May 29

May 29, 2014:  Thursday, 6th week of Easter

(we don't celebrate Ascension till Sunday)

Readings

• Acts 18:1-8  Paul left Athens for Corinth, where he visited, stayed, and worked with Aquila, who had recently arrived with his wife Priscilla.  Every sabbath, he tried to convince both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue.  Once Silas and Timothy came, Paul was consumed with preaching that the Christ was Jesus.  When they opposed him, he told them, “I'll go to the Gentiles.”  He went to the house of Titus Justus, next to a synagogue.  Crispus, his household, and many other Corinthians came to believe and were baptized.

• Ps 98:1-4  "The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power."  Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds...

• Jn 16:16-20  “Soon you'll no longer see me, and a little while later and you will.”  Some disciples asked, “What's this ‘little while’?”  Jesus:  “You'll weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you'll grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

Music

• All the ends of the earth:  Belamore, Dufford, Haas 1, Haas 2 (psalm)

• In a little while/ Grant (title is prominent phrase in gospel)

In honor of those outside the Archdiocese of Los Angeles celebrating Ascension today instead of Sunday, here's re:Worship's list of praise and worship songs for Ascension, with these gospel-inspired songs:

• All hail the power of Jesus' name/ Perronet:  contemporary, acappella's arrangement, traditional; check out the original lyrics and unlikely(?) composer, click "read more," and love the rhymes with 'all' ([bcfg]all; 'floating/terrestrial ball' is my favorite).

• How sweet the name of Jesus sounds/ Newton:  traditional, country; his Amazing grace tune also works.

• Alleluia!  Sing to Jesus/ Dix:  COLA choir with Frank Brownstead, faster

Pope Francis

• On unemployment, migration, and solidarity, to ILO:  God entrusted creation to human beings, charging us to cultivate and protect it.  Human labor continues God’s creative work; work is both gift and duty and has inherent dignity and worth.  Unemployment is expanding the frontiers of poverty; it's particularly disheartening for unemployed youth.  Only through free, creative, participatory, and mutually supportive work can we express and enhance the dignity of life.

Mass migration—that so many are forced to work away from their homelands—is a grave concern.  People with hope often encounter mistrust and exclusion and fail to find dignified work and fall victim to a “globalization of indifference”.  Their situation exposes them to further dangers such as human trafficking and forced labor.  Human trafficking is a crime against humanity that affects us all; it's time to work together to free victims and eradicate it, as well as to expand solidarity, insisting on the dignity of every person, respecting them as actors in and beneficiaries of labor; reevaluating corporations' responsibilities, encouraging governments to facilitate migration, and defining sustainable development goals.

Saint and meditation

• Universalis:  Bl. Joseph Gerard, priest, Oblates of Mary Immaculate missionary to Africa

• Sacred Space

Apparel

• Red shirt:  Paul to opponents:  “Your blood be on your heads!” (1st reading)
• "Sailboat" tie bar:  Paul sails from Athens to Corinth (1st reading)

• "Hand" tie pin:  "His right hand has won victory" (psalm)
• "Children around the world" tie:  "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God." (psalm)

• "Clock" tie bar:  “A little while and you'll no longer see me, and a little while later you will see me.” / “What's this ‘little while’?  We don't know what he means.” (gospel)
• White in tie:  Easter season

Dress your life!