St. John the Baptist

Transcription

1 9 1 5 I V O R Y S T R E E T S E Y M O U R, W I St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish Parish Office Religious Education Parish Ministry Rev. Brian Belongia Pastor Dc. Rich Matuszak Deacon Religious Education Mary Carter, Director of Religious Education Music Ministry Jo Machacek Samantha Goeben Parish Administration Paula Van Dyn Hoven, Office Manager Kim Van Handel, Staff Assistant Building and Grounds Lee Rynish, Building & Maintenance Manager Jim Palubicki, Lawn Cutter St. John the Baptist Cemetery Lee Rynish, Sexton #4 Kimani Jefferson, Lawn Cutter Trustees & Council Representatives Mike Blohm, Secretary Trustee Ray Leisgang, Treasure Trustee John Mahlik, Finance Council Chairman Andy Patz, Parish Pastoral Council Chairman Ministry BeFrienders Ministry Jim Wurl St. Vincent DePaul Mary/Mike Blohm Jo/Ed Machacek Website weconnect.com Sunday Masses Saturday: 4:00 pm Sunday: 10:00 am Saturday Confessions Weekday Masses Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 8:15 am Eucharistic Holy Hour 1st Wednesday of the Month 3:00 pm 3:30 pm 6:15 pm 7:15 pm Next Holy Hour: August 1, th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 1, 2018

2 S T. J O H N T H E B A P T I S T C H U R C H S E Y M O U R Sunday s Readings First Reading: For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. (Wis 2:23) Psalm: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. (Ps 30) Second Reading: For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Cor 8:9) Gospel: He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. (Mk 5:4142) Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought. St. John Paul II Gospel Meditation Today's Gospel offers a rare framework a story in a story. Most of the healing miracles are standalone encounters. One person approaches Jesus, demonstrates faith, and is healed. The evangelist tells the next story. This Gospel, however, is different. Jesus is on his way to heal one person, a young girl of twelve, and is interrupted on his journey by "a woman afflicted with hemorrhages." She bravely approaches Jesus in a crowd, despite being ritually unclean from her bleeding, and stretches out to touch his cloak. She is healed! Jesus meets her eye, confirms her faith, and continues on to resurrect the young girl. Reading this passage, it might be easier to identify with one story the longsuffering woman or the young, innocent girl and to move past the other. But here they sit side by side. The girl is twelve. The woman has been suffering for twelve years. For the Gospel writers, number parallels have deep symbolic meaning. Between the woman and the young girl, we are not one or the other. We are both. None of us had a perfect childhood, perfect families, or a perfect peer group. As we endure pain, disappointment, or unmet expectations, it can feel like a part of our childhood hopes have died. Our coping mechanisms, social adaptations, and hidden secrets can make us the "walking wounded" in some respects. Jesus wants to do more than simply staunch the bleeding. His healing hand makes dead things come alive. He awakens the dreams that are asleep. This process requires prayer, conversations with trusted community and spiritual mentors, and critical looks at difficult areas of our life. However, we can believe the words of our Lord. If we approach Jesus in faith, believing that he wants to heal and save, we, too, will hear his calming words spoken over the hurts of our life. "I say to you, arise!" "Go in peace." Live the Liturgy God does not rejoice in our demise or our destruction. Rather, He made us in His image and desires that we have life. He also desires that we be healed and know His loving touch. There is great power in an embrace. The touch of another can heal wounds and restore life. There is also power in faith. Faith can turn us toward the truth and turn us toward God. God can profoundly change how we see Him, ourselves, and one another. God desires that we turn toward Him and be healed of all that wounds and binds us so that we can be free and enjoy the fullness life. Reach out and share your faith with someone this week so that they can receive God's lifechanging embrace. Questions of the Week First Reading According to the Jewish sage, "God did not make death." How then did death enter into the world, according to Wisdom? Second Reading Paul encourages the wealthier Christians in Corinth to help the needy in the community out of their abundance. In what ways do you live by this spiritual practice? Gospel Reading We hear two healing miracles in today's Gospel reading, both of which connect one's faith to healing. When has your faith led to healing? Everyday Stewardship As the baptized, we are called into community, and we are strongest when all members have full faith in Jesus Christ. When one of us falters or begins to doubt his or her faith, that is when our faith is to be shared freely as a source of strength. If we hold our faith inside, then those around us will miss a chance to be edified and strengthened by our witness. We can give freely of our money, our time, and our talents but still not share our faith with those around us. This hinders the Body of Christ's ability to evangelize and spread the Good News. It also helps to keep members of that Body weak, because without the chance to hear our stories of faith, those with the need to hear can remain discouraged and lost. Faith is a gift from God to us, just like any other. We are called to cultivate our faith and grow it into abundance. If we do not share it with others, then why grow it at all? We are not saved because we have more faith than someone else. We are no better off with storage bins filled with knowledge, devotion, and faith experience than a baby on its day of baptism. The difference between the baby and us is that we have something now to share and the responsibility to do so. Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS 2

3 Why Do We Do That? Question:There seems to be a lot of division in some Christian churches over moral issues, especially abortion, ordination, and endoflife care. If all Christians follow the Gospel of Jesus, why is there such a difference of opinion? Answer: There is always a struggle between culture and religion, and part of that struggle is politics. To be politically correct means that you must embrace the secular virtue of the moment so that you are "enlightened," "sensitive," "aware," and, most importantly, "open minded." Unfortunately, common sense can be sacrificed in the race to be "PC." Some factions within Christian denominations have tried to redefine tradition, history, and biblical teaching to bend it around the politically correct religious thinking of the day. On the life issues that you mention, there are those who began with their own conclusions and have tried to bend theology around their conclusions. This is possible in part because of a lack of a central teaching authority and partly because society has become apathetic to these issues. It will result in a lot of division, factions, and schisms. The Gospel calls all believers to embrace the truth, to turn from sin, and to seek holiness and justice. No matter how hard some may try, a square peg will not fit a round hole. The camel cannot fit through the eye of the needle. Our Parish Goal $43,084 Goal $40,000 $35,000 $30,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 Please consider making a donation today and help our parish reach its goal in 2018! Given to date: $33,159 Still needed: $10,430 We are at 77% of our goal! Bishop s Appeal by the Numbers The Bishop s Appeal reaches out and impacts the lives of thousands of people every year. Here are some interesting facts to illustrate how the Diocese inspires disciples, and how the Bishop s Appeal is making a difference in the lives of all of us: 54 Catholic schools shared our faith (48 elementary, 6 high school) 156 Parishes celebrated their liturgies throughout the year 842 Couples were joined in marriage 2,975 Members of our Diocese passed away 2,461 Adults and young people were con firmed in their faith 2,853 Children and adults received Jesus through First Communion 2,967 Infants and adults joined our parish communities through Baptism 9,127 Students participated in Catholic Schools 18,351 Students took part in Religious Education classes 302,166 Catholics worshiped in Diocesan Parishes In each of these areas the Bishop s Appeal impacts the ministries that inspire disciples. Wisconsin Right to Life Life Summer Camp, Aug 510th Green Lake Conference Center Interactive Learning, Fun Outdoor Activities, Tour of the State Capital (Ages 1319) 3 Speedy Tree Service LLC Tree Trimming, Removal, Chipping, etc Call for Free Estimate, Fully Insured Steve Peterson

4 W E E K O F J U L Y 1, Worship Services JUNE 30 JULY 8 Saturday, June 30 3:00 pm Reconciliation 4:00 pm Mass Sunday, July 1 10:00 am Mass Jack & Duke Liebergen Monday, July 2 No Services Tuesday, July 3 8:15 am Wednesday, July 4 8:15 am Living & Deceased members of the LaPlante & Gillis Family Thursday, July 5 8:15 am Friday, July 6 8:15 am Mass at St Sebastian Saturday, July 7 3:00 pm Reconciliation 4:00 pm Mass Ed & Ann Gerl Sunday, July 8 10:00 am Mass Bill & Sharon Van Handel, Living & Deceased Family Members of Ricky Van De Hei 1:30 pm Mass at Good Shepherd Stewardship Sacrificial Giving for the Week $3, Offertory Other Income Expenses Bills pd Readings Week of July 1, 2018 Sunday: Wis 1:1315; 2:2324/Ps 30:2, 4, 56, 11, 12, 13 [2a]/2 Cor 8:7, 9, 1315/Mk 5:2143 or 5:21 24, 35b43 Monday: Am 2:610, 1316/Ps 50:16bc17, 1819, 2021, 2223 [22a]/Mt 8:1822 Tuesday: Eph 2:1922/Ps 117:1bc, 2 [Mk 16:15]/Jn 20:2429 Wednesday: Am 5:1415, 2124/Ps 50:7, 89, 1011, 1213, 16bc17 [23b]/Mt 8:2834 Thursday: Am 7:1017/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 [10cd]/Mt 9:18 Friday: Am 8:46, 912/Ps 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131 [Mt 4:4]/Mt 9:913 Saturday: Am 9:1115/Ps 85:9ab and 10, 1112, [cf. 9b]/Mt 9:1417 Next Sunday: Ez 2:25/Ps 123:12, 2, 34 [2cd]/2 Cor 12:710/Mk 6:16a 4a

5 Liturgical Ministers SATURDAY, JULY 7 4:00 PM Lector Song Leader Musician Altar Prep Servers Ushers Greeters Scrip SUNDAY, JULY 8 10:00 AM Lector Song Leader Musician Altar Prep Servers Ushers Greeters Scrip S T. J O H N T H E B A P T I S T Lauren Rottier Ann Theroux Sam Goeben Joan Haws Cailey Everard, Jasmine Lee, Logan Smet, Brielle Tesch Steve Green, Jeff Skinkis, Doug Moser, Jennie Huettl John & Jill Mahlik, Margie Marcks, Marilyn Menor Mary Skinkis Bill Zahn Jo Snyder Jo Machacek Joyce Zahn Ella & Ava Linsmeyer, Breanna & Connor Patz Ray & Diane Letter, Pat Schadrie, Glenn Dunville Cathy, Jonathon, Daniel & Nathaniel Krull Jane Buch Vacation Bible School is SHIPWRECKED! VBS at Emmanuel is right around the corner. We hope that you are as excited as we are to venture onto an uncharted island where kids are rescued by Jesus! This summer s dates are Monday, July 30 th to Thursday, August 2 nd from 8:30am to 11:15am. Each day kids will participate in a Bible story, create a craft, sing, and enjoy snack and wreck reation time. We would love your help as we prepare to set sail. Currently, we are looking for someone to lead crafts during VBS and someone to lead decorations before the start of VBS. In addition, we have room for assistants in these and other areas. Please let us know if you want to join our team! Finally, we are looking for items to help decorate our church. These donations would not to be returned: pool noodles (any color) brown paper bags cardboard tubes (from gift wrap, toilet paper, paper toweling, carpet, etc.) plastic table cloths/fabric/streamers/ balloons in blue, green, and/or brown. If you have these items and are willing to donate them, please drop them off at the church office. Or, if you have island themed decorations or props that you would be willing to let us borrow, we would love those too. Thank you! 4b

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