We Can Be Better. Saint Ignatius of Antioch Roman Catholic Church

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2 Saint Ignatius of Antioch Roman Catholic Church Page 2 March 19, 2017 We Can Be Better The Third Sunday of Lent presents the long Gospel account of the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman at a well. I usually have to prepare a homily based on this Gospel every year since this is the Gospel for Masses with catechumens and candidates coming into the Church in the RCIA experience. But this is such a rich Gospel that I am still finding new aspects of it that preach to me. Then again, all scripture is alive, the Living Word of God. I am struck this year by two questions that are new to me: the first is, Why did this woman make such a radical change so quickly? The second question is, Why did the townsfolk emphasize that their reason for faith had shifted from what the woman said to what Jesus was saying? The first question. When Jesus encountered the woman, He broke the normal practice of Jews and ask her, a Samaritan, for assistance. A conversation follows between the two which seems to have a lot of give and take: I am shocked that you are asking me for water. If you knew who was asking you, you would ask Him for water that would quench your thirst for eternity. There s even a discussion on who s correct in the theology department: the Jews who worship in Jerusalem or the Samaritans who worship on the Holy Mountain. And so forth. In the middle of all this, Jesus says something to the woman that causes her to allow Him to change her life. He told her that He knew she was living with a man outside of marriage, and that she had been married five times before this. He told her that He knew she had been immoral and was continuing her sinful ways. This caused the woman to change her life. Why? It doesn t make sense that a Samaritan woman would be so impressed with the accusations of a Jewish man. There must be more to this. Jesus tone must have conveyed His concern for her. She must have felt that she was being addressed as a person, not as an object of scorn by Jews or even by men in general. Jesus tone must have said to her, My dear woman, you can be better than this. He speaks to her heart and her heart turns to Him. You can be better than this. Recently that phrase has been bouncing inside my head, not just as something I say to others, but as something I say to myself. I can be better than this. I can be better than an immoral society that sees sex as a recreation and morality as a trite vestige of the past. I can be better than a society that seeks fulfillment in material possessions and condemns itself to the meaningless acquisition of stuff. Perhaps, the problem is that I (and you) tend to see sin as either mortal or superficial fluff. So, if we haven t committed a mortal sin, we think that we are not that bad and we don t see the weight our behavior lays on ourselves, or on others. We don t see the pain we are inflicting on the Body of Christ because, after all, we just stubbed its toe; we didn t amputate its foot. Maybe some of the reasons why I am not better is that I have not really tried hard to be better. Maybe, it s the same with you. Perhaps that temper, that lack of patience, that bad language on the road, etc, that we bring to reconciliation quickly pops up again because we are not convinced that we can be better than we have been. Perhaps, if we are involved in serious sin, we don t go to confession because we have given up the fight and feel that we will not be able to avoid the sin in the future. Maybe we are selling ourselves short. Jesus transformed the woman at the well because He was concerned about her. He wanted her to be the best person she could be. He told her that she could do it. And she heard His message screaming to her in her heart. She determined to change her life and then wanted to shout out to the world that she had an experience of the Messiah.

3 That is why we seek penance during Lent. That s why we go to confession throughout the year. We know that Jesus loves us. We know that He cares for each of us individually. We know that He sees the bumps and bruises of our lives that we impose upon ourselves and others. He doesn t condone our sins, be they big or little. He hurts for us. He wants us to be better. And His Love transforms us. We want to be better because we also want to have a constant experience of the Messiah s love. That brings me to the second question: Why did the townsfolk switch their reasons for faith from the woman they knew to this Jew? They saw that the woman had changed, and for the first time, that she was happy. They wanted a share in this happiness themselves and thought that she must be right in what she was saying about this Jew. But then they experienced Jesus. Now the woman became secondary to them. Jesus was all that mattered. They allowed the words of the Word of God to change their lives. They believed and followed not because of what someone had said about Jesus, but because of Jesus. It is not what the preacher says about Jesus that matters. It is not what the writer writes about Jesus that matters. All that matters is Jesus Christ. We are not followers of Apollos, or Paul, or this priest, or that deacon. We are followers of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ tells us that we can be better than we are. He makes us want to be better than we are. His overpowering love gives us the courage to change our lives and to embrace His Life. The blood that poured from His wounds on the cross has ignited our bodies with the fire of His Love. You can be better than this, He says to us in the tender, warm voice of Love. And we will be better. Happy Lent. Yours in Christ, Third Sunday of Lent Looking for a particular Saint s medallion? A Special First Communion or Confirmation gift? Check out our Bethany Book Shoppe. Open Sundays from 8:30 a.m. 11 a.m. During March and April all First Communion & Confirmation Items are 25% off. All rosaries in stock are 50% off. The Shoppe is located on the west side of the Fr. John LaTondress Chapel. Msgr. Joseph A. Pellegrino, Pastor 715 E Orange Street Tarpon Springs, Florida Mass Schedule: Saturday.4:00 and 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Spanish Mass in Chapel (Fulfills Sunday Obligation) Sunday...7:30, 9:00, 11:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Life Teen Weekdays..6:45 a.m.,7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Saturday.9:00 a.m. Schedule of Confessions: Saturday.3:00 3:45 p.m. and after the 6:30 p.m. Mass PARISH OFFICE Main Office ext. 201 Msgr. Joseph A. Pellegrino, Pastor ext. 209 Rev. Brian Fabiszewski, Parochial Vicar ext. 207 Rev. Vijay Polamarasetty, OCD, Par. Vicar ext. 210 Rev. Kevin Molloy, in Residence ext. 208 Deacon Samuel Moschetto ext. 224 Deacon John Edgerton ext. 222 Ron Appel, Parish Manager ext. 215 Katherine Creamer, Office Manager ext. 201 Lorna Moffitt, Parish Mgr. Assistant ext. 203 Eldean Jenkins, Facilities Manager ext. 201 Anne Harman, Music Director ext. 206 FAITH FORMATION Rev. Brian Fabiszewski, - Director ext. 207 Fran Morin, Pre-K 8th Grade ext. 220 Joshua Strope, Evangelization ext. 224 Laura Margarella, Caritas ext. 221 YOUTH MINISTRY Bart Kovacic, Life Teen ext. 246 High School Ministry Jen McIlveen, Edge ext. 224 Middle School Ministry EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Sharon Stokely, Director ext. 225 GUARDIAN ANGELS SCHOOL Mrs. Mary Stalzer, Principal UPPER PINELLAS PREGNANCY CENTER Mary Caesar PARISH OFFICE FAX OFFICE kcreamer@ignatius.net PARISH WEBSITE SPANISH PHONE LINE Miraculous Medal Devotion: Before 9 a.m. Mass each Wednesday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Thursdays after 9 a.m. Mass until 10:15 a.m. First Friday of the Month 9:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Baptism: Please call the Parish Office Marriage: Please call the Parish Office at least 6 months in advance. Holy Orders: Please call Rev. Carl Melchior at

4 Page 4 Faith Formation & Youth This Sunday, March 19th... 10:00 a.m. No Classes 6:00 p.m. Life Teen Mass followed by Life Teen Wednesday, March 22nd... 6:30 p.m. Edge/Faith Formation Women s Council Fr. Rich Maloney will lead our Retreat on The Role of Women in the Church Thursday, April 6th at The Bethany Center in Lutz from 8:30 a.m. 3 p.m. We will meet at St. Ignatius at 7:45 a.m. for carpooling. Cost is $26 for members and $30 for non members until March 20th. After that, cost is $39. A continental breakfast and lunch included. Call Patti to RSVP at KOC Friday Fish Fry March 17th at 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the hall. Dessert & beverage included. $8 adults. $6 children 12 & under. Take Out Orders Available!. Food Drive Food Collection for our Community Life Ministry March 18th & 19th \Place non-perishable food items in the containers in the Church. Some suggested items: CANNED MEATS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, BEANS, CEREAL, COFFEE, TEA, RICE, MACARONI, INSTANT POTATOES, SPAGHETTI SAUCE, PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY Financial donations welcome. UPCOMING EVENTS A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED AT OUR BLOODDRIVE ON MARCH 5TH! Ronald Arsenault Rose Astrab Richard Babcock Dirk Bakken Donna Cosenza David Cox Robert Damico Owen Gallagher Connie Hale Kevin Jajuga Mary Kay Kaufmann Franklin Lee John Lieberz Dorothy Lis Peter McLaughlin Ann & Richard Michalcik Edward Miller Roberta Millhouse Charles Northrup Janice Nugent Garry Stine William Van Emburg Keri Woloszynski Kenneth Wojanar CARITAS FLOWERS. distributed this week at Florida Hospital North Pinellas by Caritas Volunteers were donated by Sandy Crispyn, in loving memory of Phyllis Thompson, wishing Phyllis a Happy Birthday in heaven. NEW BEGINNINGS. The next meeting of our parish bereavement support group will be held on Saturday, April 1st, at 10 a.m. in classrooms 2 & 3. Our Deacon Sam Moschetto will be the speaker. All are welcome.

5 LENTEN EVENTS Page 5 40 Hours of Adoration The Forty Hours of Adoration is a special 40 hour period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. The focus of this devotion is on Jesus present in the Living Eucharist. As Catholics, the words of Our Lord burn in our hearts: I Myself am the living bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he shall live forever; the bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world. (Jn. 6:51) This devotion is 500 years old, thanks to the efforts of St. Philip Neri and St Ignatius of Loyola. For the past decade it has been our annual Devotion during Lent. Imagine if each family sent one representative to spend one hour, day or night, to pray for their family, to pray for peace in our terrorized world, to pray for those in our families who are inactive Catholics to come back to worshiping our loving Father. Our Father who gave His only Son. His Son who gave His whole life, even unto a tortuous death on the Cross, to give us new and abundant life here and forever! Come be in the real Presence of Jesus, our Lord and Friend. Sign the 40 Hours Adoration Commitment Book in the front of the Church for one of the hours, (day or night) between 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 6 th and 11 p.m. on Friday, April 7th. For those who come between 12 midnight and 6 a.m. there will be a Security Knight from our Knight of Columbus with you. Father Joe wants us to remember that we need at least two people signed up for each Adoration Hour, day and night. Deacon John Lenten Class: The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living Saturday mornings, 10 a.m. to12 noon in classroom 2. Lenten Weekday Mass Times: 6:45 a.m., 7:30 a.m., & 9:00 a.m. Stations of the Cross: Come join us as we say the Stations of the Cross Every Friday in the Church 9:30 a.m. & 6 p.m. All those who are 14 and over must abstain, that is, not eat meat on all the Fridays of Lent. All adults, ages 18 to 59 must fast on Good Friday, that is, eat only one full meal & not between meals. We Have A Gift For You! The Brothers in Christ and the parish have teamed up to provide a year long membership for every person in our parish to Formed.org. What is Formed.org? It is a website that gives you access to 50 spiritual, Catholic programs such as Hearts Afire, Symbolon, and Opening the Word, just to name three. There are 79 movies available for you to download or stream. There are 98 audio guides and courses available. There are 58 e-books available. If you were to pay for all this material it would cost you over $18,000. We are giving it to our parishioners for free. Go to our webpage and click on Formed, the final item on the menu. This will take you directly to the formed registration site and will put in the parish access code for you. Inspirational Resources for this week: March 20th - Solemnity of St. Joseph Movie: Joseph of Nazareth ebook: Father of the Family March 25th - Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Program: The Bible and the Virgin Mary, Lesson 2 Handmaid of the Lord Movie: Mary of Nazareth ebook: Mary: God s Yes to Man Audio: Mary: Indispensable Mother of God

6 Page 6 MINISTRY EVENTS Youth Events r Don t Miss a Thing! QR Scan for our website Download myparishapp Find us on Facebook Part of our Pasco Spring Break Events include a Night at the Movies! March 23rd 6-9 p.m. Sign up and Permission slip required. Contact Bart at or at ignatiuslifeteen@tampabay.rr.com Come Join Us! Welcome all adults from ages Got questions? Contact March 23rd at 6:30 p.m. at OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE US Hwy 19 N in Palm Harbor Our next Bible Café is Wednesday, March 29th - 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. in the Youth House. The Edge will be hosting one of their biggest fundraisers on March 31st. Meatless Spaghetti Dinner Family Fun Night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the hall. Serving 2 different meatless sauces, garlic bread, dinner rolls, lemonade and ice tea. Join in on raffles, games and dessert items. More details to follow! Pinellas Catholic Men s Emmaus Retreat Emmaus is a passive retreat weekend designed for men who would like to explore their own relationship with Jesus. It is hosted by a group of men who have previously participated. The weekend consists of a series of talks where each speaker shares his personal experiences related to his relationship with God, his family and his life in general. Join us April 28-30th at the Franciscan Center in Tampa. Cost: Double $195/ Single $235 Scholarships are Available Contact: Tim Dolan at or at tim@intergro.com Or contact: Jack Lavery at or at jacklavery@elitecnc.com

7 PARISH NEWS Page 7 Who is an Inactive Catholic? He or she could be in your family, a close relative, a friend, or a neighbor, but one whom Jesus never stops loving and never stops offering Himself at Holy Mass. Every Inactive Catholic has a reason; it may be that they are divorced or in a second marriage and don t realize that they are just as much a part of the Church that Christ founded; the same goes for those who have been hurt by someone in the Church, perhaps a religious leader; or they may have become so occupied with the burdens in life they have forgotten that Jesus Himself invites all who feel that way to come to Him, And I will refresh you. Or maybe it is someone who thinks their sins are so bad they don t know or have heard what Pope Francis consistently teaches: God never tires of forgiving. If you know someone who has been away from the Church and the Sacraments, pray this Lent especially for them. Also, why not invite them to the Wednesday night sessions for Inactive Catholics with no obligation but to know they have a place, a sister or brother to share or vent their stories in a spirit of respect and love. We meet on Wednesdays in the Life Center at 7 p.m. in room 6, just follow the signs. Or call Deacon John at extension 222. St. Ignatius will send you a donation statement for your contributions to the Church for the year 2016 if requested. Please fill out this form and place it in the collection basket. Thank You. Name: Address: City: Zip Envelope # Lord, grant eternal rest to the souls of our dearly departed, especially for SARA NOTARDONATO, DONNA GHILARDI, JUDY MISSLECH, ALETA MACIEJEWSKI & ELSIE & FREDERICK VALDEZ and for all those we hold in our hearts who have died, may they rest in the arms of God. St. Vincent De Paul Lenten Retreat March 24 th -25 th with Rev. George Dunne, SSS & Lay Team from Winter Springs. Retreat Topics: Love of God: Reconciliation, Transformation, Sent To Serve Activities available for Children. Cost: $12 K of C - $10 Dinners Available on Friday at Farrell Hall before mission. Light Continental Breakfast & Boxed Lunch on Saturday. To register and/or for more information contact SVDP (727) St. Vincent de Paul Parish 4843 Mile Stretch Dr. - Holiday, FL March 25th & 26th, our parish will take up The Catholic Relief Services Collection. Funds from this collection help provide food to the hungry, support to displaced refugees, and Christ s love and respect to all people here at home and abroad. Next week, please give generously to the CRSC and help Jesus in disguise. Learn more about the collection at

8 SCHOOL NEWS Page 8 St. Ignatius Early Childhood Center Our half day program is from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily with before care and after care extending the day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. if needed. Please call the office to schedule a tour (727) Join us on Saturday, April 1st at Earthscapes Garden Room, 816 Alt 19,Palm Harbor. from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. $4000 Grand Prize Reverse Raffle Proceeds go to our Early Childhood Center s curriculum enhancements. Purchase Tickets at the Early Childhood Center School. Weinhusen Scholarships PROCEDURES HAVE CHANGED! St. Ignatius will once more be offering the Wienhusen scholarships for children to attend Catholic Grade or High Schools. These scholarships can give up to $3,000 per child per year of tuition support for Catholic Grade School and up to $5,000 for Catholic High School. If your family received this scholarship last year, you still need to apply for the year. Stop by the parish office for new forms and the new procedure directions and guidelines. All registrations must be completed andreceived by FACTS by April 1st to qualify. Guardian Angels School Guardian Angels is now accepting applications for Interested parents may pick up applications for enrollment in the parish office during office hours. Faith Formation Students Lenten Journey with Jesus Prayer Our Children and Youth faith formation classes are journeying in prayer for Lent. Prayer is the best source of strengthening us against temptation. During Lent our children are adding more prayer time in their classes and in their daily schedule.

9 DATE MASS INTENTIONS EVENTS Saturday, March 18 Sunday, March 19 Third Sunday of Lent Exodus 17:3-7 Romans 5:1-8 John 4:5-42 Monday, March 20 St. Joseph 2 Samuel 7:4-16 Romans 4:13-22 Matthew 1:16-51 Tuesday, March 21 Deuteronomy 3:25-43 Matthew 18:21-35 Wednesday, March 22 Deuteronomy 4:1-9 Matthew 5:17-19 Thursday, March 23 St. Turibius of Mogrovejo Jeremiah 7:23-28 Luke 11:14-23 Friday, March 24 Hosea 14:2-10 Mark 12:28-34 Saturday, March 25 Annunciation of the Lord Isaiah 7:10-8:10 Luke 1:26-38 Saturday, March 25 Sunday, March 26 Fourth Sunday of Lent 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 4:00 p.m. + Deceased Members of The Morris & Hunter Families 6:30 p.m. + Phyllis Thompson 7:00 p.m. (Spanish Mass in the Chapel) Para familias de habla espanol en nuestra parroquia 7:30 a.m. + Beatrice Bugeja 9:00 a.m.. For the People of Our Parish 11:30 a.m. + Joan Doer 6:00 p.m. + Domenico Mastrandrea 6:45 a.m. + Arthur Kelley 7:30 a.m. + Joseph Finetti 9:00 a.m. + Arthur Ramsdell 6:45 a.m. + Doreen Velten 7:30 a.m. + Joseph & Julia Sousa 9:00 a.m. + Michael Crocitto 10:30 a.m. + Angelina Macina 6:45 a.m. For Vocations to the Priesthood & Religious Life 7:30 a.m. + Louis Villiarola 9:00 a.m. + Michelle Romano 6:45 a.m. + Mary Ellen Brooks 7:30 a.m. + Carol Chickris 9:00 a.m. + Warren Howard 6:45 a.m. + Frank Fazio 7:30 a.m. + Joan Marie Stemmerman 9:00 a.m. + Robert Tellone 9:00 a.m. + Mark Dillon 4:00 p.m. + Jozef Sulkowski 6:30 p.m. + Mary Cicero 7:00 p.m. (Spanish Mass in the Chapel) Para familias de habla espanol en nuestra parroquia 7:30 a.m. + Otto Stemwede 9:00 a.m.. For the People of Our Parish 11:30 a.m. + Joseph Alcamo & James Hagen Jr. 6:00 p.m. + Joseph Sousa, Jr. Food Pantry Drive This Weekend 5:30 p.m. Parish Chapel & Hall Reserved 2:00 p.m. Journey to the Cross Rehearsal 6:00 p.m. Life Night hall & all rooms 6:00 p.m. Girl Scouts Troop 1233 c12 7:00 p.m. RICA in Chapel and hall 6:00 a.m. Brothers in Christ in hall 9:30 a.m. Mother s Morning Out c 8 9:45 a.m. Divine Word c2,3 5:00 p.m. Children s Choir - Church 6:30 p.m. Edge/Faith Formation classes 6:45 p.m. Adult Catechism c7 7:00 p.m. Adult Confirmation c8-10 7:00 p.m. Close to Heart in Conference Room 7:00 p.m. Inactive Catholic c6 9:30 a.m. Mother s Morning Out c 8 10:20 a.m. Word in Action c2,3 7:00 p.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal - Church 7:00 p.m. Fr. Kevin's class front hall 7:00 p.m. Word in Action c2,3 9:30 a.m. Stations of the Cross - Church 4:00 p.m. Fish Fry in the hall 6:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross - Church 6:30 p.m. Boy Scouts c2,3,4 6:30 p.m. Girl Scout Troop 1142 c7 7:00 p.m. Cub Scouts c8-12 7:00 p.m. Girl Scout Troop 1124 c6 7:00 p.m. Edge in the Youth House 10:00 a.m. Polish School c :00 a.m. Discernment of Spirits c2 11:00 a.m. Girl Scout Mother/Daughter tea -hall 5:30 p.m. Parish Chapel & Hall Reserved 2:00 p.m. Journey to the Cross Rehearsal 6:00 p.m. Life Night hall & all rooms