St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

Transcription

1 St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church 2414 Seventeenth Street, Gulfport, Mississippi Telephone (228) Fax (228) Website: stjohngulfport.org Staff: Rev. Ryan McCoy, Pastor Deacon David Allen, Pastoral Associate Deacon Rick Conason, Pastoral Associate Sr. Mary Kealy, PBVM, Pastoral Associate Teri Patton, Parish Secretary Masses: Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. First Saturday Devotion: 9:00 a.m. Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 a.m., 6:00 p.m. Daily Mass: Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. Spanish Mass: Sunday, 2:00p.m. Holy Days: 6:00 p.m., Vigil, 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. Confession: Before and after every Mass; and anytime on request August 21, 2016 ~Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time WE NEED A LITTLE EPIPHANY Today's first reading from Isaiah hearkens back to passages we hear from that same prophet as the Christmas season draws to a close on Epiphany. The message at that point in the Christian year is essentially the same as today: the redeeming grace of God knows no bounds. It is so marvelous that our human geographical regions or institutions cannot contain it. When it is revealed, the sheer wonder and magnitude of it draws people from all places, from unexpected places, from places that are sometimes considered undesirable by those who would like to contain or control the saving power of God. And then, in an ebb and flow of divine glory, the good news of God's steadfastness, kindness, love, and faithfulness that has caused myriads of people to come to God will turn about, and the message of it will return to all nations and all peoples, as today's psalm sings. BUT RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE? The end of time, Jesus explains today, is going to be full of surprises. The undergirding surprise is the unknowability of the precise time of the coming of God's anointed One in glory. To those who were anxious about the number to be saved, Jesus replies not with a head count, but with a description of them: those who have been disciplined in the Lord to enter through the narrow way to heaven. Some will assume that they "know somebody" on the inside, and so are permitted a life of evil. Their insider status, Jesus says, will be for naught. The master at the door will not be able to recognize them through the veil of sinful living that covers them. Those who thought that their "good blood" in the patriarchal covenant would be a guarantee of joining the patriarchs and prophets will be grinding their teeth, not eating at the banquet table in the kingdom. All who erected boundaries and perpetuated status, according to Jesus, will see their imaginary celestial borders shattered, and the highest reserved places given away. Want a seat at the banquet table? Start living like somebody the other guests would like to have there. Copyright (c) 2006, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

2 Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time August 21, 2016 Strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed. C.C.D. (Grades K-12)... Sundays, 9:00-10:15 A.M. Knights of Columbus... 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 P.M. K C Ladies Auxiliary... 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 P.M. R.C.I.A...Tuesdays, 6:30 P.M. St. Vincent de Paul... 2nd Wednesday, 9:00 A.M. Young At Heart... 4th Thursday, 12 Noon DISCIPLINE It is no accident that the words disciple and discipline are nearly identical. Their relationship in Christian faith and life, however, has fallen somewhat out of favor in the past generation, as certain prescribed Church rules and regulations have been reduced and relaxed. These rules were often referred to as disciplines. We are mistaken, however, to think that it no longer takes discipline to follow Christ. The Letter to the Hebrews assures us of that today. Our discipline is more like that of an athlete pursuing a victory or a personal best, or a musician striving for a concert career or to master a new piece of music. This discipline comes from desire, not from regulations. It was the desire to do the will of God that led Jesus on the path to his cross. It is that same desire he encourages in us today: to strive to enter through the narrow gate, to find ourselves in the kingdom with a surprising assortment of people who are there not because of mere observation of rules, but out of a genuine desire to recline at the table of the heavenly banquet. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Welcome to St. John the Evangelist Parish! If you are new to the parish and have not yet registered, please fill out one of the registration forms on the back table or go to our website, stjohngulfport.org and click on the New Parishioner tab. Happy birthday wishes to Joyce Dedeaux, Emile Koury & Lexi Mires celebrate Aug 20; Danny Hathorn & Estelle Papania celebrate Aug 21; Glenn Carter, Anna Lombard & Stan Tiner celebrate Aug 22; Carolyn Downing, Lynn Loftin & Bobbie revere celebrate Aug 23; Dan Goad, Leland Ladner & Sydney Myer celebrate Aug 25; Nicole Smith celebrates Aug 26. May God Bless them with many more Happy Birthdays! The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 23, at 11:15am. This Sacrament of Healing will be celebrated within Mass. We encourage you to bring a neighbor or loved one to this celebration. Everyone is welcome. Drawdown and Silent Auction Committee Meeting ~ The St. John Drawdown is three months away, and a lot of planning is already under way. Thanks to all who have helped with the planning and thank you in advance for your time and talents! Please join us on Tuesday, August 23 at 5:30pm in the church office dining room for the next meeting to review the schedule, tasks, and to prepare for ticket sales. The Annual Parish Drawdown and Silent Auction Is Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in Presentation Hall. The doors will open at 6pm and the drawdown will start at 6:30pm. There will be delicious food and drink available for everyone. The tickets are $100 and will admit 4 people. This drawdown is to assist our parish with the rising cost of insurance and maintenance of our buildings and other parish projects. The success of the drawdown and silent auction depends on everyone s participation. Tickets are $100 for a chance to win $10,000. If you are unable to purchase a whole ticket, you may share with someone for $50 or three people for $25. We encourage every adult parishioner to actively participate by purchasing a drawdown ticket and donating items for the silent auction. Silent auction items can be dropped off at the parish office. Tickets are available in the Parish office Monday-Friday from 10am-5pm. St James Adoration Chapel When he began his pastoral ministry, Pope John Paul II cried out to the whole world: Do not be afraid! Open, indeed, open wide the doors to Christ! He was pleading with us. Once you open the doors of your heart, of your life, Christ will speak to the real you. His words will bring life to your life. Why put off the healing of your heart? Make Christ a central part of your life. To spend one hour a week as a regular adorer, all you have to do is call Ralph

3 CCD Registration for the current school year will be held through August 21. The registration form can be found on the tables in the back of the church or can be downloaded from our website ( and can be returned to the Parish Office or be placed in the envelope in the Memorial Room. It is important to register your child to ensure that books and supplies are properly ordered and on hand for the beginning of class. As a reminder, if your child does not attend Catholic school, he/she should be registered in our CCD Program. Classes will be held on Sunday mornings from 9:00 10:15 and will resume on September 11. Sacrament of Confirmation - If your child is in the eleventh or twelfth grade and wants to be confirmed in the Spring of 2017, he/she must be registered in the CCD Program, regardless of whether he/she attends Catholic school. The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated in the parish; and as such, the candidates are prepared in our Confirmation Class held on Sunday mornings from 9:00 10:15. Classes will begin on September 11. CCD Program Volunteers - If you would be willing to serve as a CCD teacher or substitute teacher for the upcoming school year, please contact the Rectory at or Linda Hebert at Please note that in order to help protect our youth, all individuals who work with minors undergo an official background check by the Diocese of Biloxi. RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation for Children) is a parish program designed to prepare children and teenagers (3rd 12th grade) for the reception of the Sacraments of Baptism, First Confession, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. If you have a child or know of anyone who wishes to receive these Sacraments, please call the parish office. The class meets on Thursdays from 4-5pm in the parish office building. Introduction to Islam: A Catholic Prospective Edwina Conason is offering a class that will introduce the theology and practices of Islam. Events on the news and internet have spurred discussion on Islam, but very few people actually know what Muslims believe. It will be 3 nights with power point, handouts, and open floor discussions. You will come away with more information on the attacks of 9/11, beheading of the French priest in Normandy, France, and many other events that are connected to Islam. Monday, September 12th, 19th & 26th from 7:00-8:30pm. The classes will begin promptly at 7pm. St. Michael Catholic Church in Biloxi will host a Katrina Prayer Service on Sunday August 28th at 3:00 pm. Our Mother of Sorrows Choir will be singing. All are welcome to share in this prayerful remembrance. How does one become Catholic? The Catholic Church warmly welcomes new members and tries to provide appropriate spiritual formation according to each person s needs. The RCIA Faith Journey will begin on Tuesday, September 6. Be an evangelizer for the Lord. Now is the time to invite your non-catholic or fallen away Catholic relatives and friends, especially those who have never been Confirmed to consider joining us in St. John the Evangelist Parish. For more information, please call the parish office, XLT Adoration Every Tuesday, at 7pm. Come enjoy some one-on-one time with Jesus for an hour He wants to hear your troubles, your needs, your joys, your prayers...come and ADORE Him! If you've never been, let this be your invitation. Adoration with live worship music. Confessions will be available. Everyone is welcome!! Reflecting on God's Word Trudy hung up the phone very slowly. "Well, Jim, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that your mom and dad are coming to Kate's wedding after all. The bad news is that your brother is coming with them." Jim's brother was a missionary for a strict religious sect. When he had learned that Jim and Trudy were becoming Catholic he had erupted in condemnation. They had not spoken since then. Have you ever hoped someone would not come to an event you were hosting, or scheduled it when you knew the person wouldn't be available? Are there people whose presence in the seat next to you at Sunday Mass would make you uncomfortable? Today's scriptures proclaim that those people have as much right to "recline at table in the kingdom of God" as we do--or more. They suggest that if we want the Lord to "open the door for us," we must be willing to open the door to everyone. --Virginia Stillwell Copyright (c) 2012, World Library Publications. All rights reserved

4 Gil Bailey Katherine E. Bailey David Bell Jr. Mary Ann Bishop Melissa Bowles Carol Campbell Nunzio Caranna Nanette Carpenter James Doles Betty Ferguson JonViolet Flickinger Dan & Lorraine Goad Oren Haddock Jordan Hoang Patrick Holley Please Remember in Your Prayers Loyce & Nick Hyre Roy Jones Margaret Jowers Percy Kaigler Mary Kealy Florence Keppner Norbert Keppner Les Knighton Gary Lacy Joann Liner S J Marengo Jace Mathews Celeste McInnis Cherie Mennis Linda Mitchell Sophia Nuchereno Ed Panter Roland Riel Gaynelle Saucier Wayne Saucier Austin Seymour Felecia Vann Rosemary White James Williams Ginger Worth Doan The Xinh Prayer is the door through which all God s Graces comes to us -St. Theresa of Avila Hurricane Prayer O Heavenly Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms that threaten us and turn our fear into praise of your goodness. Protect us from hurricanes and disasters of nature. We pray through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION In recent decades, attention has shifted away from headgear as a symbol of a bishop s authority to a more substantial symbol: the chair, called the cathedra. The word comes from the Latin word for a chair with armrests. It is exactly the reason why dining room sets were marketed in this country a few years ago with only one chair with armrests, the captain s chair. In many rectories of a certain vintage, you will see only one chair with arms at the dining table, a sign to the assisting priests of their proper place in the constellation. For us, as with most Anglicans and some Lutherans, the cathedra is a sign of the teaching authority of the bishop. We inherited the symbolism of the chair from Roman civil life in the fourth century. A church that houses a cathedra is called a cathedral, and the chair may be used only by the bishop of that diocese. Priests who preside at liturgy there must use a different presidential chair. You may find the cathedra in its most traditional place at the head of the apse, or against a side wall as was favored in medieval times, but increasingly bishops are locating the cathedra in the midst of the assembly of the faithful. In the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, visitors will find no barrier to their trying out the cathedra, an expression of hospitality that helps the archbishop be mindful of those whom he serves. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. TODAY S READINGS First Reading Brothers and sisters of every race and language will be brought to Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:18-21). Psalm Go out to all the world and tell the Good News (Psalm 117). Second Reading Be strong and endure your trials as the discipline of a loving God, for it will result in the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13). Gospel People from east and west, north and south, recline at table in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:22-30). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12; Ps 96:1-5; Mt 23:13-22 Tuesday: 2 Thes 2:1-3a, 14-17; Ps 96:10-13; Mt 23:23-26 Wednesday: Rv 21:9b-14; Ps 145:10-13, 17-18; Jn 1:45-51 Thursday: 1 Cor 1:1-9; Ps 145:2-7; Mt 24:42-51 Friday: 1 Cor 1:17-25; Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11; Mt 25:1-13 Saturday: 1 Cor 1:26-31; Ps 33:12-13, 18-21; Mt 25:14-30 Sunday: Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Ps 68:4-7, 10-11; Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a; Lk 14:1, 7-14 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Monday: The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Tuesday: St. Rose of Lima Wednesday: St. Bartholomew Thursday: St. Louis of France; St. Joseph Calasanz Saturday: St. Monica Collections August Identifiable: $2992 Unidentifiable: $844 ACH: $20 Children s Collection: $34 Maintenance: $730 Thank you for your generosity! MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Saturday: +Anthony Davis Sunday: 8:00am- People of the Parish 10:30am +Deanne Fasold; +Helen Larson; For the Holy Souls in Purgatory 6:00- +Johnny & Betty Fayard Monday: +Shawn Dubuisson; +Kit Glenn Tuesday: +Matthew & Thelma Serpa Wednesday: +Mackie Fayard Thursday +Benjamin North Friday: +Toni Todaro

5 Bethesda Free Clinic has moved! We now share a building with the Jackson County Tax Assessor/Collector in the office that formerly housed. the Jackson County Health Dept. Just across the parking lot from the Sheriffs department and our previous location. Our new physical address is: 6912B N. Washington, Ocean Springs Our days and hours remain the same: Mon. thru Thur., 9 am to noon, to 1:30pm to 4 pm Free medical, limited dental and lifestyle coaching to all. Check out our website: We really appreciate those who donate toward the flowers for our church. Sometimes donations are made in honor of an event (anniversary, birthday, etc.) or in memory of a loved one. If you would like to have flowers placed in church, please contact the parish office at If you or anyone in your family is ill at home or in the hospital and would like us to visit you-please call the parish office at Calendar of Events Aug 23 XLT Adoration, 7pm 23 Anointing of the 11:15 Sept 25 Parish Picnic Oct 2 Mary s Day Celebration, 10:30am Mass 19 Ministry Appreciation Dinner, Presentation Hall 6pm 31 All Saints Vigil Mass 6pm Nov 1 All Saints, Mass 7am & Noon 2 All Souls, Commemoration of all the faithful departed, Mass 7am 2 Mass for Deceased Parishioners, 6pm 12 Drawdown, Presentation Hall 6pm 22 Anointing of the Sick, 11:15am 24 Thanksgiving Day, Mass 7am Prayer Groups We have a prayer group that meets every Thursday afternoon from 5:15-6:15pm. Everyone is invited to join us. For more information call the Parish office, Weekly prayer group Thursday s at 10:00am. Call Annette Seymour

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