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J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 2 1 | T H I R T E E N T H S U N D A Y I N O R D I N A R Y T I M E | I S S U E 2 5 ST. CECILIA CHURCH D I G I T A L N E W S L E T T E R 2021 BREAKING BREAD MISSAL ONLINE MASS TIMES Did you know that there's an app for the Daily (Mon - Sat): Live streams: 2021 Breaking Bread Missal? Go to 8:00 am English https://www.ocp.org/en-us/breaking- Parish website Saturday Vigil: bread-emissal. Facebook 5:00 pm English YouTube Sunday: Roku channel 9:00 am English 10:45 am English 12:30 pm English 2:30 pm Spanish CONFESSION/CONFESION Saturday: 8:40 to 10 am and 3:30 to 4:40 pm STEWARDSHIP You can tithe directly to our parish by visiting our website at: stceciliachurch.org/donate PASTOR'S MESSAGE "Coming to Christ" The gospel that we have today presents to us two powerful and moving healing miracles stories: the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus and the healing of the woman suffering from hemorrhages. We can enter into the heart of the story and the message of evangelist Mark by looking at the key personalities. (continued) 5105 SW FRANKLIN AVE, BEAVERTON, OREGON 97005 STCECILIACHURCH.ORG (503) 644 - 2619 PASTOR'S MESSAGE (CONTINUED) First, we have Jairus, a synagogue official. everything that the world was offering him When the Gospel mentions the name of a that time because of his demonstration of person, it tells us that this person is deep faith, but he also gained everlasting important. Without a doubt, he must have life. Jairus did this because he deeply loved been a person of some considerable his daughter. What a parent would do for importance. Biblical scholars say that he was the sake of his children! We were told in the the administrative head of the synagogue, story that the girl was twelve years old. responsible for the good management of the According to Jewish custom, a girl becomes synagogue, including the allocation of duties a woman at twelve years and one day. The and making sure that those duties were daughter of Jairus was just on the threshold carried out with all seemliness and good of womanhood, and for her not to order. He was one of the most important and experience that is very tragic to a parent. most respected persons in the community. This tells us that she was at a crucial As a high official of the Jewish institution, moment of her life. What Jesus did was give there can be no doubt that he must have her a second chance to live her life. When regarded Jesus as a threat to the institution everyone else had given up already, her that he was trying to protect. He must have relatives telling her father not to bother seen Jesus before as a dangerous heretic, as Jesus anymore because she was already one to whom the synagogue doors were dead, Jesus tells her “Talitha koum” – “Little rightly closed, but in the hour of need and child, I command you arise”. The more love for his daughter, he abandoned his literal translation for this in English is “Little prejudices and threw himself at the feet of Lamb, arise”. It’s a command of love, Jesus, begging Jesus to visit and lay his hands gentleness and caress when everyone else on his daughter. What Jairus did was huge; around her was filled with grief, a heavy he was practically saying, “I don’t care about heart and hopelessness. How many times do my reputation, I know that after this you will we find ourselves and other people saying ridicule me because I believe in this guy “he or she is hopeless or that I’m hopeless; whom we consider a heretic and an enemy that person is beyond redemption or I’m of our institution”. Was this an act of beyond redemption because of something desperation to save his daughter? Probably. I’ve done in the past or are doing at the You know as parents that when it’s our present”? I hope we have “Jairuses” in our family that is at stake, especially our lives who would do everything possible to children, we’ll do everything possible to plead for us before God so that we might be make sure that they are safe and protected. given the grace of a new opportunity to But, more than just an act of desperation, it make it better and experience new life. And, was surely an act of faith for we know that even if we don’t have personal advocates during those times there were also other like Jairus, Jesus wants to take us out from healers floating around. Here was a man our tombs and commands us with the same who forgot everything – his position, his life-giving words “Talita koum” – “Little honor, his reputation, his pride - except that lambs, arise – arise from your miseries, from he wanted the help of Jesus and, because of the shackles of sin and death”. Are there that forgetfulness, he would remember people in our lives right now that we can be forever that Jesus is a Savior. I wonder, after “Jairus”, an advocate for others who are in that display of faith, if he was able to keep need of God’s healing and compassion? his job in the synagogue. He might have lost S T C E C I L I A C H U R C H . O R G 2 PASTOR'S MESSAGE (CONTINUED) The other story inserted within the story of explored everything, everything possible. Jairus is about the woman suffering from What else does humanity need to explore or hemorrhages or bleeding for 12 years. We try more until we all realize that our were told that she tried everything to find a sublime dignity, as created in the image and cure, went to every doctor until all her likeness of God, can only be found whole, resources were depleted. Aside from her joyful and contented by living the truth of physical suffering, she was also suffering who we are, according to God’s design? Do from a societal stigma. During the time of we have to reach the very bottom like this Jesus, this kind of sickness rendered the woman in order to finally cry out to God, person ritually unclean as well, meaning that “Lord, save me”? I hope not. But, the thing is because of her condition, she wasn’t allowed that even if people are driven to Christ by to participate in the synagogue or any public the force of circumstances, God will never worship. In short, she was shunned and send us away empty. Are there things in our ostracized by her community and family. lives right now that we still have some She was all alone. The description of “12 reservations to place completely in God’s years” of suffering is highly symbolic. 12 is a hands because we still want to explore other perfect number in the scriptures which options or remedies? God is just waiting for means that she was suffering for a very, very us “to touch his garment” and, like the long time already. Here was a woman who woman, we can do so in secret without the came to Jesus as a last resort, having tried cynical and judgmental eyes of others. We every other cure that the world had to offer. just have to touch his garment, and power She finally tried Jesus. So many people have will come out of Jesus! – Fr. Cary come to seek the help of Jesus because they have reached their wit’s end. Jesus was the last resort. In my own pastoral ministry, I’ve seen people who have battled with lots of temptations and sinful pursuits until they reached their breaking point and realized in the end that it’s only God who can really rescue or completely heal them. No other remedies or doctors can provide the peace and serenity that the heart longs for. Our society is very much in this situation. People have tried and are trying to explore and push the limits of our exercise of freedom – redefining what God has originally established like the sanctity of human life and marriage – playing gods, thinking other VOCATIONS DEVOTIONS remedies or alternatives will heal and provide us with the happiness and joy that "She fell down before Jesus and told him our hearts ultimately long for but, just like the whole truth." the woman in the Gospel, still end up frustrated and finding themselves in a much Are you considering a vocation to the worst situation. The woman in the Gospel priesthood, diaconate or consecrated life? S T C E C I L I A C H U R C H . O R G 3 MASS INTENTIONS RESPECT LIFE Sunday, June 27 What can happen as we pray at 7:30 AM - +Marcia Stone Planned Parenthood? 9:00 AM - +Paneer Selvam Antony Michael Many passerbys are positive, but some let us 10:45 AM - Adrian G. Kallimanis know that they don’t like us there. 12:30 PM - +Beverly German One of our own St. Cecilia prayer warriors was 2:30 PM - People of St. Cecilia holding her sign, “You are not Alone!”, Friday Monday, June 28 morning outside the Beaverton Planned 8:00 AM - Colleen Seed Parenthood.
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