Podcasts about zecharaiah

Sign-up for my free 20-day devotional, The Word Before Work Foundations, at http://TWBWFoundations.com--Series: Christmas Vocations Part IIIDevotional: 1 of 4And you, my child…will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him. (Luke 1:76)Today we're starting a new series here on The Word Before Work—a third installment of my semi-annual Christmas Vocations series where we explore the jobs of some of the characters of the Christmas narrative and what they can teach us about our own work today.We begin with John the Baptist whose role was to “prepare the way” for Christ as we see in today's passage—an excerpt from Zecharaiah's prayer after John's birth. Right from the get go, John was told he would never be top dog. His purpose in life was to play the proverbial second fiddle to his cousin Jesus. And all throughout the gospels, we see John joyfully embracing his secondary role. Referring to Jesus, John famously said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).John knew his place in God's cosmic drama. The question is do we? Sure we do intellectually. But functionally, I think many of us spend an ungodly amount of energy clamoring to be center stage. As Christian rapper Sho Baraka says, “we find ourselves feeling like extras on the set of life, trying desperately to write a meaningful part for ourselves.”How does this restless search for a “more meaningful part” in God's story show up? It looks like obsessing over “winning” and “being the best” at work, rather than leading and serving others well. Or believing the lie that you must do something extraordinary for your life to matter rather than basing your significance on Christ's extraordinary work of adopting you into God's family. Or fixating on having “more impact for the kingdom” instead of wholeheartedly working on what God has already entrusted to you.If you can relate to what I'm talking about, please hear this: Ironically, it is only once we embrace our role as “extras on the set of life” and Jesus as the star that we can be truly “successful.” Because then success is secure regardless of the part you play. It is based on the fact that God has given you an irrevocable invitation to enjoy and participate in the only eternal production there is. And once you grasp that, you are free. If you struggle embracing your role in the proverbial supporting cast of God's kingdom, consider these three practices.#1: Start every day on your knees in prayer, physically signifying your submission to Christ.#2: Write John 3:30 and post it near your desk (“He must become greater; I must become less.”)#3: Fast from social media for at least a week as these apps subtly (and not so subtly) try to convince us that we, rather than Christ, are the center of the story of life.Now, go fade into the background behind Christ as you work today!

Today we head to Hawaii on a little adventure in the ocean, an something pretty cool I got to do. Can't wait to tell you about it! Also, we'll visit the Pretendomatic and hear from Zecharaiah, well sort of...he couldn't talk last time so we might have to hear more from Elizabeth. Of course, we'll have a WhatzIT, a Random Nature fact,  Silly Minute, and more!

In the Holy of Holies, the angel Gabriel appears and tells Zecharaiah some very specific things about the baby boy he and his wife Elizabeth will soon have. Join us today as we look at these six insights about John, the forerunner of the Messiah. https://longhollow.com/theforgottenjesuspodcastshownotes

June 24, 2023Today's Reading: Luke 1:57-80Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 3:5-24, John 11:38-57And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways. (Luke 1:76)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Usually, Luke 1 and 2 are reserved for Advent and Christmas. Many of you who read this can still remember being in Christmas programs at church when the story is repeated each and every year. But we don't usually focus all that closely on the foretelling and subsequent conception and birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. But it makes sense that John, six months older than Jesus, would show up on the scene about 6 months before we celebrate Christmas, so today, we'll celebrate the nativity of the Baptist. It had been a strange time in Zechariah's home over these last 9 months. He returned from his priestly duties unable to speak. The angel Gabriel had met him as he offered incense at the Temple, telling him that his barren wife, Elizabeth, would conceive and bear a child in her old age. Zechariah hadn't believed the angel's unbelievable message, and had subsequently struck him mute. Sure enough, Elizabeth conceived. The last few months of her pregnancy, a relative had come to visit—Mary—who was visited by the very same angel, and who had conceived, by the Holy Spirit, another child. Mary's greeting caused Zechariah's child to leap for joy in the womb. When he was born, Zechariah insisted that he would be named John, as Gabriel had instructed him—and Zecharaiah's tongue was loosed into words of praise directed to God…and a prophecy of his own, concerning this child. He had leapt in Elizabeth's womb, and he would continue to precede Jesus; to herald our Lord's entrance into the spotlight at His baptism in the Jordan River, and to lay down his life, not to atone for sins, but to show what the world intends to do to those whose trust is in Christ. The good news for you, dear Christian, is that God has gone above and beyond to point you to His beloved Son. Through the prophets, priests, and kings of old, we see a promise that God would certainly fulfill…and when John shows up, we know that Christ is coming soon. In short, I guess you could say that June 24th is a perfect day to remember that the beautiful promise of Immanuel (God with us) is coming soon. That God has sent a herald to announce the coming of the Kingdom—even the coming of the King Himself! So look for John! Where you hear his message of repentance and faith, you can rest assured that the Savior of the world is drawing near! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We praise You for the Baptist, forerunner of the Word, Our true Elijah, making a highway for the Lord. The last and greatest prophet, he saw the dawning ray of light that grows in splendor until the perfect day. Amen. (LSB 518:18)-Pastor Dustin Beck is Pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Warda Texas.Audio Reflections Speaker: Jonathan Lackey is an LCMS seminarian.Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

Grace and peace to you, and welcome to Trusting God at all times, a daily devotion. I'm Rev. Joe Cailles, the pastor of Peakland United Methodist Church here in Lynchburg Virginia. During this season of Advent, Peakland people are reading this book: Prepare the Way for the Lord, an advent study focusing on John the Baptist. This book is written by Rev. Adam Hamilton. Each week at Peakland, we're discussing a chapter of this book in small groups and referencing this in the sermons during Sunday morning worship. I'm eager to share some of my insights with you, so that's what I'll do online each week on Thursdays in Advent. For this week's reading and in worship last Sunday, we focused on Zechariah and what happened to him after the angel told him that he and Elizabeth his wife would bear a son. Zechariah and Elizabeth were both older people at the time, so having a child would have been miraculous news for a variety of reasons. Zechariah was understandably doubtful that he and Elizabeth would be able to conceive and bear a child, so the angel said to him, you will become mute unable to speak, until that day these things occur. So Zechariah was silent for 9 months. We're going to do something now which is radical for an online devotion. We're going to sit in silence for a minute. The camera will focus in on the advent candles, so that you don't have to stare at my silent face for the whole time. But for a minute. Let us keep silent. [one minute] For some, a minute of silence is an eternity. For some it is a blessing and too short a time. When the angel inflicted silence on Zecharaiah, it was meant as a reprimand, but I hope Zechariah found a blessing in the 9 months of silence. I hope he found opportunities to listen more closely to those around him. Surely his wife needed him to listen, perhaps his friends enjoyed the opportunity to be heard. I hope in the silence Zechariah found opportunities to listen more closely to God. There are situations in our lives that are hard, that seem to be punishments to us, . Advent and Christmas can be hectic and pressure-filled and the opposite of holy and sacred. and yet the good news for us is God can give us small miracles and opportunities in our trials In the days to come look for the opportunities to be still, to be silent and to listen. Listen to those around you, listen to your own soul, and listen for the Word of Lord within you. Be silent and listen. Thanks be to God.

Zechariah (selected texts)Rev. Bill McCutchen

Matthew 27:3-10 Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music written and performed by Jeff Foote.

On this breezy Shabat day sermon we take a look at what it means to be obedient to Jesus and how that leads into following Jesus and what that means. We begin in Ezra 6:13-22 we read about how the 2nd temple was built and completed & the children of Israel out of the babylonian captivity were purified and seperated themselves to dedicate the temple and to keep the passover. We read that the prophets Haggai & Zecharaiah prophesied during this time. and we turned to Haggai to take a look at the 2nd chapter in verse 12 where we read about the clean and unclean Jesus asks "if one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment & do touch bread or pottage or wine or oil or any meat shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said no. In verse 14 " Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean" . We learn that this uncleaness comes from the world and from the other nations that practice things that we are not supposed to part take in . The Holy spirit speaks through us to let us know that we are an offering and can become unclean when we touch the abominations of the nations & world around us and in Hebrews 11 we read that our faith is a huge part of our offering that Jesus expects from us . Feel free to share comment & reflect. https://www.smucd.org/blog https://www.smucd.org/donate #SMUCD #JESUS #Baptism #BLIND #SIGHT #Rest #Slavery #Earings #Israel #TheBible #BlackHistory #peace #works #grace #deuteronomy28 #christ #prophecy #Hebrews #Sermons #Oneness #thePast #TheFuture #Revelation #Newtestament #Oldtestament #conversation #TheMultitude #radio #Holy #refined #thefire #HolySpirit #mercy #wisdom #Proverbs #Acts #Peter #Paul #Apostles #fellowship #seek #knocking #Skills #talents #crafts #Arts #building #Raisingstones #Raising #Refining --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/smucd-podcast/message

Psalm 30, Luke 1.1-25 The story of Zecharaiah

Today is Palm Sunday - Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. This story doesn't happen in a vacuum - all kinds of events immediately precede it. John quotes the prophet Zecharaiah in his commentary on the events of this day, who proclaims that peace will come to the nations. What do you think: does Jesus bring peace?

In Israel's Post-exile history, the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther tell us the story of a people returning to the land. Post-exile prophets: Haggai, Zecharaiah, and Malachi were there to speak to them from the Lord. Through the prophet Haggai, the Lord noted that these men lived in great houses while His house was still in ruins. Haggai told the men to seriously think about the way they lived. They seemed to only care about pleasure and they had become lazy.  Their future would be one of ruin if they did not mend their ways.

Recorded in 2000. Fr. Baker's Theology of the Old Testament brings the student along a tour of the books of the Old Testament in the order they are found in the Bible.  From Creation and the early formation of Judaism to the Minor Prophets and the preservation of the Covenant, Fr. Baker glides through the colorful history of God's Chosen people.  His video lectures identify the recurring themes of promises, sin, forgiveness, and fulfillment, and the overall story of God's love for his people.  The videos alone provide a useful review of the subject, but they can also be enhanced by a study of the additional materials included on the Catholic Thinkers website. catholicthinkers.org https://youtu.be/m0ZPxKZQ5S4

This week on Lakehoma Tassels James and Mike look at Zecharaiah chapter 7 and the continual cycle of Israel rejecting the commands of God.  In order for us to move towards God we have got to put our faith into action and over and over God commands his people to show mercy to the marginalized.  Perhaps if we want to move closer to God we need to see examine our own lives and the role mercy plays in it.

This week I was honored to sit down with Alicia Bruxvoort for a refreshing, honest, and God led conversation about motherhood. As a mom of 5 herself she has walked out many of the seasons you and I are currently walking through. Her heart for moms to know The Lord and make time for Him in their middle minutes completely shines through during this entire conversation. I cannot wait for you to hear it!**Giveaway Details at the end of the show notes!** 1) Tell us about the wonderful you! (Where you live, church, writer/speaker, family, etc.)I’m a writer and speaker and abundant life seeker. I’m a sunset chaser, a carpooler, and a storyteller. I am a member of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ writing team, so I have the privilege of reaching over a million readers around the globe each month with hope from God’s word. Best of all, I’m a mom and a wife. five kids ranging in ages from 11-21 with our sixth child coming home through adoption sometime in the year ahead. I’ve been married for 26 years to the cute boy who sat behind me in the fifth grade. Rob and I have 5 kids ranging in ages from 11-21, and we’re in the process of bringing our sixth child home through adoption.  We live in Holland, Michigan. 2) When I met you at She Speaks and sat in the Motherhood meets Ministry session I loved your raw honesty about the blessings, beauty, and challenge within the gift motherhood. Can you share how The Lord used a crayon box to restore your colors of contentment.When I was just two and a half  years into my journey of motherhood, I finally admitted that there was a huge gap between what I’d expected motherhood to be and the reality I was living. It was harder. Lonelier. More draining and demanding than I ever could have imagined. When I’d imagined life as a mom, I’d pictured this colorful season of joy and abundance, but with two little ones 2 and under,  I just felt empty----and disappointed.So, one day, as I was cleaning up after my toddler had sat in his high chair and colored (for 2 minutes at the most)--I crawled under the kitchen table to pick up the splattering of crayons, and as I reached for the empty crayon box, I started to cry. And there under the kitchen table, I poured out all my disappointment to God. I picked up that empty box and told the Lord, “This is exactly how motherhood makes me feel…. So empty……”  After my rant, I put the crayons back in the box and began to crawl out from under the table, and a verse I’d memorized as a child in Sunday School rose out of the depths of my heart and ran through my mind. “I”ve come to give you life and give it to the full”-John 10:10. In the days ahead, the Lord began to assure me that I wasn’t created for an empty life--- and the life I was looking for was possible--- but it wasn’t my kids who would fill me or add the color to my days. He would…” In that decade, our family grew from 2 kids to five and God kept His promise to restore the colors of joy and contentment in my life. He showed me how to take hold of life that is really life,  to refuel my heart with His Word; to seize joy that couldn’t be wrecked by a toddler tantrum or a grocery store disaster, and how to thrive in the throes of motherhood instead of merely survive.  3) When mom’s in any season are feeling discontent and wishing their life looked a little different, where would you send them in God’s Word to not only encourage them but equip them to trust where God has them?I love the stories in God’s word that remind me that God can do big things with our small offerings--God enabled David to kill Goliath with five small stones; He fed 5,000 people with a little boy’s small lunch, He changed the world forever with a small band of just 12 ordinary men, So often motherhood feels like a mundane exercise in smallness-- and we start dreaming of doing something bigger than reading Dr. Suess over and over again  and washing faces and bottoms and floors a dozen times a day, and soothing silbing spats--- but in Zecharaiah 4:10, God says--- Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”We have to remember that God’s measuring stick isn’t  like us. He doesn’t major our value by the “size” of our work our the accolades we receive.  God is pleased when we do small things with big love. 4) What are some of the best things God has taught you within motherhood?Oh, my! He’s taught me nearly all of my important lessons in the past two decades in the context of motherhood. Significance and success are NOT the same thing.  It’s easy to grow blind to the gifts right in front of me--- gratitude opens our eyes.What we plant today determines what we will harvest tomorrow.Just because it’s small doesn’t mean its insignifcantIf the enemy can’t defeat me, he’ll simply distract me. Time is a sacred gift; I need to steward it wellJoy is found in unlikely placesComparison is the quickest road to discontentmentPresence trumps perfection every time.The color of motherhood often feels brown--monotonous and mundnane-- but --- ask any artist and she’ll tell you the way to make brown is by mixing RED, BLUE, and YELLOW.  When we learn to celebrate the beauty in the brown, our homes change; our hearts change; our perspectives change.Hurry steals joy. 5) What has been the best mothering advice you’ve received and if you remember who it was from can you share who told you!Pray for a passion for the present-----Ask God to give you a passion for the life you live right now, not the life you wish you had. --wisdom shared with me by a beautiful pastor’s wife, mom of four. 6) Spending time with The Lord in the midst of motherhood can feel like a challenge, but we’ve also began using that as a crutch. In your experience how would you help a mom who is trying to add this time to her life? Were there or are there any unlikely places you found/find yourself digging into God’s word that? Examples: Laundry, Carpool line, doing dishes, wee hour of the morning. Motherhood has made me desperate for Jesus.  And I’m so thankful for that desperation.I made a pact with God when I was up all night with my fourth baby with colic--- told Him I’d spend the night in His word if He’d keep  His promise and give me energy in the morning. I sat up every night with a fussy baby oin one hand and my Bible in another--- when I was too tired to open my eyes, I just listened to scripture. And God’s word began to be my lifeline. And 13 years later, He still hasn’t broken His promise.The simple truth is this-- In the end, we make time for the things that have captured our heart.  When all my kids were little, I asked Jesus to wreck me and to woo me with His love. As He answered that prayer, I would find myself grabbing ANY time I could get with Him-- I hauled out of bed in the dark before dawn to be with him before my kids woke up. I scheduled a coffee date with Jesus when my last one went to preschool and I finally had a few precious hours to myself-- refused to run errands or clean or do laundry-- just met Jesus with a cup of coffee and my Bible and journal once a week for a couple of hours. I would take my kids to a fastfood playland a few times a month and bring my Bible--- just sit there in the crazy chaos and soak up the Word.But often my best time with Jesus was with my kids on my lap just reading the Jesus Bible Storybook together. I can’t even count how many times I’d read that precious book aloud and start crying as God spoke to me through its simple words and it’s powerful pointing to Jesus. 7) The Living With Less Podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If a mom or anyone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this what would you tell them and why? I think we need to eliminate hurry. Slow down. Look up instead of around. Become wonder-chasers---- watch more sunsets, jump in mudpuddles, laugh more. We have such a joyful and amazing God, but so often, we don’t pause to ENJOY Him or pay attention to His presence. Kids are natural wonder-chasers. Let them teach you how. Follow their lead. Kids are rarely in a hurry. We need to leave margin in our day to just savor the present and BE present. Connect with Alicia here!: https://aliciabruxvoort.net Mother's Day Giveaway DetailsThere will be 2 winners selected on Mother's Day (5/10/2020)Winners will receive - 2 - 8X10 prints + In The Garden BookTo enter please like the photo on the @livingwithlesspodcast IG page!

Mercy (Zecharaiah 10:6) Message: Ted Hall Date: December 9, 2018 Download: Mercy.mp3 I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. (Zecharaiah 10:6 ESV)  Read More → The post Mercy (Zecharaiah 10:6) appeared first on New Life Medina.

Zecharaiah 3

Main Topic: Question and answer Questions: 4:40 - Who is Jesus talking about in Luke 21:6? 12:09 - Who were the people mentioned in Zecharaiah 13:7-9, who are the people Zechariah prophesied about? 23:59 - What is the unpardonable sin? NoOtherDoctrine.org CrossFellowship.org LeadershipFromTheCross.com CCFCollege.com

God's Great Purpose in the World (34) "Hope of the Messiah" Malcolm Duncan teaching from Zechariah, written to encourage the remnant as they returned from exile, as their faith was weak and they were not motivated to build the temple. For anyone struggling with discouragement, Zecharaiah overflows with hope of the future reign of our Lord Jesus over his people. With many depressing events in day-to-day life, it would be easy to lose our perspective, but Zechariah provides a correction for that tendency!

Zecharaiah 12:1-9 - "Israel Under Attack"

Summary of today's show: There are several living legends among the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston and Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell welcome one of them today. Fr. Walter Waldron has been a priest for 48 years and pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Roxbury for 29 years. Fr. Walter tells our listeners about seeing the Second Vatican Council firsthand, putting the lessons of the Council into practice in the inner-city in the 1970s, and then serving a parish that's like three parishes in one for nearly three decades in a neighborhood many have written off. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell Today's guest(s): Fr. Walter Waldron, Pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Roxbury Today's topics: Pastor Profile: Fr. Walter Waldron 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show and started with the startling news that Fr. Mark was taken by ambulance to the hospital from his rectory yesterday. He fell down a few steps and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.Fr. Mark said the neck brace they put on had four settings: tall, medium, short, and no neck. He was highly insulted that they had it on no neck. Last night, Fr. Mark was able to go to a special Mass at Regina Cleri, where Fr. Bob Oliver is also recovering from an accident and a broken hip. Scot said it's been a busy week preparing for the live, interactive town hall meeting on CatholicTV Monday night with Cardinal Seán. He said it's never been done before over all the different media: TV, radio, and the Internet. He encourages everyone to tune in via WQOM or CatholicTV. On Monday's The Good Catholic Life we will have one of the panelists, Kim Daniels, to talk about how we got to this point. The town hall meeting begins at 8pm. Scot said today's guest is one of the legends of the priesthood in Boston and he's been looking forward to this conversation. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Fr. Walter Waldron. Fr. Walter said he grew up in Milton and went to school there. He had two brothers and two sisters. One of the gifts in his life has been his family and extended family. He realizes how much all those cousins mean to him and made him what he is today. His vocation came from his family and the community was very Catholic. He went to St. Agatha School. He wanted to be a lawyer, teacher or priest. He went to BC High and considered being a Jesuit. When Fr. Walter's father was at BC High in the 1920s and he considered becoming a Jesuit. His grandfather had a work accident that prevented him from working and so his father was counseled he should stay to support his family. So it comes full circle to him. Fr. Walter said Fr. Riley, who was a younger priest in charge of the altar servers at St. Agatha's, was an influence on his vocation too. He said there were no priests in his family. Fr. Walter said he ended up deciding he would end up encountering more people in the diocesan priesthood than if he joined the Jesuits, who at the time specialized in education. He went to Cardinal O'Connell Seminary for two years out of high school. He went to St. John's Seminary for two years and then went to the North American College and was ordained in St. Peter's. He was there in the early Sixties and was there during the death of Pope John XXIII and election of Pope Paul VI. Scot asked what it was like being in Rome during the Second Vatican Council? Fr. Walter said it was very exciting, partly because some of the US bishops stayed in the North American College and had interaction with the seminarians. Some seminarians were even able to sneak into the sessions in St. Peter's. He and his classmates were on the side of those who were most forward-looking. During his time in Rome, he wasn't able to come back from Rome, but his family did come visit once before ordination. He took a ship over with the other seminarians. He recalled how the seminarians were all seasick at first, but he loved it so much that he came back by boat rather than fly. Scot asked Fr. Walter is he learned the old and the new liturgies. He said he was trained in the older missal. There was no transition while he was there. Fr. Walter was ordained in 1964 and has had only three assignments in those 48 years. He was first assigned to St. Margaret in Beverly Farms. He remembers saying to the people that first Sunday, “I'm so glad to be here in Beverly Hills.” He was there for two years. Then he was a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for 18 years. He had asked Cardinal Cushing to be assigned to work in the city and to live in an apartment among the people. Cardinal Cushing said no, but offered him a position at the cathedral. He made many friendships and is still involved with some of the groups from them. He loved living in the city and came to learn the movement of the city. He has remained in the city, going to St. Patrick's parish in Roxbury in 1984. Fr. Walter wanted to live in the city because of the priests he knew in Roxbury at the time. He liked the life they lived and how they had freedom to interact with people. He talked about how he was mentored and affirmed by Msgr. Russ Collins. Fr. Mark said the monsignor was a real innovator in our archdiocese. He helped form a group called the Boston Urban Association of Priests. They were very vocal about public policy and even endorsed a candidate. They thought they were reading the signs of the times. Scot said it was a tumultuous time in Boston with the busing crisis. Fr. Walter said it gave him an identity with the people that were there. He came to understand their difficulties and pain and how far they felt from the mainstream of Boston. It was an eye-opener for him. Scot noted that the Boston Urban Priests helped the Pine Street Inn form itself. Fr. Walter said there was a place called the Dawes Hotel that was pulling out of the business of serving the poor, and no one wanted to take over the ministry. They took over the place and re-named it the Pine Street Inn. They didn't know they were supposed to ask the cardinal first. They had some advisors on how to help people who were addicted to alcohol. They had only one employee and each priest would take a night to be there. Scot perceives that time as a time for the Church asking herself what she was to be in this town and in this world. What do the condiments of Vatican II mean in practical matters? There was a lot of adjustment. Fr. Walter said there wasn't a model to follow. Fr. Walter at the time took on a foster kid and moved out of the rectory into an apartment. He was then called in by Cardinal Medeiros. He told Fr. Walter that he knows what he did and only wanted to know that he was taking good care of him. He had the foster kid for four years. Scot asked what it was like to move to St. Patrick's in 1984. He didn't want to move out of the cathedral after being there so long. In fact, he'd just been asked to be the chaplain at Walpole State Prison and he said no because it would be the same population day after day. So when St. Patrick came up, he took it. He's attracted to variety in his priestly ministry. Scot said you couldn't get more variety in St. Patrick's. Fr. Walter said they just celebrated their 175th anniversary. They had three languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese Creole. He feels like he's already in charge of three parishes. In 1989, the Boston Globe did a big three-page article on him in the newspaper. It showed how he had a presence on the streets, a consistent presence over a period of time. After a while he wasn't a stranger there and people came to know he was interested in all communities. He showed how they could come together as one parish with three communities. Fr. Walter said for a long time they had three parish councils. He didn't think it made sense o he established a supercouncil. After a while they formed one parish pastoral councils for the last 5 to 10 years. It's helped him to learn better the other language groups, to know them on a personal and a professional Catholic level. Scot said half of the parish are newcomers to the country. 85% of all parishioners are from Cape Verde. He said much of the ministry must be helping people adjust. Fr. Walter said the question has been whether to focus on people's background and culture or do you try to acculturate them? They've found a balance. They've been able to do a lot of outreach in the native languages, mainly through a lot of sisters who spoke the language. There's a commonality between the pastoral staff and the people who came here. Cape Verde is traditionally Catholic and so there's no difficulty in attracting them to the Church. Like in the past, so much of their lives focus on the Church. Fr. Mark asked if the Church is sanctuary. Fr. Walter said “sanctuary” is a loaded word, but Fr. Mark said he didn't intend it that way. Fr. Walter said they've always had good relationships with civil authorities. He's never been faced with a person asking for sanctuary from immigration issues. Scot said growing up, Roxbury was never portrayed in a positive light in the news. He asked Fr. Walter to describe it. He said it is home for people. He tells priests that they have to come in recognizing that they are people just like you. People are sometimes afraid to come to Roxbury, but he encourages them to come. He said the safest part of the city on a Sunday morning is Roxbury because everybody's in church. It's hard to drive the image of the shootings in the street from people's minds. But it's not an everyday occurrence. There are people who are interested in raising their kids, keeping their homes neat, and living their lives. Fr. Mark said he regularly says Mass with the Carmelite Sisters in Dudley Square. Fr. Walter calls them the spiritual powerhouse. He'd never before met cloistered sisters, but he found them to be just like the rest of us. He said a number of religious orders work with St. Patrick's so they make a big deal in February for World Consecrated Life Day. Now they have the Franciscans of the Primitive Observance in the parish. Fr. Walter said their desire is to live a life as close as possible to St. Francis' life 800 years ago. They wear a rough habit, they sleep on the floor, they eat only what they've begged that day. They are very good at reaching out to others. They've only been there two year,s but everyone knows them. Fr. Walter said they are living in one of their buildings, but have a broader vision than the parish. Several of them have learned Creole in order to say Mass and do confessions in the language of the people. When they first came they came over the parish to offer to help. They've established a monthly holy hour for vocations to the priesthood. One of the brothers of the FPO is being ordained to the priesthood tomorrow. Br. Michael Sheehan will be ordained by Cardinal Seán at the Cathedral. After the Mass, they will have a reception at St. Patrick's. He will continue doing the work of the order in the community. Fr. Walter said they are like worker-priests whose work is for the advancement of the Church, being out where the people are and making sure there's a normal interaction with them. They are concerned the people are not only Catholic in name, but in practice too.They want the folks to see the Church as an essential part of their lives. Scot asked what is one of his biggest joys as a priest. Fr. Walter said being a priest and being fortunate to be in a life he just loves. He loves it as much today as he did the day he was ordained in St. Peter's. He said he's heard stories of priests burdened by the stress of their priesthood. He doesn't recall a moment he felt that way. He said it's the joy of being with the people and being astounded at how they take him into their homes and family. He remembers a couple of years ago after some surgery and seeing how concerned the people were for him. 3rd segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Scot said we tend to think of John the Baptist as preparing for way of the Lord during Advent, but we should think of him at all times because he's always pointing us to Jesus. Fr. Walter said he was an evangelizer and it's believed to have belonged to a spiritual sect of Judaism that was looking to reinvigorate the faith for the coming of the Messiah. Fr. Walter said it is traditional in Judaism for a boy to be named after the father or an ancestor. But we don't know why Zecharaiah wanted to name him John. It shows the importance of names in Scripture. Jesus renamed Peter, Saul was renamed Paul. Fr. Walter said this is true today. It's common for recovering addicts to give up the name they used while they active, they went back to their real name or a nickname they had as a kid. Scot said Popes take on a new name. Cardinal Seán grew up as Patrick O'Malley, but took on the name Seán when he became a religious. Fr. Mark said he was struck that John is about humility and his birth, which references much of the Old Testament, has lots of triumphant images. In the Gospel, John says that he must decrease while Christ increases. He was humble and our Lord was heralded through humility. Scot related that Zechariah couldn't speak because he doubted the news from the angel Gabriel that he and his wife would have a son in their old age. Scot said the entirety of John's life pointed to Christ.