Shortly we will all be (or have already) voting for new government officials. Here are some comments from Bishop Mark Elliott Newman about our discernment as we choose our future leaders.
Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch
1802 W. Maryland Ave., #1112
Phoenix, AZ 85015-1758
602-301-7066
Office of the Presiding Bishop
September 29, 2024
“Render to Caeser the things that are Caeser’s, and to God the things that are God’s”
(Mark 12:17)
To the clergy and people of the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, peace, joy, and apostolic blessings.
In a few short weeks, the American public will go to the polls to vote in national, state, and local elections. Candidates will be elected to fill positions of governance, ballot initiatives will be decided, and the electorate will have once again exercised a basic democratic right that is often denied to citizens of other countries, the right to determine the political and moral direction of one’s country.
In every election, the candidates approach the issues at hand through the lens of party affiliation, political experience, and personal values. Their campaigns offer the electorate an opportunity to think critically about who should represent them and whose values reflect the principles upon which the United States was founded. Different visions are a staple of the electoral process and are generally presented to the electorate in a respectful manner, even when the difference in vision is wide, as it is in this election. Care is usually taken to encourage engagement in the electoral process, and language and actions that would discourage engagement are generally avoided.
Unfortunately, care has not been taken in many current political races. Many are “turned off” by the tone of the current election cycle and plan not to vote in the upcoming elections. Others have no interest in politics. Still others question whether their votes really do make a difference or else are convinced that the election returns are somehow manipulated. Choosing not to participate in the electoral process is an individual’s right, but for Christians, it’s a failure to “render to Caesar” while also affirming their commitment to God’s principles.
In Mark’s Gospel, (Mark 12:17), we hear Jesus acknowledge that we have responsibilities to both God and human authorities. Voting is not just a civic duty; it is also an expression of faith in action. We live in a world governed by human authorities, but ultimately, we are accountable to God. Consequently, our participation in the political process should be governed by Christ’s teachings. Christian social teaching forms the basis upon which Christians make decisions regarding our communal social life. Central to that teaching is the call to uphold justice, to foster compassion, and to promote integrity. I encourage you to become aware of those principles and draw on them to guide your political choices. Study them, meditate on them, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your process of discernment. Numerous political voices may vie for your attention. Listen to them as you feel called to do, consider their messages carefully, take them into the silence, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Form your conscience in cooperation with Her guidance and support, and then vote your conscience.
Do not be afraid to address this issue within your ministries, and as otherwise called to do. As Church, we do not tell people for whom to vote or how to vote on ballot initiatives. But we do have the responsibility to remind people of the social dimension of the Christian message and how that can affect the quality of life for our sisters and brothers. Elections have real consequences for the community, especially for the vulnerable, the marginalized and the disenfranchised. If we ignore those consequences and fail to address the issues at hand, “…then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)
May the Holy Spirit accompany us all in the days ahead.
Your brother in Christ,
+Mark Elliott Newman
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: ALLWELCOME
Go Deeper
25th Sunday Ordinary B
September 23, 2024
This Weeks Scripture:
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54:3-7
James 3:16-4:36
Mark:9:30-47
Good day and Good Morning. That did not take a whole lot of Wisdom to come up with that. Just a simple Greeting. So much of what we read in Scripture is simple. But on the other hand, some writings seem simple on the surface but, indeed, have a moral lesson that needs to be digested. In today’s first reading from Wisdom, King Solomon tells of the Wicked, who belittles the Good and the Just. Puts them down and makes fun of them. Solomon continues, “For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes”. I like that, but there is also a tenant that we can see clearly. Is there a deeper discernment to be learned from this? Perhaps it takes a little Wisdom. I think our Good King is talking about Discernment. Just because someone tells me something, it is my responsibility to discern its value. In this story, the Wicked may be well-known, popular, and rich. The people the Wicked is referring to might be poor, homeless, or sick. It is up to me to see beyond the rhetoric…It takes Wisdom to see, recognize, and speak the Truth. Thank you, King Solomon.
In the Second Reading Saint James was writing to Christian Jews dispersed from Israel. I think if we could take a DNA sample from James and Solomon, we would find similar genes. At least Saint James read and understood the Book of Wisdom, written 900 years before James wrote the letter. Saint James recognizes the infighting among the people. Jealousy, selfish ambition. disorder and every foul practice. Not a short list. “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure”. Now comes that discernment…Wisdom. James mentions fruit...not the kind we eat that comes from fertilizer but “the fruit if righteousness sown from peace”. Then James lists several things that we THINK we need to TRY to attain them by any means. What is bypassed in all this confusion is for God’s will to be done. I need discernment… Wisdom.
Well, Saint James wrote that Letter in 48 of the Common Era. Mark wrote his Gospel in 70, several years later. This Gospel of Mark is one of the most powerful readings in all of the Bible. Jesus is cautioning the disciples not to repeat what he was about to tell them. It was Profound and Scary. “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him. And three days after his death the Son of Man will rise”. I can sure understand why they were speechless. Then the disciples showed their humanness. They debated among themselves who was the greatest of the lot. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. Then comes one of the next most important lessons in all of Christendom: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”. If any of the Jesus quotes speaks to me, this is one. How often do I want to be Center Stage? I must pull out my Discernment Card…the one marked Wisdom and strive to do God’s will.
Summer is ending. The Seasons change. I strive to change gracefully as do the changing colors on the leaves. God Bless.
Please join us on Sunday for Mass.
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: Allwelcome
Go Deeper
25th Sunday Ordinary B
September 23, 2024
This Weeks Scripture:
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54:3-7
James 3:16-4:36
Mark:9:30-47
Good day and Good Morning. That did not take a whole lot of Wisdom to come up with that. Just a simple Greeting. So much of what we read in Scripture is simple. But on the other hand, some writings seem simple on the surface but, indeed, have a moral lesson that needs to be digested. In today’s first reading from Wisdom, King Solomon tells of the Wicked, who belittles the Good and the Just. Puts them down and makes fun of them. Solomon continues, “For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes”. I like that, but there is also a tenant that we can see clearly. Is there a deeper discernment to be learned from this? Perhaps it takes a little Wisdom. I think our Good King is talking about Discernment. Just because someone tells me something, it is my responsibility to discern its value. In this story, the Wicked may be well-known, popular, and rich. The people the Wicked is referring to might be poor, homeless, or sick. It is up to me to see beyond the rhetoric…It takes Wisdom to see, recognize, and speak the Truth. Thank you, King Solomon.
In the Second Reading Saint James was writing to Christian Jews dispersed from Israel. I think if we could take a DNA sample from James and Solomon, we would find similar genes. At least Saint James read and understood the Book of Wisdom, written 900 years before James wrote the letter. Saint James recognizes the infighting among the people. Jealousy, selfish ambition. disorder and every foul practice. Not a short list. “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure”. Now comes that discernment…Wisdom. James mentions fruit...not the kind we eat that comes from fertilizer but “the fruit if righteousness sown from peace”. Then James lists several things that we THINK we need to TRY to attain them by any means. What is bypassed in all this confusion is for God’s will to be done. I need discernment… Wisdom.
Well, Saint James wrote that Letter in 48 of the Common Era. Mark wrote his Gospel in 70, several years later. This Gospel of Mark is one of the most powerful readings in all of the Bible. Jesus is cautioning the disciples not to repeat what he was about to tell them. It was Profound and Scary. “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him. And three days after his death the Son of Man will rise”. I can sure understand why they were speechless. Then the disciples showed their humanness. They debated among themselves who was the greatest of the lot. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. Then comes one of the next most important lessons in all of Christendom: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”. If any of the Jesus quotes speaks to me, this is one. How often do I want to be Center Stage? I must pull out my Discernment Card…the one marked Wisdom and strive to do God’s will.
Summer is ending. The Seasons change. I strive to change gracefully as do the changing colors on the leaves. God Bless.
Please join us on Sunday for Mass.
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: Allwelcome
Eucharist
4,August 2024
Today’s Readings
Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15
Psalm 78:3-4, 23-25, 54
Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
John 6:24-35
Last week Deacon Judy talked about the Eucharist. She said we have the opportunity to give the Eucharist to others every day in everything we do.
In Exodus, God gave the Israelites Eucharist when he sent manna each morning with the dew. The directions from God to Moses was that the people were to gather only what they needed for the day. As humans are human, they decided that they would gather more manna than just for one day. It could have been fear and lack of faith. Would they have manna the next day, or would they go hungry? Would God still provide? The manna that they tried to save simply rotted and was uneaten with the exception of Saturday when they could collect manna for the Sunday Day of Rest.
This week we listen to scripture from The Gospel according to John. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
I always questioned this scripture when there are so many hungry people in the world without potable water or food. But looking at this scripture in a new light. Jesus is the Bread of Life. God and Jesus are the Creators of Life as spiritual beings, not the Bread of our bodily nourishment. It is through sharing the Eucharist of our lives that it is possible to ease some of the pain in each other and the world. We are not God or Jesus; we do not have the power of miracles but have the power of using what God and Jesus give us to help others. We need faith to continue our relationship with God and Jesus.
Please join us on Sunday for Mass.
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: Allwelcome
Go Deeper
25th Sunday Ordinary B
September 23, 2024
This Weeks Scripture:
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54:3-7
James 3:16-4:36
Mark:9:30-47
Good day and Good Morning. That did not take a whole lot of Wisdom to come up with that. Just a simple Greeting. So much of what we read in Scripture is simple. But on the other hand, some writings seem simple on the surface but, indeed, have a moral lesson that needs to be digested. In today’s first reading from Wisdom, King Solomon tells of the Wicked, who belittles the Good and the Just. Puts them down and makes fun of them. Solomon continues, “For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes”. I like that, but there is also a tenant that we can see clearly. Is there a deeper discernment to be learned from this? Perhaps it takes a little Wisdom. I think our Good King is talking about Discernment. Just because someone tells me something, it is my responsibility to discern its value. In this story, the Wicked may be well-known, popular, and rich. The people the Wicked is referring to might be poor, homeless, or sick. It is up to me to see beyond the rhetoric…It takes Wisdom to see, recognize, and speak the Truth. Thank you, King Solomon.
In the Second Reading Saint James was writing to Christian Jews dispersed from Israel. I think if we could take a DNA sample from James and Solomon, we would find similar genes. At least Saint James read and understood the Book of Wisdom, written 900 years before James wrote the letter. Saint James recognizes the infighting among the people. Jealousy, selfish ambition. disorder and every foul practice. Not a short list. “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure”. Now comes that discernment…Wisdom. James mentions fruit...not the kind we eat that comes from fertilizer but “the fruit if righteousness sown from peace”. Then James lists several things that we THINK we need to TRY to attain them by any means. What is bypassed in all this confusion is for God’s will to be done. I need discernment… Wisdom.
Well, Saint James wrote that Letter in 48 of the Common Era. Mark wrote his Gospel in 70, several years later. This Gospel of Mark is one of the most powerful readings in all of the Bible. Jesus is cautioning the disciples not to repeat what he was about to tell them. It was Profound and Scary. “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him. And three days after his death the Son of Man will rise”. I can sure understand why they were speechless. Then the disciples showed their humanness. They debated among themselves who was the greatest of the lot. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. Then comes one of the next most important lessons in all of Christendom: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”. If any of the Jesus quotes speaks to me, this is one. How often do I want to be Center Stage? I must pull out my Discernment Card…the one marked Wisdom and strive to do God’s will.
Summer is ending. The Seasons change. I strive to change gracefully as do the changing colors on the leaves. God Bless.
Please join us on Sunday for Mass.
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: Allwelcome
Go Deeper
25th Sunday Ordinary B
September 23, 2024
This Weeks Scripture:
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54:3-7
James 3:16-4:36
Mark:9:30-47
Good day and Good Morning. That did not take a whole lot of Wisdom to come up with that. Just a simple Greeting. So much of what we read in Scripture is simple. But on the other hand, some writings seem simple on the surface but, indeed, have a moral lesson that needs to be digested. In today’s first reading from Wisdom, King Solomon tells of the Wicked, who belittles the Good and the Just. Puts them down and makes fun of them. Solomon continues, “For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes”. I like that, but there is also a tenant that we can see clearly. Is there a deeper discernment to be learned from this? Perhaps it takes a little Wisdom. I think our Good King is talking about Discernment. Just because someone tells me something, it is my responsibility to discern its value. In this story, the Wicked may be well-known, popular, and rich. The people the Wicked is referring to might be poor, homeless, or sick. It is up to me to see beyond the rhetoric…It takes Wisdom to see, recognize, and speak the Truth. Thank you, King Solomon.
In the Second Reading Saint James was writing to Christian Jews dispersed from Israel. I think if we could take a DNA sample from James and Solomon, we would find similar genes. At least Saint James read and understood the Book of Wisdom, written 900 years before James wrote the letter. Saint James recognizes the infighting among the people. Jealousy, selfish ambition. disorder and every foul practice. Not a short list. “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure”. Now comes that discernment…Wisdom. James mentions fruit...not the kind we eat that comes from fertilizer but “the fruit if righteousness sown from peace”. Then James lists several things that we THINK we need to TRY to attain them by any means. What is bypassed in all this confusion is for God’s will to be done. I need discernment… Wisdom.
Well, Saint James wrote that Letter in 48 of the Common Era. Mark wrote his Gospel in 70, several years later. This Gospel of Mark is one of the most powerful readings in all of the Bible. Jesus is cautioning the disciples not to repeat what he was about to tell them. It was Profound and Scary. “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him. And three days after his death the Son of Man will rise”. I can sure understand why they were speechless. Then the disciples showed their humanness. They debated among themselves who was the greatest of the lot. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. Then comes one of the next most important lessons in all of Christendom: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”. If any of the Jesus quotes speaks to me, this is one. How often do I want to be Center Stage? I must pull out my Discernment Card…the one marked Wisdom and strive to do God’s will.
Summer is ending. The Seasons change. I strive to change gracefully as do the changing colors on the leaves. God Bless.
Please join us on Sunday for Mass.
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: Allwelcome
Go Deeper
25th Sunday Ordinary B
September 23, 2024
This Weeks Scripture:
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54:3-7
James 3:16-4:36
Mark:9:30-47
Good day and Good Morning. That did not take a whole lot of Wisdom to come up with that. Just a simple Greeting. So much of what we read in Scripture is simple. But on the other hand, some writings seem simple on the surface but, indeed, have a moral lesson that needs to be digested. In today’s first reading from Wisdom, King Solomon tells of the Wicked, who belittles the Good and the Just. Puts them down and makes fun of them. Solomon continues, “For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes”. I like that, but there is also a tenant that we can see clearly. Is there a deeper discernment to be learned from this? Perhaps it takes a little Wisdom. I think our Good King is talking about Discernment. Just because someone tells me something, it is my responsibility to discern its value. In this story, the Wicked may be well-known, popular, and rich. The people the Wicked is referring to might be poor, homeless, or sick. It is up to me to see beyond the rhetoric…It takes Wisdom to see, recognize, and speak the Truth. Thank you, King Solomon.
In the Second Reading Saint James was writing to Christian Jews dispersed from Israel. I think if we could take a DNA sample from James and Solomon, we would find similar genes. At least Saint James read and understood the Book of Wisdom, written 900 years before James wrote the letter. Saint James recognizes the infighting among the people. Jealousy, selfish ambition. disorder and every foul practice. Not a short list. “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure”. Now comes that discernment…Wisdom. James mentions fruit...not the kind we eat that comes from fertilizer but “the fruit if righteousness sown from peace”. Then James lists several things that we THINK we need to TRY to attain them by any means. What is bypassed in all this confusion is for God’s will to be done. I need discernment… Wisdom.
Well, Saint James wrote that Letter in 48 of the Common Era. Mark wrote his Gospel in 70, several years later. This Gospel of Mark is one of the most powerful readings in all of the Bible. Jesus is cautioning the disciples not to repeat what he was about to tell them. It was Profound and Scary. “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him. And three days after his death the Son of Man will rise”. I can sure understand why they were speechless. Then the disciples showed their humanness. They debated among themselves who was the greatest of the lot. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. Then comes one of the next most important lessons in all of Christendom: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”. If any of the Jesus quotes speaks to me, this is one. How often do I want to be Center Stage? I must pull out my Discernment Card…the one marked Wisdom and strive to do God’s will.
Summer is ending. The Seasons change. I strive to change gracefully as do the changing colors on the leaves. God Bless.
Please join us on Sunday for Mass.
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: Allwelcome
Eucharist
4,August 2024
Today’s Readings
Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15
Psalm 78:3-4, 23-25, 54
Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
John 6:24-35
Last week Deacon Judy talked about the Eucharist. She said we have the opportunity to give the Eucharist to others every day in everything we do.
In Exodus, God gave the Israelites Eucharist when he sent manna each morning with the dew. The directions from God to Moses was that the people were to gather only what they needed for the day. As humans are human, they decided that they would gather more manna than just for one day. It could have been fear and lack of faith. Would they have manna the next day, or would they go hungry? Would God still provide? The manna that they tried to save simply rotted and was uneaten with the exception of Saturday when they could collect manna for the Sunday Day of Rest.
This week we listen to scripture from The Gospel according to John. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
I always questioned this scripture when there are so many hungry people in the world without potable water or food. But looking at this scripture in a new light. Jesus is the Bread of Life. God and Jesus are the Creators of Life as spiritual beings, not the Bread of our bodily nourishment. It is through sharing the Eucharist of our lives that it is possible to ease some of the pain in each other and the world. We are not God or Jesus; we do not have the power of miracles but have the power of using what God and Jesus give us to help others. We need faith to continue our relationship with God and Jesus.
Please join us on Sunday for Mass.
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
Zoom Meeting Number:
Meeting ID: 840 1070 1997
Passcode: Allwelcome
Prophets among us
July 7, 2024
Today’s Readings
Ezekiel 2:2-5
Responsorial Psalm 123:1-4
Second Letter of Corinthians 12:7-10
Mark 6:1-6
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth English
Homily
Up until this week’s readings I never realized that Louis Armstrong and Harry Bellefonte were Prophets. Each recorded and made famous the song “Ezekiel Saw De Wheel”. “Ezekiel saw the wheel way up in the middle of the sky. The big wheel run by faith. The little wheel run by the Grace of God. A wheel in a wheel way up in the middle of the sky”. Oh, and don’t forget Woody Guthrie, he sang it also.
So why did this passage from Hebrew Scripture cause so much attention? Much attention, it seems, has been given to the Prophet Ezekiel. God spoke directly to Ezekiel in the form of a Spirit. God revealed that He was sending him to Israel to tell the people to repent. And to let the people know that a Prophet had been among them. The visions and prophecies
were written during the Babylonian Exile and shed new understanding on theological and religious constructs.
I get a little uneasy feeling reading the Second reading from Saint Paul, that I am not quite as elevated as he. My thorns hurt. I try to put balm on the irritation. I am not sure that I have welcomed them. So, what can I take and learn from Saint Paul? First, he has an enviable grip on his ego. God gives, he receives with humility. Where I need to grow is truly believing that God’s grace is sufficient for me. To Win, I must Lose my Self Will. Second, I can continue to look to Scripture for lessons and learning.
This week’s readings really speak to me. However, Mark's Gospel has a bullseye on me. I can get all puffy and criticize Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. He, Jesus, was teaching…and so OK, maybe doing a little healing on the Sabbath. Outside of that, what was their problem? After all, they knew Him all his life. And therein lies the problem They KNEW him. He was a Carpenter. He was the son of Mary. He was their neighbor. Never mind that He was accompanied by some of His Disciples. He ran in the right crowd. So where is their rub? The same place as mine is. I beg of you, how many times have we been in the company of folks that we know, but in the back of our mind, we criticize them because they don’t have our education, or they really look different, or they come from Bad Stock…the list could go on and on.
All of them, and I mean all of them are Jesus. What am I looking for in a Teacher? The clothes the Teacher wears or the Love and Message that is being shared by the Teacher. The Good People of Nazareth were looking through a fogged lens. My job is to keep my Lens clear, I must always see Jesus in every person I meet regardless of any of my preconceived ideas. So, I ask of you, hear the words, never mind that the person does not wear a guilted robe or am a Carpenter.
God Bless,
Mother Elizabeth
PRIDE MONTH
June 1, 2024
A BLESSING FROM THE FUTURE CHURCH - AN LGBTIQA BLESSING
Blessed be God.
R/ Blessed be God’s many names and faces.
Blessed be God in the whispering breeze and the blazing flame.
R/ Blessed be God the mother, who gave birth to the world, and who never fails to listen to the cries of her children.
Blessed be God the father, who adorns himself in glory and radiance.
R/ Blessed be God beyond all genders: God the mother, father, and parent, whose name is simply “I am who I am.”
Blessed be our father Jacob, who wrestles with an angel all night for a blessing.
R/ Blessed be our mother Hagar, who sees God in the desert in times of desperation.
Blessed be the prophets Elijah and Elisha, who swore to one another the oath of love, “as long as the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”
R/ Blessed be Mary and Martha, partners and sisters, who rested by one another, loving one another from death to resurrection.
Blessed be Jesus in the poor, in the marginalized, and in the forgotten queer names and faces.
R/ Blessed be the queer spirits, the queer angels, the queer saints, and the queer ancestors, whose intercessions and blessings instill a love within us that transgresses all and consumes all.
Blessed are you:
R/ You who resist, you who love, you who desire, you who struggle.
R/ And blessed am I,
and blessed are we, children of God, now and forever,
Amen.