SAINT AUGUSTINE CHURCH
WASHINGTON, DC
May 21, 2017
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Be Ready to Give an Exclamation for your Hope!
The responsorial psalm at Mass today is: ”Let all the earth cry out
to God with joy!” I am sure that some in our world might ask: Why?
Why, cry out for joy when the world is filled with so much misery? It
is for this reason that Saint Peter exhorts believers to: “Always be
ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a
reason for your hope…” For the non-believer, the life of Christians
is supposed to make them scratch their heads and say, “Huh?” How
can that person give God thanks after finding out she has cancer?
How could that mother forgive that drunk driver after the accident
that took her daughter? Why does that family that lost their house in
the flood still insist that 'God is good all the time'? Why keep going
to church after the loved one you prayed for didn’t survive the
surgery? Why turn in a wallet at the ‘Lost and Found’ with the cash
still in it? Why pass up a lucrative career to become a priest or a
religious sister?
Clearly there is something not natural about Christianity. There is
something about it that defies conventional wisdom and for this
reason requires an exclamation… sort of like falling in love! “If you
love me”, Jesus says, “you will keep my commandments”! But
what is also implied here I that “if you don’t , you won’t “! Jesus is
making it clear that the first requirement of discipleship getting to
know him and as a result falling in love with him to such a degree
that you would never find it within yourself to say “No” to anything he
asks of you! That is, you’ll keep his commandments! Love is the key
motivator, not fear. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of
being crucified he could have said ”No!” but he didn’t Why, because
he remembered you. You and I needed him to say “Yes” to paying a
debt he didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay! Yes,
there’s a reason Christianity seems unnatural , because it’s
supernatural! But Jesus Christ has made this new life accessible to
us. God’s grace and life-giving Spirit makes it possible and livable.
Because of him we do not shrink in the face adversity but persevere
in hope and even find reason every day to cry out to God with joy!
Copyright ©Fr. Patrick A. Smith 2017 [Revised from 2014]
See Fr. Pat’s Sermon Notes and listen to the podcast at
http://saintaugustine-dc.org/category/sermon-notes/
REMEMBER ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH IN YOUR WILL & BEQUESTS
SEE WEB PAGE FOR FATHER PAT’S SERMON NOTES AND LISTEN TO
FATHER PAT’S SERMON PODCAST
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Scripture Readings
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
1 Peter 3:15-18
John 14:15-21
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 1:12-14
1 Pt 4:13-16
Jn 17: 1-11a
8:15 am Daily Mass Intentions
Mon
May
22 Gwendolyn Adams
- Living
Tues
May
23 Francis Arnold
- Living
Wed
May
24 Linda Satterwhite
- Living
Thurs May
25 Harriett Parker
- Living
Fri
26 Arnetia Montague
- Living
May
Attendance
909
BIBLE STUDY
Bible Study is held every Wednesday at 7:00pm
in the School Cafeteria.
PARISH PASTORAL NOMINATIONS FOR TWO YOUTH
Nominations are now open for 2 youth members, ages 16 to 21
years, to the Parish Pastoral Council. The nomination period is
from May 13th to May 28th, 2017. Nominations will close after the
12:30 Mass on May 28, 2017. Nomination forms are in the back of the
Church. Place the nominees completed form in the box also located in the
back of the Church. The election will take place on the weekend of June 24th
and 25th, 2017. One may nominate themselves or other registered members
of the parish. If you are nominating someone other than yourself, please
confirm with that person before submitting their name.
SAINT AUGUSTINE SCHOOL COMBINED FEDERAL
CAMPAIGN # 20000 ♦
ST AUGUSTINE SCHOOL UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN #9670
5th Sunday of Easter
This Sunday’s Second Collection is for the Trinity Dome. Thank you for your generous support.
Next Sunday’s Second Collection is for the Poor of the Parish.
St. Augustine School Love to Learn; Learn to Love
Catholic Education Corner
Saint Augustine School is now
registering for the 2017-2018
school year for grades Pre-K3, Pre
-K4 through Eighth. For an
application or more information,
please contact Mr. Wilkins,
Direction of Admissions at 202-667-2608 or email:
[email protected]
SOULFUL THANKS
Dear Saint Augustine’s Parishioners,
There is no adequate human way to thank you, Fathers Pat and Steve, Mr. Eddie
Cromwell and the Gospel Choir, Sister Gloria and the School Faculty, and how many
other guests who happened into Saint Augustine’s at 12:30 pm on Sunday, May 7, for
the Mass of Celebration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of my ordination.
Neighbor’s Catering did a great job as did the Ushers, Security, your incredible office
staff and all the liturgical ministers and the Dance Ministry. Every guest remarked to
me how welcoming the “Mother Church’ is to all.
My feelings about the parish are pretty well known. I am delighted that both the current
and former Mayors are comfortable being numbered among you. The homily I gave
has been posted on your website thanks to Fr. Pat’s podcast recording abilities. To
connect the work and the history of the parish with the every-unfolding story of
Catholics of Color at Georgetown has been a remarkable way to marvel at the graces
of fifty plus years of ministry. I am not going to recount my homily, which went on too
long. But push me to write it up as a talk or an article.
The history of Catholics of Color in this area goes back to 1634 and the landing in
Southern Maryland. But the strength of faith is something measured in depth and not
just in time, and that depth comes through in every aspect of your current life. And it
comes through to my students and former students from Georgetown, more than a few
of whom have made you their church home. May your own school thrive!
One of my about to graduate Seniors knew the way to his A. He wrote in his Final of
attending Mass with you during Lent at the Ten AM Mass, and being moved by Fr.
Steve’s homily and his consistently using “Somebody’s Knocking on Your Door” to
close out his homily every Sunday. He was struck at the topics that Fr. Steve included,
and the general intercessions praying over topics he never hears in Rhode Island
churches. “Saint Augustine’s has served as an integral place for the development of
my own faith in that it has brought me closer to many people and forced me to think
about people outside of the comfort of Georgetown.” Jesus clearly knocked on his
door.
Another recent grad spoke of Father Pat swaying and dancing down the aisle in and
out of the 12:30, and of homilies that sang of the power of the cross and the crown.
That is witness to years of welcoming all God’s children and not concerning oneself
with how anyone looked or from where they came. Father Pat’s dedication to keeping
the school going is one reason for my admiration. As we look to the future, I can only
ask you to pray for me, as I pray that the parish may always have the depth of vision
and imagination and faith to meet whatever lies ahead.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God Bless You!
Father Raymond B. Kemp
SR. GLORIA AGUMAGU, HHCJ PRINCIPAL
INFORMATION: 202-667–2608
Please Pray for Our Sick & Homebound
Gwendolyn Adams
John Adams, Sr.
Beatrice Alexander
Francis Arnold
Ronald Ausbrooks
William Barksdale
Althea Black
Frances Brooks
Charles Brown
Norma Brown
Williams Burgan
Andrew Burton
Angela Callighan
Elizabeth Carter
Phillip Cephas
Ollie Mae Clark
Ernestine Coghil Howard
Pauline Dines
Theola Douglas
Susan Epps
Barbara Ferguson
Julie Fish
Toni Fisher
Carolyn Fouch
Richard B. Fowler
Daniel Galloway
Inez Gaskins
Charles Gathers
James Griffiths
Rev Charles Green
Valencia Green
Robert Greenfield
Frances Gulston
Louise Harrison
Grace Hansberry
Brian Harvey
John Harris
Patricia Herndon
Emily Hill
Jeanne Hinckley
Deborah Jackson
Charles Jackson
Marlene Jackson
Malcom Jamison
Eleanor Johnson
Daniela Joy
Paul Joy
Sedonia Labee
Keats Labule
Raymond Lane
Louisa Lee
Mary Leonard
Bernadette Mahoney
Lita Majors
Catherine Mason
Florence Matthews
Floyd McCory
James McNamara
Rick Middleton
Sylvia Monroe
Arnetia Montague
Alpha Nacnas
Julius Oben
Colelle Ogbey
Eileen Ogu
Harriet Parker
Marguerite Parker
Audrey Plaskett
Theresa Purcell
Samiya Rajah
Ze’La Rajah
Ashley Redhead, Jr.
Royal Robinson
Lisa Rivera
Gertina Simms
Alise Simmons
Mary Smith
Zedekiah Smith
Donnie Stewart
Don Strong
Willis Thomas
Juanita Towns
Selma Twitty
Hayden Vaughn
Lillian Vaughn
Terry Vaughn
Shirley Ward
Betty Washington
Elliot Weaver
Cynthia Wilkins
Bernice Williams
Teresa Wilkinson
PRAY FOR OUR DEAD
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL
Pastoral Parish Council Meetings are
held every 3rd Saturday of the month at
9:00 am in the Gingras Center.
Meetings are open to all parishioners.
PARK FREE SUNDAY
FROM 9am — 4pm
REEVES CENTER
U STREET AT 14TH ST NW
Enter on U Street
Please see an Usher after Mass for a
Reeves Center Parking Pass
Our Parish Bookstore and Gift Shop
Opens before and after weekend Masses. Use
Visa or MasterCard ($10 min), check ($5min), or
cash to buy: Bibles - Missals - Rosaries - Books
on the Pope, Saints, Parish History, Faith,
Discernment, Marriage, Children’s Books, Father
Pat’s Homilies and Choir CDs
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CATHOLIC, RECEIVING CONFIRMATION? SPONSORING INQUIRERS?
RCIA MEETS TUESDAYS AT 6:45 – 8:45PM IN THE GINGRAS CENTER - SABRINA WILLIAMS AT 202-294-6990.
▼SEE GINGRAS CENTER BULLETIN BOARD FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OF AVAILABLE EMPLOYMENT, YOUTH AND ADULT OPPORTUNITIES . ▼
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PARKING ARRANGEMENTS
St. Augustine partners with U Street Parking to
provide Sunday church attendees free parking.
The garage is located in the Reeves Center
garage. The Reeves Center is on U street near
the intersection of 14th and U Streets NW.
To help the garage attendants identify
St. Augustine attendees, a validation system
will begin on May 14.
TO PARK FOR FREE ON
SUNDAYS...
1. Enter the garage on U Street.
2. You will receive a ticket upon
entry.
3. After Mass, ask an usher for
a pass.
4. Present your ticket and pass
to the garage attendant.*
* YOU WILL BE CHARGED A FEE,
IF YOU DO NOT PRESENT THE
PASS.