CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH

Transcription

1 February 9, 2014 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH 6300 McKenna Drive, Mobile, Alabama Website: TELEPHONE NUMBERS Parish Office: Fax School Office: , ext. 1 Fax Rel. Ed. Office: , ext. 7 Fax Preschool Office: Fax Youth Ministry: Fax PASTORAL STAFF Very Rev. James F. Zoghby, V.F., Pastor Rev. John S. Boudreaux, Associate Pastor Deacon Arthur W. Robbins, Deacon Sr. Donna Cooper, R.S.M., Visitation Chaplain Mrs. Linda M. Hawkins, Pastoral Assistant Mrs. Joan T. McMullen, School Principal Mrs. Kathleen Q. Jester, Parish Catechetical Leader Mrs. Judi B. Ankiewicz, R.C.I.A. Coordinator Mrs. Colleen DeVoe, Youth Ministry Co-Director Mrs. Brenda Martens, Youth Ministry Co-Director Mr. Matthew F. Purvis, Music Director Mr. Jay H. Henley, Gym Manager TO REGISTER AS A MEMBER OF THE PARISH Please fill out a Census Form. Census Forms are available in the church vestibule and parish office. COMMUNITY CENTER RENTALS & SERVICES For rental information and kitchen services, please call the parish office at or SUNDAY MASSES Vigil: 5:30 p.m. Saturday Morning: 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. WEEKDAY MASSES 6:30 a.m.: Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m.: Monday through Saturday SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and by request, particularly after the 6:30 & 8:15 a.m. weekday Masses. BAPTISM, MARRIAGE, ANOINTING OF SICK Please call the parish office ( ) or information and scheduling baptism, marriage, anointing of sick. ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.) Please see published schedule for specific dates and times, or call the parish office ( ). SUNDAY SCHOOL (C.C.D.) Grades K 12, Sundays during school year, 10:05-10:55 a.m. in school bldgs. SCHOOL, SACS-accredited for Grades 3K through 8. For info & registration, please call the school office. FULL-DAY CHILDCARE, for 6-week to 2-yr. olds. For info & registration, please call the preschool office

2 Catholic Charities 2 nd report: 471 pledges totaling $267, The basic pledge is $42 a month ($502 a year). Pledge envelopes are available in the vestibule, and they can be dropped in either collection, or in the tall collection box behind last pew, or through the front-door mail slot at the parish office. Thanks to all who have pledged thus far. FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME UNDERSTANDING THE CHURCH Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Adult Ed. Room in the Community Center ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.) Continuing education for Catholic adults and other adults who wish to learn more about and/or join the Catholic Church. If you are not a Catholic but are interested in joining the Catholic Church, please call or come to this Wednesday s class. Next Sunday, Feb rd Sunday 5:30 p.m. Mass During the school year we have a 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass the 3 rd Sunday of each month except April since it will be Easter Sunday. BLOOD DRIVE Next Sunday, Feb. 16, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Banquet Hall. Our Church Bulletins are Online. Please note the instructive insert pages in our Sunday bulletins. More than 3 years worth of previous bulletins are available for viewing and/or printing at (click the "Sunday Bulletin" tab on the left side of the Church home page. Please support the advertisers on the back of the bulletin Their ads enable us to have our bulletins printed by Diocesan Publications at no cost to the parish. Ads are purchased from Diocesan Publications. For information about placing an ad, contact them at or Receive s from the Parish Please send your to Church@CorpusChristiParish.com. Hospital Visitation If you or a family member is in the hospital or in an extended care facility, please notify the parish office to be included on the visitation list: or Church@CorpusChristiParish.com. Next Sunday we welcome Archbishop Rodi who will be making his periodic visit to our parish, celebrating our 9:00 a.m. Mass. All are invited to come early to the church plaza to welcome him. Scout Sunday Today Sunday, Feb. 9, at the 9 a.m. Mass, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownies will process and serve as readers, ushers, etc. GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALE Feb. 8-9, at all the weekend Masses. Pack 29 Cub Scouts Feb 9: Pinewood Derby at 12:30 p.m. in the Gym.! Feb. 23: Pack Meeting & St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Drive. To Join Cub Scouts or for info contact Walter Bracewell or Mike Martin or visit ccspack29.scoutlander.com. If you didn t have your picture taken for the Pictorial Directory, Please see a sample copy of the directory, on a stand in the vestibule. To purchase a copy, the company is charging us $7.60 for each copy. Order your copy by making your payment of $7.60 payable to Corpus Christi. Info: Parish Office: or Church@CorpusChristiParish.com. SUNDAY SCHOOL (CCD) Classes: 10:05-10:55 a.m. Sunday School participants who are at the 9:00 a.m. Mass are dismissed with the final blessing. Info: Kathleen Jester, SundaySchool@CorpusChristiParish.com. Have your children serve as lectors or gift bearers At the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass on the 3 rd Sunday of the month during the school year, All children in Grades 5K through 12 are invited to participate as readers and gift bearers, etc. If you would like to have your child participate, please CCD@CorpusChristiParish.com. Bib le Stud y Gro up s Sundays, 8:45-10:45 a.m. in the school counselor's conference room. Breakfast is served also. We are studying Mark s Gospel. Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Parish House (except on the 2 nd Tuesday, in the school library). Info: Dave Burchette, Women s Bible Study: Thursdays, 9:00-10:45 a.m., Conference Rm., Com.Ctr. Penny Claiborne, , claiborneps@aol.com or Joanne Donaghey, , joannekd@aol.com Men of St. Joseph Tuesdays, 7 to 8 a.m. in the Family Room Also Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. in the Parish House All men are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Jim Donaghey, jbd@orthomobile.com or Wed Evening Info: Walter Bracewell, or walter.bracewell@yahoo.com Women of Mary Wednesdays, 7 to 8 p.m. Room 3 (2 nd Floor of the Community Center) All women are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Sr. Deborah Kennedy, R.S.M.,

3 CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA FEBRUARY 9, 2014 Children s Liturgy of the Word Please volunteer for 9 a.m. Masses in Feb. & Mar. and for 11 a.m. Masses in April.. Thank you. High School Confirmation Candidates Today, Sunday, Feb. 9, the High School Senior Class of 2017 is having a Confirmation preparation event, beginning with the 11:00 a.m. Mass, and ending at 3:00 p.m. Right after the 11 a.m. Mass, meet in the Conference Room (2 nd Floor of the Community Center). If you are part of the class of 2017, but have not enrolled in the C o n f i r m a t i o n p r e p a r a t i o n, p l e a s e c o n t a c t CCD@corpuschristiparish.com as soon as possible. Children s First Eucharist Preparation Parent Meeting: Tues., Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. Parents will meet in the Adult Ed. Room. Candidates meet in the Atrium. Enrollment Mass / Bread Party: Sunday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m Mass, followed by the Bread Party in the Banquet Hall. Please bring a breakfast item to share with everyone. Rotating Choir Hop on anytime! The Choir is rotating each weekend from 5:30 p.m. vigil to 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.! Feb. 9: 11 a.m. Mass! Feb. 16 (exception!) 9 a.m. with Archbishop Rodi! Feb. 23: 11 a.m. Mar. 1: 5:30 p.m. If you want to sing any weekend, come to the practice the Wednesday before that weekend. What do you get for the person who has everything? PURPOSE. Give the ones you love an opportunity to live life with Purpose. Internationally acclaimed speaker and author Matthew Kelly and local musician Eliot Morris will be in Mobile to share with us his Passion and Purpose event. This is not your typical church event! It has been a life changing event for tens of thousands of people. It will be held at McGill-Toolen on May 10th from 9-1:30pm. Tickets are $ For tickets or more information call Susie Veasey at or Susie@icscommunications.com. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box, Food, Clothing donations put in the designated places in the vestibule are distributed by our St. Vincent de Paul Society. In-Need Drop Box: This In-need drop box is next to the food pantry drop-off box in the vestibule. Parishioners are encouraged to fill out a card with your need and contact information, and deposit it in the locked drop box. Your information will be held in strict confidence and a member of our society will contact you. Join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by attending a meeting. Meetings: 1 st & 3 rd Wed., 6:30 p.m., Com. Ctr. Conf. Rm. (2 nd Flr.) To obtain assistance, call and leave name & phone no. Lighthouse Catholic 80 CD Kiosk In the vestibule Provided by the Men of St. Joseph CD s are $3 each, or two for $5. Drop payments in the kiosk. Make checks payable to Lighthouse. Info: Jerry Scott tjscott007@comcast.net or Widowed Persons Support Group For information call parishioner Glen Porter at The Women s Club Tomorrow Night, Monday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m., meet at Roma restaurant (on Airport Blvd just after Cody Rd.). We invite all ladies of any age to check us out! For more info on the group, contact Brittany Comiskey at or /roybaby5@gmail.com. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Meeting: 2 nd Tues., Feb. 11, at 7 p.m., at the Parish House. Contact: Grand Knight, Bob Wheat, Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Banquet Hall $9.00 for Adults! $4.00 for Children (Age 12 & under) Feb. 12 ~ Smoke Gouda Grits & Grillades, Rosemary-Grilled Chicken Breast, Zucchini & Squash Medley, Seasoned Whole Green Beans, Garden Salad, Strawberry & Blueberry Crepes. Iced Tea, Lemonade, Coffee. Kids: On request, Chicken Tenders & Fries Must RSVP no later than TUESDAY EVENING Return an RSVP Card, or call or WedNightDinner@CorpusChristiParish.com Breakfast Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 9:30 a.m. In the Banquet Hall ALSO: Fresh Hot Beignets on Tuesdays! ($2.29 per order) The Archdiocese of Mobile presents: ONE FAITH. ONE FAMILY One Faith in Jesus. One Family of God. April 4-5, at the Mobile Convention Center An Archdiocesan event to cultivate, unite, and inspire leadership within the Archdiocese. Featuring Chris Stefanick, Ike Ndolo, Todd Sylvester, and special keynote by Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi. The Can t Miss event for all involved in the life & mission of the Church. For further information visit: Free admission for ages 0-12, & High School Students accompanied by a parent. Tickets may be purchased at the online site for $25, or they may be purchased for at the parish office for $20. AA Alanon OA CODA AA: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Cougar Den. Alanon: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. OA: Sat., 9 a.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. CODA: Tues., 6:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. Do you have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life? Pray and ask for God s guidance. Pick up a copy of the new Vision Magazine on the tables in the vestibule.

4 CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA FEBRUARY 9, 2014 Hearing Assistance Available in Vestibule Two types of receivers: one fits in the ear and one is simply worn around the neck of a person who wears a hearing aid. Welcome New Parishioners Heather Bates + Ed & Janet Hyndman + Steve & Lisa Koen + Nick & Susan Lewis + Josh & Michelle McLendon and their children, Courtney, Hailey, Peyton and Gracie BAPTIZED IN CHRIST Nathan Daniel Good (son of Scott Franklin Good & Lisa Marie Kervin Good) Kylie Klaire McDonald (daughter of Joshua Sean McDonald & Tricia Nicole Cannon McDonald) Bradley Andrew Rees (son of Steven Bradley Rees & Kathleen Mary Obringer Rees) Mary Alice Brannon Pouliot Flowers Corpus Christi s Distinguished Graduate Pictured with her husband, Mitch, and their two children, Patrick and Sophia. Mary Alice is the daughter of Rob & Julie Brannon. The flowers before the pulpit last weekend were placed in memory of Sue March on the occasion of her birth. Given by Richard March & family. Flowers The flowers before the altar this weekend have been placed in celebration of Jan and Albert Reynolds 60th Wedding Anniversary Given by their children. FEB. 2ND BUILDING FUND ONLINE & COLLECTION: $4, FEB 2ND TITHING ONLINE & COLLECTION: $30, Thank You and God Bless You God bless all who tithe and contribute to support God's work here at Corpus Christi, and those who make a special bequest in their will for Corpus Christi Church. For info, or to transfer shares of stock to Corpus Christi Church, contact your stockbroker, or call Steve Setterstrom at Citigroup Global Mkts. at Offering Envelopes If you wish to use Offering Envelopes, just notify the parish office ( ). An initial set will be sent to you right away, and then, every two months, you will receive a two-month s supply of envelopes. Online Giving With Online Giving you can either make a one-time contribution or set up a recurring automatic withdrawal from a checking or saving or credit card account: Go to click Church ; then click the green Online Giving icon on the side left of the church s homepage. Follow the instructions to contribute to the tithing or building fund or special collections. For assistance, call , ext 4, or the parish office, Save us from every form of hypocrisy... The scribes and Pharisees choose the road of vanity, with phylacteries and fringes. They grow vain, and end by making themselves ridiculous. These hypocrites strut about, making a show of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. They impose so many precepts on the faithful. They are hypocrites of casuistry, intellectuals without talent who don t have the intelligence to find God, to explain God with understanding, and so prevent themselves and others from entering into the Kingdom of God: Jesus says, You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to others. These are ethicists without goodness, they do not know what goodness is. They say: You have to do this, and this, and this... They fill you with percepts, but not with goodness... These are the hypocrites that Jesus rebukes so strongly. We are all, without exception, tempted by hypocrisy, but St. Paul offers us help to resist it (2 Cor 9:6-11). The Apostle talks to us of broad-mindedness, of joy. Let us ask the Lord to save us from every form of hypocrisy, and to give us the grace of love, broad-mindedness, magnanimity and joy. Pope Francis, preaching on Matthew 6:1-6 and 6-18

5 Q. I have family members who are very into the Latin form of the Mass. These family members, every time they get a chance, try to shove their beliefs on my husband and me. They try to show us how the Novus Ordo form of Mass (the widely-used vernacular form) is wrong and not legitimate, and that we shouldn t still be a part of it. My question is, do you have any suggestions as to how to just make them stop harassing us! It is getting to the point that I am tempted to start making excuses to not go to family events. A. You have heard the old adage, that when spouses fight, they often aren t really fighting about the thing over which they seem to be fighting. First, ask yourself if you really want to fight with your family members over the Latin Mass. When they talk about how they love the Latin Mass, just agree, and then go to Mass where YOUR soul is fed. If they challenge you, just say you are cooperating with the Local Church (Diocese) by attending the Mass provided by the bishop of your diocese. Often, those who try to impose their ideological readings of things religious, political or social on others have an inordinate need to run the world, or to be in charge. In other words, they enjoy playing God. The good news is that God is God, and we don t have to be God. And always remember that great philosophy from the old country song: Beer is good, God is great, people are crazy. I like to remind myself of that third part when I m around my family. It s better to love them, because ain t no way I m changing them. I learned early on to let someone else be a priest for my family. The day my brother and I agree on anything will be when the Eagles will have won the Super Bowl (and that will also be a certain sign that Jesus return is imminent!) Fr. Richa rd G. Malloy, S.J. Closed & elite groups who feel superior... Spiritual worldliness, which hides behind the appearance of piety and even love for the Church, consists in seeking not the Lord s glory but human glory and personal wellbeing. This worldliness... is the self-adsorption of those who feel superior to others because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style from the past. A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline leads to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism, whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying: such a one is not really concerned about Jesus Christ or others. In some people we see an ostentatious preoccupation for the liturgy, for doctrine, and for the Church s prestige, but without any concern that the Gospel have a real impact on God s faithful people and the concrete needs of the present time. In this way, the life of the Church turns into a museum piece of something which is the property of a select few. It can also translate into a concern to be seen, into a social life full of appearances, meetings, dinners and receptions. It can also lead to a business mentality, caught up with management, statistics, plans and evaluations whose principal beneficiary is not God s people but the Church as an institution. The mark of Christ, incarnate, crucified and risen, is not present; closed and elite groups are formed, and no effort is made to go forth and seek out those who are distant, or the immense multitudes who thirst for Christ. Those who have fallen into this worldliness look on from above and afar... they discredit those who raise questions, they constantly point out the mistakes of others, and they are obsessed by appearances... This is a tremendous corruption disguised as a good. We need to avoid it by making the Church constantly go out from herself, keeping her mission focused on Jesus Christ and her commitment to the poor. God save us from a worldly Church with superficial spiritual and pastoral trappings! This stifling worldliness can only be healed by breathing in the pure air of the Holy Spirit, who frees us from self-centeredness cloaked in an outward religiosity bereft of God. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the Gospel! Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium)

6 Pope Francis: We must learn to listen more to our conscience... Pope Francis praised his predecessor, Benedict XVI, as a model of paying attention to the voice of one s conscience. Pope Francis said, Pope Benedict XVI has given us a great example because when the Lord had made it clear to him in prayer what was the next step he had to take (resign as pope), he followed his conscience with a great sense of discernment and courage. He followed the will of God speaking to his heart. Conscience was important even to Jesus. Jesus, in his earthly life, was not, so to speak, remote-controlled. He was free. But he always listened to the Father s voice, and followed it. At one point he made a firm decision to go up to Jerusalem for the last time a decision made in his conscience. His decision was made in obedience to the Father, in profound intimate attunement to the Father s will. But Jesus was free. His decision was a free one. Jesus wants us Christians to be free, as he is: to have liberty which comes from dialogue with the Father. Jesus wants neither selfish Christians, who follow their egos and do not speak with God. Nor does he want weak Christians, without free will: remote-controlled Christians, incapable of creativity, who always seek to connect with the will of someone else. They are not free. Jesus wants us to be free, and this freedom is to be found in inner dialogue with God. If a Christian does not know how to talk with God, does not know how to listen to God in his own conscience, then he is not free. So we must learn to listen more to our conscience. Be careful, however. This does not mean we ought to follow our ego, do whatever interests us, whatever suits us, whatever pleases us. That is not conscience. Conscience is the interior space in which we can listen to and hear the truth, the good, the voice of God. It is the inner place of our relationship with Him who speaks to our heart, and helps us to discern, to understand the path we ought to take, and, once the decision is made, to move forward, to remain faithful. Over the pope as the expression of the binding claim of ecclesiastical [church] authority, there still stands one s own conscience, which must be obeyed before all else, even against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority. This emphasis on the individual, whose conscience confronts him with a supreme and ultimate tribunal, is one, which in the last resort, is beyond the claim even of the official church. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Every man has the duty, and therefore the right, to seek the truth in religious matters, in order that he may with prudence form for himself right and true judgments of conscience... It is through his conscience that man sees and recognizes the demands of the divine law. He is bound to follow this conscience faithfully in all activity so that he may come to God, who is his last end. Therefore he must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters. Declaration on Religious Freedom, The Second Vatican Council Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells him inwardly at the right moment: do this, shun that. A man s conscience is his most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths. For man has in his heart a law. By conscience, in a wonderful way, that law is made known which is fulfilled in the love of God and of one s neighbor. The Church In The M odern World, The Second Vatican Council

7 Conscience The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council note that it is precisely because human beings are endowed with reason and free will that they naturally seek what is true and good and also, then, have a moral obligation to search for the truth. This is especially the case in seeking religious truth. Moreover, the truth which they believe they have come to know binds them to that truth. Even if the truth they believe is not actually true, yet, because they believe it is true, they are bound to follow their conscience. As long as what they believe does not infringe upon the just rights of others, they cannot be coerced into giving up or changing what they believe. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Does freedom of conscience mean each person can do as he or she pleases? No, it does not. Freedom of conscience implies that an understanding of the law of God is written in the human heart. There is an objective law of love involved, and we have a duty to conform to this law as we understand it. However, a person s conscience is their last best judgment on the action they are about to undertake, and the Church teaches that we have a duty to follow that judgment, even if we are in error. Since the Church is a spiritual community, its leaders have a right to bind consciences, not only for the sake of unity, but to maintain the standards handed down to us by Jesus Christ. Therefore the teaching authority of the Church, the Magisterium, aids us in the formation of our conscience. Aiding, however, is not the same as deciding for us. The Church has never claimed to take the place of conscience. By its teaching the Magisterium provides the safest norm of conduct for all and is binding on all members of the Church, but it does not cancel freedom of conscience. It distills the wisdom of scripture and tradition, presenting its conclusions, fully aware of the fact that a teaching cannot bind unless the conscience accepts it as binding. Fr. John Catoir As little as I meddle in the conscience of others, I am certain that my conscience belongs to me alone. It is the last thing a man can do for his salvation: to be at one with himself. St. Thomas Moore I do not condemn other men s consciences. Their consciences must save them, and mine must save me. St. John Fisher Every judgment of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sins. St. Thomas Aquinas It is better to die in excommunication than to violate one s conscience. St. Thomas Aquinas We follow Church leaders only to the extent that they themselves follow Christ... Some situations oblige one to obey God and one s own conscience rather than the leaders of the Church. [ Peter and the apostles said (to the Sanhedrin): We must obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29] One may even be obliged to accept excommunication rather than to act against one s own conscience. Cardinal Walter Kasper St. Thomas is so consistent in his respect for conscience that he maintains that it would be wrong for one to make an act of faith in Christ, if in one s conscience one is convinced, however absurdly, that it is wrong to carry out such an act. Pope John Paul II Precisely because we worship God fully and have faith in him, we have no right to claim that we must force others to believe in him and worship him. Pope John Paul II Conscience is inviolable. No person is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his/her conscience, as the moral tradition of the Church attests. USCCB (U.S. Bishops) I shall drink to the Pope, if you please still, to Conscience first, and to the Pope afterwards. St. John Henry Newman If Newman places conscience above authority, he is not proclaiming anything new with respect to the constant teaching of the Church. The conscience, as Vatican Council II teaches, is man s sanctuary and most sacred core where he finds himself alone with God, whose voice resounds within him. Pope John Paul II When he comes, being the Spirit of Truth, he will guide you to all truth. John 16:13