A truly Happy Easter to all! Alleluia! Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. God has vanquished death through him. The moment has finally come. With Mary and John and Peter we have looked into the empty tomb. (John 20:1-9). Unlike them we need not guess what happened. We know that Jesus has risen! We have heard him call our names as Mary did ( John 20:16-18). We have met him on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and behind the closed door where the disciples gathered in fear. We have put our hands into His wounds with Thomas. (John 20:19-30). We had him serve us breakfast near the Sea of Tiberius (John 21:1-14). Through the four Gospel records and indeed in our own lives, we have seen him for ourselves, as they did many times over time. JOY, joy, death could not hold him. And now, death can not hold us.

As Pope Francis says in Urbi et Orbi, Easter, 2021 “The Easter message speaks concisely of the event that gives us the hope that does not disappoint: “Jesus who was crucified has risen.” It speaks to us not about angels or ghosts, but about a man, a man of flesh and bone, with a face and a name: Jesus…..the witnesses report an important detail: the risen Jesus bears the marks of the wounds in his hands, feet and side. These wounds are the everlasting seal of his love for us. All those who experience a painful trial in body or spirit can find refuge in these wounds and, through them, receive the grace of the hope that does not disappoint. The hope that does not disappoint is that we too shall rise. We shall rise from our pain, from the darkness of the tombs we may find ourselves in, from living half a life. we shall rise to full life-NOW and then FOREVER. Can you let your heart be lighter now.? Can we embrace this hope?

Indeed that is the question. Joan Chittister says that “Easter is not simply a day of celebration; it is as well, a day of decision.” Can we allow the Light in? Can we allow Jesus to come again in us? Can we embrace J Jesus living in us now? https://visiionviewpoint@benetvision.org via gmail.mcsv.net

When we allow Jesus to live again in us we may have to take unpopular stands and reach out to the most broken of this world. Here Pope Francis sounds like a peace activist, and indeed here he is just that. In this years Urbi et Orbi message, (To the city and the world, 4/17/2022) Pope Francis notes that as Jesus greeted the disciples in the upper room after rising from the dead he said “Peace be with you.” In a world where war and its ravages continue even on Easter “we need the Lord more than ever to stand before us and repeat to us, “Peace be with you!” “Let us allow the peace of Christ to enter our lives, our homes, our countries!”. “May there be peace for war-torn Ukraine”…”that in this terrible night of suffering and death, may a new dawn of hope soon appear!” The Pope said that he “held in his heart the victims, the millions of refugees, the orphaned children, and the elderly left to themselves. We hear especially the cry of the children…” ” He appealed to leaders to “hear the cry of their suffering and to make decisions in favor of peace” Quoting Albert Einstein(1955) he said “Shall we put an end to the human race, or shall mankind renounce war?” He also prayed for peace in the Middle East and in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and on the African Continent. He also prayed for victims of natural disasters. and those struggling in horrific social conditions and drug trafficking. He exhorted us to not surrender to evil and violence. “May we be won over by the peace of Christ! Peace is possible; peace is a duty; peace is everyone’s primary responsibility.”

I am glad for a Pope that renounces war and in fact renounces human destruction and weapons of human destruction. May we too follow Jesus in ways that need compassion and courage to stop destruction and violence and injustice. May we truly be Easter People! with St. Augustine of Hippo let us say: “We are Easter people and ‘Alleluia” is our song. Let us sing ‘Alleluia’ here and now in this life, even though we are oppressed by various worries, so that we may sing it one day in the world to come, when we are set free from all anxiety.”

For other Easter Reflections click here and put Easter in the search box on the right

https://judyabl.blog

While four of our beloved community members pictured here, including our beloved Pastor Judy Beaumont, Peace and Justice Activist, and Roman Catholic Woman Priest since 2021, are now risen with Jesus we continue to gather to love and serve one another- to LIVE JESUS, as the Salesians say. May we all follow our saints and our risen Jesus in standing for peace and justice-no matter what.

HE is Risen! Alleluia! We rise too!

Happy Easter,

Love, Pastor Judy Lee

Rev. Dr. Judith Lee, RCWP and

the Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community of Fort Myers

Today is a day of silence as we wait and hope for the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Tonight we will gather for the Easter Vigil in our churches together. We will first sit in darkness as the Easter candle is lit from new fire and carried into the church. It is a wonderful moment as “the Light of Christ” is proclaimed three times by the priest leading the procession to the Altar. Beautiful prayers of God’s deliverance follows. The lights are now on.

Then in the LITURGY OF THE WORD, we follow salvation history, God’s work to reach humankind, from Genesis and Exodus through the Prophets and Psalms to New Testament and the Gospel. It is the history of the Jewish covenant leading up to Christ. As one who does not eat animal flesh I particularly love the image of the original creation, the Genesis reading that ends with how God provides food for all living beings from the trees and seeds, and the fruits of the land (Genesis 1:29). And God looked upon all of God’s creation and said “it was very good”. And I love the Exodus story where the Hebrew people are rescued by God from the Egyptian oppressors. And the efforts of the prophets and the praise, glory and sometimes agony in the Psalms. I love the gospel account of Mary of Magdalene and the other women finding the empty tomb and being commissioned as the apostle to the apostles by telling them ” He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him as he told you.” Mark 16:1-7. we know that at first, predictably, the men did not believe them (Luke 24:1-12), but then John and Peter ran to the tomb and found out that indeed he was not there, he was risen and they would meet him on the road, and in many other ways and places attesting to his full life in the days to follow.

In my Holy Thursday blog I noted the NY Times article “What if there were no Exodus in the Bible? and its explicit connection to the struggles of black people in this country and wherever slavery and racism and the dehumanizing of peoples reigns. Yesterday there was another excellent NY Times article by New Testament Professor Esau McCaulley on Easter and the Resurrection from the Black perspective. For a clear connection to today’s world and one which I and our Good Shepherd people embrace the reader may see:

https://wwwnytimes.com/2022/04/15/opinion/easter-ressurection-good-friday.html?referringSource=articleShare.

The HOMILY then follows the reading of Salvation history. In Pope Francis’ homily today (4/16/2022) he asks that we allow the women of the Gospel to lead us. Referring to the Gospel account in Luke 24:1-12, he suggests that they SAW, HEARD and PROCLAIMED. He captures well the fear. “they were terrified”, and anxiety they had at being told and seeing that Jesus was not in the tomb. He suggests that we often prefer to leaver Jesus in the tombs of old understanding and in the small boxes of our own construction rather than allowing Him to be free and walk among us transforming our lives right now. The women listened carefully when they heard “He is not here”. He noted that we cannot welcome Easter if we continue to be dead. We must hear the words and accept them deeply within us that Jesus is not in a tomb of the past. He is here now with us acting among us, enlivening us. Indeed then the women RAN to proclaim the joy of the resurrection whether anyone would listen to them or not. They immediately became missionary disciples, apostles, sharing the good news not an “idle tale” from the past but testifying to what they had seen , heard and experienced right then. We too must allow Jesus to rise again from the small boxes where we have imprisoned him as if the past contains him. Jesus enters the tomb of our sins and our deep darkness and all that keeps us from rising with him. Pope Francis broke from his script and his face was clearly moved as he addressed the Mayor and Parliamentary and people of war torn Ukraine in their suffering. He said “we can only give you our closeness, and prayers and say have courage, we are with you. Christ is Risen! Yes, even in the midst of war and suffering the risen Christ is there. In the darkest places of our lives Christ is there and we welcome the risen Christ!

And truly too, the prayer of the women who are Roman Catholic Priests is that Pope Francis and the leaders of the church he must deal with can indeed “allow the women to Lead us” even as ordained priests. Several of us have walked the road of the priesthood for many years now and while we do not want particularly to lead we do want to be seen and heard and to proclaim the risen Christ with our brothers.

Next is the Liturgy of Baptism

After the reading of Salvation History those who have prepared for a period of time to embrace the Christian faith within the RC tradition come forth for Baptism and /or reception/initiation into the church. The baptismal creed is affirmed and all present also affirm their Baptismal promises. (When there are no new baptisms, all present affirm their Baptismal promises). As we die with Christ in Baptism so we are raised to new life in Baptism. They don white garments and receive the laying-on-of hands by the bishop and are sealed with holy chrism oil and receive Holy Communion. This is a moment of resurrection for all present.

For Holy Saturday reflections of earlier years please click on this link and put Holy Saturday into the search space top right.

https://judyabl.blog

Here are the two different times that some of our Good Shepherd members ready themselves to receive Baptism and also Confirmation-to rise with Christ into new life. The first picture is Confirmaton with Bishop Andrea Johnson as celebrant, and the second, two years earlier, with Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan. The third picture is the baptism of Brenda Cummings who was confirmed two years later, far left, in the picture below.

And finally in the Easter Vigil we celebrate the Eucharist, our thanksgiving for the death and resurrection of Christ with those gathered. In the bread and wine Jesus comes among us in the Eucharist. He enters us with risen life. And we look forward to the time when we shall see him face to face.

And so this Holy Saturday we once again await Christ’s Rising and taking away our darkness. We welcome him to be with us and in our world fully alive now. We join the women in proclaiming that He Lives! Thanks be to God!

Bless you on this Holy Saturday,

Pastor Judy Lee

rev. Dr. Judith Lee, RCWP,

Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers, Florida

At his last Passover celebration Jesus, foretelling his death, took the bread gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them saying “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of (the new) covenant, which is poured our for many for the forgiveness of sins..” (Matthew 26: 26-28. See also Mark 14:12-26 and Luke21: 7-22. In Luke’s account of this last supper he records that the disciples were quibbling over who is the greatest and Jesus tells them: “For who is greater, the one who is at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22: 27) In the Gospel of John we have another part of that Passover celebration. Here Jesus washes his disciples feet and tells them that they should also wash another’s feet. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you…” (John 13:1-17). And so on Holy Thursday we enact the washing of the feet and the sharing of the body and blood of Christ. With this, we too become the body and blood of Christ and we are commanded to serve one another.

First we note that Jesus is celebrating the Passover when he foretells his death and offers himself for us, for the sins of the world. Passover is an essential part of Jesus’ Hebrew faith and it is part of the covenant of God with God’s people to commemorate their freedom from slavery at God’s hand. The New York Times today had a wonderful article about the Passover Exodus account in the Scriptures. The reader would find it thought provoking particularly as we consider the words of Jesus “To Serve” with its subtext of “enact justice”.

For several years I have contemplated Holy Thursday in this blog. I am missing most the washing of the feet that we did at Good Shepherd. It is a moment of profound love and humility. The reader might go to

https://judyabl.blog

and where it says SEARCH on right top, put in Holy Thursday…many years will come up and each one will have a different meditation and pictures of our Good Shepherd Ministry on this holy day. I pray that the words and pictures of this day may move you this Holy Thursday. Move you to wash each other’s feet, and move you to become the body and blood of Christ.

Below is a lovely poem from one of our Roman Catholic Woman Priests-Rev. Dr. Roberta Meehan, currently of the Detroit, Michigan area. She has graciously given us permission to print it here.

Maundy (Holy) Thursday – 14 April 2022Holy Thursday The meal complete, he looks around. Are they ready?  His humanity wonders. Challenge and pain curl his brow. And emptiness closes his eyes. Tightness grips his chest as he surrenders to the moment. Then back – a slight smile spreads across his lips. A laugh teeters in his throat. Now! He thinks.  Now!  Now is the time. They look at him – not knowing what to expect. Wondering what he is thinking, planning…. He reaches for the breadbasket And pulls it toward himself. He chooses a small loaflet. Elbows on the table, piercing dark eyes in a gentle teaching mode…. “Do you know what this is?” Disbelief shrouds their sighs.“ “A remnant of bread?” ventures one. “From our Passover meal?” “Not so,” he instructs.  “Not so.” “Think!”  He pauses.  “Think and watch.” His attention shifts to his cup. He toys with the edge and again questions them. “Do you know what this is?” “Your wine?” One asks. “You haven’t finished your wine.   Do you need more?  We have plenty.” He becomes somber. “No.  Not so.  You do not understand.   Think.  Think and watch.” He studies the bread – contemplating, visioning. A serious focus embraces the wine. Back and forth he gazes, blessing and knowing – Past and future merge! Bread and wine converge on NOW! He holds the bread, intently, carefully. He instructs, “This is my body!”  “Here, take it!”  A commanding offer.  “Take it and eat it.” His eyes meet the first and move from one to another. “All of you!  Eat it!”  And they do. He holds his wine cup – studying it, swirling it. “And this,” he says, “This is the cup of my blood!  This is the cup of salvation Which will be shed for you and for many. Here.  Take this cup and drink from it. ”Again their eyes meet. “All of you!  Drink from it!”  And they do. falls on those assembled. They look each to the other. They know only vaguely the enormity of what has happened. He looks lovingly, sadly, at each of them. “You,” he says.  “Now you are my body; now you are my blood! Furthermore, I tell you to do this.  Do this in remembrance of me! Do this until the end of time!  And I am with you!” He looks down.  They become – all of them – one in him and he in them. And he whispers, “It is finished!” Original © 2003 – Roberta M Meehan Updated © 2022 – Roberta M Meehan —

Dear Friends, Let us Serve One Another

For we are the Body and Blood Of Christ,

A blessed Holy Thursday to all,

Rev. Dr. Judy Lee, RCWP

Pastor Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholid Community and Ministries

Fort Myers<Florida,

4/14/2022

Janet Lillian Blake led a fulfilling and wonderful life (1938-2021). She was a beloved mother, wife, sister, aunt, cousin and friend to those gathered at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Center Moriches, New York on Saturday March 19,2022. She died in Hobe Sound, Florida where she and her husband James Blake lived for over forty years. She returned home to our loving God after a long bout with cancer. She was victorious in this battle for several years before succumbing and she was always thankful for the support of her loving family, especially Jim who cared for her until a brief hospice stay at the end, and her children Lori Whitlatch Post of New York and Timothy Whitlatch of Virginia and their families. Her brother Bobby Robinson of New York and niece and nephew Kathleen Knoppert and Kenneth Robinson and their families, also of New York, were also always there for her and in her heart, as were all of her loved ones.

The Scriptures were read by Ken Robinson and Kathy Knoppert, Janet’s niece and nephew. Ken read Isaiah 25:6-9, God will wipe away every tear and destroy death forever. Kathy read I Corinthians 13-“the greatest of these is love” which also speaks to the quality of Janet’s love for her family. The Gospel was John 14:1-6 where Jesus says that he is going to prepare a place for us and he will bring us to that place to be with him in eternal life. The grave, the end, is the beginning for those who believe in Christ and live a life of love. We prayed that our loving God will “grant Janet a place of rest and peace where the world of dust and ashes has no dominion. Confirm in us your hope that she will be created anew…to raise her up in glory to live with You and all the saints, forever and ever”.

At the graveside service Janet’s son Timothy Whitlatch gave the Eulogy. (He is top row right end in the group picture). It was a wonderful review of her life as a mother, and as a woman who loved life. Timothy remembered that his mother had a picture with an inspirational saying that she took from home to home with her -“Faith can break the sky in two and let the face of God shine through.” She also had a plaque of a little Dutch boy and girl that she labelled with “Lori” and “Tim.” I was reminded of an antique picture of a beautiful guardian angel with two children, a girl and a boy crossing a rickety bridge, because Tim said that she used to say “Angels with” whenever anyone left her. So this was our time to say to Janet: “ANGELS WITH”. Dearest Janet, the angels are with you and you are our angel now. Timothy ended the Eulogy with “Angels With”.

I am Janet’s cousin and was honored to be asked by her children to preside at her graveside service to commit her spirit to God forever. I last saw her a few years back with the rest of our family’s Florida contingent, our other cousins, Jack and Daniel McGarry and their spouses who lived near Janet on the East Coast of Florida. She was well then and she invited me to her home and we also had wonderful meals and parties with the whole Florida contingent. I was glad to reunite with my New York family to remember her. Because of my faith commitment even before my ordination in 2007 as a Roman Catholic Woman Priest, I presided at other family funerals. Notably I helped to lay Janet’s father, my beloved special Uncle, Julian C. Robinson, to rest in the early 1990’s. As our faith filled grandmother, Ella Robinson Weinmann would say, “God’s love for us was from the cradle past the grave to forever.” And so we came together to celebrate Janet with our love as well on this day.

Janet was cherished by a large circle of loved ones, only some of whom could attend this Service of Commendation and Commitment. After the graveside service there was a warm and moving gathering at Buckleys in Center Moriches where those gathered looked at pictures and mementos of her life and shared stories and memories. There was much laughter and tears as the bonds were renewed and Janet was remembered.

At the end of the Service we asked that we take leave of Janet in the “sure hope of life eternal, let us go in peace and live lives of love and hope as Janet did”.

And we prayed the Irish blessing:

Dear Janet and your beloved family and friends,

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

And the rains fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again

May God hold you in the palm of God’s hand” Amen

ANGELS WITH, dearest Janet, Angels With…. Angels With dear family, Angels with….

With so much love from your family and friends

and your cousin, Judy

Rev. Dr. Judith Lee, RCWP

5/7/2022

On Saturday afternoon, April 2, 2022, twenty-two members and friends of the Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers, Florida gathered to worship together and enjoy the family of God as they moved toward Easter joy. Our diverse and enthusiastic group ranged from those in their 20’s to our 93 year old senior member, several cultures and all genders and races and colors of the rainbow. As I looked at them I thought “oh, the beautiful face of Christ.”.

In the picture above, Pastor Judy Lee carries our Cross for the Altar table outside the homes of six members who live in the Goodwill Community for the physically disabled in East Fort Myers where we have met several times during the Covid 19 pandemic. Our Church Elder, Mr. Harry Lee Peter Gary (top left) opens his home for our setting up and our faithful member Pearl Cudjoe (top right) makes sure we have a meal for each one attending for our Fellowship Time after Church. Donna Girasi and Kathy Roddy and Stella Odie Ali (not pictured here) also brought wonderful food and desert for our meal time. Also in the picture are Donna Girasi (seated left) who read the Hebrew Scripture and Brenda Cummings (seated right) who read our New Testament Scripture. Next to her is our beloved Ellen McNally who always brings a table full of donated items for perusal after the service. Ellen, who is in her nineties has been doing this since we began our ministry of worship and a meal as Church in the Park in 2007. Mr. Gary and Brenda and Pearl have been with us faithfully since that time as well. Next to Ellen were Kathy Overby and Kathy Lauwagie, our snowbirds from Minnesota. We were so pleased to have them with us. This was a very hot day and all understood as we let them know that in the coming hot and rainy season we would no longer be able to meet outside. As one member said, God will provide a suitable worship space for another time.

We began by singing This is the Day Our God Has Made and asking God through song to Revive Us Again. To bring us back to full life.

Our worship theme this Fifth Sunday of Lent (using the Year A readings with the rising of Lazarus as the Gospel) was praying and interceding for our loved ones and assisting them to live. And, embracing resurrection, including our own rising up from the dead. With our care for others we, and they too, may rise from what keeps us from the fullness of life, now and forever-to rise from the dead. We also had special intentions for the people of the Ukraine and for peace there and everywhere, and for our member Joe Baker, who is currently hospitalized in ICU.

Our Readings were: Ezekiel 37:12-14 where God promises: “I will raise you from your graves, put my breath in you and you shall live.” ; Psalm 130 with the Response ” With You are kindness and plenteous redemption”; Romans 8:8-11 where we learn that the Spirit of Christ lives within us (and so we are empowered to serve one another); and the Gospel: John 11:1-45 where we see Jesus loving his friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and Mary and Martha pleading for their brother who dies, and Jesus weeps with the sisters and friends before raising Lazarus from the dead.

The homily by Pastor Judy was a mixture of interactive style and preaching. Members felt free to dialogue with Pastor Judy as she preached and to talk with one another on the themes. This interaction underlined the theme of our job of interceding for and helping one another even as Mary and Martha interceded for their brother. They were extremely upset and simply would not let Jesus go until he did something even after their brother died. The two things Jesus did, crying with them and then actually raising Lazarus from the dead demonstrates what we as a faith community can do for one another and for all who need intervention. When action is not easy we can simply be with one another in our pain. That in itself is a great gift that helps. We reflected together on those we pray for and those we help with our actions and with our prayers. When we feel that we cannot do something to help our loved ones, we can pray, and that too is doing something. As Mary and Martha plead with Jesus to help- and he did, we too can bring the needs of those we care about before our loving God. God, of course already knows the needs of our loved ones, but it is good for us to try to meet those needs and if we cannot to pray, even to plead, to let God know about the pain of our brothers and sisters. Mr. Gary made the point that Jesus asked the family members to take the funeral clothes off of Lazarus. He reflected on how we sometimes put grave clothes on others rather than take them off. He prayed that we may learn to watch what we say and do that puts funeral clothes on others. That we may learn not to judge others but to help them live.

We took time here to call out names of those in need of prayers in our immediate circles and throughout the world. While we will pray together again as we do our general intercessions, right now we can pray, we can always pray. Part of our work for and with others in Christian service, prayer is work as well. And here I reflect that the prayers of our people never fail to move me, and I know they move our loving God as well.

We reflected on the lives of two of our members who make sure that others are helped. We remembered our Grandma Jolinda Harmon who now intercedes for us from heaven, who would always seek prayer and help for those she loved especially if she felt that help was beyond her. And just this week Angie Glover worried about her neighbor, our brother Joe Baker who lives right where we are meeting. She bothered the landlord until they went in and found him in bed in a pool of blood. He was immediately sent to the hospital where he remains in ICU. We prayed for Joe and we thanked Sister Angie for getting him the help he needed and for then visiting him and following up on his care. We talked about the self centeredness that sometimes keeps us from seeing or responding to the needs of our neighbors and loved ones. We asked God’s help to overcome inherent selfishness this Lenten season. We prayed to become God centered and other centered more than self centered. We saw that helping others helps us to rise up and live and prayed to be able to do this so that we too may rise again.

Our prayers included in specific and in general the need to stop violence in our communities and in the world. We centered on the Ukraine but also added many other places in the world including our own community. We sang Thank You God during Holy Communion. And we thanked Jesus for the sacrifice of His life, His body and Blood for us, noting that now we receive His body and blood and we become the Body Of Christ, serving one another. We sang What A Friend we have in Jesus, and affirmed that once again we have Decided to Follow Jesus.

We affirmed that though the road for us , like Lazarus, will lead to death, through Christ there will be and is Rising Again. We thanked God that Easter is coming!

After church we continued our fellowship with a meal and with celebrating our March- April Birthdays including Joelle White,15, and Timothy Vanderwarf,48. We were so thankful that our church family had another chance to meet and worship, and to enjoy such good companionship on the road to Easter.

Below are some of our members enjoying fellowship and a meal.

Thanks Be to God!

Love and Blessings, Easter is coming! Rise Up and Live!

Pastor Judy Lee, Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community

Rev. Dr. Judith Lee, RCWP