Monday, August 13, 2018

Leading Others to the Bread of Life


For weeks now, in John’s Gospel, we have been hearing Jesus tell us that He is the Bread of Life, the living bread, the bread that sustains us in this life and holds the promise of eternal life. At St. Joseph’s, we can be confident that we are opening doors to the Bread of Life, to life in Christ, for people of all ages – through our robust liturgies; our vibrant youth ministry, Faith Formation and sacramental preparation; our pastoral care; and much more. One team that accompanies adults to the Table of the Lord is our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) team, working with adults and youth to prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

This summer I had opportunity to reflect on this as I facilitated a guided study on the RCIA with several graduate students at St. Bernard’s, including our own Director of Faith Formation, Jeanne Mooney. Throughout the time we spent with the other students, what was abundantly clear was how blessed our parish is by the diverse individuals who seek Christ and choose to prepare for the sacraments with our RCIA team. Because of the amazing people who have become Catholic with us, I found that I was teaching the St. Bernard’s course, for all intents and purposes, from the wealth of stories we have accumulated over the past decade.

In the past year, we have had one adult man celebrate Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil, Allan. He and his wife Gabby were newlyweds when he started the process and she participated with him every step of the way. Also at the Vigil, Scott was received into the Church after attending Mass at St. Joe’s with his wife, Donna, for several decades! Prior to the Vigil and her April wedding, Heather completed the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist, having been baptized as an infant. And three young women worked with our RCIA team to celebrate Confirmation last year: Kristen, Laura and Moriah. Each of their stories is unique; each brings beautiful gifts to our parish life, living actively as Catholic disciples. God is good.

If you or someone you love would like to prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist as an adult or youth (age 7 or older), please stop by the Gathering Space next weekend (Aug 25-26) after Mass. Our RCIA team members will be available after each Mass to answer questions. Or give me a call! We invite all to come and see what the rich tradition of our Catholic faith is all about.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

One Birthday, Three Amazing Women

August 1st is a very special day. Today I am grateful for the gift of sharing this life with three amazing women who all have this birthday in common: my daughter, Sarah Ashworth; St. Joseph's Director of Faith for Life, Jeanne Mooney; and our parishioner and dear friend, Marlene Maggio.

Of course I most clearly recall the August 1st of 29 years ago when I woke up wondering if my baby would ever come into this world. The July 15 due date had long passed. It seemed like it would be another very hot day; another doctor's appointment; another long wait. My mom had come along with me to the doctor's office, fortunately, because when the doctor began to examine me she announced that I was in labor and off to the hospital we went. (My mom couldn't drive a stick shift so I drove myself but it was nice to have her there!) Our beautiful Sarah came into the world later that evening and my heart was filled with gratitude and awe, as it has been every day since.

A "few" years ago now, Jeanne and I first met when she brought her family to St. Joe's fledgling attempt at family Faith Formation. Here she is now with her two children in high school and college, directing our Faith Formation and elevating family Faith Formation to new heights every day. Her special gifts for ministry have evolved gradually and I have been grateful to be a witness to the process. Of course, Greg and I will never forget sharing the experience of being in Philadelphia for Pope Francis' visit with Jeanne -- it was great fun and so moving.

A testament to the generous spirit of Marlene Maggio is that today she is donating her birthday to "No Kid Hungry." You can visit her on Facebook to contribute. Greg and I have been grateful recipients of Marlene's generous spirit as well -- she and Don accompanied us through the annulment process a long time ago, and Marlene was a dedicated friend to Greg's mom, Rosemary, especially as she became more ill. Without Marlene and Don, we don't know how we would have gotten Rosemary to Sarah and Ryan's wedding just a few months before she passed away. We are always full of gratitude when we think of Marlene.

And so August 1 is a day of gratitude, admiration and love. Happy birthday, Sarah, Jeanne and Marlene!

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

It's All About Evangelization

Today a group of 25 or so parish and diocesan staff came together at St. Joseph's in Penfield to learn together and share their experiences with using social media. This can be a challenge for many of us, far from what we have been trained to do in Church ministry. But this was a special group of lay ministers who came together with a common purpose: to evangelize!

Coming together from a variety of parish settings -- small rural parishes, clustering communities, large suburban Churches, and urban ministries -- everyone has the same mission to invite people to enter more deeply into relationship with Jesus Christ. Used right, to quote Pope Francis, social media is a "gift" allowing us to reach those who do not come to Church and those who do.

While we did not come up with the ultimate parish plan for using social media, we took away some key learnings:

  • As social media ministers, we are a public face of the Church, a responsibility we accept with our personal and ministerial accounts.
  • We need to be committed to posting frequently to provide not just information but prayerful inspiration.
  • All parish social media should be intentionally planned by a team with evangelizing goals, messaging and intended audiences. It should be implemented by a team, people with varied points of view.
  • Not all "Catholic" sources are reliable sources. We need to rely on our own  Bishop, Diocese and priests, the USCCB and other Bishops' conferences, the Vatican, the Pope, and recognized religious orders.
  • Social media provides the "intangible" benefit of allowing us to get to know our parishioners outside the Church setting and to humanize our Church staffs.
We prayed together from Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel. The Pope offers this prayer to Mary who he calls "the star of the new evangelization." May Mary watch over us as we reach out, near and far, to bring more closer to our Lord and Savior.

...Star of the new evangelization,
help us to bear radiant witness to communion,
service, ardent and generous faith,
justice and love of the poor,
that the joy of the Gospel
may reach to the ends of the earth,
illuminating even the fringes of our world.

Mother of the living Gospel,
wellspring of happiness for God's little ones,
pray for us.
Amen. Alleluia!


Thursday, April 13, 2017

Lavish Acts of Mercy

Reflection for Holy Thursday Morning Prayer, April 13, 2017
John 12: 1-11 Mary of Bethany Anoints the Feet of Jesus

The Triduum and Lavish Acts of Mercy

When Lazarus was dead, his sister Mary lamented that her brother would not have died had Jesus come sooner to Bethany. Jesus, after weeping at the tomb of his dear friend, performed a miraculous act so that those present would know he is the Resurrection and the life. He raised Lazarus from the dead.

Mary now desires to show her overflowing love for her friend. Perhaps she’s also a bit embarrassed that she ever doubted Jesus.  Mary knows that she needs to do something more than say, I’m sorry. Or thank you. She needs to perform a concrete, extravagant action, just as Jesus often did. And so she anoints Jesus with a liter of aromatic, expensive oil.

Are there not times in our lives when we run from doing the hard thing of performing a concrete action? When we avoid the person we need to show that we’re sorry or even grateful. But look at the example of Jesus and Mary. Both are so present in the moment – she expressing her friendship through lavish gesture and he graciously affirming her action.

But then Judas, of all people, challenges Mary. Couldn’t the oil have been sold for the poor? And Jesus replies, “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” In that one startling sentence Jesus summarizes a truth that the Church and the faithful still wrestle with today.  What’s my first priority? Is it my family and friends? Is it God and prayer? Or should I be off on a concrete missionary act of mercy helping those most in need? Jesus seems to be saying, it depends.

Jesus in no way suggests that concrete acts of mercy toward the poor are unnecessary. We need to focus on the people who are in our day to day lives; and we need to intentionally reach out to meet the concrete needs of others, especially the poor.

Just this week, Pope Francis demonstrated the importance of holding in tension the relational, spiritual aspects of being people of mercy and the necessity of concrete acts of charity. On this Holy Thursday, in lavish gesture, Pope Francis will wash the feet of 12 inmates including three women and a man converting from Islam to Catholicism. He will speak with them, touch them, kiss their feet, bless them.  AND earlier this week our Holy Father opened the “Pope’s Laundry,” a free laundromat for Rome’s homeless. This adds to other services – distribution of essential items, a barber, healthcare. His diverse actions over the course of this week offer a beautiful model of what it means to be a Catholic Church of mercy in the midst of a wider community of need, both relationally and in concrete acts of charity and mercy.

Where do we start in imitating Jesus and Mary and Francis? The Triduum is an opportunity not to be missed. As a Catholic faith community we will gather together in worship and prayer. In these three days we, like Mary, lay at the feet of Jesus, amazed at all that he has done for us. But this weekend Jesus and Pope Francis call all of us not only to worship but also to be the hospitable, merciful face of Jesus to all who enter our doors. We can perform intentional, lavish acts of mercy when we welcome the stranger returning to the Church, people who may be feeling embarrassed or wary or out of place. You can talk to your good friends any time but the poor in spirit may not be here next week if we do not reach out and touch them when they join us in prayer on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter.

Can you be the person who encounters someone whose faith needs resurrecting? Can you be the one who welcomes and reassures a parent with restless children? Can you anoint the stranger with a warm smile and greeting – maybe even give them your seat on Easter?


This is how Jesus wishes to be encountered by us. These are the acts of mercy he thirsts for us to perform. This is how we will fill our worship space with the sweet fragrance of the love and friendship of Jesus that is meant for all. 

Friday, December 30, 2016

An Invitation to Reflect on the Holy Family

The Advent season is behind us and our Christian celebration of the Christmas season continues as we celebrate today the Feast of the Holy Family and approach the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God this weekend. During this precious time in our Church calendar, can we take time to ponder how we are being called to serve in 2017? How can we say yes to God as the Holy Family did -- accepting ourselves as members of holy families just as Jesus, Mary and Joseph were a human family with joys and sorrows, comfort and fears? This blog invites you to take a look at the Gospels of Luke and Matthew (have your Bible handy) and what they tell us about how Jesus came to be born to Mary and to his earthly father, Joseph.  Explore what Pope Francis has to tell us about the yes of Mary and Joseph and why Jesus was born into a human family. What does it mean for us today?

Find a quiet place to settle in for a while. Invite Mary, Joseph, and Jesus into this quiet place with you.

Imagine yourself as Mary. You are a poor girl living in a miserable little town in very difficult political times. You probably cannot read or write though you are likely familiar with the oral tradition of Scripture being shared. You are betrothed to an older man named Joseph. Scholars usually put Mary’s age at 12 or 13 or 14.

And out of nowhere, the Angel Gabriel appears:


What was this young girl thinking as the angel spoke to her? Was she frightened? Disbelieving? Defensive? Overwhelmed? Faithful? Perhaps all of the above.

Most of us would likely be delighted if we were told we had found favor with God. But Mary knew enough about Scripture to know that others who had found favor with God were not just blessed but missioned. To be favored by God, as the prophets were, meant you were indeed chosen but often chosen for a very difficult mission. And yet in the same sentence Mary is told “do not be afraid.” God never finds favor with his beloved sons and daughters without also providing reassurance.

Mary is not shy, as so many artistic renderings of her would have us believe. No, she comes right back at the Angel Gabriel and challenges the very feasibility of her being with child. “How can this be since I have no relations with a man?” Her response is such a human one. Even more so in those times when the cost of being pregnant out of wedlock was one’s very life.
Think about how Gabriel responded to her protest. He says the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. I don’t know about you, but those words would not comfort me. But if she was familiar with the stories of the Old Testament, of the exodus, of Moses, she would recognize in those words the idea that she may be about to experience something overwhelming but again with the reassurance that God would indeed be with her as the mother of the Son of God.

It’s right after the angel says that Elizabeth is with child “for nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary says the sacred YES, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
                                    
On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis said in his homily that Mary’s yes was not halfway. He said that she does not say, sure God, I’ll do it, I’m available now but after this we’ll see. “Hers is a full yes without conditions,” he said, “but we are experts at the ‘half-yes.’ We are good at pretending not to understand what God wants” or saying I can’t or I’ll do it tomorrow. But not Mary. “In all humility, she gives a full and unreserved yes.”

Personally, I have always loved that sequence – that Mary’s yes comes just after she learns of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. What would Mary have thought when she heard that her much older cousin Elizabeth is pregnant and in her sixth month? Does the knowledge of the gift God has bestowed on her cousin somehow provide comfort and encouragement? Is it a sense that she and her cousin will support each other? Does she suddenly have a new soul friend? Does she see it as her duty to take care of Elizabeth?


Mary soon makes haste to travel a long distance to be with Elizabeth. Mary was traveling from Nazareth to a small village south of Jerusalem – about 90 miles! And she was a very young girl. Young girls would never have traveled alone and certainly not that far. So she would first have needed to convince her parents, Anne and Joachim, that she needed to make this journey. Would they have known she was with child? Where was Joseph? Lots we don’t know but we do know that she could not have physically made haste. But in a spiritual sense, she was compelled to be with her elder cousin and she must have moved heaven and earth to make it happen.

Pope Francis explains it another way. He recently preached about Mary during a special weekend dedicated to her as part of the Jubilee Year of Mercy:
The Pope said that Mary’s “first act was to listen to God…” However “it’s not enough simply to listen.” While this is the first step, it must be followed by concrete action. “The disciple truly puts his [or her] life at the service of the Gospel,” recalling Mary’s own actions, pointing to how after the Annunciation, Mary immediately went to her cousin Elizabeth to help her during her pregnancy.

And Elizabeth is a most sacred woman in Scripture, the key figure with Mary in the Visitation scene. The two women encounter each other with such great joy. Two words dear to our Pope’s heart: encounter and joy. In their encounter they are completely present to each other and it’s as if the two unborn sons somehow great each other as well. The Pope is always encouraging us to authentically encounter each other – Mary could have sent a message of support to Elizabeth. Instead she went to great, great lengths to be with her, to minister to her in person.

And Elizabeth proclaims Jesus as her Lord. She is the first to proclaim the identity of Jesus. Women in Scripture ARE perceptive.

Some say that the two women coming together represents a bridge – a link from the Covenant of God in the Old Testament with the people of Israel to the New Covenant born in the baby Jesus and the New Testament – the dawn of Christianity. Mary and Elizabeth did bear the world in their wombs.

And yet both women do so with so much humility. Such authenticity. Such concern for the world around them.


This is of course the Canticle of Mary, the Magnificat, the conclusion of the first chapter of Luke. This hymn of praise acknowledges Mary’s awareness of herself as lowly and unworthy yet nonetheless blessed, or favored, by God. It underscores how God never seeks out the obvious disciple but the most unlikely. And this canticle is radical in its message of God’s justice, and our call to be people of justice and mercy. It turns all our thinking upside down – the people with power will be thrown down; the lowly will be lifted up. The hungry will be filled; the rich will be empty. And we are called, as we have been throughout the past Year of Mercy, to remember God’s mercy – the mercy of God this is indeed divine, surpassing our human capacity for compassion and having no limit. The canticle is not just about Mary, and Jesus coming into her world, but a reminder of how God has saved us all and continues to show us his mercy today. We are called to respond to this mercy by sharing it through our own acts of mercy toward others. We are called to be present to others, with loving care, with fierce protection.

And that brings us to that other key figure in our Christmas story, our protector, the patron saint of my parish, Joseph, ever-present spouse of Mary, loving, earthly father of Jesus.


This is one of the few biblical accounts that we have of Joseph and the only one that tells this particular story. Joseph is asked to act on faith beyond all reason and imagining. Just to clarify that word, betrothal: by Jewish marital customs in those days, Mary and Joseph would have been “engaged” when they were young, an arrangement by their parents. Up until the formal “betrothal,” Mary could have opted out but once betrothed, as they were, it was legally binding. They would even be referred to as husband and wife during the one-year betrothal and to separate would indeed require a divorce. But they would not yet be living together as husband and wife because Mary was too young – too physically immature to be with a husband.

So before the angel comes to Joseph in the dream, Joseph, aware of the pregnancy, is trying to do what a good Jewish man would be expected to do—divorce her quietly. To do so quietly would have been to try to spare Mary not only public humiliation but the very real possibility of execution by stoning, according to Old Testament law. So it’s no small act of faith and courage and humility for Joseph to quietly accept Mary as his wife and Jesus as his foster son, saying yes to God despite what must have seemed a preposterous story of conception by the Holy Spirit. Were it not for Joseph’s extraordinary act of faith, on top of Mary’s, our salvation story might be very different.

Pope Francis has described the mission of Joseph in this way: “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife. These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church… How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand.” The Pope continues, “From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.”

The Jesuit, Fr. James Martin, in My Life with the Saints says Joseph lived a “hidden life” as he raised the boy who must have been full of childlike wonder. We know so little about Joseph yet he had a profound impact on the son he called his own. Along with Mary, Joseph would have been a primary teacher of the faith for Jesus. As a carpenter’s son, Jesus would have been taught the skills of the trade and virtues needed to be a respected craftsman: patience while you wait for the wood to dry; judgment to be sure your lines are straight; honesty to charge a fair price, and persistence to sand the wood smooth. Patience, judgment, honesty and persistence would serve Jesus well in his public ministry, after Joseph had presumably gone home to God.

But it all began with the carpenter’s willingness to hear the message God sent to him in a dream. As Pope Francis says about Mary, Joseph not only listened, he acted. And because he acted, Isaiah’s prophecy could be fulfilled: “the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel,” the name that means God with us. Joseph is told by the angel “do not be afraid” – just like Mary he too is chosen but he is not left alone.

For Joseph, the obedience of faith required him to provide a loving home, protection, and safety for Mary and Jesus – to make a family. That’s the model of faith left for us to emulate today. Within the context of whatever family looks like for you today – a big, loud messy household, an empty nest, maybe you’re even struggling alone – still we are called to see ourselves as holy, blessed, and chosen by God to continue the ministry of Jesus – to listen and to say YES, without condition or lame excuse – and then to act, to personally encounter, to share God’s mercy.

On this feast of the Holy Family, we hear again in Matthew’s Gospel about Joseph’s YES to God’s plan for his young family – he flees to Egypt to save his infant son from the jealous wrath of Herod. The family stays there until the angel returns to Joseph to draw them back to Nazareth where the boy Jesus is raised and prepared for his life in ministry.


In Amoris Laetitia, The Joy of Love, Pope Francis points to one fact that should  leave us breathless at Christmas: God chose to send his only Son into the world to save all humanity as part of a family. A poor family. An obscure family. A family like yours and mine. Here’s what he says:

“The incarnation of the Word in a human family, in Nazareth, by its very newness changed the history of the world. We need to enter into the mystery of Jesus’ birth, into that “yes” given by Mary to the message of the angel, when the Word was conceived in her womb, as well as the “yes” of Joseph, who gave a name to Jesus and watched over Mary. We need to contemplate the joy of the shepherds before the manger, the adoration of the Magi and the flight into Egypt, in which Jesus shares his people’s experience of exile, persecution and humiliation… We need to … peer into those thirty long years when Jesus earned his keep by the work of his hands, reciting the traditional prayers and expressions of his people’s faith and coming to know that ancestral faith until he made it bear fruit in the mystery of the Kingdom. This is the mystery of Christmas and the secret of Nazareth, exuding the beauty of family life! …

The covenant of love and fidelity lived by the Holy Family of Nazareth illuminates the principle which gives shape to every family, and enables it better to face the vicissitudes of life and history. On this basis, every family, despite its weaknesses, can become a light in the darkness
of the world.”  (Article 65-66)

Let us all pray to be the light in the darkness of our world. Amen.

This weekend, we will hear in Luke’s Gospel that as the shepherds announced the good news they had heard, Mary pondered all of these things in her heart.


Take a few moments now to ponder in your heart: How is God trying to act in your life, today, in your present circumstances? Where is God calling you to act?

A prayer to close this reflection, adapted from Little Rock’s Alive in the Word study Mary, Favored by God:

Like Mary, may I create the opportunity to share good news,
embrace a new thing God is doing even when it seems impossible,
and receive God’s word with joyful acceptance.

Like Elizabeth, may I recognize the presence of God in and around me,
foster in my family the desire to proclaim good news,
and humbly fulfill the plan of God in my own life.

Like Joseph, may I place all my trust in God,
give all of myself to being present and attentive to family needs,
and offer my protection and care to all in need.

Amen.







Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Making Preparations -- A Holy Thursday Reflection

This morning we reflect on Luke’s two-part prelude to the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22: 1-13). The first part recounts Judas’ tragic fall to the snares of Satan and the demon of greed. In stark contrast, the second part is Jesus’ instructions to the disciples to make preparations for the sacred Passover meal that would become the setting of Jesus’ sacrifice of his Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist.

Like Judas, we too may arrive at this Holy Thursday with our demons grasping at the weakest parts of ourselves. Can we really break away from the seemingly important demands of daily life to enter into the holiest days of our Christian year with a fitting focus and commitment?

Tonight we enter into the Easter Triduum – that unusual word that in Latin simply means “three days.” But these three days prayerfully draw us into the Paschal Mystery – the suffering, the dying and ultimately the rising – of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What could be more important?

The Church thrives and comes to life when we embrace these days with our whole hearts – when we bring to them our bodies, our minds and our souls: when we have our feet washed; when we touch and kiss the rough wood of the cross; when we gather at the blazing Vigil fire; when we sing and make music with boundless joy. These three days are not a series of unrelated liturgical events but are one awesome and riveting movement from Holy Thursday through Easter. It is a time for prayer and reflection. It is a time for listening and waiting. And it is the time for fully active, conscious participation.

As he did with Peter and John, Jesus invites us to “make preparations.” To prepare to allow him to enter more deeply into our hearts. To pray that others will be drawn to the mercy of God in these special days. To keep watch with our candidates to be received into union with the Catholic Church, and to pray especially for our young catechumens who will joyously enter the waters of Baptism and the life of the Church at the Great Vigil of Easter.


So let’s put aside all that we can of life-as-usual, and make holy preparations to celebrate Jesus alive among us in this community of faith and deep within our very best selves.


Friday, September 25, 2015

A Joyful "Psalm"

What are the chances … that on this pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families 2015 and the papal visit, we would encounter the most joyful of “Psalms” in the Spirit-filled woman assigned to the housekeeping staff on our floor at the Wyndham? Yes, the woman who takes care of our room, and our every need, is named “Psalm.” Why? Because her mother was a very spiritual woman.

Today, Seán Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, OFM, Archbishop of Boston, preached the final WMOF2015 keynote. His closing prayer was: “Let us recommit ourselves to the mission of passing on the faith to generations to come. May we be as successful as those who have gone before us.” Like Psalm, many of us are the beneficiaries of Christian/biblical names and identities that were handed on to us by faith-filled parents and grandparents.

As Archbishop Charles Chaput made his closing remarks at the WMOF2015, he called on the 20,000 energized and enthusiastic participants to take this energy and enthusiasm home and “let it change your lives.” Only then, he said, will this time together have been a success. So true, so daunting!

A few hours later, Psalm stopped by our room to check on us. And I thought of what Cardinal O’Malley had said earlier: “We are on this earth with a mission to take care of each other.” Psalm’s mission for this week has been very clear: to take care of the needs of the pilgrim travelers on her floor of the Wyndham in this historic district of Philadelphia.  She has done it with joy and grace, making a big city hotel feel like home away from home.

And isn’t that what each of us is called to do in our lives now? Each of us is called to go back home, wherever that is around the globe, to first take care of our own families, passing on the joy of the Gospel and God’s merciful, unconditional love. And then we have the task of living that simple mission in our parishes—to take care of one another so that Church IS home, a place where each one is encountered, cared for and loved. “Being in God’s family is to be a community of love,” said Cardinal O’Malley.

And so this weekend, whether you are in the vicinity of Pope Francis, caring for your family, or going to Church, start by offering a smile as joyful as Psalm’s.

Love is our mission!
Cathy Kamp