OUR LADY OF SORROWS ST. ANTHONY ROSARY ALTAR SOCIETY

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1 OUR LADY OF SORROWS ST. ANTHONY ROSARY ALTAR SOCIETY March, April, May and June, 2018 MISSION STATEMENT: Our Lady of Sorrow-St. Anthony Rosary Altar Society is a parish confraternity whose members seek to enhance the spiritual, social and cultural life of our parish through liturgical service, prayer and devotion to the gospel teaching, while honoring the desire of our Lord to better know, love and venerate His Mother. Members of the Rosary Confraternity pledge to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and to secure her patronage by recitation of the Rosary for the mutual spiritual benefits of all members throughout the world. OFFICERS Natalie Baranowski, President Toni Levandowski, Vice President Marcia Adams, Secretary Joyce Berryman, Treasurer Dear Rosary Altar Members and People of the Parish, Our Blessed Virgin Mary is always an example to us; let us follow her in our faith to her Son, Jesus Christ, as we travel through our Lenten journey. With Mother s Day close behind the Easter Season, we should remember to honor all Mothers as Jesus honored his own Mother. In May we also have the Induction of New Members, please encourage anyone interested to contact a Board Member soon. Sincerely yours in Our Lady, Natalie Baranowski, President

2 GENERAL INFORMATION Our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Lord is expressed in a variety of ways, including: private recitation of the rosary, monthly group recitation of the rosary, attendance together at mass on the first Sunday of each month, prayer services throughout the year, and an annual Day of Recollection. We imitate Mary s willingness to help and serve others by laundering/ironing the altar linens, cleaning/refilling the holy water fonts, making rosaries for the missions, hospitals, schools and our military, making prayer shawls and distributing them to local nursing homes, hospices and all those who desire a shawl and we also make donations to the needy. We also help supply baked goods for the annual celebration of St. Joseph. In addition, we conduct a Palm Cross Sale, a Christmas Wreath Sale to help fund the above activities as well as scholarships to our OLS graduates. These are some of the activities the Rosarians are involved in but are always willing to help as needs arise. CORPORATE SUNDAY is held on the first Sunday of every month. The Rosary is recited following the 8:00 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows from July to December. From January to June, Corporate Sunday is held at the St. Anthony Campus with recitation of the rosary at 9:00 a.m. followed by the 9:30 a.m. Mass. All parishioners are invited to recite the Rosary for our parish community, world peace, an end to abortion and terrorism; for the intentions of the Pope and for the special intentions of all those in attendance. MONTHLY MEETING are held on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Church Meeting Room at OLS. Because of Labor Day, the September meeting is held on the second Monday. Meetings are not held in January, July or August. ROSARY MAKERS GROUP Anyone interested in learning to make rosaries, please contact Betty Adamczyk at (609) Rosaries are sent to the missions, soldiers and given to the First Communicants of our parish. We will send rosaries to those in need as supplies allow. PRAYER SHAWLS The Prayer Shawl Group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month in the Church Meeting Room at OLS. Prayer shawls are made for patients in area hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. If you or anyone you know is interested in making prayer shawls, please contact Joyce Farina at (609) If you have any completed prayer shawls or if you wish to donate yarn, call Joyce and she will make arrangements to meet with you. We also ask that you refrain from dropping off any completed prayer shawls or yarn at the parish office; be sure to call Joyce instead.

3 NEW MEMBERS New members are always welcome to attend any of our meetings and will be greeted warmly and friendly. Being a Rosarian honors Mary as the Mother in whose care Jesus has placed us, and our Lady s blessings will be without measure. Once you are inducted into the Confraternity, you are a lifetime member. Jesus Versus The Confraternity the High Priest is a National Joseph Caiaphas. Confraternity Who so Was if you The move Real you Winner? can become a member of your new Parish. If you are considering joining the Rosary Altar Society and have questions, please feel free to contact Melissa Demko at (609) , or any Board Member. From our Moderator FORTY DAYS OF SPIRITUAL JOURNEY IN LENT Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent. It is a time to do penance, a time of fasting and abstinence. The spiritual awareness of the Lenten journey is to make spiritual preparation for the upcoming celebration of the Paschal mystery; that is, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord. The forty days of Lent turns us towards the mystery of the Cross-. Along with Jesus we are able to carry the cross and walk into the desert. Lent extends over a period of forty days. I think for sure every Catholic, including those who do not practice regularly the faith, can easily tell when Lent usually starts. However, many of the Christians faithful get confused as regards to the end of the Lenten Season in the Roman Catholic Church. We know that Lent begins on Ash Wednesday but when it is really over. If Lent is a forty days period, it should technically be over on Holy Thursday at the first vesper (Evening prayer). The days of Holy Thursday night until Holy Saturday are not part of the Lenten Season. But these days are called Paschal Triduum or Sacred Triduum. Meanwhile, during the Sacred Triduum we are still obliged to observe the Lenten fast and abstinence, particularly on Good Friday. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states it that way: In the Sacred Triduum, the Church solemnly celebrates the greatest mysteries of our redemption, keeping by means of special celebrations the memorial of her Lord, crucified, buried, and risen. The Paschal Fast should also be kept sacred. It is

4 to be celebrated everywhere on the Friday of the Lord s Passion and, where appropriate, prolonged also through Holy Saturday as a way of coming, with spirit uplifted, to the joys of the Lord s Resurrection. During these forty days of Lent we are called to reflect on the mystery of the Lord s Passion, His Death and His Resurrection. Certainly, the Church does not come with the number forty by accident. The forty days of Lent does have a historical background. This number does not come up accidentally. Number Forty is a symbolic number. It has been based on biblical fact and has some meanings. We can, therefore, highlight certain biblical facts related to the number forty. This number reminds us of the long stay journey of Israelite in the desert after leaving Egypt. According to the book of Exodus the Israelite people spent in the desert forty years before reaching the Promised Land. In Exodus 34: we learn that Moses fast for forty days before receiving the Ten Commandments. During the great deluge, rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. (Gn 7:4) Jesus also fasted for forty days in the desert and he was temped. Theologically, the number forty represents a spiritual journey. It is a journey of endurance in faith, a long journey of testing. Despite of temptation we might face on that journey, Lent is still a spiritual journey that leads us to the glorious resurrection of Our Lord. Pope Francis reminds us that Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ s victory over death. The pope continues to stress that this season urgently calls us to conversion. Christians are asked to return to God with all their hearts (Joel 2:12), to refuse settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Pope Francis Lent message As we enter the path of our Lenten journey during these forty days, let us try to walk beside Jesus so that we can resist temptation through prayer, fasting, and penance. Like Jesus, indeed, we can one day be victorious singing the Easter acclamation. Alleluia, Alleluia. He is risen Alleluia. HAVE A GREAT SEASON OF LENT Father Jean Felecien

5 The Centurion at The Cross The centurion was keeping watch over Jesus on the cross along with his men and right after Jesus died the Roman said: Truly, this was the Son of God! Mark 15:39 This statement was not the statement of a young recruit or an easily manipulated draftee to the Roman army. These words came out of the mouth of a seasoned veteran who had watched men die terrible deaths on the cross and who had been putting men to death this way for years. The Centurion was the head of the Roman execution squad assigned to the Roman Procurator of Judea Pontius Pilate in the year AD 30. The other men under his command equally were experts at this form of capital punishment that was designed to inflict maximum pain and suffering on the criminal being publicly executed. So why did this tough veteran centurion declare that this punished criminal was the son of God? It is amazing he said this so let s try to figure out why. The job of the Roman death squad that carried out the execution began very early in the morning on the day of the execution. In addition to carrying out the crucifixion itself they also administered the scourging that took place prior to crucifixion. We know Pilate had ordered Jesus scourged in order to try to make that punishment alone the only punishment of Jesus that day. The centurion and his men performed this brutal scourging of Jesus. They saw Jesus respond to this torture with courage, strength, and without any protest whatsoever and they beat him to a pulp that morning. After that our centurion witnessed the dignity that Our Lord evidenced when the lynch mob was demanding his blood. Jesus did not open his mouth to defend himself he just took it. When they finally got to the crucifixion site outside the walls of Jerusalem in an abandoned stone quarry, at the direction of our centurion his soldiers stripped Jesus naked in front of all to see and then hammered spikes into the hands of Jesus and lifted him up and placed him on the part of the cross permanently fixed in the ground. Then he oversaw the driving of spikes into the feet of Jesus further affixing him to the cross. After all that torture our Centurion then heard the following come out of his victim s mouth: Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 It was very surprising to these veteran Roman soldiers to see how this prisoner Jesus a peasant from Nazareth had shown throughout that morning courage, dignity, and now even forgiveness to his torturers. These were reactions they had never seen in the hundreds of executions they had performed.

6 Later on that afternoon in the moments leading up to the death of Jesus and the events immediately following his death, the centurion and his men will be shaken to the core and this will result in the Centurion making the statement cited at the beginning of this article. First before Mark tells us what the centurion actually said he states that the centurion had watched how Jesus died. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, Truly this man was the Son of God! Mark 15:39 Unlike other crucifixion victims that the Roman had seen last for days on the cross before they actually died of asphyxiation, Jesus died relatively early on the cross. Not only that the Roman saw Jesus decide himself the actual moment when he was going to die. After Jesus said it is accomplished which can also be translated as paid in full (the sin debt that we all owe), Jesus gave up his spirit on his own. Nobody killed him he gave it up willingly as that was his mission since his birth. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit ; and when he had said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46 Witnessing this had a profound impact on the centurion. We should not forget that in addition to seeing how and when Jesus died the Centurion and his men also witnessed the darkness over the land while Jesus hung on the cross, as well as the earthquake that occurred after Jesus had breathed his last. The centurion and his group of battle -hardened soldiers had learned to cope with fear but now they experienced sheer terror. We can surmise that the centurion s statement was not a true statement of extreme respect for Jesus but rather a cry of extreme fear. Roman soldiers were extremely superstitious and fearful of punishment from the gods if those gods were offended. Now they realize they may have actually killed a son of the Jewish God and they feared this Jewish God would invoke divine vengeance on them for their actions that day. This was the overriding factor leading to the statement the Roman centurion made that fateful day. After all he had witnessed from early morning into the late afternoon concerning this prisoner, including the supernatural events while he hung on the cross and the earthquake right after he died, the centurion and his men were now terrified over what they had done to this now in their eyes very special prisoner. Reference: Freely adapted from The Power of the Cross by Bill Crowder for The Discovery Series Len Commini for the Rosary Altar Society

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8 THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE Did you ever try to locate something that you know is in the Bible and do not know where to begin? Knowing how the Bible is sectioned and divided may help. The first division is easy; the Old Testament is everything before Jesus Christ entered our world. The New Testament is the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament The Pentateuch is the very beginning of the Bible and the beginning of time. It contains the Torah or Law that the Jewish faith follows. It includes the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. These books talk about the early history of mankind and God s chosen people and how His laws are handed down. These Books would include the stories of Noah and Moses. The Historical Books of the Old Testament are: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith and Esther. These books talk about King David, King Solomon and the Promised Land and how the people struggled through this time. The next Books are the Books of Wisdom. The seven books are: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom and Sirach. Most of these Books are written as poetry. It was a good way to study and remember through rhyme and repetition. The matters covered in these Books are prayer, praise, morality and the evils in the world and temptation. The last section of the Old Testament is the Prophetic Books. They are divided into Major and Minor Prophets. There are a total of 18 Books. The Major Prophets are: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel and Daniel. The Minor Prophets are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

9 It is a little confusing referring to them as a Major or Minor Prophet as it has nothing to do with their importance or their message, it has to do with the length of their writings. God sent His messages to the prophets in the form of visions, dreams and experiences that prompted them into action via writings, sermons, teachings and symbolic actions. There were more prophets, it is believed to be about 40, however, there are no written records that were left. The job of the Prophets was to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. They did this through moral and religious teaching in their nations by being advisors to kings and defending women children and the oppressed. The New Testament The New Testament is also divided into sections. The first section is Historical Books that most people are familiar with; the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the last Historical Book is Acts of the Apostles. The word Gospel means good news. The good news being the coming of Jesus Christ our Saviour. These Books are a record of His life, death and resurrection and how this is our salvation. Jesus, Himself gave us this news through His words, actions and His life, but especially through His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection. The Apostles preached this good news from the time of Jesus ascension but did not start recording it until they began writing the Gospels about 30 years later. The first three Gospels are similar to one another and known as the Synoptic Gospels. Side by side the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke give a complete picture of Jesus teachings and His life. John s Gospel is more of a theological approach, but the message of John s Gospel is clear as it is all about God s love for us. The last Historical Book written by St. Luke is Acts of the Apostles. It is an explanation of how the early church was formed after Jesus ascended. The

10 powers given to the Apostles by the Holy Spirit spread the message of Jesus throughout the world. The next section of the New Testament are the Didactic Books. The word didactic refers to morality. This is where the moral teachings of the church come from. There are 21 Didactic Books. They are the 13 Letters of St. Paul (Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon), Letters to the Hebrews and the Seven Catholic Letters (James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude). These Books were written as practical instructions to the early church. It was for instruction in faith, advice and encouragement but also included some discipline. Some letters are about St. Paul s journey and captivity as well as pastoral concerns. St. Paul s Letters to the Hebrews contained theology, the priesthood, Jesus sacrifice and the covenant for a Christian way of life. The Seven Catholic Letters were general directives to follow Christ s teaching and to encourage Christianity through good works, more Baptisms and to reinforce the message the God loves us. The Prophetic Book of the New Testament is the last Book of the Bible and the most mysterious Book, The Book of Revelations. It is also known as an apocalyptic book. It was written during a time of crisis when Christians were being persecuted. The intent was to help Christians stand firm in their faith and wait for Jesus. We, as Christians, will face many challenges because of the evil in this world but Jesus will return and defeat Satan once and for all. Now that the sections of the Bible are explained, it can give you a starting point in reading scripture and enjoying the messages of the Bible. By: Natalie Baranowski Ref: St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible acatholicmoment.org

11 , it celebrates another year of achievements, and a year to look forward to new goals and accomplishments. Let us celebrate the following Rosarians as they march on to a new year of wonder. MARCH BIRTHDAYS 9 Barbara Dohrenwend, 12 Carolyn Hawkes, 25 - Joyce Berryman, 27 Deoke (Dee) Ali, 31 Eugenia (Jean) Esposti APRIL BIRTHDAYS 5 Levia Martinetti, 7 Rose Gervasoni, 15 Joan Farletta, 19 Judith (Judy) Komlosi, 26 Mary Ellen Sullivan, 30 Irene Foy and Rose Bartuska MAY BIRTHDAYS 2 Martha Mahon, 3 - Lucille DiBiase, 12 Eda Dorn, 21 Eileen Thornton, 23 Louise Dechan, 24 Susan Esposti JUNE BIRTHDAYS 11 Jean Fell, 16 May Schellinger and Gerri Hoffman, 17 Mary Halasz, 20-Blanche Migliarese, 26 June Perrine, 30 Mary Ann Sullivan MARCH CALENDAR Sunday March 4 Corporate Sunday 9:00 a.m. Rosary followed by 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Anthony Monday March 5 Monthly Meeting/Lenten Prayer Service Sunday March 11 Palm Cross Sale Ends Monday March 12 Prayer Shawl Group Meeting 1:30 p.m. at OLS Church Meeting Room Saturday and Sunday March 17 and 18 Palm Cross Distribution Monday March 19 St. Joseph Table Drop off baked goods at 6:00 p.m. OLS FEAST DAYS AND HOLIDAYS Saturday March 17 St. Patrick s Day Monday March 19 St. Joseph s Day Sunday March 25 Palm Sunday Friday March 30 Good Friday

12 APRIL CALENDAR Sunday April 8 Corporate Sunday 9:00 a.m. Rosary followed by 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Anthony Monday April 9 NO MONTHLY MEETING Monday April 9 Prayer Shawl Group Meeting 1:30 P.M. at OLS Church Meeting Room Monday Thursday - April 9 April 12 Parish Mission FEAST DAYS AND HOLIDAYS Sunday April 1 Easter MAY CALENDAR MONTH OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER Sunday May 6 Corporate Sunday 9:00 a.m. Rosary followed by 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Anthony Monday May 7 Monthly Meeting/May Crowning/Induction of New Members Monday May 14 Prayer Shawl Group Meeting 1:30 p.m. at OLS Church Meeting Room FEAST DAYS AND HOLIDAYS Thursday May 10 Ascension of Jesus Sunday May 13 Mother s Day Sunday May 20 Pentecost Monday May 28 Memorial Day Thursday May 31 Feast of Corpus Christi

13 JUNE CALENDAR Sunday June 3 Corporate Sunday 9:00 a.m. Rosary followed by 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Anthony Monday June 4 Monthly Meeting/End of Year Dinner/Installation of Officers Monday June 11 Prayer Shawl Group Meeting 1:30 p.m. at OLS Church Meeting Room FEAST DAYS AND HOLIDAYS Wednesday June 13 Feast of St. Anthony Thursday June 14 Flag Day Sunday June 17 Father s Day REMINDER NO MEETINGS IN JULY OR AUGUST. JULY BEGINS OUR CORPORATE SUNDAYS AT OUR LADY OF SORROWS, ROSARY IS FOLLOWING THE 8:00 a.m. MASS.. THEY ARE SCHEDULED FOR JULY 1 AND AUGUST 5