Category: Parish News

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

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

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Chesterton Student Art

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

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.

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

From Deacon Ron Reno:

Good morning! I pray everyone is having a great week. We had a wonderful service last Saturday and I especially loved the two anthems the choir sang “Arise, Shine, For the Light” and “Almighty and Everlasting God.”  We were also blessed to know most of the Epiphany music and could sing (well) along with our blessed choir. We will be doing a sung Morning Prayer and Communion of the Presanctified Gifts this Saturday.

From the “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas A. Kempis. These words were written in the 1400’s and translated in the 1500”s by William Benham.

“The kingdom of God is within you, saith the Lord. Turn thee with all thine heart to the Lord and forsake this miserable world, and thou shalt find rest unto thy soul. Learn to despise outward things and to give thyself to things inward, and thou shalt see the kingdom of God come within thee. For the kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and it is not given to the wicked. Christ will come to thee, and show thee His consolation, if thou prepare a worthy mansion for Him within thee. All His glory and beauty is from within, and there it  pleaseth Him to dwell. He often visiteth the inward man and holdeth with him sweet discourse, giving him soothing consolation, peace, friendship that exceeds wonderful.”

Attached is Father Andrew’s homily for Epiphany 3. May God continue to bless His mission church here in Omaha.

From Deacon Ron Reno:

We had an invigorating New Years Evening prayer service with David leading. We also had an inspiring 13th day of Christmas last Saturday with our delayed Christmas service. It was wonderful to have such a great mix of people doing lessons. Thank you Julie, David, Jim, Jane, and Joanna with doing such a good job with those readings. Nick and the choir did a masterful job with the music. The choir led off singing a Cornish Carol prelude, our usual mix of Christmas Carols and ended with the All-Saints Day Carol with Nick singing the introduction part in Cornish. We are so blessed to have such God-lovers amongst us. Continue praying for all you know in need of those prayers, especially our Bishops and Priests. They especially need God’s armor and protection. Attached is Father Andrew’s Christmas and Epiphany 1 homilies in case you missed them in previous emails. Morning Prayer with the Deacon’s liturgy this Saturday. God bless.

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From Deacon Ron Reno:

Merry Christmas! Here we are on Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Christ. From our childhood we know of Caesar, the three Kings and the birth in the manger. The sad thing in His time the only people who recognized Him were the shepherds, the most humble of society, and the Magi who were the wisest of the times. The Israelites totally missed the importance of this birth. Here was born our Messiah and God incarnate; the Man who was to offer salvation to all, born in the most humble of situations. We are blessed to know the true meaning of Christmas and celebrate His birth with our families.

Our plan for our next service is New Years Eve with said Evening prayer. We will meet at 6:30 pm at Saint Mary’s Chapel. Thank you Lynda in procuring that time. David (Skip) will lead this for the very first time. Deacon Reno will assist in this service. Our God is a loving God and He brings people like David and Julie to do His work. I can’t think of a better way to end this year and a great way of starting the next. The campus will be officially open for our January 7th, 12 (13) days of Christmas service. May you have a blessed Christmas Day. May the Prince of Peace bless this day.

Father Andrew’s lovely Christmas Homily:
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