St. John the Baptist R. C. Church

Transcription

1 St. John the Baptist R. C. Church 895 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, New York Mar. 4, rd Sunday of Lent Rev. Tom Kunnel, C.O. Administrator Deacon John Cunningham Deacon Robert Pang Kathleen Dunn Religious Education Director May Pang Parish Admin: MASSES Saturday: 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM 1:00 PM (Spanish) Weekdays: 8:00 AM Saturday: 9:00 AM Holy Days: As Announced Rectory Mon Fri 10:15 AM 4:00 PM Sat 9 AM 11 AM (Spanish) March Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Genua In Memory of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Genua & Mr. & Mrs. Vincent Peperone DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APP ST JOHN PIERMONT

2 Sat 3/3 5:00 PM Francis X. Mascola By Dcn Rob & May Pang 8:00 AM Victims of Florida Tragedy Sun 3/4 By St. John 10:30:AM Theresa Veen By Duffy Kids & Family Mon 3/5 8:00 AM Steven Pfeffer (healing) by Lee McGarvey Tue 3/6 8:00 AM Richard Margiasso By Mildred Oslica 8:00 AM Estelle Marafino (healing) Wed 3/7 By Connie Lynch Thu 3/8 8:00 AM Marie Meyer By CDA Fri 3/9 8:00 AM Lucy Bosco (healing) By Dcn Rob & May Pang 9:00 AM Andrew Oslica Sat 3/10 By Mildred Oslica 5:00 PM Jamie Fuhrman By Rande & Stacey Reyes Sun 3/11 8:00 AM By 10:30 AM Margaret Riley By Madeline McHale THE SANCTUARY LAMP Is Being Offered this week Betty & Bud Sedlack Requested by Patty & Tom Sedlack Please remember in your prayers the Sick and/ or Homebound of our Parish Family. Thomas Mooney, Molly Robinson Ron Rebers, Ginny Terzer, Silvia Miraglia, Anne Bazala, Helen Koza, E, ileen Moson, Marge Culletto, Bill Loftus, Carolyn, Lucy Bosco. As a Parish Family, let us remember in our prayers all our beloved departed members of our Parish Community, Theresa (Patti) Veen, John McCann, Charlie Card, Beverly Pane, Francis Cooney, Sr., Nicholas Bruni, brother of Marge Olsen, Patrick McQuaid, brother of Helen Bark, Eleanor Jurasek, Edward Fabry father of Tom Fabry, Robert Olsen, brother of Ralph Olsen, Theresa Malatinsky, Elaine Dealing, Francis X. Mascola, father of Ted Mascola PLEASE ADVISE THE RECTORY ( ) WHENEVER A PARISHION- ER BECOMES HOMEBOUND, ILL, OR HOSPITALIZED SO ARRANGE- MENTS CAN BE MADE FOR A PRIEST, DEACON OR EUCHARISTIC MINISTER TO VISIT AND BRING COMMUNION TO THEM. Dear Parish Family, Today's Gospel story is one of those episodes that becomes luminous when you compare it with other evangelists' versions of the same event. Try, for a moment, to tell yourself the story of Jesus' clearing of the Temple as you recall it from memory. Now read how Mark tells it in his eleventh chapter and then how John tells it in the second chapter of his Gospel, and let yourself be astonished by what you find there. In Mark s version, Jesus, acts as predicted by Prophet Zachariah and quotes Isaiah and Jeremiah. Those prophets provide all the commentary we need. The Isaiah passage is an oracle about the Age to Come, when dispersed Israel will be gathered in from all over without discrimination. The quotation of Jeremiah refers to the Prophet s teaching in the Temple condemning the evil behavior of the people who were acting as if their Temple rituals were going to make them right with God without any need to change their behavior. Thus they had turned the Temple into a false haven, a den of thieves. So according to Mark's version, Jesus' similar confrontation in the Temple was an acting out of the essential message of his preaching: The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel What a surprise now to turn to John's version. Whereas in Mark the incident occurs during the final week, John introduces the episode early, right after the wedding feast at Cana. And John's description is far more dramatic. In this version, Jesus makes a whip out of cords and we hear not simply of doves but of sheep and oxen. We witness a veritable stampede of livestock scarcely suggested in Mark's version. And Jesus utters no quotations from the prophets but a direct command, Take these out of here, and stop making my Father s house a marketplace We recognize that it is from John that most of us get our picture of the cleansing of the Temple, thanks to Michelangelo's rendering of this scene. But John is being more than pictorial. The point is not drama but symbol. St. John seems to presume that his readers know the Synoptic tradition. Now he tells the familiar episodes with his own thematic coloring. In this Gospel Jesus replaces, one by one, all of the major Israelite institutions. His life, death, and resurrection definitively fulfill the meanings of Temple, feasts, and Torah. And here John shows Jesus acting out the full Easter meaning of his life: he can drive out the animals of the Temple sacrifice because his own self-offering on the cross will permanently fulfill the purpose of Temple sacrifice. Jesus says Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The authorities misunderstand, but the evangelist hastens to explain that he was speaking of the temple of his body, a meaning that would become evident after Easter. If we ask what really happened in that Temple scene, Mark probably brings us closer to the events of history. If we ask what is the deeper meaning of that happening, John s meditation draws us deeper. The reason John brings this to the beginning of his Gospel, out of historical order, is also the reason that we read this nearly halfway on the road to Easter. It forecasts the whole paschal mystery. Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.

3 9AM Religious Ed Sun 4-Mar 11:30AM Legion of Mary 11:30AM Spanish Religious Ed 7PM AA Meeting Mon 5-Mar 6:30PM Religious Ed 10AM Scripture Class Tue 6-Mar 7PM Altar Server Prep 7PM Directiva Meeting 1:30PM Piermont Sr Meeting Wed 7-Mar 7PM Amigos de Jesus Choir Practice 7PM Knights of Columbus 7PM RCIA Thu 8-Mar 7PM Mesajeros de Jesus Chour Practice 8:30AM Stations of the Cross/Adoration Fri 9-Mar 10AM Fri Renew Group 7:30PM Spanish Stations of the Cross 10AM Baptism Catechesis Sat 10-Mar 10AM Setup for Lent Day LENTEN DAY NEXT SUNDAY is The BIG DAY! The action will take place between 10 am and 12:30 am. It is for all kids and their families. It counts as a regular class for all the Sunday morning kids. There will be movies, coloring fun, FREE RAFFLES, displays and so much FUN. Don't forget to bring a treat to share at refreshment time. We can't wait to see you ALL! FIRST RECONCILIATION All three of our First Communion classes will be receiving the sacrament of FIRST RECONCILIATION on this SATURDAY, MARCH 17th at 11 am in the Church. Please arrive a bit early. Go directly to the Church to meet your teacher. Jesus will make you new again in this wonderful sacrament. FAMILY MASS Our next Family Mass will be on PALM SUNDAY, March 25th at 10:30 am. We DO have classes on that day as well as the next day. Readings No. 815B 3rd Sunday of Lent Liturgy Schedule Mar 10/11 Time Lector Eucharistic Minister Altar Servers Saturday 5:00 PM Oscar Nordstrom Janet Zahn 3/10 Sunday 3/11 8:00 AM Catherine O Brien Betsy Feeney 10:30 AM Johanna Krumm May Pang Gabriella Caltagirone Daniela Carpio Kevin Contreras 1:00 PM Carlos Hernandez Yolanda Zamora Cindy Ortiz Marleni Lemus Lizbeth Rodriguez Hilda Alarcon Jonathan Rodriguez Mario Zamora

4 TODAY'S READINGS KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH There's no better way to deepen our Lenten practice than to review the Ten Commandments. The first three, having to do with our right relationship to God, get the most ink. The one we busy people probably have the most problem with is keeping holy the Sabbath. If we take this commandment literally, babies will go undiapered and dishes will stay on the table, or perhaps meals will not be served. The sick will go unattended and nothing that has anything to do with physical labor will be done. Is mental labor really work? How about changing that dirty diaper (poor baby!)? We need to depend on God to discern how to observe real Sabbath time in our lives. The point of this commandment is that God has given us a great gift: one whole day per week when we are free to rest, worship God, sing, feast, love, and rejoice. As Psalm 19 proclaims: "The law of the LORD is perfect, / refreshing the soul" (19:8). Our Sabbath rest is a great gift, to be received from God with joy, not with nitpicking. TODAY'S READINGS First Reading -- God gives the law through Moses (Exodus 20:1-17 [1-3, 7-8, 12-17]) or Exodus 17:3-7. Psalm -- Lord, you have the words of everlasting life (Psalm 19) or Psalm 95. Second Reading -- We proclaim Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:22-25) or Romans 5:1-2, 5-8. Gospel -- Many began to believe in Jesus' name when they saw the signs he was doing (John 2:13-25) or John 4:5-42 [5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42]. 2/18 $3,948 2/11 #82 Tom Fabry 2/18 #285 Javier Caniza $1000 #299 Dympna Lennon $100 #4 Deacon Rob Pang $100 #121 Oscor Nordstrom $100 #35 Laura Armstrong $100 #18 Rosemarie Miele $100 #125 Tom O Connell Welcome to Arianna CristinaRodriguez & Anthony Rafael Rodriguez READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 2 Kgs 5:1-15b; Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4; Lk 4:24-30 Tuesday: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Ps 25:4-5ab, 6-7bc, 8-9; Mt 18:21-35 Wednesday: Dt 4:1, 5-9; Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20; Mt 5:17-19 Thursday: Jer 7:23-28; Ps 95:1-2, 6-9; Lk 11:14-23 Friday: Hos 14:2-10; Ps 81:6c-11ab, 14, 17; Mk 12:28-34 Saturday: Hos 6:1-6; Ps 51:3-4, 18-21ab; Lk 18:9-14 Sunday: 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23; Ps 137:1-6; Eph 2:4-10; Jn 3:14-21 Congratulations to the parents and godparents of the beloved children of God, may baptism be the beginning of a life of faith and a heart full of goodness and love.

5 Lent is this time to slow down, to spend 40 days looking at Where am I right now spiritually? Where am I being called to? There are the 3 tenets of Lent we have the prayer, fasting, and alms giving And how can I use those 3 things to grow closer to God? Through prayer, alms giving, and fasting? Well, again, we re looking at prayer, which is also part of what I call The Grace Trifecta. Prayer is this just gift, this conversation that we can have with God. It s one of the things I like about journaling, because sometimes my brain is kind of all over the place, and I want to be able to bring it in. And if I m just trying to organize the thoughts on my own, it doesn t work. But sometimes I find well, not sometimes, all the time I find when I write them down, that I can organize them better. And it also gives me something to look back on, when God has spoken to my heart, and I can go back later and go Oh my gosh. Look at this. This is where God was, you know, sharing this with me here. And here I m seeing it come to fruition. Or This is what I was prayer for then, and thank goodness is didn t happen, because this much greater thing happened. Or just... it s just a wonderful way to have a conversation with God and to have a record of it. And that s really what prayer is. Prayer is really just a conversation with God. It s this time of opening our hearts to Him, our hearts and our minds, lifting them to heaven, and letting Him speak to our hearts. That s part of freewill. He s not going to burst His way into our lives, He s such a gentleman. We have to invite Him in. We have to cooperate with the grace that He has abundantly available for us in order to really fully embrace the life He has for us. Now, what is grace? That was one of the things that, when I started to come back to the church about 10 years ago, I kept hearing all the time. Grace this and grace that, and I thought What is grace? I had no idea. So, this is the Allison Abridged version of grace: Grace is the undeserved yet freely-given gift of God s Holy Spirit within us. It s that gift, that spirit, that s His, that He places in ours that allows us to live a holier life, to make better choices, to seek Him out, to understand, you know, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. That s all this gift of grace that He has for us. Well, the funny thing about gifts is they re not very useful if they re not received, opened, and used. And sometimes we can get lost on how to get this grace from God. So there, we go back to that trifecta of prayer, sacrament, and scripture. And prayer, well, there s no wrong way to pray. I hear that a lot in my ministry work. I don t know how to pray. Or I don t know if I m praying right. Any time you give your attention to God, and ask for Him to come into your life in a deeper way just to enlighten you in some way, how can that be wrong? It s how you like to pray. It s how you feel the more comfortable. And honestly, I go through seasons of prayer. I may pray one way at some point in my life. For instance, this is how I found Pray More Novenas. I was in a place in my life where I was really trying to get to know God. I was struggling to kind of embrace this life of Christianity for the first time, and someone had shared with me a novena a long, long time ago when I was a young woman, and I knew that it had really impacted my heart. So I wanted to pray them more, but I didn t know how to remember them, because I have a little ADD and I kind of forget things. And I loved that the would come right to my inbox every day, and I would never forget. So that s how I discovered Pray More Novenas. And then I did, you know, those different parts of my life, and whatever they re offering one, quite honestly, I pray it. Because how can that be a bad thing? To pray this 9 days, to a saint, to our Blessed Mother, and to ask for an intercession, for a little extra grace and a little help with things. So when I m in a season of real despair, I find myself praying more and more novenas. There s one by Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She called it the Flying Novena, some call it the Emergency Novena, and she would say nine Memorares in a row, and then she d say a tenth in thanksgiving, because she knew our Blessed Mother would help her in one way or another, and I love that. And I do that one and quite often. I have to be very honest, that one gets a lot of use in my life. But there s the prayers that you know from your childhood that are the Our Father, Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Rosary. But this is looking at the scriptures, but there s also just talking to God. Just before I, you know, wake up in the morning I always thank Him for the day and ask Him to guide me and be with me for the day, and before I go to bed at night I do kind of an examine, where I just think about where, I during the day, I ve been with God, or near Him, or away from Him, what I could have done better, what I did right. Just thanking Him and praising Him always for the gift of faith in my life, and asking Him to continue to pour out His blessing upon me, that I may always know Him and strive to know Him better. And that can sometimes be a difficulty, especially when you re faced with a condition, in my case this atopic dermatitis, that just doesn t go away, and there s nothing that I can do about it. For me, it has a little bit to do with what I eat. I ve been trying to figure out what that is and avoiding it, and it seems like whatever I m allergic to seems to be in everything. And just looking for, in prayer, some peace, some respite, some hope in it. And I found that in prayer. I have to say that the answer to every prayer that I ve ever prayed has always been the response of peace. I may not get what I ve asked for, because God is not a slot machine. I may never see the answer; it may be happening and I just don t know it. But I always, always, always, have a sense, a great sense of peace after I have prayed, and for that I am ever grateful to God for the gift of prayer, and I do find myself praying, especially when I am the most discouraged by something. And sometimes my prayer is only the name of Jesus, or just holding my rosary sometimes, because I can t even muster a prayer because I m so distraught, or frustrated, or just lost. I think of Saint Paul s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Pray without ceasing. Give thanks... Allison Gingras is the founder of Reconciled To You where she blogs, shares and speaks about the Catholic faith in our everyday life and the many opportunities life presents to discover the grace of God! She shares these with great enthusiasm, passion and a sense of humor. Allison is a WINE Specialist overseeing and facilitating social media for WINE: Women in the New Evangelization.

6 LECTURAS DE HOY Primera lectura -- Dios entrega los mandamientos al pueblo por medio de Moisés (Éxodo 20:1-17 [1-3, 7-8, 12-17]) o Éxodo 17:3-7. Salmo -- Señor, tú tienes palabras de vida eterna (Salmo 18 o Salmo 94). Segunda lectura -- Pablo proclama a Cristo crucificado; Cristo es el poder y la sabiduría de Dios (1 Corintios 1:22-25) o Romanos 5:1-2, 5-8. Evangelio -- Jesús echa a los mercaderes del templo y predice su resurrección (Juan 2:13-25) o Juan 4:5-42 [5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42]. TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE Durante la Cuaresma es importante orar, pero muchas personas se declaran ignorantes sobre el tema de la oración. Dicen que nunca aprendieron a orar o que les gustaría poder orar mejor. Tristemente, muchos tienen un entendimiento equivocado sobre lo que es la oración. Piensan que orar es solo recitar oraciones memorizadas o esperan que la oración produzca visiones extraordinarias como la transfiguración de Jesucristo en el monte Tabor. Esperan que patriarcas y profetas, o por lo menos ángeles y santos, se les aparezcan de repente. No digo que estas cosas no pasan, muchas personas lo han experimentado, algunos de ellos por ser muy santos mientras otros más por ser locos. Sinceramente la oración es otra cosa, es más fácil que aprender oraciones de memoria y mucho más simple que éxtasis y visiones. Orar es hablar como hijo o hija al Dios que nos ama como madre, padre, hermano, hermana, amante y amigo. Orar es contarle al Señor como nos van las cosas, nuestros temores, nuestros problemas, nuestros gozos y nuestros anhelos. Orar es pasar tiempo con Dios, a veces platicando, y a veces cal- ST. JOHN PIERMONT NO. 504 Objetivo de San Juan: $40, St. John, Piermont #504 Gracias por su apoyo y generosidad. Próximos Eventos Domingo 11 de marzo Día de Cuaresma para niños Viernes 16 de marzo a las 7PM: Concierto de música "Música del corazón" Martes 27 de marzo Seder cristiano SANTIFICA EL SÁBADO No hay mejor forma de profundizar nuestras devociones de Cuaresma que repasar los Diez Mandamientos. Los primeros tres, los cuales se refieren a una buena relación con Dios, son más extensos. Quizás el que más nos cueste a nosotros, que siempre estamos tan ocupados, es santificar las fiestas refiriéndose al día del Señor. Si tomáramos este mandamiento literalmente, no cambiaríamos a los bebés, los platos quedarían en la mesa y quizás ni siquiera serviríamos las comidas. Los enfermos no serían atendidos y no se haría nada que estuviera relacionado con el trabajo físico. Se considera trabajo al trabajo mental? Y qué hay de cambiarle el pañal al bebé ( pobrecito!)? Debemos depender de Dios para discernir de qué manera debemos respetar y santificar el día del Señor en nuestras vidas. La clave de este mandamiento es que Dios nos ha dado un gran regalo: un día entero por semana en el cual somos libres para descansar, rendirle culto a Dios, cantar, celebrar, amar y alegrarnos. Como proclama el Salmo 19 (18): "Los mandatos del Señor son rectos y alegran el corazón" (19 [18]:8). Nuestro descanso del domingo es un gran regalo que debemos recibir de Dios con alegría, no poniendo peros. LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA Lunes: 2 Re 5:1-15b; Sal 41:2, 3; 43:3, 4; Lc 4:24-30 Martes: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Sal 24:4-5ab, 6-7bc, 8-9; Mt 18:21-35 Miércoles: Dt 4:1, 5-9; Sal 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20; Mt 5:17-19 Jueves: Jer 7:23-28; Sal 94:1-2, 6-9; Lc 11:14-23 Viernes: Os 14:2-10; Sal 80:6c-11ab, 14, 17; Mc 12:28-34 Sábado: Os 6:1-6; Sal 50:3-4, 18-21ab; Lc 18:9-14 Domingo: 2 Cr 36:14-16, 19-23; Sal 136:1-6; Ef 2:4-10, Jn 3:14-21 Para los cursos pre-bautismales llamar a:.alex Aguilar y Natalia Lemus Los cursos se dan previa cita los martes 7pm y domingo 11am.

7 PARISH MINISTRIES & CHAIR Buildings & Grounds Pat Miele, Alex Aguilar Eucharistic Adoration Dcn Robert Pang Health Mary Loftus Hispanic Community Mario Zamora, Marili Mendoza Palma Ministerios Marianos Luis y Aida Cachichabla Hospitality Robin Miller Men s Club Bill Loftus. Ralph Olsen Ushers Jake Miraglia Music Elise Espinosa, Chris & Carolyn Yates, Spanish Choir Carlos Cerna, William Martinez Outreach Maria Nest Parish Council Ralph Olsen Parish Worship Dcn John Cunningham Religious Education Kathleen Dunn RCIA Dcn Robert Pang, Jose Bolaños Right to Life Scott Giblin Social May Pang Spiritual Life Johanna Krumm St. Vincent De Paul Fr. Tom Kunnel PARISH COUNCIL Alex Aguilar, Kathleen Dunn, Jonathan/Dominika Fanning, Lucia/Sal Caruana, Alex Flores, Andrew Lee, Rafael Mazariego, Maria Nest, Ralph Olsen, May Pang, Ray/Beverly Sambrotto TRUSTEES Phil McCartin James Pontone Our Sacramental Life Baptism: Please call the Rectory well in advance of the expected day of Baptism to arrange an appointment for an interview. Pre-baptismal meeting for parents is required. Godparents must be confirmed, practicing Catholics. Generally Baptisms are celebrated the third Sunday of each month at 12:00 pm. Reconciliation: Confessions are heard from 4:30-5:00 pm on Saturday. You may also make an appointment with Fr. Tom. Spanish confessions is available from 12:30 1:00 PM on Sundays. Marriage: Marriages should be arranged at least six months in advance. Participation in Pre-Cana is essential. Please call the Rectory to schedule an appointment with Fr. Tom. Anointing of the Sick: Before you enter the hospital for elective surgery or other serious treatment, and for those who have need of spiritual healing. In an emergency, please call Fr. Tom s mobile Holy Orders: Any gentleman interested in exploring the question of vocation to the priesthood or the permanent diaconate should contact Fr. Tom Kunnel. We would also be happy to direct anyone interested in living their lives as Religious Sisters or Brothers. Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: For instruction for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist for adults and to learn about Catholic Faith. If interested please contact Dcn Robert Pang. For more details and forms Parish Registration: All adults (over age 21) should register in the parish themselves and should use envelopes or parishpay.com. Tithing is 5% of income. This registration is our only means of certifying anyone as a member of the parish, especially for Baptism and Confirmation sponsorship letters and for scheduling Baptisms and Weddings. St. John s is honored to host the Traveling International Statue of Our Lady of Fatima the month of April. The celebration will begin with a Candlelit Procession on Monday, April 2nd and the statue will be with us till April 29. We will pray the Rosary in Her honor throughout the month. Please check the bulletin for more information and special events with our Lady of Fatima.