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Easter 3 and a Homily

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Thank you Father Andrews for giving us the full Eucharist. It was a blessing to have you and Anneliese for this service. I don’t have Fathers homily to post but I do have one from Father Ponec from 2017 and it is attached. We were blessed with great music from our 1940 Hymnal. We also had a presentation from Deacon Reno about our annual Diocese of the Western States Synod gathering. It was a blessing to attend, mingle with other clergy, meet Priests that I did not know and the Bishops were exceedingly kind to all of us. May God continue to bless His mission church.

Easter 3, 2017

 

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Low Sunday Homily and more

From Deacon Ron Reno:

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the greening of Nebraska. We certainly have had our fair share of thunderstorms but the glory of God’s Creation is still all around us. Everyday we see more trees and flowers showing that beauty.

We have been praying for Traveling Mercies for Nick and now we need to pray for Traveling Mercies for all Bishops, Priests, Deacons and others going to the APCK Synod in California. We also need to pray for Traveling Mercies for Father Andrews and his wife Anneliese. We will be blessed to have Father for a full Mass on April 29. God bless, Deacon

Low(2023)

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Good Friday, Easter Homilies and more

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Springtime weather in Omaha finally! Get outdoors and enjoy it!

The Sacrifice of the Lamb at the Good Friday service is a reminder of Christ’s victory of the Cross. We must never forget what our Savior did for us; His victory of love to the end. The cross was victorious for us because it bore the fruit for our salvation. During our humble service it was especially moving when Nick, Lynda, Julia, Julie and David sang the Passion according to Saint John. Thank you!

Our Easter service was befitting of a mission church to celebrate Christ’s Triumph and His Resurrection. Jesus’s Resurrection brought us a new humanity and a opportunity to share His Risen life. Father Andrew’s homily was excellent. This mission church celebrated with wonderful Easter Hymns and the offertory hymn “Come, Ye Faithful” was especially appropriate. The Regina Coeli was also sung by the choir. We are blessed to have God loving people in this mission church.

We also need to thank God for the sacrifice, His Son made for us. Deacon

GoodFriday2023         Easter(2023)
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Palm Sunday homily and more

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Good morning! A much colder morning than what we experienced yesterday morning. 70’s yesterday and 40’s today but we do love (mostly) and enjoy our four Seasons in Nebraska.

Please remember our fast and abstinence thru Good Friday. As we work through these last days of Lent and approach the Easter Triduum; we can reflect back to the beginning from the calling of the 12 Apostles through the events of God’s Holy Week. Ultimately the crucifixion and the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ is a new beginning offered to all of us. Pray for Christian unity that there will be one flock and one shepherd, Pray for the evangelization of all who have not heard and accepted the Good News about Jesus.

The sacred Easter Triduum starts at sundown on MaundyThursday to sundown on Easter Sunday. This is considered our most solemn part of the liturgical year. During these three days, consider what Jesus did for us through His passion, death and resurrection. Pray for our Bishops, Priests and Deacons to do God’s work. May God continue to bless us.

Our Good Friday service starts at 6 PM. Attached is our Palm service homily and Saint John’s music done for that service.

Palm(2023)      St. John Music Palm Sunday Deacon Mass

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Passion homily and more

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Good morning, another beautiful spring day in the 40’s today and close to 70 degrees this coming Sunday. Hallelujah! We had a lovely MP service with the distribution of the Holy Sacrament last weekend. We were blessed to chant the Venite, Psalms and the Benedictus along with our choir. What a blessing and learning experience. I especially loved the Communion Hymn chosen “O Lamb of God, Still keep me near.” James George Deck’s prayer of Thanksgiving. Father Andrews’s homily was especially appropriate for a Passion service, Thank you Father Andrews for all you do for this mission church. Father’s homily is attached.

Our Palm service this weekend is a reminder and commemoration of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus’s path to victory started with His choice of riding on the back a donkey (a beast of burden) to go into Jerusalem. We should pray for God to give us the humility that Jesus chose. This Saturday as we transition from Lent to Holy week, we need to pray for our turbulent world. We need to pray for everyone on the St. Jude’s intercessory list, continue on your fast and abstinence, for humility, humbleness, and think about this man who was stripped naked, who endured incredible pain and yet offered us salvation through His death and Resurrection. Thank God for all the blessings He has given us, Deacon

Passion(2023)

Chesterton Student Art

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Rose Sunday and more

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Good morning! We had a lovely Laetare (Rose) service last Saturday. The choir sang the introit, Gradual, Offertory verse, and the Communion Verse as well as our Lenten hymns. Thank you choir for making the “Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts” so special for this diocesan mission church. Something the choir did for this Rose service was the choral postlude “Stabat Mater, part IV.” That was an especially moving postlude.

As we move through this Lenten season we need to look at our spiritual progress. We need to look at how well we are praying, fasting, and almsgiving. We need to prepare ourselves to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter and not get lost to distraction in our daily lives. To Jesus, His 40 days meant the birth of a new Israel liberated from sin, reconciliation to God and a new governance by the law of the spirit. Always remember that this mission church is His and we are His humble servants. Something we rarely do is a confession to a priest. When Father Andrew’s is back, please consider doing a confession. That would be a triumph for us during this Lent. Father Andrew’s homily is attached, God bless, Deacon

Lent4(2023)
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This Sunday’s service and last homily given

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Good morning! Just a reminder that because of a conflict with our College of Saint Mary hosts, we will have the first Sunday in Lent on a Sunday instead of our normal time on Saturday. The service will be at 11 AM. It is a blessing for us to use this chapel. I met with the President of the college, Sister MaryAnne last Tuesday to show our our appreciation for being there. Saint John’s gave her framed inspired original artwork to have. She was very grateful, asked how it was done and said she would hang it on campus for others to see. Lynda came down to see the art before the meeting. Sister MaryAnne likes us, likes our music program and appreciates our work for God’s ministry.

Remember that Lent is a time to fall in love with our faith. Christ on the cross represents all of humanity and self-sacrifice, a true act of love. Saint Thomas Aquinas argues that Christ’s sacrifice was a “fitting” thing for God to do and  His way to demonstrate His love for us. Saint Thomas said that Christ’s obedient death also restores the covenant that Adam broke when he disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. A great homilist would take that and run with it. Attached is last weeks homily and the litany of humility by the KANSASMONKS.ORG.  May God bless us this Lenten season.
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Sexagesima homily and more

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Good morning. We have a cold windy day ahead of the snow that is coming. We were blessed with a much needed long and soft rain yesterday. Let’s keep praying for all the people on the recently updated Saint Jude’s Intercessory list.

We are closing out our “gesima” seasons soon. It would good for our mission group to take some time to think of any Lenten resolutions they would like to make for themselves. I would think that praying for the Holy Spirits guidance would be a blessing. Turn off your computers and phones and find God within your quietness and His quiet. Don’t allow interruptions. Praying is like breathing and it needs to be continually done. We have more thoughts on this coming Lent in another email. Father Andrew’s is coming soon and I know he would like to take confessions. There is healing doing these confessions to done by a priest. It is something we don’t talk about, but we need to do. Confessions are good for our soul.

Bishop Ashman is coming on March 18th. Father Andrews is coming on March 4 or the 11th. It is always a blessing for these great men to come for a visit, They represent God’s Grace, God’s educators and God’s Mercy on this earth. Blessings

Father Andrews’ homily, and something on the lighter side, Yoda and Grogu searching for God.

Sexa(2023)

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Fourth Sunday after Epiphany and more

From Deacon Ron Reno:

We had a lovely sung Morning Prayer and Communion of the Presanctified Gifts last Saturday. Thank you Nick for doing such a beautiful job leading this MP service commemorating King Charles the Martyr. I especially like how the Caithness as the offertory hymn and Diademata at Postlude were done also. Our four person choir has to be the best in Omaha.

Let’s keep praying the people on the Saint Jude Intercessory List. Please send extra prayers for our very own Joanna Roberts, her family, Deacon Ted, Jeffrey Spencer and especially Archbishop Upham. Pray for traveling mercies for Deb as she goes to visit family in Texas.

Along with Father Andrew’s homily, I am attaching the “Litany of Humility” that is being prayed everyday at the Christendom Academy this week. It speaks of our need to be humble of heart. God bless, Deacon

EpiphIV(2023)