Our Mission Statement We Worship ~ We Teach ~ We Care. February 7, 2016 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary

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1 St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish 5112 Pocono Crest Rd. PO Box O Pocono Pines, PA Parish Office: (570) Web Page: Saturday Confessions ~ 3:00 p.m. ~ Saturday Vigil ~ 4:00 p.m. Sunday Masses ~ 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. February 7, 2016 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Our Mission Statement We Worship ~ We Teach ~ We Care

2 February 7, 2016 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! Holy, holy, holy! Ancient languages, like the Hebrew used in the scriptures, did not always have a way to express superlatives in one word. Isaiah could not say God was holiest, so he used the threefold repetition of the same word. This bit of scriptural minutiae about these three little words that we sing at every Mass serves as a reminder that answering God s call has to be grounded in awareness of God s holiness. In Isaiah and in the Gospel passage today, we hear accounts of the revelation of God s power and might: the seraphim in the temple and the miraculous catch of fish. These are not wondrous revelations for their own sakes. They lead to a response in mission, Isaiah s Here I am, send me! and the disciples leaving everything to follow Jesus. And so must our own Holy, Holy, Holy! lead us to Christ in the Eucharist every Sunday, and to a life following him day by day. POPE FRANCIS SPEAKS TO FAMILIES Helping Her Children Grow Strong A mother helps her children grow up and wants them to grow strong; that is why she teaches them not to be lazy ~which can also derive from a certain kind of well-being; not to sink into a comfortable lifestyle, contenting oneself with possessions. The mother takes care that her children develop better, that they grow strong, capable of accepting responsibilities, of engaging in life, of striving for great ideals. The Gospel of St. Luke tells us that in the family of Nazareth, Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him (2:40). Our Lady does just this for us; she helps us to grow as human beings and in the faith, to be strong and never to fall into the temptation of being human beings and Christians in a superficial way, but to live responsibly, to strive ever high. ~Address at the Recitation of the Rosary, Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, 2013 February 7th TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION As the Roman Empire shattered and collapsed, the bishops were the people best equipped to catch the falling stones. In the West (that s us), they sought to stabilize society by weaving a structure of laws and courts to uphold the rights and dignity of married couples in a chaotic world. The bishops in the East had a different approach, even allowing the dissolution of marriages in certain cases. To an extent, the bishops took a measure of control away from the fathers of families in order to provide pastoral care for those who suffered most in the social collapse: women and children. In the West, much of the marriage law was contained in the penitential books the bishops devised to regulate the lives of public sinners. In the seventh century, Theodore of Canterbury s penitential book said that he had the power to give consent to remarriage in the case of a poor fellow whose wife had been carried off by the Vikings. If the Vikings subsequently brought her back, she could remarry, too! No bishop ever made peace with divorce, but there was never a time when the pastoral concern of the church was not struggling with how to care for people in unhappy situations. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish Staff ASHES will be distributed at the 8:15 am and 7 pm Masses, and also at the 12:15 pm Prayer Service. Join us as for our Lenten Journey! Reverend Sean G. Carpenter ~ Pastor Deacon Frank Gisoldi ~ deaconf@ptd.net Deacon Tom Amoroso Mrs. Lynnette Smith Coordinator of Religious Education/ Pastoral Associate ~ lysmith@ptd.net Marion Colvin Office Manager ~ mcol@ptd.net John Marcinkowski, Jr. Coordinator of Music ~ jjm1105@ptd.net

3 February 6th through February 14th Saturday 4:00 pm Mass of Thanksgiving by Theresa Jones Sunday 8:00 am For The Parishioners 10:30 am Bishop Joseph Kopacz by Family of St. Maximilian Kolbe Monday 8:15 am Donna Kerrick by Marge Lewis Tuesday 8:15 am James G. Gravatt by John & Marianne Hajduk Ash Wednesday 8:15 am James Gallagher by Kay Gaido 12:15 pm Prayer Service 7:00 pm Lillian DeMayo by Ann & Tom Curley Thursday 8:15 am Richard Luthcke by Anthony & Colleen Cartezio Friday 8:15 am Communion Service Saturday 4:00 pm Martin J. King by Christine Gilmartin Sunday 8:00 am Margaret Ahern by Mary O Donnell 10:30 am For The Parishioners First Friday Adoration will be held after the Communion Service each month. INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY - If Pocono Mtn. Schools are cancelled, there will be no Mass; if school is delayed, Mass will be delayed. There will not be an 8:15 Mass when a Funeral Mass is scheduled. Saturday Confessions at 3:00 pm A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned pleas rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association from every family and from the heart of every believer. ~Blessed Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, no. 100 Weekly Collection 01/24/16 $ 2,024. Thank You for Your Generosity Saturday: 1 Kgs 3:4-13; Mk 6:30-34 Sunday: Is 6:1-2a, 3-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11 Monday: 1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-13; Mk 6:53-56 Tuesday: 1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30; Mk 7:1-13 Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5:20~6:2; Mt 6:1-6, Thursday: Dt 30:15-20; Lk 9:22-25 Friday: Is 58:1-9a; Mt 9:14-15 Saturday: Is 58:9b-14; Lk 5:27-32 Sunday: Dt 26:4-10; Rom 10:8-13; Lk 4:1-13

4 NO CLASSES ON PRESIDENTS WEEKEND REVISED CANCELLATION PROCEDURES FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES CCD Families who have provided current addresses will be notified by ; families with no s will be called; please call the church if you are in doubt. FIRST COMMUNION PARENT MEETING #1 Will be held at 7 pm on Monday, February 10th RELIGIOUS BOOKS FOR SALE: Please contact Lynnette in the Parish Office if you would like to purchase one of the books listed below: Mary, the Ideal of Virtue Thirty-one Meditations on the Litany of our Lady Written by Giovanni M. Semeria, CRSP ($12.95) The Adventures of Anthony Mary Mouse By Carol J. Hail is based on the life and times of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria ($24.95) 2016 WORD AMONG US SUBSCRIPTIONS will be renewed as Lent begins on February 10th. If you would like to receive a monthly subscription for the next 12 months, please reserve your copy with Lynnette Smith in the Parish Office by Feb. 1st. If you receive your subscription through the bulk mailing to St. Max, the yearly cost is $20. 9 AM SCRIPTURE SHARING FOR LENT We encourage you to join us in the hall on Tuesday mornings (at a new time) as we prayerfully reflect on the Scriptures for the upcoming weekend. Participating in this group is an opportunity to set aside time to draw closer to God during this Lenten Season. ADULT ENRICHMENT LENTEN SESSIONS All are encouraged to join us as we gather to reflect on ways to live out the faith we profess and to bond in Christian fellowship. The Works of Mercy : 2 Options to Participate Tuesdays at 10:30 am February 23; March 1, 8, 15 Wednesdays after the 7 pm Stations of the Cross February 24; March 2, 9, & 16 Mission of Mercy at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish on February 17 th, 18 th, and 19 th St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Pocono Pines will host a Lenten Mission of Mercy on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday during the second week of Lent. Fr. Michael Quinnan, Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace, has been designated by Pope Francis as one of 80 Missionaries of Mercy from the United States. Fr. Mike will preside at these three events, which will all begin at 7 pm. On Wed., February 17 th, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated; several other priests will also be available for confessions. Thursday, February 18 th will be an evening of Eucharistic Adoration. The Mission concludes on Friday, February 19 th with Mass. All are welcome! For directions or more information, please call The Missionaries of Mercy - priests who come from various parts of the world and were proposed by their own bishops to carry out this special service - will receive the mandate from the Holy Father to be preachers of mercy and confessors of full mercy. Appointed exclusively by the Holy Father, these priests will personally receive from him the faculty to forgive sins reserved to the Holy See, and will be the sign of closeness and pardon of God for all. In the Pope s Words: During Lent of this Holy Year, I intend to send out Missionaries of Mercy. They will be a sign of the Church s maternal solicitude for the People of God, enabling them to enter the profound richness of this mystery so fundamental to the faith. There will be priests to whom I will grant the authority to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See, so that the breadth of their mandate as confessors will be even clearer. They will be, above all, living signs of the Father s readiness to welcome those in search of His pardon.

5 Week of Feb. 7th - February 13th Sanctuary Light Is available for $20 for two weeks Bread and Wine For The Unborn Children Altar Flowers No Flowers during Lent ST. MAX PRAYER GROUP The group meets in the parish hall and shares in prayer, song, praise, thanks and a video series which enables us to have a deeper understanding of the Person of the Holy Spirit. All are welcome to join in with us at 2 pm on Saturday s. The meeting ends prior to the 4 pm Mass. In case of inclement weather, call or Those In Need of Prayer Kyle Brennan ~ Amy Hatlee Jack Carey ~ Claire Abbazio Flo Butler ~ Kevin Kret Michael James ~ Gerry Boyle Betty Lou Torpey ~ Beverly Lewis Deacon Frank - Timothy Yuskaitis Fr. Tom McLaughlin ~ Fr. Urban Charles Knopp ~ Brodie Direnzo ~ Temi Miller Msgr. Jerry Sherba ~ Richard Snell ~ Noah Direnzo Duncan Van Dusen ~ Joe Miller ~ Antonia Lucia Caroline Bruno ~ Haydee Melendez ~ Joe Filocco Ron Heisler- Lt. Joseph V. Yuskaitis, Jr. Paul Fulton ~ Joseph McKenna ~ Bobbie Morin Bern Dukert ~ Dolores Puglia COMMUNION TO THE HOMEBOUND If illness or health problems prevent you from attending Mass, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are able to bring Communion to you. If this need exists, please contact Diane Lake or her at dianemlake@live.com. Parish Life at St. Max. Sat. Feb 6th- First Communion Gathering 9-noon Mon. Feb 8th- First Communion Parent Mtg. 7 pm Tue. Feb. 9th- Craft Meeting - 12 Noon Wed. Feb. 10th - ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES: MASSES: 8:15 & 7 PM; 12:15 SERVICE Thur. Feb 11th - Adult Choir - 7 pm Fri. Feb. 12th - Joyful Noise Choir - 5:30 pm - Lenten Buffet 4:30-7 pm OUR LENTEN LITURGIES As we journey through Lent, reflecting this season as a time of introspection and preparation, there are some differences in the celebration of the Liturgy. How Will the Music be Different? The Introductory Rites include an antiphonal Entrance Hymn and chanting the Kyrie eleison (Lord Have Mercy), found at the top of page 6 in Breaking Bread, during the Penitential Act. During the Liturgy of the Word, the Psalm will be recited, anticipating singing the Psalms during Holy Week and the Easter Season. Alleluia's are also set aside until Easter, as we sing the Gospel Acclamation, "Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory". Highlighting the Year of Mercy, the response to the Prayer of the Faithful will be sung, "Father, grant us your mercy and compassion". During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we will sing #854 Agnus Dei, the Latin chant setting of the Lamb of God. And for the Communion Procession, we use antiphonal settings of the seasonal psalms for Lent (Psalms 51, 91, or 130). At the Concluding Rite, we depart in silence. After the Dismissal, all are asked to stay in place, in a posture of silent prayer, until the celebrant reaches the doors of the church. Taking a moment to remain in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament before leaving quietly is encouraged. HELPING HANDS MINISTRY NEEDS YOU! Many of our faithful helping hands volunteers are no longer able to drive as much as they have in the past. If you are able to transport members of our Parish Family to Mass, for appointments, or if you can pick up medicine or a few groceries, please call Lynnette in the Parish Office and inform her of the days and times you may be available as calls for assistance are received.

6 Parish Life 2016 Area Lenten Penance Services Sunday, March 6th at 3 pm St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish Pocono Pines Tuesday, March 8th at 7 pm Our Lady of Victory Tannersville Sunday, March 13 at 2 pm Most Holy Trinity Parish Cresco Penance Service in Monsignor McHugh Auditorium Sunday, March 13 at 4 pm Our Lady Queen of Peace Brodheadsville PRAYERS FOR MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT SERVICE Major Thomas M. Smith ~ Airman Joshua Ponce Seaman Nicole Beckman ~ Cpl. John P. Bramley Lt. Col. Christopher Yuskaitis Lt. Joseph V. Yuskaitis, Jr. ~ Alston Smart Jr. 3rd Class Petty Officer DC3 Jeffrey Royall Cpl. Nhelmar DePerro ~ Spec 4 Amber Keppol Pvt. Matthew Ponce ~ Alston Smart Jr. Jake Yuskaitis ~ Staff Sgt. William D. Olsen MK1 Katie Stodnick ~ Eugene Maslar, Jr. 2nd Lt. Mark Gaido ~ Ensign Michael Huf HA Valerie Novak Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. ~AMEN Meetings are held the 1st & 3rd Mondays of the 7 pm ~ ~Facebook at KnightsofColumbus Pocono Pines or ~ Twitter@ kofc13752mail. The Light Is On For You Mondays of Lent pm. at St. Max Our Parish, and all the parishes in the Diocese of Scranton, will be open for individual confessions on Monday evenings during Lent. In this Year of Mercy, we encourage all Catholics to experience Christ s healing love through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. WHERE GOD IS... We cannot go where God is not. And where God is, all is well. Anonymous Jesus came to serve not to be served. Are you ready to serve? To be an Altar Server? YES! Please, contact Deacon Frank and Mrs. deaconf@ptd.net. St. Max Prayer Shawl meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at 7 pm in Our Lady of the Lake Hall. If you knit or crochet or would like to learn, please join us. The next meeting is February 16th.

7 NEED A MARRIAGE ANNULMENT? As of December 8th, the first day of the Year of Mercy, Catholics seeking marriage annulments will no longer pay a fee to cover the administrative costs of annulment cases. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call the parish office at and speak with Fr. Sean. Celebrating a 25th or 50th Anniversary? His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, and the Office for Parish Life wish to invite couples celebrating their 25th or 50th wedding anniversary in 2016 to a diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass on Sunday, June 5th. The event includes a 2:30 pm mass at St. Peter s Cathedral followed by a reception. Requests for an invitation, with a mailing address, should be made through your parish office before March 7th. Ecumenical / Interfaith BIG BROTHERS & BIG SISTERS - there are currently 23 boys and 12 girls from Monroe County looking for a mentor. Most are 8,9,10 years old and some have been waiting for over one year. Please consider becoming a "Big" to one of theses kids. Becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister has a significant and positive impact on the child and is an extremely rewarding experience for the adult. We ask for a one year commitment and 2-3 hours per week. Visit our bbbsnepa.com or contact or for more information of the program. FOOD PANTRY NEWS Location: Five Loaf House: 133 Firehouse Road Telephone: DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE: Monday, Feb. 8th & Tuesday, Feb. 9th New volunteers - please contact Beth or Chuck. If there is any question as to whether the pantry is open during inclement weather, please call The safety of our volunteers as well as our clients is our top priority! Around the Diocese INTERNATIONAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (ISLI), Registration is now open for this important event which will take place February 26-28, 2016 at Camp Ladore in Waymart. ISLI is the diocesan leadership experience for high school students. It is a peer lead and facilitated retreat that focuses on five leadership pillars of support, awareness, self confidence, positive thinking and values. This program is absolutely essential for forming leadership qualities in the young people of our parish. Students can register on-line through the diocesan website: dioceseofscranton.org ; please call Lynnette in the Parish Office if you are interested and/or have questions. Based on a program formulated at Notre Dame University by Rev. Thomas Chambers, the student leadership institute is designed to identify and respond to the current needs of young people. It is open to all high school students who wish to learn about leadership and improve their already existing decision-making and problem solving skills through the teachings of the Catholic faith. ISLI is supported by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton who has offered his vision of servant leadership in his pastoral letter, Wounded and Loved, Regathering the Scattered. The intent of our ISLI program is to gather young people from around the eleven counties of the Diocese for a faith-filled experience that enhances leadership skills and promotes learning, sharing and prayer. Through ISLI, the Diocese desires to foster servant leadership and to nurture the continued development of value based, Christian decision making. Know a Marriage That Needs Help? Throw them a lifeline and tell them about Retrouvaille an international program that helps couples who are experiencing marital difficulties. This program is for all couples, at any stage of marriage that needs help to communicate with each other in a more attentive and loving manner. The next program in the Scranton Diocese begins Feb Feb. 28, 2016 at the Ramada Inn, Clarks Summit, PA. Please call for more information or to register visit the