Church
of Saint Philip Neri
Pennsburg, PA 18073
July 18,
2010
|
Rev. Robert A.
Roncase, Pastor Deacon Michael J.
Franks,
Permanent Deacon Rev. Edmond J. Speitel, Pastor Emeritus Rev. John J. Scarcia, Retired Pastor Rev.
Raymond W. Smart,
Retired, Resident Shirley
Misiak,
Office Manager Mark J.
Meinzer,
Business Manager Catherine
E. Faust,
Director of Music Patricia
A. Schleeweiss,
School Principal Jeffrey
W. Daley,
Director of Religious Education Colleen
Daley,
Parish Youth Minister Sister
Patricia Kelly, M.S.B.T., Parish Outreach Rectory Phone 215.679.9275 Rectory Fax 215.679.0386 School Phone 215.679.7481 Religious Education
Phone 215.541.3120 Religious Education
Fax 215.541.1398 Parish Social Hall
Phone 215.679.8116 Parish Outreach Phone
215.679.2282 Neri Center Phone 215-679-6490 Church & Rectory
Address: 1325 Klinerd Road Pennsburg, PA 18073 Hours: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Email Address: spnofc@comcast.net Website Address: www.spnparish.org School Address: 6th & Washington Streets East Greenville, PA 18041 Hours: 8:00 AM – 2:30 PM Website Address:
www.spnelementary.com Religious Education
Center Address 565 Main Street East Greenville, PA 18041 Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Neri Center Address 6th & Washington Streets East Greenville, PA 18041 ROSARY: Prayed in the Chapel Every Saturday after the 8:00 AM Mass Every 2nd Monday at 1:00 PM |
SCHEDULE
OF MASSES Saturday – Vigil Mass – 5:00 PM Sunday
– 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 AM Weekdays – In the Chapel Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
& Saturday – 8:00 AM Wednesday – 7:00 PM HOLY DAYS: 8:00
AM, 9:30 AM, 7:30 PM Eve of
Holy Days –5:00 PM CHAPEL
OPEN FOR VISITS The
Chapel will be opened Monday thru Saturday until
7:00 pm for your visits to the Blessed Sacrament. CONFESSIONS Saturdays: 4:00 – 4:45 PM Eve of
Holy Days: 4:15 – 4:45 PM BAPTISMS Celebrated the 2nd & 3rd Sundays of each
month. Please
call the Rectory to schedule. 2nd Sunday
Baptisms are held at the 11:00 AM Mass 3rd Sunday
Baptisms are held at 12:30 PM PRE-JORDAN
CLASSES 1st
Monday of every month at 7:00 PM in the Rectory meeting room. MARRIAGES Arrangements should be made at least SIX MONTHS
before the date of the wedding. NEW
PARISHIONERS Welcome to your new home! Please stop by the rectory between 9:00 am -
3:00 pm to fill out a registration card.
We are happy to have you in our parish and want to get to know you. SHUT-INS Please
call the Parish Outreach Office. SACRAMENT
OF THE ANOINTING Please
call the Rectory. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Every
1st Friday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM in the church, followed by Benediction. FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS
If
you wish to have a floral arrangement placed in front of the altar, please call
the rectory. |
OUR PARISH MISSION
STATEMENT
WE ARE THE CATHOLIC PARISH COMMUNITY OF ST. PHILIP
NERI, ANSWERING CHRIST’S CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP THROUGH WORD, SACRAMENT AND
SERVICE.
WE PROCLAIM GOD’S HOPE AND LOVE TO ALL.
LET US PRAISH
CHRIST TOGETHER
In January
of 2009, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced the need for a Capital
Campaign that would raise needed funds for the archdiocese and individual
parishes. Here at St. Philip Neri we
were one of the first parishes to begin this historic Event. The Heritage of Faith, Vision of Hope began
in January of 2009 and concluded six (6) months later in our parish. The archdiocese asked St. Philip Neri to
raise $720,000. At the conclusion of
our Campaign for the archdiocese, St. Philip Neri pledged $640,000 over the
next five years. It has been a little
over one year since our campaign has ended and I thank you for your continued
commitment. As you know, thirty-five
percent (35%) of what is collected returns to the parish. During this past year, St. Philip Neri has
received $63,952. Our plan here was to
use the major portion of Archdiocesan Campaign Funds to help reduce the parish
debt. As of today, $50,805 dollars has
been used to reduce this debt. Another
$12,000 was used to renovate the parish basement into usable space for meetings
and gatherings including the parish Library.
Over the
next three and a half years, the parish will continue to receive the 35% of
collected monies as Pledges are received.
Again what we receive will be used to reduce our parish Debt.
God Bless
you all for the sacrifices you make for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and St.
Philip Neri Parish.
Praised Be
Jesus Christ…Now and Forever!
Fr. Roncase
Serving at Mass July
18
Extraordinary Ministers Lectors
5:00 pm – Dave Boone Mark
Meinzer
Teri Boone Bob
Piccone
Priest
Pat Meinzer
Catherine Cahill
Trish Dornisch
7:30 am – Joan
Varallo John
Guckin
Wally Varallo Pete
Frank
Priest
Denise Guckin
Chuck Rodgers
Maria Rodgers
9:30 am - Jack Nash Sue
DiMarco
Monica Nash Eileen
Koch
Priest
Priest
Irene Novelli
Marianne Peters
11:00 am – Sandy
Shellaway D. McCausland
Tony Shellaway M.
Gehringer
Priest
Priest
Anita Weilnau
Mary Goodfellow
Serving at Mass July
25
Extraordinary Ministers Lectors
5:00 pm – Lisa
Edleman Pete
Frank
Michael Edleman Ed
Tryon
Priest
Priest
LaRue Emmell
Claire Holcombe
7:30 am – Lori
Brozena Theresa
Gilmore
Dina Corrado John
Gilmore
Priest
Deacon
Peter D’Amico
Joan Pongia
9:30 am – Mary
Ellen Paulk Eileen
Koch
Rose Anderson Joe
Cassarella
Priest
Sharon Shaak
Judy Sledgen
Andrew Souder
11:00 am –
Maryanne Charlton Eileen
Davis
Kevin Charlton D.
Tarantino
Priest
Amanda Charlton
Linda DiTondo
Doug DiTondo
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
TIME
July 18, 2010
Monday, July 19
8:00 am – Anna Mae
Malasky
Tuesday, July 20,
Saint Apollinaris
8:00 am – Rosemary
J. Henderson, (Guy & Robin Piza)
Wednesday, July 21,
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi
7:00 pm – Joseph
& Margaret Harvey, (Elaine Roncase)
Thursday, July 22,
Saint Mary Magdalene
8:00 am – For
those enrolled in our
Building Memorial Society
Friday, July 23,
Saint Bridget of Sweden
8:00 am – Pauline
Bozzelli, (Her children)
Saturday, July 24
8:00 am – James
Boles,
(Brian & Dawn McCausland
and Girls)
5:00 pm – H.D.
Redmile, (Dave & Joy Tjarks)
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
TIME
July 25, 2010
7:30 am – 25th
Anniversary, Edward Swierzewski,
(Wife Stella and Family)
9:30 am – For the
living and deceased members
of the Parish.
11:00 am – Lila
and Paul Smith, (Estate)
ROSE/FLORAL
ARRANGEMENT
The red
roses placed on the Blessed Mother and Sacred Heart Altars are in memory of Michael W. Burgert, requested by his
parents, Francis & Marlene Burgert.
WE INVITE YOUR PRAYERS
For the sick, those in hospitals, nursing homes,
and also for their caregivers.
Please pray in particular for:
Rev. John J.
Scarcia, Baby Robert Riegel Jr., Robert Rukstalis, Frances Cannon, Ethel Buck,
Gary Lester Keller, Baby Lucy Littlefield, Charlotte Azarovich, George
Bradford, Rick DeStefano, Tommy Slattery, Baby Olivia Enriquez, Adam Canigiani,
Jr., Jo Maturo, Elsie Connelly, Theresa Homan, Colleen McMillar, Anthony
Bonanno, David Campbell, Grace Guckin, Tony Interrante, Steven Gebhardt, John
Culbertson, (Father of Ellen Abramo), Evelyn Dixon Mildred Moyer, Helga Camasso,
Tom Brogan, Stephanie Dykie, Keith Hotz, Lily Morgitan, John Brazuk, Paul
Fronheiser, Irene Maggs, Pat Scheerbaum, Mary Blaszczyk, & Thomas Zappala.
For those who have died, and in particular for Terry
Flanagan, grant them eternal rest and peace.
SUNDAY COLLECTIONS
July
12, 2009 July 11, 2010
Envelopes: $ 9,215.00 $
7,992.50
Loose: 1,070.20
1,621.50
Children’s: 44.00
91.50
Total: $ 10,329.20 $ 9,705.50
Give a St. Philip
Neri Memorial Gift!
For a
donation of $35 or more, there is a beautiful folder recording the gift and
donor to be presented to the family. A
Mass is offered each month.
In memory
of Rachela Rossi, requested by:
Alex Chiaro
and Family.
In memory
of Nemanja & Galub Petrovic,
requested by: Alex Chiaro and Family.
We also
have “Living Memorials” for those
special occasions in life.
ACTIVITIES - *BINGO*
Kitchen opens 5:00 pm – Bingo – 6:30 pm
Working Thursday – July 22nd – Team #1
All regular games pay $50
FINAL COVER – ALL SPECIAL PAYS: $500
Bingo: July 8 – 58 players
Games: $ 99.50
Kitchen: 29.65
Total:
$129.15
Please note: Brown paper bags are needed for Bingo.
If you have any to spare, please drop them off at the Social Hall on Tuesday’s
or Thursday’s between 8:30 am & 12:00 pm.
PARISH BREAKFAST
Our next
parish Breakfast is Sunday, July 25th. Save the date!
BAKED GOODS NEEDED
Baked goods
are needed for our weekly Bingo and monthly Breakfast. Soups are also needed for weekly Bingo.
If anyone
is interested in donating baked goods or soups, please call Rita at:
215-679-7009.
JULY: THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
Sunday – July 18th
Men’s 30
& Over Basketball
8:00 pm Gym
Monday, July 19th
Charismatic
Prayer Group 7:00 pm Chapel
Tuesday, July 20th
Choir &
Cantor Practice 6:00 pm Church
Garden Club
– Church Grounds 5:00 pm
Wednesday, July
21st
Respect Life
Ministry Meeting 7:30 pm Rectory
Thursday, July 22nd
Rosary at
Pennsburg Manor 1:15 pm
Bingo 6:30 pm Gym
Respect
Life: Food PREP for Homeless 5:15 pm
Rectory
Friday, July 23rd
Car Show –
Church grounds 5:00 pm
Saturday, July
24th
Parish
Breakfast set-up
Gym
Sunday, July 25th
Parish
Breakfast 7:00 am – 12:30 pm Gym
Children’s
Liturgy of the Word at the 9:30 am Mass
Men’s 30
& Over Basketball 8:00
pm Gym
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Charismatic Prayer
Group – Monday, July 26h – Chapel – 7:00 pm
Choir & Cantor
Practice – Tuesday, July 27th – Church – 6:00 pm
Garden Club –
Tuesday, July 27th – Church Grounds – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
SPN Parish
Historical Committee Meeting – Tuesday, July 27th – Old Rectory – E.
Greenville – 7:00 pm
FREE DAY – No
Activities planned – Wednesday, July 28th
Bingo – Thursday,
July 29th – Gym – 6:30 pm
FREE DAY – No
Activities planned – Friday, July 30th
FREE DAY – No
Activities planned – Saturday, July 31st
Children’s Liturgy
of the Word – Sunday, August 1st – at the 9:30 am Mass
Men’s 30 &
Over Basketball – Sunday, August 1st – 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Gym
SCHOOL NEWS
Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to
provide your son or daughter with a Catholic School education at St. Philip
Neri School!
Our school provides a safe, nurturing
value-centered learning environment for students in Preschool through Eighth Grade. If you forgot to register your child/children,
now is the time to do so as we need to prepare for the upcoming 2010-11 school
year! Please call the school office at:
215.679.7481 if you need a School Registration Form or for any inquiries you
may have. School begins on Tuesday, September 7th for Grades 1 to 8, September
10th for Kindergarten, September 13th for Pre K-4s, and September 14th for Pre
K-3’s. Please check our website: www.spnelementary.com
for any information about the upcoming school year.
PARISH NEWS
RCIA: We will resume our parish RCIA process in
September. Anyone who wishes to join
the Catholic Church or learn more about the Catholic faith is invited to join
us on Thursday evenings. If you would
like further information please call the rectory and leave your name and phone
number. Deacon Mike Franks will contact
you. Watch the bulletin for more information
in the coming weeks.
PARISH COUNSELING
AVAILABLE
Confidential,
professional counseling can be provided through our Parish Outreach Office.
The
types/kinds of counseling that can be done are: Relationship Counseling;
Marriage Counseling; Situational Counseling; and Project Rachel Counseling (for
women who have had an abortion).
Call for an
appointment: 215-679-2282. If no answer, leave your first name and
number. Say the number, twice.
MASS TIME CHANGE – WEDNESDAY’S
Effective January 1, 2011, the Chapel
Masses on Wednesday’s will be at 5:00 pm instead of 7:00 pm.
ST. PHILIP NERI PRAYER
SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Ministry will not meet
in July.
SAINT PHILIP NERI
ROSARY PRAYER GROUP
Our Lady of
the Rosary Prayer Group at St. Philip Neri, which normally meets the 2nd
Monday of each month, will meet on the following dates to say the Rosary for
Gary L. Keller at 1:00 pm in the Chapel:
Monday, July 19th.
PARISH
LIBRARY -
BOOK
SEASON HAS ARRIVED!!
The St Philip Neri bookcases are being filled.
We are looking for gently used or new books. They must be pertaining to
our Catholic faith. We are looking for CD's or DVD's as well, movies or
music. We can use the large print editions, too. Please drop off your
books at the rectory during business hours.
If you don't have any books to donate please consider a contribution to
be made "In Memory Of" and we will purchase the requested book and
place a memorial marker inside of it.
SAINT PHILIP NERI
CRAFT GUILD
The St.
Philip Neri Craft Guild will not meet in July; the next Meeting will be
Tuesday, August 3rd – 1:00 pm.
GARDEN CLUB – HELP
NEEDED
Our Garden
Club of St. Philip Neri Church needs your help to maintain the Church grounds,
Flower Beds, watering, weeding, etc.
The Garden
Club meets every Tuesday evening from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm on the Church grounds; BUT,
you are most welcome to come over any day of the week and a time that best
meets your schedule. Any questions, please call Lee Johnson: 679-6309.
CEMETERY MEMORIAL
TREES
Memorial
Trees are available for purchase to be planted throughout our Parish Cemetery
“Holy Cross”. The cost is $425; this
covers the price of the tree, its planting and the Memorial Plaque.
Shade and
Evergreen Trees will be planted throughout the cemetery where space is
available. To purchase a Memorial Tree,
please call the rectory.
JULY COLLECTION OF
DIAPERS &
USED CHILDREN
CLOTHING
This
weekend and next weekend (July 24/25), we will be collecting diapers and gently
used children’s clothing (up to 18 months) in Church. These items will be given to Birthright in Pottstown. Please
place these items in the small room in the vestibule of Church.
ST. PHILIP NERI PARISH
EIGHTH ANNUAL CAR SHOW
Friday – July 23rd
6:00 – 10:00 PM
(registration begins 5:00 pm)
RAIN or SHINE!
Great Food
Music by Hodge
Podge
ADVANCED
SALE FOOD TICKETS
will be available for purchase at the SCRIP table until July 18. Food tickets will also be available at the
rectory from
June 28 to July 20. For every $5 purchased, you receive $6.00 in
food tickets.
VOLUNTEERS will be needed for
security, parking, kitchen and food stands.
If you would like to volunteer you can fill out a volunteer form, call
Shirley at 215-679-9275 or e mail Doris at gmomdecker@yahoo.com.
For information: call Shirley at 215-679-9275 (daytime) or
Pete at 215-679-6942 (evenings)
CAR SHOW UPDATE
Monday – July 19th: Volunteers
are needed to assist with set-up of stands.
We will meet in the Church parking lot at 6:00 pm. The RAIN
DATE will be Tuesday, July 20th
at 6:00 pm.
Any
questions, please call Pete Frank: 679.6942
CASINO TRIP –
UPDATE
The
departure time for the Casino Trip on Saturday, July 31st has been
changed. Due to the Saturday morning
shore traffic, everyone needs to be at the SPN parking lot for 9:30 am. The bus will then depart at 10:00 am. If there are any questions, please call
Kathy at: 267-923-5173.
Please
note: The bus is now filled – we are
unable to take on any newcomers.
PARISH OUTREACH OFFICE
H.O.P.E. PROGRAM
During the
week of July 26th, if you have a H.O.P.E. need, please call Joan
Devlin: 679.0114.
This is for
the week of July 26th only.
ELIZABETH MINISTRY
Note: Don’t forget about the Mother’s Market that
is being held on Saturday, September 11th from 8:00 am until 2:00
pm. See the announcement in today’s
Bulletin.
PARISH HISTORICAL
COMMITTEE MEETING
When: Tuesday, July 27th – 7:00 pm
Where: The Old Rectory
565 Main Street
East Greenville
If you
would like to be part of this committee or have any questions, please call
Shirley at the rectory office: 215.679.9275, email Doris at:
gmomdecker@yahoo.com or just come to the
meeting.
END OF SUMMER BOOK DISCUSSION
Tuesday – August 24th – 7:00 pm
St. Philip Neri Rectory Meeting Room
“MY LIFE WITH THE SAINTS”
By: Martin James, SJ.
A Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2006. “An outstanding and often hilarious memoir of one man’s
interaction with the saints of the Roman Catholic tradition”.
Winner of a 2007 Christopher Award for books that “affirm the highest
values of the human spirit”.
Books will be ordered and available at a later date for purchase. The cost to you is $20.00
For more information, please call Madeleine Gehringer at: 215-679-0737
or call the rectory office at: 215-679-9275.
MOTHER’S MARKET
The
Elizabeth Ministry of St. Philip Neri is looking for anyone interested in
selling gently used baby and children’s equipment, clothing, or toys at their
MOTHER’S MARKET that will be held on Saturday, September 11th from
8:00 am until 2:00 pm in the St. Philip Neri Social Hall.
Tables will
cost $10 each. If interested, please
call Kathy at: ElizMinnfo@yahoo.com or 215.541.9180.
Do
you know about the Gospel of Matthew?
The Parish Bible Study group invites you
to join in for the 2nd part of a 24 week-study of Matthew’s
writings. The program has been broken
into three (3) eight (8) week sessions.
Study materials will be available.
It won’t be hard to catch up if you would like to join us.
Each week we will watch a video on a specific
lesson, discuss the portions of Matthew’s Gospel that apply. Through the discussion we will have a better
understanding of what Matthew’s message means to us. This study is part of The Great Adventure series.
There are morning and evening sessions – Wednesday
evenings or Friday mornings.
First evening class is Wednesday, August 11th at 7:00 pm and the first morning class is Friday, August 13th
at 9:00 am. All sessions are in the
Library/conference room in the Rectory.
The cost for study materials is $35.00. Checks should be made payable to St. Philip
Neri Church. For those who are first
time members of Bible Study, please register before August 1 2010. To register, contact Joan Lampart,
215-529-5686 or email jmlampart@verizon.net (please put Bible Study on
subject line).
SAVE
THE DATE:
Friday, October 8
Fourth
Annual
St.
Philip Neri Golf Outing
Macoby
Run Golf Course,
Green
Lane, PA
18
Hole 4-golfer Scramble,
1:00
pm
Shotgun
Start
Food,
Beer, Prizes
$70
per golfer
To
register your foursome or to volunteer, contact:
Andrew
Souder, 215-804-0845
or
email to:Andrew@rafind.com
St.
Philip Neri Grade School Tuition Assistance
Did you know that Tuition Assistance is
available for your child to attend St. Philip Neri Grade School?
Tuition Assistance is available to
those showing a real need. Address your
request to:
St. Philip Neri Tuition Assistance Program
1325 Klinerd Road
Pennsburg, PA 18073
You will receive a letter asking for
some information and you will be notified of any decision before the school
year starts.
Guidelines for:
TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Minimal Criteria
1. Tuition Assistance will apply only to
students in grades K-8 who are enrolled at Saint Philip Neri Elementary School.
2. Parent or legal guardian must be a
registered parishioner of St. Philip Neri Parish.
3. Must demonstrate financial need,
subject to review and approval of Tuition Committee.
4. Must be active and volunteer in parish
activities.
5. Tuition
Assistance will be applied towards tuition as credit.
St. Philip Neri –
East Greenville
Students excel at:
LANSDALE CATHOLIC
HIGH SCHOOL
Out parish
recently received notification of the performance of our high school students
on the End of Year Report. We are particularly proud of those who demonstrated
academic excellence. Among those earning second honors were the following
students from our parish:
Alexander D. Hetzel
– ’11 &
Edmond J. Tryon –
‘11
BLOOD
DRIVE
It is once again that time of year for
our yearly Red Cross Blood Drive. Here
is your chance to donate a vital source for life.
Please join us on Monday, August 30th
anytime between 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm in our air conditioned Parish Social
Hall. Refreshments served upon
completion of your donation.
For more information on an appointment,
or any questions you may have, please call Pete Frank: 215-679-6942.
ARCHDIOCESAN NEWS
Generous hearts change the world. Be generous to Jesus. Consider the Priesthood.
Are you Deaf or know
someone who is Deaf?
Contact:
CATHOLIC DEAF
APOSTOLATE
Masses in ASL and
Interpreted Masses
Religious Education/
Preparation for
Sacraments
Adult Faith Formation
and Socials
Summer Camp for Deaf
Children
Interpreters for
Catholic Events
215-587-3913 (V) (TTY)
267-507-1215 (VP)
Google: Deaf Apostolate Phila
FROM
THE OFFICE FOR COMMUNICATIONS
Bookmark the website of the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia at: www.archphila.org and
visit it everyday.
CATHOLIC
SOCIAL SERVICES
You can
change the future – by becoming a Foster Parent!
Foster families provide temporary homes to
children of all ages, races, and religions whose families are in crisis.
The love, service and example of Catholic
Social Services foster parents have a lasting and positive effect on the
children whose lives they touch.
For information on how you can become a foster
parent, please call 215-587-3960!
AREA PARISH NEWS
SAINT MARY SCHOOL ALUMNI
St. Mary School in Schwenksville is looking
for its Alumni. St. Mary School opened in the fall of 1961 and is now
approaching its Fiftieth Year Anniversary.
In honor of this milestone, we are compiling a
St. Mary School Alumni database.
If you or someone you know attended St. Mary School and would like to be included
in this database, please send your name, address, phone number and email
contact information to smsalumni@smsk-8.org or call
610 287-8156 with
that information.
AREA NEWS
MARRIAGE
RETROUVAILLE
Retrouvaille
is a Catholic based program to help marriages that are stressed or in
trouble. Retrouvaille has helped
countless married couples in all stages of disillusionment or misery in their
marriage.
Retrouvaille
can help your marriage too. The next
program will be at St. Joseph in the Hills – Malvern Retreat Center, on August
13, 14 & 15. All calls are
confidential.
For more
information, please call 800-470-2230, 215-766-3944, or visit our website: www.HelpOurMarriage.com.
BINGO VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED
We are in need of Bingo Volunteers for
BOTH the kitchen, and working the floor, checking winning Bingo cards.
You only work one each month on
Thursday evenings. We have 4 teams for
both the kitchen and floor and are in need of help on each team.
CAN
YOU HELP?
NOT
EVERY WEEK –
JUST ONE
WEEK, ONCE A MONTH!
If you can help, please check the area
you are interested in.
PLEASE PRINT AND RETURN IN THE
COLLECTION BASKET OR TO THE RECTORY.
_____KITCHEN
_____FLOOR WORKER
Name: _________________________
Phone:_________________________
Breakfast
Volunteers NEEDED
Our Parish Breakfast
is a major fundraiser for our Parish and a tremendous Community and Parish
Social Event. We are in need of more
parishioners to help with this monthly event.
Our breakfast is held the 4th Sunday of each month (excluding
November & December).
CAN
YOU HELP?
Not
the entire morning…
but
only a few hours each month!
Please print and return in collection basket or to the
rectory:
Cooks: Line
Servers:
___6am-9am ___6:45 am- 9:00 am
___9am-11am ___9:00 am – 11:00 am
___11am-1pm ___11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Dishwashers: Cleaning
the gym:
___7:30am-10:00 am ___12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
___10:00 am – 12noon
___12noon – 2:00 pm
Washing Trays Dessert
table, coffee
___8am-10am ___7:00 am – 9:00 am
___10am – 12noon ___9:00 am – 11:00 am
___12noon-1:30 pm ___11:00
am – 12:30 pm
Name: _________________________
Phone: ______________________
Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen
and grow—a day at a time.
Sunday, July
18, 2010
Sixteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time
Please stop fussing and sit for a minute
As essentially Christian and
counter-intuitive as “love your enemies may be,” Jesus’ defending Mary’s
“laziness” over her hard-working sister Martha seems even more outrageous and
unfair! If Americans love and believe in anything, it is hard work. It’s what
gives us identity. I’m a farmer, an attorney, a physicist, a salesperson. So
how can Jesus tell poor Martha, who just burned her fingers taking the soufflé
out of the oven and could use a little help in the kitchen, that her sister has
chosen the “better part”? It’s a matter of priority. We can imagine Jesus
saying, “Martha, can’t we just get take-out? I came to visit you, not your
cuisine. I know you show love by your hard work, but you mean so much more
to me than what you do. Come sit here with me.”
Today’s readings: Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42
“Martha,
Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only
one thing.”
Monday, July
19
If you do this for me, then . . .
The scribes and Pharisees were
“credentialed” religious leaders, and they took offense with this upstart
Jesus. Without a degree or apparent pedigree, he appeared out of nowhere (or so
it seemed) and began teaching with authority. They wanted to “see his papers,”
to be given some proof, and then they would believe him. The operative phrase
here is “and then.” How many times in our own faith journey have we uttered
that qualifier? Help me get well, “and then” I will believe; find me a job, “and
then” I will have faith; answer my prayers, “and then” I will believe. Isn’t it
time we dropped the qualifier, stopped demanding signs, and let the truth of
Jesus’ message speak for itself in our hearts?
Today’s readings: Micah 6:1-4, 6-8; Matthew 12:38-42
“See,
something greater than Solomon is here!”
Tuesday,
July 20
Prayer by any other name
It’s been said there are five
kinds of prayer: praise and adoration, blessing, thanksgiving, petition, and
intercession. Some prayers are one or another, but many prayers don’t fall into
these neat categories; they combine different ones. Take the Lord’s Prayer, for
example. It has “hallowed be thy name” (adoration) and “forgive us your
trespasses” (petition). Or the Hail Mary: “The Lord is with thee” is praise, while
“Blessed art thou among women” is—obviously—blessing. The five types of prayer
are really more ways of praying as much as set forms. When you pray, whether
the prayers of the church or your own, be aware of how the different kinds of
prayer are at work. It will enrich your prayer.
Today’s readings: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Matthew12:46-50
“Who is a God like you? . . . You will cast all our sins into the depths of the
sea.”
Wednesday,
July 21
Feast of
Lawrence of Brindisi, priest, doctor of the church
The fruitful witness
Can a politician be saved? Some
would say it’s impossible! But we know that for God anything is possible. Take
for instance today’s saint, Lawrence of Brindisi. A Capuchin priest, he was
also a politician. He was at various times during the 17th century
vicar-general of his order, chaplain to the emperor, papal nuncio to Bavaria,
and special envoy to the king of Spain. He was in politics up to his ears. Yet
his saintly patience, kindness, and goodness witnessed to those with whom he
worked. “You will know them by their fruits,” Jesus said. Even politicians can
bear good fruit!
Today’s readings: Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10; Matthew 13:1-9
“Other seeds
fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”
Thursday,
July 22
Feast of Mary
Magdalene
The heart of a disciple
Mary Magdalene is one of the bad
girls of the Bible, right? Although tradition often depicts her that way, the
gospels paint a more accurate picture of who Mary Magdalene is. Mary proclaimed
the Good News with Jesus and other disciples throughout the land. At the foot
of the cross she risked her own life to stand vigil with Jesus as he was
crucified and died. After Jesus was buried, she channeled her own grief into an
act of love by going to the tomb to show reverence. Finally, it was Mary whom
the gospels tell us was the first witness to the Resurrection. May we be
blessed with the heart and courage of Mary Magdalene.
Today’s readings: Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; John 20:1-2, 11-18
“Jesus said
to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ which means
Teacher.”
Friday, July
23
Feast of
Bridget of Sweden, religious
Read, think, ponder
After raising eight children in a
happy marriage, Bridget of Sweden was attracted to a life of contemplation.
We’re not surprised: Ask any parent of a large family if a little peace and
quiet isn’t appealing! The Bridgettine sisters were committed to giving all
surplus income to the poor at the end of each year. They also kept their
buildings simple. But one thing they didn’t skimp on was books. Each member
could have as many as he or she pleased. In an age that gets its information
from sound bites, book reading is a vanishing art. Promote “extreme
understanding.” Read books!
Today’s readings: Jeremiah 3:14-17; Matthew 13:18-23
“But as for
what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands
it.”
Saturday,
July 24
Feast of
Sharbel MakhlŰf, priest
A cedar of Lebanon
Saint Sharbel (or Charbel), born
in northern Lebanon in 1828, was a Maronite Catholic monk and priest. His
reputation for holiness and simplicity led to his canonization in 1977.
Descended from the ancient church at Antioch, Maronite Catholics spent
centuries isolated from other Christian communities and appointed their own
patriarch. Unique among Eastern Catholics, however, Maronites have always
remained in full communion with the Church of Rome. When Sharbel was canonized,
Bishop Francis Zayek, head the U.S. Diocese of St. Maron, noted that Sharbel’s
canonization and other Maronite beatifications prove “that the Aramaic Maronite
Antiochian Church is indeed a living branch of the Catholic Church.”
Today’s readings: Jeremiah 7:1-11; Matthew 13:24-30
“Let both of
them grow together until the harvest.”
