March 9, 2009
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
The season of Lent is a time to examine our lives to see how we can grow in love of God and neighbor. We strengthen awareness of our goodness in God's eyes and of the ways that we do not live up to our dignity as children of God. We confront obstacles that hinder our progress on the spiritual path.
THEME FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Lent is a time to interrupt dysfunctional patterns of behavior, such as addictions or habits that demean ourselves or others. In today's Gospel, Jesus disrupts the worship pattern of the Temple in a scene known as the "Cleansing of the Temple." We can apply this passage to ourselves by asking Christ to cleanse us of habits that keep us from loving God and our neighbor. In the Collect we pray: "Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
In the reading from Exodus, God gives the gift of the Sabbath as part of the Ten Commandments that Israel shall observe in their covenant with the Lord: "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work — you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it." (Exodus 20:1-17)
Psalm 19 is a song of praise for the Law: "The law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent. The statutes of the LORD are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light to the eyes ... Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, OF LORD, my strength and my redeemer."
The reading from the first epistle to the Corinthians is Paul's teaching about the wisdom of the cross: "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
The reading from John is the passage about the "Cleansing of the Temple: "In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, 'Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!' His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for your house will consume me.'" (John 2:13-22)
All are welcome to worship with us Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 10:30 am.
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Sincerely,
David A. Killian |
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For the Collect of the Day, Scripture Readings, and Psalm, 
For Story from this Sunday's Gospel by Becky Taylor, Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry, worship services for
The Third Sunday in Lent
March 14-15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, at 5:00 pm — Sermon: The Rev. Laurie Rofinot
Sunday, March 15, at 10:30 am — Sermon: The Rev. Laurie Rofinot
Events at All Saints Parish
Renewal is a series of award-winning films related to the Millennium Development Goals. The series concludes on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 PM with Silent Killer, a one-hour documentary about the curse of hunger, and the possible cure for it. For more information, click here.
Taizé Holy Eucharist will be offered on the Wednesdays of Lent March 4 - April 8 at 6:15 pm. For more information, please click here.
Men's Group will meet next Saturday, March 7 at 8:00 am to discuss Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. For more information click here or email Peter Stringham.
Women's Reading Group will meet next on Saturday, March 14 at 9:00 am to discuss Christ of the Celts by J. Philip Newell. For more information email Anne Harrington at anneharringtontechwriter@yahoo.com.
Journeys in Faith meets on Mondays at 7:00 pm. Click here for more information.
St. Patrick: The Person and the Myth. Celtic spirituality mini-retreat led by Dylan Dalton on Saturday, March 14, 3:00-4:30 pm. Click here for more information.
Author and columnist James Carroll will read from his new book, Practicing Catholic, on Sunday, March 29 at 7:00 pm. Click here for more information.
Author and columnist James Carroll will read from his new book, Practicing Catholic, on Sunday, March 29 at 7:00 pm. Click here for more information.
website resources
For "All Saints Smiles" and news about events, activities, programs, ministries and the staff of our parish, please click on the All Saints web site: www.allsaintsbrookline.org.
For a Schedule of Worship services, please click here.
For information about our Church School for pre-school to grade 12, click here.
For information about Adult learning opportunities, click here.
For information about the Beacon Street Fellowship for those in their 20s and 30s, please click here.
To see the current issue of Saints Alive, our newsletter, please click here.
To browse past issues of the All Saints Weekly, click here.
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