-link Subscriber,

The celebration of Pentecost has been often been referred to as the "Birthday of the Church."  A birth in the sense of a body's emergence or new beginning.  Prior to Pentecost, a very splintered collection of believers, the Apostles and disciples, were "on their own" without the directive physical presence of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit, the helper that Jesus had promised, at Pentecost, begins the work of unifying the church into a cohesive body.  The Spirit is seen working in two distinct ways, 1) giving the whole community a sense of animated courage and 2) giving individual members a sense of how their individual gifts could be used to "build up" the unity and love found within the body.

And, what about today?

May the Holy Spirit continue to give us the courage to build the "Kingdom of God" and a deeper sense that the very personal gifts God has given each of us will be recognized and utilized in all Kingdom-Building endeavors.  Let us build a Kingdom of Life and Love together.

Happy Pentecost!

As always, we remind current members and inform new members that past e-link bulletins and this current bulletin can be viewed at www.osmelink.org.

Have a very blessed Pentecost!


 

Friday, May 28, 2010  e-link Bulletin #86

Table of Contents 

Remarks from Deacon Jim Walsh on "Getting Busy" in the Lord

 

Key Upcoming Culture-of-Life Gatherings/Projects (please join us)

    1. Mark your calendars...  On August 14, 2010, at the Viejas Arena (formerly
        the Cox Arena) join with thousands of friends and parishioners to celebrate
        life at the Mother of Life Conference, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

    2. Culture of Life Family Services is asking each of us to "Skip a Lunch to 
          Save a Life," and they mean that literally

    3. Stand with Children Training and Formation Program continues in  
        San Diego, Regaining the Offense on Defining Marriage - the final three 
        parts of this four-part series will be held on Saturdays in June, July and
        August, Sponsored by Catholics for the Common Good, supported by the
        Office for Social Ministry

    4. The Office for Social Ministry is seeking a part-time administrative 
        assistant - 17.5 hours per week
 

Short Reports on Office for Social Ministry Related Issues/Events

    1. The Ignatian Volunteer Corps' "Taste of IVC" held on Sunday, 
        April 18, 2010, was a great success, honoring the San Diego
          Catholic Worker with the Annual Della Strada Award

    2. The Fifth Annual Good Friday Pro-life Stations of the Cross, held
        on Friday, April 2, drew several hundred faith-filled participants

    3. Annual Mother's Day "Thanks, Mom, for Life" rally reminds us all of the 
        critical importance of promoting motherhood

    4. Walk for the Workers, raising funds to establish micro-credit banks
          in small towns in the Mexican state Oaxaca held on Saturday, May 8th
        and Co-sponsored by Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Border Angels drew
        scores of participants and raised...

    5. The St. Gianna Beretta Molla Feast Day Celebration held at Our Lady
        of the Rosary Catholic Church did honor to this Great Saint 

Local and Regional Events/Gatherings/Projects

     1. Attend the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade monthly meeting on Wednesday, 
         June 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Open Door Book Store in Pacific Beach

     2.  "Get Acquainted with Detention Ministry" monthly information/training
          sessions offered by Deacon Walsh at the Pastoral Center - the next
          session will be Friday, June 4, 2010, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

     3.  North County prayer witness at the Carlsbad Planned Parenthood Clinic
          scheduled for every third Monday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to
          10:30 a.m.

     4. Prayerful witness for life at two locations in San Diego County - every
         Saturday and Wednesday at 7340 Miramar Road, just east of the Pyramid
         Building, adjacent to Carroll Road, and the second Saturday of every 
         month at 15546 Pomerado Road in Poway

Article/Statement for May 28, 2010

     - A few words from Kent Peters on immigration reform in response to several
        e-mails expressing dissatisfaction with Church involvement on the issue, with
        a link to an immigration-reform article by Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
        Archbishop of Denver

Remarks from Deacon Jim Walsh "Getting Busy"

The Good Shepherd will lead us to our earthly and spiritual destinations.  But following Him means taking action.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabus do the evangelization tour of Jewish towns and synagogues.  They are in action!  Thousands of Jews are being transformed by these spirit-filled apostles.

But the Jewish leaders will not be convinced.  They feel threatened and insecure, and they become jealous, angry, abusive, and violent.  They arrange for Paul and Barnabus to be thrown out of the area.

But the Holy Spirit keeps the two persistent in their journey, their journey now into Gentile territory!  And they remain as joyful as ever.

Has persecution ever happened since that time?  Of course, thousands of times!  In our world today, many governments and religious sects feel threatened by Christians and especially Catholic Christians.  Persecutions are taking place right now in China, India, Africa, South America, and because of certain media outlets – it’s happening globally.

Certain media outlets use nasty, angry, abusive language to characterize Catholics and priests and leaders to discourage us.  Is it working?  I haven’t seen a decline in church attendance, have you?

Why is that?  Because Christians know that their ultimate leader is Jesus Christ.

We already know that not everyone will understand and believe.  That doesn’t stop us from continuing our quest to understand more fully, to believe more deeply, and to share what we know with others.

The mysterious Book of Revelation shows the survivors of the time of great distress being washed clean in the blood of the Lamb.  Who is the Lamb?  Jesus Christ, the sacrificed Lamb who becomes the Shepherd, the leader, who leads to salvation and the elimination of distress.

In John’s Gospel Jesus makes it crystal clear that he is God, the giver of eternal life!  Jesus was walking in the temple in Jerusalem.  The Jewish leaders push him, “Tell us plainly. Are… you… the… Messiah?” 

He tells them, “I tried many times to tell you and show you in so many different ways, through signs and miracles, but you don’t even believe what you see!”   They don’t want to see.  They have their own agenda.  Finally he says, “The Father and I are one.” 

This enrages the leaders and they pick up stones to kill him.  But Jesus keeps asking them questions and tries to penetrate their angry, hard hearts, trying to get them to see --- but they don’t want to see, to believe.  You see, they have their own agenda. 

What is the relevance of this gospel message to us today?   Some leaders in governments and media no longer believe in freedom OF religion.  No, they have their own agenda.  They want to force freedom FROM religion!   A recent court ruling declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional.

Some people think that if they can convince people that religion is bad, that perhaps government will replace religion as something that people will rely and depend on.  That has never worked throughout history, and it will not work today.

People of faith understand, believe, and know that the sacrificed Lamb, who has become the Good Shepherd, will lead everyone who believes to life-giving water in the next life, and will make us joy-filled disciples in this life.

We must shake the dust off of our sandals in protest against organized atheists and even governments offering the empty, angry, and false promises of secular humanism and moral relativism.

My friends, we have read the book!  We know how it ends!  The Father and Son through the power of their Holy Spirit working in and through us, will prevail in the world!  We believers can change the world, just like the disciples did!

We can overcome persecution, anger, violence and hatred.  Through the example of the Good Shepherd, we can lead our world through times of distress and tribulation to times of morality, ethics, righteousness and justice.

The Good Shepherd -- in prayer, we hear his voice; from scripture see his example; and with our actions we can change the world.  But we need to get busy.

Busy in our inner lives, busy in our family lives, in our community lives, and in our civic lives.  We need to demonstrate through our actions the value of love and life, morality, ethics, justice.  We can become instruments of salvation, and WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

The time is now.  We need to get busy.

Thank you and God bless you.