Blessed is the Kingdom

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It seems appropriate that this edition of 7 quick takes will focus on life and death. I began the week by celebrating the Feast of All Saints followed shortly by my first funeral of the week, for a man who always showed myself and others how to live the Christian life with his generosity. The week has continued with yet another funeral this Wednesday morning, followed by a death on Wednesday night. Perhaps the deaths are appropriate in this month of November, when we take time to remember all those who have died.

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Our recent priest retreat has started me down the path to a series of posts on the center of our Christian life, the Eucharist. I hope that readers will find them helpful for their own spiritual life. Taking the time to reflect even beyond our retreat has helped me in entering more deeply into prayer during my own recent celebrations of this sacrament. You can find the first post by clicking on the link below.

Offering A Perpetual Sacrifice

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This past week I have begun to re-watch the new Battlestar Galactica series. While it was airing, it was the only television show I made time for regularly. It is one of the best recent dramas on television that I can think of and  always has something to say about issues of life and death, especially on the dignity of the human person. An example from the mini-series that launched the show is the president’s decision, even in a situation where supplies are limited, to continue treating prisoners with the same respect as everyone else. She recognizes their humanity and worth despite their criminal behavior. I look forward to revisiting the many episodes as time permits.

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My fellow co-conspirators and I continue to make plans for Advent. We hope to embrace the  calling to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all so as to better enter the story of Christmas. For more info on how you can participate check out the link below.

Advent Conspiracy

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I am excited to know that Dave Rawlings Machine is set to release their first album this month and even more excited to be able to see them again with friends soon. The current blog song was written by David Rawlings. Knoxville continues to be a great music town!

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Prayers have recently been answered as our youth minister and her husband have been able to reconcile some differences that I am certain many believed out of reach of God’s healing. A week from today we will gather to renew their wedding vows and celebrate in true St. Thomas fashion. Glad to see you all looking happy again!

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Prayers are still needed for our DRE and her family. Jill’s husband suffered a stroke last weekend and is still recovering in the hospital. Things continue to change day by day and Jill continues to send her thanks to the parish for prayers and says, “Keep them coming!”

Tags: Advent, Advent Conspiracy, Battlestar Galactica, Dave Rawlings Machine, death, dignity, Eucharist, funerals, humanity, life, marriage, music, prayer, Quick Takes, sickness

This entry was posted by Fr. Christian Mathis on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 12:24 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.