ALL DECEASED

ALL DECEASED
Originally uploaded by romanlily

As I look at the photo, I'm reminded of the conclusion to Paul's letter to the Romans, in which he mentions the names of many Christians who would otherwise be known only to God:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. (Rom 16:1-16 NRSV)

We commend them all to your loving kindness and mercy, Father.

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Well That's a Relief

A possible sermon illustration?

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Quote of the Day - On Preaching

Richard John Neuhaus, writing for May 2008 issue of First Things:

I am asked whether I prepare two different homilies [Rev. Neuhaus is a Catholic priest], one for Immaculate [Conception] and the other for the more "sophisticated" types at Columbia [University]. Definitely not. In both cases, and I would suggest in all cases, the aim is to preach up to the people rather than, in the name of relevance or "meeting them where they're at," preaching down to them. And the aim is to try not to be dull. It is an extraordinary act of clerical abuse to bore a captive audience for fifteen minutes, or thirty minutes, as in the case of many Protestant churches. Catholic priests routinely claim that people today have a short attention span. Maybe they do - for the kind of preaching to which they're accustomed. They have a long enough attention span for many other things that interest them.

Link to First Things online.

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