PRINCE OF PEACE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Transcription

1 Page 1 April 22, 2018

2 Page 2 Prince of Peace Catholic Church 4300 Walnut Lake Rd. West Bloomfield, MI Phone ~ Fax Website: Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday Closed Father Ron Jozwiak pastor@princeofpeacecatholic.church Weekend Liturgies: Saturday: 4:00 p.m. Sundays: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 NOON Weekday Liturgies: NEW SCHEDULE Monday - Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. Reconciliation/Penance Saturdays: 2:30 p.m. Parish Office: Parish Secretary: Susan Hansen bulletin articles to: parishsecretary@princeofpeacecatholic.church Bookkeeper: Deb Peltier bookkeeper@princeofpeacecatholic.church Education Office: Director: Karen Schroder dre@princeofpeacecatholic.church Secretary: Molly Rozycki faithformation@princeofpeacecatholic.church Christian Service Office: Coordinator: Nancy Steele christianservice@princeofpeacecatholic.church Adult Education/RCIA Office: Coordinator: Jeanne Martin adulted@princeofpeacecatholic.church Worship Office: Minister: Linda Plotkowski worship@princeofpeacecatholic.church Baptisms, Weddings, Funeral/Memorial Services, Volunteers, and Nursing Homes Youth Ministry: Minister: Veronica Weisenberger youthminister@princeofpeacecatholic.church Musicians/Choir: Pastoral Musician: David Hansen MISSION STATEMENT: Growing in Grace, Gratitude and Giving Readings for the Week of April 22, 2018 Sunday: Acts 4:8-12/Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29 [22]/1 Jn 3:1-2/Jn 10:11-18 Monday: Acts 11:1-18/Ps 42:2-3; 43:3, 4 [cf. 3a]/Jn 10:1-10 Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26/Ps 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7 [117:1a]/Jn 10:22-30 Wednesday: 1 Pt 5:5b-14/Ps 89:2-3, 6-7, [2]/Mk 16:15-20 Thursday: Acts 13:13-25/Ps 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27 [2]/ Jn 13:16-20 Friday: Saturday: Acts 13:26-33/Ps 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab [7bc]/Jn 14:1-6 Acts 13:44-52/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 [3cd]/Jn 14:7-14 Next Sunday: Acts 9:26-31/Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, [26a]/1 Jn 3:18-24/Jn 15:1-8 April 22, Fourth Sunday of Easter Gospel Meditation Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture Today s Gospel occurs in the middle of Jesus ministry. At first, Jesus words seem to be about the value of self-sacrifice in a leader. I am the Good Shepherd, I will lay down my life for the sheep. The Apostles likely would have accepted these words easily enough. But then comes something more strange. I Lay down my life in order to take it up again, I have power to lay it down and power to take it up again. Only later, when Jesus opened the Scriptures to them after His resurrection, would the Apostles understand His words. Only then would they understand why such an act was necessary for the salvation of the world. Even now, we may struggle with the necessity of Holy Week. How often do we hear complaints against the silence of God, as if He is the hired man who runs away from suffering? Jesus life, death, and resurrection is our redemption in fact. God Himself bears the full weight of sin s consequences. The Paschal Mystery is also a sign that happens in full view of the human experience. We have seen Jesus lay down His life. We have seen Him accompany others. I know mine and mine know me. We have seen Him reach those outside the traditional flock, sheep not of this fold. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, not only in Scripture but in our daily lives. While we can t experience physically walking alongside Him like the Apostles did, the grace of our redemption continues through the Church. We are shepherded by the sacraments, by faith formation, by good mentors. At the same time, we are not only the sheep. In imitating Jesus, we, too, are invited to lay down our lives for others. We can be the hands, feet, and shepherd s crook of Christ.

3 Page 3 4th SUNDAY OF EASTER: The Good Shepherd Our Risen Lord calls out to His flock. Those that know His voice, His way, follow Him and are kept safe. But not only that, He keeps calling others to come into the flock so that there will be one flock one shepherd. Jesus wants all people to know that they can be included in God s plan of salvation. No matter whom you are, no matter how much you stray, no matter how often you refuse to hear His voice, God will continually call out and guide all into His safe embrace. Jesus uses a very earthy image of the shepherd and the sheep to help us realize the intimacy of Jesus and us. Being a shepherd is not easy nor are the sheep sparkling clean. The shepherd knows which ones will always respond to His voice, those that take a coaxing to hear His voice and those that simply want to do their own thing and put themselves in harm s way. In each situation, He calls and gets His hands into the sheep, even carrying them when they get injured. God meets his flock in the midst of the muck and mire of life as well as in the green pastures. No matter where we go, no matter what we have done, Jesus always calls out to us to follow Him for He wants us to be one people filled with grace, using our gifts for the common good of the world. Pope Francis understands well the role of the Good Shepherd. He knows the smell of the sheep and is not afraid to be with people in their difficulties or problems whether in prison, persecuted, shunned or thought less of by society. He embraces all and shares his faith by touching others with a touch of grace, a word of mercy and hand that welcomes. His words and actions, along with his writings portray a man totally in love with God that no matter what difficulties we human beings can encounter, no one is lost, all can be saved, all can be given another chance at life filled with grace and dignity. He faces directly the problems of modern life in all is chaos and complexity and provides hope to the hopeless, change for the good of persons and mercy for the good of the world. We, too, the people of God are called to help others find their way to Christ. Every one of our actions to serve the poor, to work for real justice for the poor, to help everyone gain health care and education, for a reform to our system of punishment and a new realization of the power of mercy is the voice of God making real to others His great love for us. Each of us is called to be the voice, or the hand or the heart of Christ to others. Only by living the Gospel message of Good News can others come to discover that the gate is open to them and they can join the community of believers who live in peace and profess Jesus Christ is Lord. Father Ron

4 Page 4 Because I Am, and You are Mine When we were children, one single proclamation was all that was needed to bring a definitive end to any debate about what should be done or to answer any child s whining question, Why? That statement was simply: Because I am Mother. Mom s declaration communicated a degree of authority that required no further explanation. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven famous statements beginning with the words I am. Each of them reflects something said about God in the Hebrew Scriptures. Yet, of them all, Jesus statement I am the good shepherd is the only one in which He describes Himself with a human role. When Jesus spoke of Himself as bread, light, resurrection, etc., those descriptions indicated what He offers humankind. When He said, I am the good shepherd, He moved into the realm of His own costly freedom and His mutual relationships with His Father and His Followers. When Jesus describes Himself as the good shepherd He is telling us a lot more than the typical picture that we might perceive of Him amid the flock or with a lamb on His shoulders. First of all, in today s selection we hear Jesus repeat five times that He lays down His life for His sheep. Each time this is stated, He emphasizes the fact that it is His choice to do so. He doesn t just risk His life or even lose His life, He says He lays it down: His entire life is for them. Except for blessing the bread as His body given for His own, Jesus never explained His dedication to His flock more clearly. In this, He is not only the model shepherd, but the model human being who has discovered the purpose of His life and chooses to fulfill it without reservation. Sandwiched in the midst of His five statements in which He offers His life for His own, Jesus describes the heart of His relationship with them saying, I know mine and mine know me. Explaining the depth of what He means, Jesus compares His relationship with His own to His relationship with His Father. That sort of knowing involves an intimate sharing of life and of such love that the parties come to understand each other from the inside, becoming freely and inextricably bound to one another. Jesus explains that He has chosen to have an insider s knowledge of His own and offers the same to them. Before anyone makes a claim to the exclusivity of their tribe or flock s participation in God s love, Jesus says that He has other sheep in other folds who share the same relationship with Him. When He says that they will follow and all will become one flock, He is giving a subtle but pointed warning to any who would try to set the boundary lines. He tells people who pride themselves on being His own - both in His day and in ours - that HE is the shepherd. Membership in His flock depends only on hearing and following His voice; it can t be defined by rituals or formal membership in any special group. When Jesus said I am the good shepherd, He used the language of His tradition to proclaim not only that He had freely chosen the course of His life, but also that He was a faithful reflection of God, the Father of all. His self-description as the good shepherd summarizes Christian theology; it tells us the purpose of creation and the Incarnation was to bring all into one in God. Where does this leave us? How are we to determine which voices speak for the shepherd? How are we to discern who is leading us toward God? That s where Jesus description of mercenaries and wolves comes in. The hired herder s first concern is personal comfort and safety - we might see prestige and profit as additional expressions of that. Mercenaries consistently choose themselves and their own kind, seemingly unwilling or unable to accept or comprehend the concept of one flock composed of diverse folds. The wolves, too, are recognizable by their priorities. They specialize in fear and division. They possess the powers of strength and stealth and prey on the weak. While a relationship with the good shepherd is characterized by ever-increasing knowing and being know, wolves specialize in lies and disguise (as Little Red Riding Hood would tell us) all for the purpose of eating up their victims. Many voices claim to tell us what should be done and why. Jesus claimed the authority of being the Good Shepherd who gave everything to bring humanity to the goal of sharing divine life. We can always recognize His voice in those that call us into love and freedom and ever-broader solidarity. If we ask Why? His simple answer might be, Because you are mine. Mary McGlone, Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Celebration Publications

5 Page 5 1st Holy Communion and Confirmation CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL Continues on As of this writing we have received $83, from 211 parishioners towards our Target Goal of $120,000 for the Archdiocesan Catholic Services Appeal. Thank you for responding so readily to this important endeavor and for assisting in the work of the Church on many levels and in a multitude of ways. In it s own way, CSA is a modern way of putting the book of ACTS into practice. We come together as one people, with one faith, to carry on the great work of the Church. In doing so, we pull together our resources and dispense them as best as can be done by making sure that no area of need or location in the Archdiocese will be left out. All of this is done in the name of Christ and through his church. Thank you for being a part of a church that goes out into the region and neighborhoods showing the face of Jesus to others by our compassionate care, our loving response to needs, our education to fill others with knowledge and wisdom, all with the heart of Christ. In a special way I hope that you will be most generous to the CSA this year. After we have reached our target, 100% of the excess monies will be returned and used for a parish project 100% tax free. This year we need to focus on the front steps of the Church. Winter was very hard for all of us but the salt and cold weather cycles have just eaten away at the concrete and railings. For safety s sake we will be using the excess CSA monies to fund this cement project for new steps and railings for the front doors of the church. I m just getting bids for the project out but as most of you are aware concrete work is never inexpensive. A noteworthy point if you want to take a distribution from your IRA: By the way one of our Finance people asked me to remind you that you can an IRA Credit if you give to the CSA or the parish. Here it what he says: If you must take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA and are looking for a way to save on taxes, you can donate directly from your IRA to the Diocese (or through the Diocese) and it is treated as a CREDIT and not a deduction on your taxes. This significantly reduces your tax liability and can be very beneficial to you One important fact to follow to do this is to contact Mr. Darren Hogan from the Archdiocesan Donor Services Office ( ) and work through him if you wish to take RMD from your IRA. Please keep in your prayers our First Communicants and our Confirmation Candidates. Within the next two week we will be celebrating these Sacraments in our church. Our second graders will be coming to the altar of the Lord for the first time and it is good that we fill them with knowledge of the Lord so that they may grow in the love of the Lord. The same goes for our Confirmation Candidates. They are making a step forward in the faith with the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit. May we see them come to the fullness of faith through their service to the church, their proper use of the their Gifts and by their faithful participation in the community of Prince of Peace. Question: Why Do We Do That? Catholic Traditions Explained Can you explain what we mean by a vocation or calling? I have heard this term used in many different contexts and am not sure what it means. Does it apply to religious life? Answer: A vocation or calling refers to a spiritual experience whereby a person senses within oneself the closeness of God and what He is asking in one s life. It is a realization of what one s part in God s plan could be. Vocation comes in all kinds of ways. Some are as dramatic as St. Paul s, being knocked off his horse, blinded, and hearing God s voice. Others are less dramatic, often occurring over time through little events and personal interests. Others happen in a hurry, accompanied by great spiritual insight or conversion. We often think that this applies to religious vocation, but in fact, every Christian has a vocation, a calling to serve others in and through the Church. Whether married or single, religious or lay, we are all called to live out our baptismal commitment to preach and teach the Gospel message. Each of us has our role to play in God s plan, and we become coworkers with God in the work of redemption. With a little confidence, a willing spirit, and God s grace, we can and will respond to His unique call.

6 Page 6 Faith Formation News Class Schedule Sunday, April 22, last class Tuesday, April 24, last class Rehearsal for First Eucharist Wednesday, April 25 at 6:30-7:30 pm First Eucharist Celebrated Saturday, April 28, 2018, - 10:30 am Students need to be in the Social Hall by 10:15 am Confirmation Rehearsal Wednesday, May 2, 6:00 to 8:00 pm Student and Sponsor (or parent) Confirmation Celebrated on Saturday, May 5, 2018 At the 4:00 p.m. Mass By Bishop Walter Hurley Sunday, April 22, 2018 What is your vocation? When I started my theology degree, one of my professors asked, What is your vocation? My answer, a theology student. Wrong! was his thunderous response. He then began to explain the difference between vocation and avocation. Basically, that which you do for a living is your avocation, and that which you ARE at the most basic level of your being is your vocation. For us as Roman Catholics, our being, that which is part of our soul, is our vocation. Sacraments change and add something to our soul. At baptism, our very being is changed so that we now belong to Christ. During the sacrament of matrimony, we are wedding to another human being. Our soul is wedded, not just our person. When a man is ordained, his soul is changed. He becomes a part of Christ in his very being. So, if someone asks what your vocation is, a more appropriate answer might be, I m a baptized Christian, or I m married, or I m a deacon or priest. Let us pray Good and gracious God, We became part of you when you claimed us in baptism. When two of us become married, You wed us together with you as the third person. When one of us is ordained, You implant your very being into us, A part of your holy Paschal Mystery. Bless all of us as we live out our vocation to you with our lives and breath. Bless all of us also as we work in the world in our avocation So that we may honestly live our vocation in the Church. We ask all this in Christ s name. Amen. Attention Parents: For Your Child s Safety During Mass when your child needs to leave the Church or to use the restroom, please make sure a parent and/or guardian accompanies them. Do not let them leave by themselves, again for their safety, thank you. An age-appropriate Liturgy of the Word is offered for children ages 4 through 2nd grade. Children s Liturgy of the Word is offered the First and Third Sunday s of the month during the 10:00 a.m. Mass. No pre-registration is necessary. All children are welcome and encouraged to attend. Children are invited to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word in a way specifically designed for their age group. They listen to the same Scripture readings as the rest of the assembly, and are taught a simplified main message of the readings and are encouraged to share that message with their parents after Mass. For additional information or to get involved, please contact Linda Plotkowski, in the Worship Office at worship@princeofpeacecatholic.church or call

7 Page 7 Feeding The Homeless This past week Faith Formation students made lunchmeat sandwiches and put together brown bag lunches for homeless families staying at MCREST (Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team) building in Roseville. Each grade was asked to donate a different item for the lunches. THANK YOU to all the Faith Formation families who donated so generously. The lunch bags were filled with granola / protein / energy bars, Jell-O, applesauce or pudding cups, individually packaged snacks such as Cheese-its, potato chips, animal crackers, plus a juice box, a piece of fruit and condiments for their sandwich! The students had a great time and a feeling of satisfaction making the sandwiches themselves. The students went on to fill the lunch bags with all the good lunch items donated. For some it was the first time they made a sandwich; others were commenting on what they take in their lunches. THANK YOU Mrs. MacDonald, Mrs. Mabilia, and Mrs. Boardman who kept the students organized in the rotation of activities so everyone received the opportunity to make a sandwich. They also kept the "sandwich making table" filled with supplies. THANK YOU to the Underwood/Willis family, Wold family and Smerecki family who volunteered to make the deliveries on Sunday and Wednesday. We could not have done this without you! Thank you to all who made this possible.

8 Page 8 CSA Minute: Christian Service Next week s Christian Service Coordinators Association Retreat will focus on Making Time for Jesus. Your gifts to the Catholic Services Appeal provide funding for this retreat, which will help Christian service coordinators - through prayer, conversations, presentations, and quiet time - explore some simple but life-changing habits and prayerful practices so their lives are deeply and constantly rooted in their friendship with Jesus. Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, will serve as presenter. The retreat will be held at St. Mary s Retreat House in Oxford on Wednesday, April 25, and is hosted by the Archdiocese of Detroit along with Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan. For more information about this and other CSA-funded ministries, programs, and services, please go to RCIA All Are Welcome Here Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic faith? Do you have friends or acquaintances who are questioning what Catholicism is all about? Were you baptized but never formed in the Catholic faith? If so, Prince of Peace welcomes you to enter into the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). RCIA helps adults grow in their relationship with God and become familiar with Catholic teachings and practices. In short, RCIA is a journey in which conversion of the heart brings you closer to Jesus. Sound scary? Just remember, if you invite Christ into your life, He will be there every step of the way. And so will Prince of Peace. Give us a call. Jeanne Martin, Thank You for Caring! Our recent Lenten outreach project was Five Weeks of Charity, during which various items were collected and forwarded to area charities. Your donations of tissues, lip balm, hand sanitizer, toiletries, and snacks on the weekend of March 3/4 will be used to make comfort bags available to clients of the St. Christine food pantry and soup kitchen in Detroit. Below is a thank you sent by Sister Magdalena, director of St. Christine Christian Services. Dear Prince of Peace Parish Family: Just a note to thank you for all the hygiene products and snacks that were donated to St. Christine s. Our neighbors in Brightmoor always need these items, and they are a blessing to receive. Thank you again, and many blessings! Properly disposing of unused or expired prescription medications can prevent public safety issues like accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse. Disposing of medications properly saves lives! The nearest collection site is the West Bloomfield Police Department, 4530 Walnut Lake Rd., St. Christine s Soup Kitchen Update Prince of Peace purchases, preps, cooks, and serves dinner six times a year at St. Christine s Soup Kitchen in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit. The photo of parish volunteers getting last-minute instructions was taken at our last serving date, on April 10. Huge thanks to all who shared of their time and talents to prep or serve on April 9 and 10! The meatloaf was a hit, and over 200 tummies were filled thanks to your hard work and dedication. May God bless you!!! Our next dates at St. Christine s are June 11 and 12; August 13 and 14; October 8 and 9; and December 3 and 4. Volunteers are needed to PREP from 10:00 a.m. to noon on the Monday before serving dinner; and SERVE from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. on the Tuesday. If you would like more information about this ministry opportunity, or are interested in serving, please contact Nancy Steele at christianservice@princeofpeacecatholic.church or Thank you!

9 Page 9 April 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Easter Sunday Noon Mass Spring Break Week NO MORNING MASS 6 10:00 Women s Spirituality 6:30 The Young and the Rest of Us 7 10:00 Centering Prayer 2:30 Reconciliation 4:00 Mass 8 2nd Sunday of Easter Noon Mass 11:00 Faith Formation 9 Annunciation St. Christine s 10 St. Christine s 6:00 Faith Formation 7:00 K of C 11 6:30 First Eucharist 7:00 Youth Group 12 NO MORNING MASS 10:00 Scripture :00 Centering Prayer 2:30 Reconciliation 4:00 Mass 15 3rd Sunday of Easter Noon Mass 11:00 Faith Formation :00 Faith Formation 7:30 K of C 18 7:00 Confirmation Interviews 7:00 Youth Group 19 NO MORNING MASS 6:00 First Eucharist Rehearsal 20 10:00 Women s Spirituality 21 10:00 Centering Prayer 2:30 Reconciliation 4:00 Mass 22 4th Sunday of Easter Noon Mass :30 First Eucharist Rehearsal 7:00 Youth Group 26 NO MORNING MASS 10:00 Scripture :00 Centering Prayer 10:30 First Communion Mass 2:30 Reconciliation 4:00 Mass 29 5th Sunday of Easter Noon Mass 8:30 Pancake Breakfast 30 May 1 May 2 7:00 Confirmation Rehearsal May 3 NO MORNING MASS May 4 10:00 Women s Spirituality 6:30 The Young and the Rest of Us May 5 10:00 Centering Prayer NO RECONCILIATION 4:00 Mass Confirmation with Bishop Walter Hurley

10 Page 10 Saturday, April 21 4:00 p.m. Robert Schnaidt, Sammy Nalu, Yalda Kas Shamoun Sunday, April 22 8:00 a.m. The Families of Prince of Peace 10:00 a.m. The Families of Prince of Peace 12:00 Noon John & Felicidade Santiago Monday, April 23 9:00 a.m. The Families of Prince of Peace Tuesday, April 24 9:00 a.m. The Families of Prince of Peace Wednesday, April 25 9:00 a.m. The Families of Prince of Peace Please pray for: Maureen Voorheis Be at Peace Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life; rather, look to them, with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father, who cares for you today, will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering, or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination. St. Francis de Sales Daily Mass Schedule Change Prince of Peace Catholic Church Effective April 1, 2018 Daily Mass will be offered on, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Knights of Columbus Benefit Breakfast - April 29, 2018 We have another opportunity to join the Knights of Columbus in their chartable programs which help the needy in the Prince of Peace parish and surrounding communities. We are all invited to indulge in the next K of C free will benefit breakfast on Sunday, April 29, 2018, 8:30 to 11:30 AM. We know that there are always some families in the area around us which are in dire situations and in need of temporary assistance to carry on until things improve for them. For over fourteen years your attendance and support at the K of C free will breakfasts have been vital to all of the Knights' charitable programs. They need your continued support to allow these good works to continue. This opportunity to help those in need is one in which we can all be involved in while enjoying a gourmet breakfast of fluffy pancakes, sizzling sausage, your choice of eggs, muffins, bagels and fruit, as well as real orange juice and Starbucks coffee you have come to enjoy. As always, there will be no tickets sold for this breakfast; however, all donations will be cheerfully accepted. It is always encouraging to have parishioner involvement in the Council s efforts, but your K of C Council is in dire need of additional members to continue its charitable works. Age is taking a toll on its membership. For those men who would like to be more deeply involved in the Knights charitable activities, don t hesitate to inquire about applying to become a member of the Knights of Columbus Council at Prince of Peace Parish. You are very much needed. Contact Grand Knight Pete Duggan at See you at Breakfast. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let Perpetual light shine upon them. Prayer for our troops - All-powerful and ever-living God, when Abraham left his native land and departed from his people you kept him safe through all his journeys. Protect these soldiers. Be their constant companion, strength and refuge in every adversity. Guide them, O Lord, that they may return home in safety. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Donald Matthew Sheldon Dr. Merle Pete Rydesky Marion Daignault

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