Proper 10, 10 July 2022 Luke 10:25-37 Live streaming can serve a purpose, but it cannot replace gathering together physically.  The Jews went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year.  We wake up on Sundays and say, “This is the day of the Lord”; it’s extremely important, and will change our lives and society.  God gave us…

Proper 9, 3 July 2022 Luke 10:1-3, 17-20 The first thing Jesus said when He began His earthly ministry was that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  He came to establish God’s Kingdom on earth, where He is King.  Prophets declared that the Kingdom of God was coming, but Jesus’ words are unique: He…

ICCEC Foundation Day, Sunday 26 July 2022 by Canon Terry Gensemer Many people around the world, catholic and non-catholic, are celebrating the fact that now in the USA babies in the womb have protection from being killed by abortion.  We continue to fight for the sanctity of human life throughout the world, and we are…

Corpus Christi, 19 June 2022 Genesis 14:14-20, I Corinthians 11:23-30, Luke 24:30-35 Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, a feast which originated from the thirteenth century.  The institution of the Eucharist is commemorated on Maundy Thursday; today’s feast underscores it and honours Christ’s Real Presence.  Like other Sacramental Churches,…

Pentecost Sunday, 5 June 2022 Pentecost is a special feast, when the Third Person of the Trinity was given to the Church.  The disciples felt abandoned, but truly we are not abandoned: Christ is in our midst by the power and Person of the Holy Spirit.  We’re not alone: God is with us, and His…

AscensionSunday, 29 May 2022 Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:45-53 Every year we experience the same seasons, but in some ways they are different each year.  Likewise in the Church we celebrate the same feasts every year, yet each celebration is different. The power of human emotions We are emotional beings, and we use our…

5th Sunday of Easter, 15 May 2022 John 13:31-35 We celebrate Easter for fifty days – forty days until the Ascension.  We cannot conclude that when someone dies their spirit or soul will be among us for forty days – to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.[1]   Jesus lingered…

4th Sunday of Easter, 8 May 2022 John 10:22-30 The Jewish Feast of the Dedication, Hanukkah, is a thanksgiving celebration for the rededication of the temple in 165 BC after it was defiled through pagan sacrifices.  God is holy, so we need to treat Him as holy, and He calls us to be a holy people.  Its celebration…

3rd Sunday of Easter, 1 May 2022 Acts 9:1-16, John 21:1-14 Some people ask, “Where is God?” in the midst of wars and disasters.  Jesus is with those who are suffering, although sometimes we are not aware of it.  God never leaves or forsakes us, particularly in times of difficulties.  We’re thankful that in the…