May 2013

Dear Friends,

This month is one in which we pause to celebrate the love of

earthly mothers. Hallmark, Kay and FTD tell us to order flowers

and send cards and buy jewelry.

We gather to thank God for mothers, for the love that they gave to

us. We lift up all of those in our lives who have mothered us, those

who have taught us important lessons about life, and love and God.

And many of those lessons about God remind us that all of the

qualities that we lift up in mothers are the qualities that we see

again and again in God. Creation and birth of the universe.

Unconditional love and sacrifice. Holding us in arms of love when

we are scared and wondering and hurt and letting telling us that we

will never be alone.

The 15th

Century mystic Juliana of Norwich wrote words that were

adapted into a hymn1

Mothering God, you gave me birth in the bright morning of this

world.

Creator, source of every breath, you are my rain, my wind, my sun

Mothering Christ, you took my form, offering me your food of light,

grain of life, and grape of love, your very body for my peace.

Mothering Spirit, nurturing one, in arms of patience hold me close,

1 Words: Jean Janzen, based on the writings of Juliana of Norwich © 1991

so that in faith I root and grow until I flower, until I know.

It might seem strange and it might seem radical, but in order to see

the full picture of God, we need to not only think of God the

Father, but also God the Mother. The prophet Isaiah tells the

people that the God who has tried and disciplined them as a father

will carry them on the hip and be dandled upon the knee and they

will be comforted as a mother comforts her child.2

Give thanks for your mother. Remember your mother. And

celebrate and worship the heavenly mother that has set the example

for all earthly mothers to follow.

Shalom

Pastor Linda

2 Isaiah 66

Worship in May

May 5 Sixth Sunday of Easter – Communion –

Acts 16:9-15

12 Seventh Sunday of Easter – Mother’s Day –

The Worship Committee will be leading worship

19 Pentecost – Wear red to worship as we celebrate

the coming of the Holy Spirit

26 Trinity Sunday - Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 – We will be

beginning our worship outside by the flagpole for

the laying of the wreath and prayer in honor of

Memorial Day

MAY BIRTHDAYS

01 Maria Basile 16 Sing Ho Shen

03 Robert Blanc 17 Rianna Artinger

04 Bob Maeurer 18 Christine Freier

05 Linda Branca Mitchell Gold

Devon Martin 21 Paul Angenbroich

09 Todd Stanley 22 Megan Hall

10 Maxwell Losgar 23 Krystin Spooner

12 Penny Ho 30 Janet Sottolano

14 Cheryl Thornton 31 Philip Shen Sr

15 Peter LaGrasse

Please keep the following in your prayers this week: Stacy Maeurer, Jimmy Vitale, Jeaanne Holden, Janet Flory,

Thomas Kenniff, Jennifer Cabral, Kayla Verdino, Greg and

Dorothy Doyle-Wandell, Mark Clingo, Lydia Marcantonio,

Thelma Whittaker, Joy Zomer, Rob Anderson, Audrey Steiner,

Barbara Stalmack, Betty Schulz, Henry Wegmann, Elizabeth

Artinger, Edward Troster, Tina Banks, Carmela Carillo and

family, Cathy Cunningham, Robert Zittel, Helen Torok and family,

Neil Troster, Elana Ficalora, Anne Johannson, Tina McKinley,

Charles Ayers, Paul Angenbroich, Richard Carboni, Ted Buhl,

Mary Weber, Judy Troster, Terry Hoffman, Mary McKeown,

Rosemary Ricken, Rachel Rojas, Ruth Sottolano, Maria Bateman,

Tony Artinger, Kathleen Hart Brumm, Betty Farina, Sabina

Cardali, Tom McDonald, Matthew Lotz, Danny McCaffrey, Vivian

Molnar, Billy Schmidt, Richie Schmidt, Catherine Raines, Jennifer

Piatek, Ed Duggan, Virginia Maresca, Dorothy Weis, Brian

Giordano, Arlene Bealin, Charles Kenney, Raymond & Cathy

Wegmann, Carmela Oppedisano, James Folmsbee, Tess Gold,

Millie Carboni, James Donaghy, George Egan, Nick Markoulakis,

Glenn Brown, Maryann Hernandez, Barbara O’Keefe, Frank

Basile, Christine Gallo, Don Bozzo, Lucille Smith, Laura Brady,

Kristy Breen, Pam Crabtree, Frank Priore, Pam Dobular, Rosie

Riollano, Tim Dolan, Grace Agunzo, Louis Werner, Renaldo

Weaver, Madalene Basile, Ralph & Zonia Seizinger, Maria

Negele, Ken Trautwig, Debbie Tanico, George Legaz, Angela

McIntyre, Tracey Baker Birch, Anna Lebel and family, Eric

Rivera, Ronnie Sowa, Joyce M, Catherine Norton, Barbara

Carson, Eileen Poll, Anna Jackson, the Groeneveld family, Darius

Grayhall Dorothy Stanley, Barbara Plitt, Marilyn Landet,

Veronica Ivins, Ariela Brand, Stacey Midge

Dear Lord, today I turn to you to give you thanks for my mother. With your own gift of life, she bore me in her

womb and gave me life. She tenderly, patiently cared for me and taught me to walk and talk. She read to me and

made me laugh. No one delighted in my successes more; no one could comfort me better in my failures. I am so

grateful for how she mothered me and mentored me, and even disciplined me.

Please bless her, Lord, and comfort her. Help her loving heart to continue to love and give of herself to others.

Strengthen her when she is down and give her hope when she is discouraged.

Most of all, Lord, on this Mother's Day, give my mother

the graces she most needs and desires today. I ask you this, in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior forever and ever.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the

selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need, Amen.

Psalm 91

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

The Woman and the Fork

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a

terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she

was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had

him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final

wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what

scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be

buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave

when the young woman suddenly remembered something very

important to her.

'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly..

'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply?

'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be

buried with a fork in my right hand.'

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite

what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman

asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the

Pastor.

The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this

story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its

message to those I love and those who are in need of

encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I

always remember that when the dishes of the main course were

being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep

your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something

better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple

pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in

my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I

want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork...the best is yet to come.'

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the

young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last

times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the

young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a

better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice

her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She

KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket

and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her

right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's

with the fork?' And over and over he smiled

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation

he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told

them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told

the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told

them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it

either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it

remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Church Chuckles

Did you know that Las Vegas churches accept gambling chips?

This may come as a surprise to those of you not living in Las

Vegas, but there are more catholic churches than casinos.

Not surprisingly, some worshippers at Sunday services will give

casino chips rather than cash when the basket is passed.

Since they get chips from many different casinos, the churches

have devised a method to collect the offerings.

The churches send all their collected chips to a nearby Franciscan

Monastery for sorting ... And then the chips are taken to the

casinos of origin and cashed in.

This is done by the chip monks.

You didn't even see it coming, did you?

Mother's Day: Historical Precursors

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced

back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held

festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and

Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s

Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering

Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom

and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth

Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when

the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the

main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special

service.

Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a

more secular holiday, and children would present their

mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation.

This custom eventually faded in popularity before

merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s

and 1940s.

Dirge for Two Veterens

By Walt Whitman

THE last sunbeam Lightly falls from the finish'd Sabbath,

On the pavement here, and there beyond it is looking, Down a new-made double grave.

Lo, the moon ascending,

Up from the east the silvery round moon, Beautiful over the house-tops, ghastly, phantom moon,

Immense and silent moon.

I see a sad procession, And I hear the sound of coming full-key'd bugles,

All the channels of the city streets they're flooding, As with voices and with tears.

I hear the great drums pounding,

And the small drums steady whirring, And every blow of the great convulsive drums,

Strikes me through and through.

For the son is brought with the father, (In the foremost ranks of the fierce assault they fell,

Two veterans son and father dropt together, And the double grave awaits them.)

Now nearer blow the bugles,

And the drums strike more convulsive, And the daylight o'er the pavement quite has faded,

And the strong dead-march enwraps me.

In the eastern sky up-buoying, The sorrowful vast phantom moves illumin'd, ('Tis some mother's large transparent face,

In heaven brighter growing.)

O strong dead-march you please me! O moon immense with your silvery face you soothe me! O my soldiers twain! O my veterans passing to burial!

What I have I also give you.

The moon gives you light, And the bugles and the drums give you music,

And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans, My heart gives you love.

WHAT IS PENTECOST?

Pentecost is the great festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost means "fiftieth day" and is celebrated fifty days after Easter.

WHAT HAPPENED ON PENTECOST?

Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the twelve apostles, Jesus' mother and family, and many other of His disciples gathered together in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival that was celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover. While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads. This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29). The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many who had come from all corners of the Roman Empire. This created a sensation. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day. (You can read the Biblical account of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-41).

WHAT IS THE LITURGICAL COLOR FOR PENTECOST?

Red is the liturgical color for this day. Red recalls the tongues of flame in which the Holy Spirit descended on the first Pentecost. The color red also reminds us of the blood of the martyrs. These are the believers of every generation who by the power of the Holy Spirit hold firm to the true faith even at the cost of their lives.

WHY IS PENTECOST SOMETIMES CALLED "WHITSUNDAY"?

A tradition of some churches in ancient times was to baptize adult converts to the faith on Pentecost. The newly baptized catechumens would wear white robes on that day, so Pentecost was often called "Whitsunday" or "White Sunday" after these white baptismal garments. Many Christian calendars, liturgies, and hymnals (particularly those from the Episcopal/Anglican tradition) still use this term.

ANNOUNCMENTS

The combined Ladies and Gentlemen Fellowship

Luncheon will be held on

May 8th at 12:30 pm

Baby Ray’s Restaurant

Church Clean Up Day!

On Saturday, May 18th

at 10 am we will be

joining together to clean up the Chapel in

anticipation of our Benefit Concert. All

volunteers who are able to come out and help are

welcome! Please call the Church Office (718)

359-3956 for more information.