Sunday Blessings

Our Sundays are first marked by a morning at church. It's the focus of our day, the focus of our week. The liturgy is so beautiful; today at mass I got the chills over and over again. I love the Vidi Aquam chant at the beginning of mass during the Easter season...

"I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia.
It brought God's life and his salvation."

In many ways I feel like this "water" is like grace flowing out from our church, our community, the sacraments, is bringing much life and salvation to our family and to the outside world. It has been a blessing to be a part of this vibrant church community for over a year now.  Today there were about a dozen children who received their First Holy Communion, several who are good friends of our family.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, Bishop Lopes spoke about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and how images in the early church portrayed him in this way. He described a beautiful fresco in the Catacombs of Saint Priscilla of an image of Christ the Good Shepherd from the 3rd century. Jesus lays down his life for the sheep. He leaves 99 in search of the one who has wandered. The sheep know his voice.

Today our Sunday afternoon and evening was spent celebrating the sacrament with friends. Some Sundays are spent with extended family. Others are spent with our own family trying a new restaurant or grilling a nice meal at home. The photos below are from a lovely Sunday afternoon walking on the waterway after brunch. I am blessed to be surrounded by such beauty...in my family, my local community, my church community, and among the precious friends God has given us.