21 st Sunday in Ordinary Time

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1 Parish Office (863) Fax (863) st Sunday in Ordinary Times August 26, 2018 Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday 9 AM to 2:30 PM Pastor Fr. Nicholas McLoughlin Assisting Clergy Fr. Gerald Grogan Pastor Emeritus Fr. Leo Frechette Deacon Fred Simon Dan Hoppe Schedule of Masses Saturday Confession 3:30 PM English 6:30 PM Spanish Vigil Mass 4 PM English 7 PM Spanish Sunday 8 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Days Vigil Mass 5:30 PM 8 & 10:30 AM Daily Mass Monday-Friday 8 AM First Friday Mass and Holy Hour 8 AM Visit us on the web! Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 21 st Sunday in Ordinary Time Enroll your children in the School of Religion: today after Mass, or, Wednesday, August 29th, 5 8 p.m.

2 Page 2 Our Lady of Grace

3 21st Sunday in Ordinary Times Page 3 Dear parishioners: Shortly after God s people arrived in the Promised Land, Joshua, who had succeeded Moses as leader, gathered the people together to renew their covenant with Yahweh. They enthusiastically chose to commit themselves to follow God faithfully. This first reading contrasts with the Gospel reading in which Jesus confronts The crowd with a similar question: many of the disciples of Jesus, unlike their forebears, made the choice not to stay with Jesus because they found it too hard to accept his teaching on the Eucharist. The Gospel points out how fickle we can be. The day before, the people who had been fed with the miraculous draft of loaves and fish had wanted to make Jesus King. When he told them he was going to give them his flesh to eat and his blood to drink, they found this a hard saying; who can accept it? When he saw them leaving, he asked his disciples if they wanted to leave too. They found his teaching just as difficult. Peter, answering for the rest said, Master, to whom shall we go; you have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God. Faith is at the heart of the difficulty being experienced by the crowd and by Jesus disciples. Faith is accepting something on the word of Jesus even if we cannot fully understand it. In the words of the 2 nd century Church Father, Irenaeus, Faith is A man fully alive with the vision of God. Here is how the great theologian Thomas Aquinas expresses it, Faith will tell us Christ is present when the human senses fail. Jesus put the question to his disciples, Do you also want to leave? Simon Peter answered him, Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God. This time of year, parents have a similar decision to make. When they bring their child to be baptized, the priest asks, What do you ask of God s Church for your child? The parents respond, Faith. The priest continues, You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him/her in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him/her up to keep God s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking? To which the parents respond, We do. Joshua asks the Chosen people to re-commit themselves to the Covenant with God in today s first reading. They were happy to do so. Jesus asks his disciples if they want to leave him, or, commit themselves to follow him. Many do not. His immediate disciples did. As parents, are you going to raise faith-filled children, or, are you going to raise faith-less children. I invite you to register your children in the School of religion. Father Nick Mcloughlin

4 Page 4 Our Lady of Grace High school teachers for much of High School. She was also unanimously elected Homecoming-Queen her senior year in High School. Who is Jade Jackson? We pray for her in the Prayer of the Faithful for the past number of years. Jade Jackson is a second year College student at SFSC and a parishioner here in OLG Parish She was diagnosed with brain cancer her first year in High School. She underwent surgery to remove the brain tumor. The surgeon was unable to remove all of the tumor because of its sensitive attachment to the brain. She has been receiving cutting edge treatment for her brain tumor at All Children s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Moffett Cancer Research Hospital in Tampa and more recently at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, where she underwent experimental treatment. The challenge facing Jade Jackson is that she is looking for treatment that will reduce the cancer tumor attached to her brain. She had some modest success with that under a pediatric-neurological oncologist at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. After close to six years of a variety of treatments in a whole series of cutting edge clinical trials, she continues to seek treatment that will reduce the growth of the cancerous tumor. Locally, she is listed as a Cancer- Warrior. She graduated from Avon Park High School in four years as a Magna cum Laude Graduate, being home schooled by Her mom Jackie who is a Saint continues to work, take care of Jade and her family with her husband Greg. She teaches one of the most important Sacramental classes in preparation for First Holy Communion. She is assisted by her daughter Jade. In the photo below, Jade is seen leading the First Communion Class over to Church to receive First Communion. Jade is a very normal young adult with a very strong faith, which she is happy to share with young parishioners preparing to come to know who Jesus is as an intimate friend in Holy Communion, who will accompany them as they begin their journey through life. She not only teaches with her words and lesson plans. Her life is a pencil in the hand of God, writing messages that God wants to write, to children and adults who need to see and hear that message. It is a message that is spoken with her life and not merely with her lips. Jade is most recently enrolled in an experimental clinical trial in a cancer research clinic in Savannah, Georgia, to which she drives back and forth one weekend-a-month. She is an inspiration to all of us. Keep her in your prayers.

5 21st Sunday in Ordinary Times Page 5 Here s the Church, Kathryn Fincher The Church is not a building. The Church is not a steeple. The Church is not a resting place. The Church is a people. You are the Church. We are the Church together! All who follow Jesus? All around the World! Yes we re the Church together. Register your children for the School of Religion

6 Page 6 MASS INTENTIONS SATURDAY AUGUST 25 4:00 pm Brian Buckmaster by Mom & Dad. Novena of Masses For a greater respect for all human life. By K of C 7:00 pm + Fermina Biatriz Garcia by Mixta Lopez. + Maria Martha de Figueredo Montana by Martha Montana Ponce. SUNDAY AUGUST 26 8:00 am + Mary & Elizabeth Ferguson by M/M Nelson Tederous. 10:30 am + Frank Mateusiah by Joe & Leah Grecko. MONDAY AUGUST 27 8:00 am For our Parish Family. TUESDAY AUGUST 28 8:00 am + Arlene Snyder by Family. WED AUGUST 29 8:00 am + Dee Angermeier by Ralph/ Judy Todino. THURSDAY AUGUST 30 8:00 am + Richard Willard by Grandpa & Grandma. FRIDAY AUGUST 31 8:00 am + Mary, Thomas & John Casey by Maureen Castine. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1 8:00 am For the Benefactors of the parish, Sarah McDonald, Francis & Audrey Peffer, Orlando Nardone, Maria Guerrero, Mary Litwinski, Norma George, Fred Bruno, Loumella Faust, Paul Brazenski, Donald McCormack, Lester Reinbolt, and John Lacenski, Patricia Borst. Mrs. Lane. Bill & Mary Ann Patterson, William LaPeer. 4:00 pm Lena Manconi by Michael & Mary Basile. 7:00 pm +Eleazar Ceoundino + Mario Garcia by the Chavez Family SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2 8:00 am + Dolores Angermeier by Husband. 10:30 am + Elizabeth Aleja by Gabor/Ferreira Family Special Intention Claudette Laverriere by Bob & Joan Mack. Our Lady of Grace FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Claudette Laverriere Jade Jackson Gregory Syfert Lise Sevigny Andres Clavijo Patricia Martin Frank Soltes Nicena Cabrillos J.R. Lejeune Gerald Martin John Minadeo Wayne Overton Bruno Litwinski Mary A. Lackey Jean Simmons Todd Carlson Harold Raccine George Tomek Henry Augusta Glenna Thompson And for those who care for the sick, for the deceased member s and benefactors of the parish, Elaine Flynn and for our loved ones. REUNIÓN DEL GRUPO DE ORACIÓN HISPANO. El grupo de oración para adultos en español se reúne los viernes a las 7:00pm en el Centro juvenil. ENGLISH CLASSES English classes for Spanish speaking people are offered free of charge on Monday, Tuesday & Thursday beginning at 6:00 pm. Come to the Religious Education Building and you can register on Monday or Tuesday evening with the instructor. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TEACHERS Can you Help? Would you be willing to share your faith with our students for upcoming fall classes? Please call Angie at SAFE ENVIRONMENT CLASSES Safe Environment classes are scheduled for Thursday September 6 from 6:00 to 8:00 and on Saturday September 8 from 9:30 to 11:30 at St. Michael s Wauchula. All attendees must be preregistered. Call the parish office to register at Safe environment classes are required by the Diocese of Venice for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults.

7 Staff & Ministries Administrative Assistant Betty Heiring Religious Education Judy Nugent Angie Heiring (863) Music Gene Ryan Associate Youth Director Angie Heiring (863) Prayer Group Kevin Murphy Women s Guild Debbie Augusta - President (863) Respect Life Dick & Marie Carlson (863) Parish Council President Judy Pounds Vice President Piedad Sarmiento- Noriega Let the children come to me And do not hinder them Secretary Judy Nugent Members Debbie Augusta Maureen Cool Darlyne Devany John Paul Heston Jim McGann Karen Hecker Tina Starling Teresa Torres John Wolbert Have you enrolled your children in the School of Religion? Enroll your children in the School of Religion after weekend masses in the Sarah MacDonald Education Bldg. Or, enroll your children in the School of Religion on Wednesday, August 29 th, 5 8 p.m.