ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA PARISH

Transcription

1 ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA PARISH MARCH 27, 2016 MASS SCHEDULE ST. MARY STAR OF THE SEA CHURCH CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1ST HOLY SAVIOR CHURCH EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1ST: SUNDAY AT 7:00AM, 8:30AM & 10AM MONDAY THURSDAY AT 8:30AM SATURDAY VIGIL AT 5:15PM CONFESSIONS AT 4:15-5:00PM Mission Statement We the people of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Ocean City, Maryland, want to respond to God s love for us by doing His will, to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to love each other as Jesus loved us. In this way, He can live, as Risen Lord, in our midst and attract all people to the Father. As part of the Church, we want to be a Home and School of Communion where, through the celebration and living out the Sacraments, and various ministries, each member can live in unity as a child of God, building up the Kingdom of God until Jesus will come again in glory.

2 Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me (Mt 25:40) Dear Parishioners and friends, With great joy I want to wish all of you the most blessed and Happy Easter. The liturgy today gives us the most wonderful of phrases to repeat joyously: He is not here, he is risen (Lk 24,6). Our hearts are filled with you we don t have to look among the dead for the One who is alive! The Gospel story draws us into this wonderful reality. There are many opportunities for us to enter into this story to absorb the great mysteries to which it points. The women of the story become our guide. Look at the action verbs: the first verb is "found": "they found the stone had been removed from the tomb and enter, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus." To believe in Jesus comes from an experience: something we expected is not there and, yet, we are surprised by something completely new and unexpected. Then there is the uncertainty verb: "we do not know where they have laid. We know faith is a journey that goes from humility (not finding something, in spite of the search) to commitment (asking for help). But the darkness of doubt is soon dispelled: Only heaven can reveal to us the mystery, that is, the resurrection of Jesus, and its meaning. The first words of the angels are at the same time both a revelation and a reproach. Jesus is now the Living: Why searching among the dead? We should remember these words to understand what happened: "Remember how he told you." Easter is a start. Easter is an opportunity to set ourselves up to journey in the right direction. Easter does not take us away from the reality, but it allows us to live it in a different way. None of us is taken away from the trouble of searching, to listen, to meet the Risen Lord. And we will not find Him in the cold walls of a tomb, or in empty arguments. We can find the Risen Christ in our history, in the events that shaped our lives, in everyday life, in people both near and far. This is where we also can meet the risen and living Christ. We can encounter Him in our lives when we live out our faith, especially when we put into practice His word. If we accept to be led by the Word of God we enter a bit 'at a time but definitely in the mystery of the passion, death, and in the extraordinary event of the resurrection. In other words: the infinite love of God for us. And this is what I hope and pray that all of us can experience together as a family! First of all, I d like to congratulate all the new members of our parish family who were received into full communion with the Church at the Easter Vigil: Golda Davis Jamie Greenwood Jennifer Kukel Joseph Crisanti Kyle Johnson Their journey has been both wonderful and inspiring. Congratulations and Blessings upon you and your family. The liturgical celebrations of Holy Week and the Easter Vigil, as well as those during the Time of Easter, are quite demanding in the planning. I d like to thank all the members of the Liturgy Committee and those who have been drafted just for the occasion. Thanks to your work, our celebrations were simply wonderful. Thank you! Mark your calendar: on April 17 th we will have our first Parish EVENT. It is a bit like a town hall (but better and more fun) where we can have an opportunity to get a report on where we are as a parish and talk about the future, the areas we need to focus more so that we may continue to witness God s Love to all people.

3 Readings for the Week of March 27, Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/ Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Lk 24:1-12 or Lk 24:13-35 Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33/Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-11/Mt 28:8-15 Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41/Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22/Jn 20:11-18 Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10/Ps 105:1-4, 6-9/Lk 24:13-35 Thursday: Acts 3:11-26/Ps 8:2, 5-9/Lk 24:35-48 Friday: Acts 4:1-12/Ps 118:1-2, 4, 22-27/Jn 21:1-14 Saturday: Acts 4:13-21/Ps 118:1, 14-21/Mk 16:9-15 Next Sunday: Acts 5:12-16/Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24/Rv 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19/Jn 20:19-31 e.. It is almost her POLSKA Authentic Polish Dinner Wednesday, April 6, :30 to 7:30pm We will have live entertainment by Richard Hajewski And will be serving: Homemade Perogies Smoked & Fresh Kielbasa Golabki & Sauce * Kapusta Cucumber & Onion Salad * Pickled Beets Rye Bread * Horseradish * Sour Cream Homemade Desserts Chrusciki * Babka * Kolache Your are welcome to bring your favorite adult beverage to accompany your meal! Tickets are $15. in advance and $18. at the door Carry Out will be available for $16. We hope to see you there!!! 2016 Annual Catholic Appeal Blessed are the Merciful for They Shall Obtain Mercy In the Resurrection of Jesus we find hope in the prospect of everlasting life in heaven. But to obtain eternal life, we must accept the Lord s invitation to follow Him by imitating His love and compassion for others. During the weekend of April 9 and 10, our parish will participate in the 2016 diocesan Annual Catholic Appeal. Funds generated through the Appeal support the work of the Church by responding to an abundance of human needs within our diocese. Your gift helps bring Christ to those who seek his presence - the poor, the sick, the distressed, our children and our elderly. As Christian stewards we are called to a lifelong conversion to the ways of Jesus. Each of us is asked to examine the blessings we have received from God and to discern how best to use them for others. We do this cheerfully and sacrificially and with faith in God s love for us, knowing that He will provide for our earthly wants. You can learn more about the 2016 Annual Catholic Appeal by reading next week s Dialog or visiting the diocesan website at click Giving then Annual Catholic Appeal. Next weekend is Divine Mercy Sunday and we invite everyone to stay after each Mass to take a few moments to recite the Divine Mercy. If you would like to recite it, we ask that you join in in the front of the church. We also ask that you leave the church quietly so as to not interrupt the praying. If you have not done the Divine Mercy, please know, we will have plenty of material for you. Mass with Bishop Malooly. You are invited to the Annual Diocesan Celebrate Life Mass, a celebration for persons with special needs and their families/friends/ caregivers. This event will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bear, DE on Sunday, May 1, The day includes a gathering at 12:30 pm, Mass at 1:00 pm, and a light lunch following Mass. We ask that if you are able to attend, please bring 2 or more cans of food for the parish food closet. To register, please Debbie Ciafre at dciafre@comcast.net or call her at (302) Please respond no later than April 10th.

4 Focolare Word of Life April 2016 Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me (Mt 25:40) Why are these words of Jesus so dear to us, and why do they come back again and again in the Words of Life we choose each month? Perhaps it s because they are the heart of the Gospel. They are what the Lord will ask us when in the end we find ourselves in front of him. On these words will hinge the most important exam of our lives, and we can get ready for it every single day. The Lord will ask whether we have given food and drink to whoever was hungry and thirsty, whether we have welcomed the stranger, whether we have clothed the naked, visited the sick and the prisoner It is a question of little acts, which yet have the value of eternity. Nothing is small if done for love, if done for him. Jesus indeed did not just come close to the poor and marginalized; he healed the sick and comforted the suffering. Moreover, he loved them with a preferential love, to the point of calling them members of my family, of identifying himself with them in a mysterious solidarity. Today, too, Jesus is still present in whoever suffers injustice and violence, in whoever is looking for work or living in a risky situation, in whoever is forced to leave his or her homeland because of war. How many people are in pain around us for all sorts of other reasons and call out, even without words, for our help? They are Jesus, who asks for concrete love, a love capable of inventing new works of mercy in keeping with new needs. No one is excluded. If a person who is old or sick is Jesus, how can we not seek the necessary relief? If I teach my language to an immigrant child, I teach Jesus. If I help my mother clean the house, I help Jesus. If I bring hope to a prisoner or consolation to someone who is afflicted or forgiveness to someone who has hurt me, I build a relationship with Jesus. And every time the fruit will be not only giving joy to the other person, but I too will feel a great joy. By giving we receive, we sense an inner fullness, we feel happy because, even though we do not know it, we have met Jesus. The other person, as Chiara Lubich wrote, is the archway we pass under to reach God. This is how she recalled the impact of this Word of Life from the first moments of her experience: Our old way of thinking about our neighbors and loving them collapsed. If Christ was in some way in everyone, we could not discriminate, we could not have preferences. Our human notions that classified others were tossed aside: citizen or foreigner, old or young, goodlooking or not, nice or nasty, rich or poor, Christ was in each one. And in reality each brother or sister was another Christ. Living like this we realized that our neighbor was for us the path to God. Or rather, our brother or sister was like an archway that we had to go under to meet God. We experienced this from the earliest days. What union with God in the evening, when we prayed, or when we recollected ourselves after having loved him all day in our brothers and sisters! Who gave us that consolation, that inner union that was so new, so heavenly, if not Christ who lived the give, and it will be given to you (Lk 6:38) of his Gospel? We had loved him all day in our brothers and sisters, and here he was now loving us (Scritti Spirituali, vol. 4, 2005). Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI Each month the Focolare offers a Scripture passage as a guide and inspiration for daily living. Ever since the Focolare s earliest years, founder Chiara Lubich ( ) wrote her own commentaries each month. Now Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI, theologian and close collaborator of Lubich, heads a group of scripture experts who have been entrusted with the task of writing the Word of Life commentaries, reflecting her thoughts and her spirituality of unity. This Word of Life is translated into 96 different languages and reaches several million people worldwide through the media. This monthly leaflet is also a supplement to Living City, the Focolare magazine (livingcitymagazine.com). For information and to subscribe to this leaflet or to the magazine, write to: Living City, 202 Comforter Blvd, Hyde Park, NY 12538; tel: ; e -m ail: l ivi ngcity@livingcitymagazine.com. Visit focolare.org (international) or focolare.us (U.S.) by Living City of the Focolare Movement, Inc.

5 I hope you are having A Healthy and Blessed Easter. Many wishes for all our families and friends for a wonderful Joyous celebration from all the Catechists, staff and myself! I love Easter. It is a time of hope! All our fears are gone! In our day to day life,if we are not careful we can allow so many things to make us afraid. The loss of a loved one, work, a broken friendship and the experience of not being valued by others are among the many experiences that can leave us so sad, not knowing what to expect, even afraid. It really makes you think about those who met the risen Christ -- the two Marys, the guards, the disciples -- all experienced a profound change in their lives, they had to be a little afraid, unsure. However, Christ was alive and offered peace and hope to them. They were his words. They were offered new beginnings. His presence brought not vengeance but reconciliation. Our Lord s resurrection overcame sin and death. His resurrection is true redemption, an invitation to new life, where every human mistake can be corrected and we can be freed from whatever holds us back or destroys true freedom, and we are welcomed into his LOVE. How awesome! Especially in these times when it is so evident that we live in a wonderful but deeply wounded and wounding world that we always remember that Easter promises us hope and that we share that hope in the world. Easter, you might say, is our recommissioning! It s Jesus saying to us, Pssssst, all is well Pass it on! He brought us hope, despite being abandoned by his disciples, the cruelty of the soldiers and the sadness of the women! Jesus offered them, as he offers us, new life, forgiveness and hope for the future. We can find healing and hope in Him, in His profound love. He makes it possible for all of us to have second chances, new beginnings, new life. May you share in the hope shared to day, Rita Sharing the Gospel It was very early in the morning on Sunday. The tomb stone was rolled away. Jesus was gone. All that was left inside were the strips of linen cloth. When John and Peter saw it, they were amazed. They did not understand all the promises the prophets wrote about Jesus yet. However, they knew he was alive. He had risen from the dead! Prayer God, I thank you for bringing Jesus back to life. Something to Draw Draw how surprised Peter and John were when they saw Jesus' empty tomb. Mission for the Week Bake Resurrection Cookies with your family tonight. You can find the recipe online at homehearth.virtualave.net/rescookie.html PO Box , New Berlin, WI x LPiResourceCenter.com Keep in Mind that our Religious Article Store Located just inside the doors of Church closes to the Parking lot has many wonderful gifts for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation and even Mother s Day! Be sure to stop in and browse! Can t find what you had in mind? Ask Ms. Pat, she can place orders for specific items! No Religious Education Today March 27, 2016 Classes Resume next Weekend April 3!

6 MASS INTENTIONS March 26 7:30pm March 27 7:00a.m 10:00a.m. March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31 April 1 No Mass April 2 5:15pm March 27 St. Mary s 7:00a.m 10:00a.m. Saturday Parishioners Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Patricia & Lugene Cleary Sunday K.C. Colgan Parishioners Theresa Adelman First Collection Second Collection Not available at time of printing Thank you to all of you for your most generous donations The Second Collection for next week will be for Mortgage Reduction Pastor: Rev. Stanislao Esposito pastor@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com Deacon: Rev. Mr. Wil Pinder deacon@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Donna Santoni office@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com Faith Formation: Mrs. Rita Danhardt Religioused@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com If you would like a Sanctuary Candle lit for the week for a special intention or in memory of a loved one, please contact the parish office. A donation of $10.00 is appreciated. This week s candle at Holy Savior will be lit for special intention of Carol Terlizzi & Raymond & Adele Sarlitto from God s Helping Hand. Baptisms are held monthly at Holy Savior Church. Required Baptismal Preparations are held the first Sunday of each month at 1pm. Registration is required. Please contact Rita Danhardt, Director of Faith Formation for further information, or religioused@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com. Music Director: Mr. Jordan Pantalone jspantalone1018@gmail.com Facilities Manager: Mr. Tony Dicken, maintenance@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com PARISH OFFICE HOURS Mon., Tues, & Thurs. 9am to 5pm Wed. & Fri. 9am to 3pm Philadelphia Avenue Ocean City, MD Website: Stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com Facebook: Saint Mary Ocean City, MD Parish Pay: Automated Giving x 4 Parishpay.com