Our Lady of the Snow 175 Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point, New York Telephone: August 5, th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Transcription

1 Our Lady of the Snow 175 Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point, New York Telephone: August 5, th Sunday in Ordinary Time I wonder how many of you could explain why August 5, the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore, i.e. Great St. Mary) in Rome, is the patronal feast of our parish. It s a fascinating story, going back to the middle of the fourth century A.D. It seems that a well-to-do Roman couple vowed to leave their fortune to Mary and asked her in prayer what they should do with their money. She appeared to them saying that a church should be built on the spot in Rome where snow would fall that summer. It fell on August 5 on the Esquiline Hill where St. Maria Maggiore, nicknamed Our Lady of the Snow, still stands today, the oldest and largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Mother. The picture on our bulletin cover is one of the oldest known icons of Mary, the original of which hangs in the Roman Basilica of St. Mary Major.

2 Director of Music: Mrs. Theresa Martin Rev. Msgr. Charles Fink, Pastor Rev. Joseph Gaspar Deacon Edward Karan Deacon Bob Gronenthal Deacon Frank Hartmann Religious Education: Monday Thursday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mrs. Patricia Bartoldus, DRE olsbpre@aol.com (631) Mrs. Loren Christie, DRE Assistant Parish Outreach: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday in the cottage Mrs. Diana Mongan, Director Mrs. Patricia Fulco, Outreach Assistant (631) olsoutreach@yahoo.com Parish Office: (631) Fax: (631) Hours: Mon. - Thur. 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. CLOSED SATURDAYS IN AUGUST Ms. Loraine Drake, Asst., ext. 111 Mrs. Marlene Tully, Asst., ext. 110 ourladyofthesnowbp@gmail.com SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Saturday 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM in Large Church Monday 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM in Mother Church WEEKDAY MASSES: Monday - Friday 8:30 AM in Mother Church WEEKEND MASSES: Saturday 5:00 PM in Large Church Sunday 7:30 AM in Mother Church 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM in Large Church EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Monday 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM in Mother Church MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA & BENEDICTION: Monday 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM in Mother Church ROSARY: Tuesday, August 7, at 4:45 PM Mother Church Family Rosary Wednesdays, 7:00 PM in Mother Church Pray for Our Sick We pray for all who are sick, for their healing in both body and spirit. Donald Sheehan, Francesca Coviello, Jack McQuade & Rich Racioppi In Sympathy For all who have died this past week, that they rejoice in the heavenly banquet

3 My dear parish family, Here s some interesting news from the world of technology: On July 18, Google celebrated the 124 th birthday of the late Father George Lemaitre, who was a professor of physics at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. Fr. Lemaitre was the first to propose that the universe was constantly expanding from a tiny original point. He named this the hypothesis of the primeval atom or the cosmic egg. It has since come to be known as the Big Bang Theory. Fr. Lemaitre was highly thought of by Albert Einstein. But wait: I thought there was a contradiction between science and religion. How could Lemaitre be a priest and a physicist? How could Fr. Stanley Jaki be the same? How could Regis Nicoll be a nuclear engineer and author of a book called Why There is a God? I don t get it. I ll have to ask one of my atheist friends, who I m sure is smarter than Lemaitre, Jaki, or Nicoll. Here s another fascinating tidbit, definitely food for thought: It seems that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs didn t allow his teenage children to have i-pads and limited there tech consumption at home. The family ate dinner together every night and discussed books, history, and other non-tech subjects. No phones allowed. What an original idea! And this, even more amazing: Many engineers and executives working in Silicon Valley, CA send their children to a Waldorf elementary school where TV viewing is discouraged and electronic devices are banned. Are they crazy, or do they know something we don t? There s a saying that goes: Technology makes a good servant but a bad master. When I m having dinner or conversation with someone and am interrupted several times over as they answer their phone, I know who the master is. When I watch a special on religious vocations and see a teenage girl go into a panic as she s told she ll have to relinquish her cell phone for the weekend retreat, I know I m looking at an addiction. And nowadays, I wonder if I ll ever celebrate a Sunday Mass again without hearing a cell phone go off. I might think I was just getting old and crotchety, but some pretty bright people seem to see the problem too. What about you? Maybe worth a family discussion? With love and prayers, Fr. Charles Fink

4 Capt. Evan Bernstein Major Meghan Ederle Major. Kyle Brown Lt. Sean Brown Ensign Shannon Brown E3/ACAN Connor Rooney USN DO,CPT,MC Kate Desmond-Baker Sgt. Samuel Campanella Lt. Robert Fleming Monday Aug 6, The Transfiguration of the Lord 8:30 AM Ryan Condon Tuesday Aug 7, St. Sixtus 8:30 AM Eileen Violetto Wednesday Aug. 8, St. Dominic 8:30 AM Maria Teixeira Altar Bread and Wine In loving Memory of Marie Jarrett Sanctuary Candle in Mother Church In loving Memory of Marie Jarrett Thursday Aug 9, St. Teresa Benedicta 8:30 AM Jeanette Strain Friday Aug 10, St. Lawrence 8:30 AM Eileen Violetto Saturday Aug 11, St. Clare 5:00 PM Evelyne Quemener Sunday Aug. 12, 7:30 AM Parishioners & Grace Murphy 9:00 AM Patricia Maher 11:00 AM Miguel Cazidilla Beatrice Johnston Catholic Marriage for couples married outside the Church If you have a civil marriage but now desire a Catholic sacramental marriage, call the Rectory for more information about a Convalidation. Convalidation is having a couple s marriage recognized and blessed by the Church through the Catholic Rite of Marriage. Marriage: Arrangements must be made at least six to twelve months in advance. It is advisable to call the church prior to arranging the reception. Rite of Christian Initiation (R.C.I.A.) Persons interested in becoming Catholic and adults who have not received Confirmation or First Eucharist, please contact the rectory office. Communion for the Homebound: To make arrangements to have Communion brought to the home, please call the parish office at , ext For emergency sick calls, please call the parish at any time. Baptisms Are celebrated on the second Saturday and fourth Sunday of most months. Please visit our website for complete information or call the rectory office.

5 FR. JOHN KEEP: ON TRUST IN GOD S LOVE Blessed Julian of Norwich had a vision in which she saw the whole of creation being held like a hazelnut in God s hand. As scripture says, In your sight, Lord, the whole world is like a grain of dust... like a drop of the morning dew on the ground. If we try to compare anything created with God the Creator, it must appear infinitesimally small and insignificant. When we, as human beings, regard things that are insignificant in comparison with ourselves, like a grain of dust or a drop of morning dew, we pay almost no attention to them at all; we do not consider such trifles worth consideration. But... nothing is a trifling matter to God. It takes the infinite power of God as Creator to bring into existence one grain of dust or a drop of dew, and God is of far too great a dignity to do anything worthless. God is love, and love is a very mysterious reality. You might say that love is always seeking more and more objects to love, more and more things to take care of. God s infinite love reaches out to every single thing that exists at all; otherwise it would not exist. So great and true is God s love that He does not cease to love even those of His creatures who disobey and offend Him. God loves His people much more than His things; in fact He created the things for the sake of His people. His love for us has no end, and His mercy has no limits. It is good for us to have a constant sorrow for our sins, to have an abiding, peaceful sorrow for all we have ever done wrong, but we must couple with it a complete trust in God and be free from all uneasiness. Most of us have some fault or other which we never seem to conquer, though we keep on trying to do so. Well, we must not stop trying to conquer it, but in the meantime we must not trust God less. We do not have to become innocent and perfect before Our Lord will embrace us. The Son of Man came to seek out and save what was lost. He has found us, and He will save us. What a joy this thought should be to us, especially when we grow a little tired of this earth and its troubles. We do not love God enough, but let s not minimize His love for us, even when we fail Him. Love covers a multitude of sins, and if we trust God s love, we shall be given such a share in it that we shall really come to love Him too. Love for God cannot exist without trust in Him. For more Fr. Keep go to

6 WHAT S YOUR CATHOLIC I.Q.? This educational self-assessment is a fun way to help you see how much you know about your Catholic faith. Answers can be found on the bottom of this page. A Self-Assessment for Your Fun and Enlightenment! (Permission granted by Joe Paprocki, D.Min., and Catechist Magazine). 1. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about God s great mercy: the Prodigal Son, The lost Coin, and the Lost. a. Disciple b. Sheep c. Samaritan d. women at the Well 2. Pope Francis is the first pope named after St. Francis of Assisi. True/False 3. On September 8, we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nine months after we celebrate. a. the Immaculate Conception b. Christmas c. Easter d. the Assumption of Mary 4. Raphael, Gabriel, and are the three archangels mentioned in Scripture. a. Tobias b. Zachariah c. Peter d. Michael 5. Jesus said that the greatest commandments is to love with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. a. your catechist b. your toys c. the Lord, your God d. your parents. Answers: 1. b; 2. True; 3. a; 4. d; 5. c STEWARDSHIP FINANCIAL REPORT For the week of July 29th, $7, To access Bishop Barres Pastoral letter, The Supreme Gift: The Gift of Life on your computer or tablet, search It is fifteen pages long but well worth reading, In fact I d say it s your responsibility as a Catholic to read it, reflect on it, and pray for the grace and understanding to accept its teaching. Upcoming Events: OLS Respect Life Meetings will resume Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 10 a.m. in the Cottage. The LI Coalition for Life holds a Prayerful Presence on the Second Saturday of the month in front of Planned Parenthood on Waverly Avenue in Patchogue from 10:30 a.m. -11:30 p.m. The next Prayerful Presence will be August 11th. Future Meeting Dates for RLM: Thursday, October 4th, 10 a.m. in the Cottage Other Dates to Follow...

7 Eucharistic Retreats 400 West Neck Road, Huntington, New York SILENT RETREATS: These retreats comprise the primary activity of the Missionaries residing at the Seminary. Come apart and rest for a while (Mark 6:31) in silence with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Silent retreats are in the form of Eucharistic Spiritual Exercises, with Scriptural Meditations before the Blessed Sacrament, daily Mass, and scheduled meetings with the Retreat Director. All Silent Retreats conclude with Sunday Mass and range from 2 to 5 nights at the Seminary. To book your silent retreat, please contact Linda at the seminary at (631) Ext: 128 or LRehnstedt@icsem For more information, explore our website: EUCHARISTIC RETREATS: Centered on the Eucharist, preached retreats are currently scheduled for: Sunday, September 9, 2018 Sunday, October 14, 2018 Sunday, November 11, 2018 Sunday, December 9, 2018 Sunday, January 13, 2019 Sunday, February 10, 2019 Sunday, March 10, 2019 Sunday, April 7, 2019 Sunday, May 5, 2019 Sunday, June 2, 2019 Note that advance registration is required for these retreats. For information & registration, call Alison Ferrara (631) or register by sending name, address, home address, parish, and phone number to MostHolyEucharist@gmail.com specifying the retreat of interest. EXCITING NEWS!!!! To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of his Catholicism series, Bishop Robert Barron is making it available free online from August 7-16, one of the ten episodes to be shown each day for ten days. The site is: Catholicismseries.com. If you ve never seen this superb video overview of our Catholic faith, don t miss this opportunity to view it. If you ve seen it, here s a chance to view it again. Pass the word. Watch it as a family. At a time when there s plenty of bad news about the Church, Bishop Barron and his Catholicism series is very good news.

8 August 15th through October 7, 2018 The time is now to call upon God, through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, to heal our country and return it to holiness. The time is now to call upon God, through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, to heal our country and return it to holiness. This is a nationwide prayer campaign called the Novena for Our Nation. Everyone from around the nation is encouraged to join ranks as, united, we pray the very powerful 54 Day Rosary Novena from the Feast of the Assumption on August 15 to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. We continue to live in peace-less times with laws and court rulings in conflict with God s laws; especially the disregard for the rights of the unborn, elderly and weak in our society and the attacks on marriage and family values. Society and many levels of government continue to demonstrate intolerance towards biblically based religious belief and practice. In conflict with First Amendment constitutional rights, persecution of traditional religious expression has reached historically high levels. We are in a Spiritual Battle. We are called upon to help turn our country back towards God. We will accomplish that through prayer; prayer that can change hearts, change families, change our communities and change our country. There is no stronger weapon in this Spiritual Battle than the Rosary. If that nation against which I have spoken, shall repent of their evil, I also will repent of the evil that I have thought to do to them. Jeremiah 18:8 Pray for America with the faithful from across the country Sign up to receive daily reflections straight to your inbox **PLEASE JOIN US AT COREY BEACH ON OCT. 7, AT 4:00 PM**

9 SAVE THE DATE Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Out Lady of the Snow Annual Golf Outing Rockhill Country Club This year we are honoring Deacon Robert Gronenthal The Office of Diaconate Formation will be conducting THREE INFORMATION SESSIONS for men and their wives. 7:00 pm WEDNESDAY, September 5 7:00 pm FRIDAY, September 7 7:00 pm SUNDAY, September 9 Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, 440 West Neck Road, Huntington, NY Are you discerning a vocation to the Diaconate? If you and your wife would like to attend one of the meetings, CALL Ext. 179 or diaconateformation@drvc.org Parish Outreach Open Monday - Thursday 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM (631) Thank you for your continual support of our ministry. With your generous donations we can continue to help so many in need in our community. May God bless you for your kindness. The pantry is located in the lobby of the large church. All donations can be left outside the pantry door or at the Outreach office during business hours. ***Back to school*** We are in great need of Staples gift cards for back to school shopping for our families in need with school aged children. The Pantry is in need of the following: *** indicates greatest need items Tissues Coffee Cookies Chili Crackers Pancake mix and Syrup Salmon Toothpaste Laundry detergent Deodorant Shampoo Conditioner Toilet paper Paper Towels Tea*** Mayo*** Ketchup*** Peanut Butter*** Jelly***

10 OUR LADY OF THE SNOW RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OFFICE Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or by appointment The ministry of Religious Education strives to bring all into a closer relationship with Jesus through Word, Worship and Service. August 5, 2018 Religious Education Office will be closed for Summer Break We will reopen on August 20th FAITH always brings us to JOY! -Pope Francis CATECHISTS NEEDED: Level 2-2 catechists needed Monday, 4:30 p.m. or Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. Level 6-5 catechists needed Monday, Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. or Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. If you are interested in sharing faith with a group of 6 or 8 students once a week October - April please call or Pat in the Religious Education Office Who Are Catechists??? Parents - Moms & Dads Grandparents & Godparents High School or College Students Parishioners Late Registration for If you missed registration on June 5th, please complete the registration forms for your child as soon as possible and return them to the Religious Education Office. Registration forms can be found on the parish website: ourladyofthesnowbluepoint.com or there are hard copies on the backstairs of the Religious Education Office. You can leave the completed forms in the mail box on the backstairs while we are closed for the summer. Children Entering 1st Grade in September 2018 should be registered in the Religious Education Program. Participation in Level 1 is the first level of the Diocesan mandated 2 year preparation program for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. Registration forms should be returned to the Religious Education Office. **Please include a copy of your child s baptismal certificate.

11 Senior Citizen Apartments available at Catholic Charities St. Anne s Gardens nd Avenue, Brentwood NY Low Income Senior Rental Apartments for seniors, 60 Years of Age or Older Call Stanan Management at A little humor from Father Fink A guy gets stopped for speeding and offers as an excuse that he was just trying to keep up with traffic. The highway patrol officer says, Sir, there is no traffic. The guy responds; Right, because they re so far ahead of me.