by a network of autonomous churches working in cooperation with one another.
To learn more about the convention read the article "A Closer Look."
The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries. Watch this video below for a better understanding of how our Cooperative Program works.
Want to know more about how the cooperative program works, click here to read more.


Vatican City treasures extraordinary and priceless works of art. Would you like to discover, admire and know them?
At Unconventional Rome Tours, we organize guided tours, both private and small groups, that give the chance to visit the amazing Vatican Museums and appreciate its rare beauty.
Thanks to our licensed guide, you will have the opportunity to discover these marvels and enter with skip-the-line. Enjoy the Vatican Museums Tour, admire frescoes and amazing statues, discover the secrets of the Sistine Chapel and the stories linked to the St. Peter Basilica masterfully told by the narrating guide. A chance not to be missed!
Vatican Museums Tour: Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Basilica
The Vatican has always been one of the most fascinating and interesting places in the world that deserves to be visited and discovered.
Thanks to the presence of our expert guide you will have the opportunity to discover the most important places and works without forgetting the less known details that tourists are used to miss.
You will be given useful information to understand the historical-political events that contributed to the foundation of the Vatican City and the architectural characteristics of its buildings.
Our Vatican Museums Guided Tour will lead you beyond gold, opulence and majesty to unveil the rich history of tales linked to those tricks and vicissitudes that concerned the Church throughout the centuries: you will learn about the events, rules of power but obviously also about the ethereal beauty of one of the most significant creations of Renaissance – the Sistine Chapel – as well as the magnificence of St. Peter Basilica. Pleasant discoveries are waiting for you!
With our tour, you will have the possibility to discover one of the most important sites of Christianity and visit the many galleries of the Vatican Museums: the Gallery of geographic maps, the Gallery of Candelabra, the Gallery of Tapestries and the sumptuous Raphael’s Rooms. You will also have the chance to admire the magnificent Belvedere Courtyard with marble works like the Augustus Statue.
You will also visit the museum of Pio-Clementino and the Octagonal courtyard where you will find important collections belonging to the Roman and Greek era like the famous Laocoonte.
The Vatican Museums Tour continues with the visit inside the Sistine Chapel and its emblematic ceiling, absolute masterpiece of Michelangelo, divided into nine scenes inspired to the stories of Genesis and representing moments of the world creation like the separation of light from darkness, the creation of stars and the birth of Adam and Eve.
Among these moments represented on the chapel, the most significant are definitely the Creation of Adam, portraying God in the exact moment of the creation of Adam: their fingers seem to touch right when the man discovers life. Or the famous Universal Judgement on the altar. It took more than 4 years for its creation.
The tour ends with the guided tour inside the St. Peter Basilica where you will have the chance of admiring the famous and appreciated works all over the world. Works like the magnificent Pietas of Michelangelo, the Bernini’s Canopy and the Sancti Petri Cathedra, just to cite some examples.
How to book the guided tour of the Vatican Museums
Our guided tour of the Vatican Museums lasts 3 hours. It costs €387 for an individual visit with a reduction based on the number of participants.
Contact us now for more information or to book your itinerary. At Unconventional Rome Tours, we are proud to offer you the best support possible, which is what characterizes us.


|2 aThey say that I look at you like a God: They despise me as if I were a heretic, and tell me that bI should ask forgiveness from Jesus Christ, whose mercy extends to all men except those who have lots of money.
3 But it is easy to care nothing for money when you are the son of God: Then you do not cneed to work for a living, and no one ever sends you a bill.
4 In fact, people give you money every Sunday, heaping plates full of bills and coins and checks; they build houses for you everywhere, and dnice houses at that, with lots of brass and velvet and stained-glass windows that cost more than an average person makes in a year.
5 Who on earth is richer than Jesus Christ? And what ehypocrisy is it that makes Him tell poor people to be glad about their poverty?
6 fWe have heard a lot of talk about the sayings of the savior: Has he not said, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?
7 gSo I ask you, what would happen if I asked the church to give me money every Sunday, and a great big house full of stained-glass windows: Would they give me what I ask, in the name of the Christ and his golden rule?
8 hNo, I will remain true to the power of money, which offers more forgiveness to people like me than any religion: Which God has not showered more blessings on the rich than the poor, iand which God has never worn the robes of hypocrisy when money is on the table?
||9 jO Money, you alone are honest about the things that count: kOf the things that can be counted which count for something, coins have the most value in a world of deceitful men.
CHAPTER 111 O Money, I tell you that I am hard pressed: Why do you not come to me, and give me some kind of cushion to rest upon?
2 Have I not proved my devotion? Do I fail to mention your name to everyone I meet?
3 Have I not spent most of my waking hours thinking about ways of being closer to you? lAnd when I sleep, do I not dream about your bright golden face?
4 And yet, you turn away from me, and do not answer my requests: The mlandlord beats on my door constantly, and I cannot pay him with my devotion to your name.
5 nHonestly, I could make do with a quick five hundred; for this small amount I would be more grateful than a tycoon who has made a killing in corn.
6 I would not even wince at the sight of rich men giving big otips in restaurants; pI would not eavesdrop at the stock exchange hoping for easy money, qnor would I bet on a long shot at the track.
7 rI will never cease to be loyal and faithful to you, O Money: It will never occur to me to ask where are you when I need you.


This photo, as well as many others, is a result of my recent visit to the Sistine Chapel. I took many photos of the Sistine Chapel, but this is by far my favorite. The color and texture of the stone are reminiscent of the vivid sky of the Sistine Chapel. The detail and complexity of the details are amazing. The colors, textures, and overall feel of the experience are as beautiful as the Sistine Chapel itself.
I can only hope that the Sistine Chapel is a reference to the church you built, because it’s about time for the real beauty of the Sistine Chapel to be brought to light.
You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the Sistine Chapel, because it is a monument to the art of perspective and the beauty of the human eye. It’s an art form that has been around for thousands of years, and it’s the art of painting that has the most influence on religion. Every detail of the Sistine Chapel draws on the history of the art of perspective.
The Sistine Chapel is, of course, incredibly amazing. However, it is the art of perspective that is most influential on religious art, and for that reason alone, it is one of the most incredible monuments in the world. It is a massive building (about two and a half thousand feet long and four and a half feet wide) and was built by Michelangelo, who is regarded as one of the most important artists in history.
This is the first time we have ever seen Michelangelo’s work on film. What we see in the trailer are some of his most famous works including his magnificent dome, the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the dome of the Sistine Chapel in Florence. He also designed the dome of the Duomo in Florence, which is the tallest church dome in the world.
The dome of St. Peters Basilica in Rome is of particular interest because it’s the tallest church dome in the world. It’s over 1000 feet tall and it was built by Michelangelo and his brother, Andrea. It was the first domed church on the continent (and only the second in the world) and Michelangelo became famous for its design.
The dome of the Duomo in Florence is one of the most impressive of the three main domes on the continent; it is one of the only domes on the continent with a dome over 200 feet tall with a dome in its center. It’s only a few hundred feet tall! I don’t have a clue about how big of a difference it makes, but it was the first domed church in the world built on the continent.
The history of the dome begins in the mid-4th century when it was first built in Florence, Italy. It was originally built with four pillars to support its dome, but then the pillars were moved to the center, and the dome was built around this new center. The dome in its center is a square shape, with one side the length of the church, the other the width. This gives the church an impressive height and a great sense of scale.
The dome was built in the early 4th century and was a long way from the church at the top, so it was probably the oldest dome ever built. The church’s interior was a mixture of two halves, the western parts being a plain wooden frame, and the eastern part being a huge rectangular dome. The dome itself was made out of wood, but it had a huge hole drilled in the outside wall.
In the east part of the church was the holy room. This was a place where the church’s leaders would meet to discuss important matters of the day. The only way to get to this place was through a tunnel in the roof. The tunnel was built from pieces of the church itself, so it was also the only way to get to the sanctuary.


Memorial services will be held on Friday, April 1, 2016 at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church. The prayer of the rosary will be at 10:30 a.m. and mass will follow at 11 a.m.
Barbara was born in Santa Monica, Ca to Agnes and Carmen Capito. She graduated from Culver City High School and continued on to working in the medical field assisting doctors and helping others including the Raiders organization. She married Jerry Hicks on May 14, 1994 and went on to having one son, Dillon James Hicks, who instantly became the love of her life and the sparkle in her eye. She was a warm and loving woman who will forever be remembered for her ability to make everyone laugh with her bright sense of humor. Barbara was an active member of her church with a deep love for her faith and God. She was also a dedicated member of the PTA at Charles Helmers Elementary School with a passion for making a difference in the lives of children.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Agnes Bullock of Hawk, Pennsylvania and father, Carmen Capito, of Warren, Ohio. She is survived by her loving husband Jerry, her beloved son Dillon, and her siblings Carmen, Bobby and Jerry Capito.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Psalm 116:15). Barbara, God now has you in his arms but we will forever have you in our hearts.
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I woke up and the first message I read was from a Facebook friend. He is one of the pastors of a large pentecostal church. I didn’t even know who he was until this morning. I guess I need to start reading my friends’ profiles to see who is who, and who might be able to buy me a bank.
He said he has been reading my posts over the years, but has never commented. He admits to logging on to Facebook mostly to read my posts. When I don’t post, he said, It feels like something is missing.
He stated that his church’s theology opposes homosexuality, but from having read my posts over the years, he could not continue another day without reaching out to me. He added that his God told him to “man-up” and contact me and show some love. He has grown tolerant and friendly toward the gay community because of me. It was hard to accept the gay community for a long time, but hearing me speak passionately and knowledgeably for these years made him questioned old beliefs he had.
He ended the email saying, he doesn’t agree with many things I say on a variety of topics including religion, but I inspire him to recognize that people are indeed born differently. He promised to do what he has already began: that is, to reeducate his church about the gay community, because right now, people of color need to be united rather than divided. He encouraged me to continue using my voice, and to not water-down myself to please anyone, because he believes what I’m doing here is going to open new doors for me.
What a great message to hear from such an influential person first thing in the morning! It made my day