St Joseph s of Stratford Parish National Catholic Church

Transcription

1 St Joseph s of Stratford Parish National Catholic Church Since 1907 Weekly Bulletin 6 th Sunday, Yr B / Quinquagesima February 15 th, 2015 PARISH CONTACTS PASTOR Fr Michal Gitner PARISH CHAIRPERSON Nancy Sirois VICE CHAIRPERSON Dee Smith FINANCE SECRETARY Barbara Chernesky Dear Parishioners, Time flies and it does indeed. The Lenten season is here once again. We begin our journey of penance, prayer and works of charity on Ash Wednesday, which is on February 18 th. There will be two Masses at 9:00 am and 6:30 pm with the distribution of the ashes. Like in previous years, there are reflection booklets at the back of the church to help us with our Lenten discipline. A good way to use them is to read the daily reflection/meditation and spent a few moments in silence. Lenten suppers at 6:00 pm followed by the Stations of the Cross at 6:30 pm will take place every Friday. There is sign up sheet for groups within the parish or families willing to run any of the suppers. Lenten Day of Recollection (for the Southwest Seniorate) is on February 28 th. The Lord s Kitchen, which St Joseph s is a part of - served 10,086 meals in 2014! Fr Michal Saturday: 5:00 pm - Sunday Vigil Sunday: 8:00 am 9:30 am MASS SCHEDULE Ash Wednesday: Mass 9:00 am & 6:30 pm SOCL (religious instructions for children) - 9:00 am 1300 Stratford Road, Stratford CT Tel: (office), (rectory), Fax:

2 FAITH MATTERS GOSPEL CHALLENGE A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, If you wish, you can make me clean. (Mark 1:22) If you wish Lord, you can.is it how I pray? if you which Lord THOUGHTS ON THE GOSPEL Today, we have the third in a series of healings. We have had a healing which liberated someone from an evil which held them bound - the healing of someone so that they were able to serve the Lord - today s healing allows someone to re-enter the community. At the time, people with leprosy were excluded from the community (see the First Reading). They were forced to leave their homes, their families and communities. They lived in colonies - gradually becoming more disfigured and alienated. They were considered to be unclean which meant that they were unable to attend synagogues, to read the Scriptures, to offer sacrifice. All religious and spiritual practices were forbidden them since they could not go into any populated place. It was a desolate existence. When the leper approached Jesus, he was, in fact, going against the Law. This said that he should have called out to warn Jesus and the disciples that he was unclean and that they should keep away. Instead, in desperation, he comes to Jesus and speaks directly to Him. In his wretched state, he has seen in Jesus someone who could heal him. The question was did Jesus want to heal someone who was ritually unclean - who, some said, was leprous because of some sin? Jesus, of course, wants to and reaches out and touches him - strictly speaking, making Himself unclean in the process. At once (one of Mark s favorite phrases again) the leprosy leaves the man and he is healed. To touch the unclean made one unclean. As John J. Pilch noted in his book, The Cultural World of Jesus (pp. 35), ancient Jews concerned themselves with the notion of pollution, not of infection. They made little distinction between a cultural and a natural source of the pollution, as long as they kept the source of the pollution at a distance. In a culture that had a firm mistrust of change, they had an obligation to reject anything that changed what they believed was a God-given lifestyle. When Jesus touched the diseased man, he took the disease upon himself. He changed the status of the unclean to clean and became polluted. He made himself rejected, so the leper could become accepted. And he did it willingly. In this sense, Mark foreshadowed Jesus' ultimate act of accepting pollution from nature and society. He took death upon himself, so all might have eternal life with Humor Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "And what starting salary are you looking for?" The engineer replies, "In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package." The interviewer inquires, "Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?" The engineer sits up straight and says, "Wow! Are you kidding?" The interviewer replies, "Yeah, but you started it." 2 lorem ipsum :: [Date]

3 PARISH CALENDAR Feb 15 th Parish Board meeting 10:45 am Feb 18 th Ash Wednesday - Masses 9:00 am and 6:30 pm The Lord s Kitchen Feb 20 th Lenten Supper 6:00 pm Stations of the Cross 6:30 pm Feb 22 nd Parish Annual Meeting Feb 28 th Lenten Day of Recollection BY THE WEEK Sundays: Mercy Tabernacle Church 12:30-2:30 pm Tuesdays: Mercy Tabernacle Church 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Wednesdays: Thursdays: AA meeting 12:00 pm Irish dance classes 6:00 pm Yoga meditation 6:00 pm AA men s meeting 7:30 pm For news input in the weekly bulletin, please contact Father Michal by Wed: mgitner@gmail.com Readers roster February 15 th February 22 nd 8:00am Jan Chernesky Jan Chernesky 9:30am Lee Niedzielski Joe Pelland Next Sunday s readings (1 st Sunday of Lent) Genesis 9:8-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:12-15 FOOD FOR THOUGHT NEWS AND EVENTS Parish Annual Meeting Please mark February 22 nd in your calendars. After 9:30 am Mass we will gather as a parish community to look back at the year 2014, reflect on what have been done, and more importantly, discuss and plan for the year So it is very much about sharing our wisdom, talents and hopes as a faith community. Hope to see you on the day. Future Direction Subcommittee of the Supreme Council has created Action Plan for 2015: A Year of Regeneration based on the last General Synod s visioning sessions. One of the five priorities was the increase of spirituality in our Church. At St Joseph s we will have a chance to participate in a Lenten Day of Reflection Come back to me with all your heart on February 28th, from 12noon to 5:00 pm. If you are planning to attend please drop your name in the box in the foyer. The program is as follows: 12:00 noon - Welcome and light lunch 12:30 pm - Midday Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours) and introduction of the theme followed by silent reflection (church) 1:00 pm - Biblical perspective on the conversion of a heart (talk and sharing) 2:00 pm - Introduction to a silent meditation Be still I know that I am God Ps 46:10 2:30 pm - Putting it into practice (meditation that is) 3:00 pm - Afternoon tea 3:30 pm - Taize (short video) and praying with the Taize chants 4:15 pm - Communal Penitential Service 5:00 pm - Vigil Mass of the 2 nd Sunday of Lent I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose. John F. Kennedy 3 lorem ipsum :: [Date]

4 Sunday Readings First Reading Leviticus 13:1-2, The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch which appears to be the sore of leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests among his descendants. If the man is leprous and unclean, the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head. The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, Unclean, unclean! As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Response to the Psalm I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation. Second Reading 1 Cor 10:31-11:1 Brothers and sisters, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia A great prophet has arisen in our midst, God has visited his people. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Gospel Mark 1:40-45 A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, If you wish, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, I do will it. Be made clean. The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once. He said to him, See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them. The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. October 19 th 2014 February 2015 bulletin issues are sponsored by Marianne Charabowski. If anyone wishes to contribute to the printing cost of the bulletin, please contact Fr Michal. Printed by Magnetic Print 30 Ferry Blvd., Stratford, CT 4 lorem ipsum :: [Date]

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