Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Transcription

1 July 30, 2017 Page 1 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time T h i s We e k ' s Mass Intentions 8:00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM 5:00PM Sunday, July 30, 2017 Gaetano DiManso (Michael & Elizabeth Pearce) Michael Fontana, Jr. (Barbara DiPierro) Stella & Henry Gorycki (Helen Repstad) Michael Mannarino (Lorri Lennon) For The Parishioners Monday, July 31, 2017 St. Ignatius of Loyola Rocco Morro (Ben & Gae D Aniello) Tuesday, August 1, 2017 St. Alphonsus Liguori Elizabeth Ujazdowski (Quagliariello Family) Wednesday, August 2, 2017 Sts. Eusebius & Peter Julian Silvestro Procaro (Maria & Felice) Lisa B., Baby Alexandra Bachert, Caroline Bachert, Frances Baio, Al Barton, Catherine Capato, Sally Capoziello, Shang Cheng, Catherine Chiarelli, Marge D Auria, Mary Ann D Angelo, Baby Christopher Brian Demmerle, Domenica DeVito, Virginia DiGangi, Mary Divers, Jean Fochetta, Francesca Gaudino, Ian Genovese-Williams, John Joseph Gleeson, John Pierce Gleeson, Christine Healy, Thomas Healy, Aurea Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Rosemary Hogan, Elizabeth Isolano, Jennie Iuggiano, Keri & Baby Tristan, Amelia Kalb, Pam Karwan, Baby T.J. Krieg, Kathleen Krieg, Klavdia Krieg, Anthony Lamantia, James Leung, Valerie Librizzo, Thomas & Patricia Lipari, William J. Litt, Cindy Maione, Maryann Maione, Ralph Maresco, Camillo Mazella, Rosemary Menechella, Jordan Miller, John Myers, Salvatore Noto, Angela OttomanelliHubbs, Michael Palermo, Gina Palya, Santo Pantina, Ann Parsell, Anna Petito, Doris, Carlo, Philip & Frank Pecchillo, Vivian Puglissi, Joseph Questore, Mary Romano, Jake Rothman, Bill Sangirardi, Felice Scimeca, John Secreti, Fred Sepulveda, Rosalia Sindone, Patrick Smith, Michael Tamburo, Chrissie Tremblay, Paul Tremblay, Paul John Tremblay, Ann Marie Vayda, Sr. Joanne Walters, Elizabeth Weimer. Deceased: Thursday, August 3, 2017 Myrtis Duncan (Wanda Rivera) Friday, August 4, 2017 St. John Vianney Anthony, Lena & Maris Maragioglio (Family) Saturday, August 5, 2017 Mary Corrigan (Jo-Ann & Phyllis Leccese) Robert Grzelaczyk (Donna & Joe Palagonia) Catherine & Andrew Mele (Family) 5:00PM Nicolo Chiaramonte, Thomas Genowski, Jennie Maniscalco, Adelaida Samson, Willie Valenzuela Sunday, August 6, 2017 Transfiguration of the Lord 8:00AM George & Ann Papandrea 9:30AM Maria & Giuseppe Morreale (Arline Rabito & Diane Sama) 11:00AM Lucy DeCrescenzo (Patty & Kevin Harold) 12:30PM Frances & Filippo Rizzo (Patricia & Vita Rizzo) 5:00PM For The Parishioners SUMMER OFFICE HOURS July 3 September 3, 2017 Monday-Friday: -12:00PM & 1:00-4:00PM Saturday & Sunday: -12:00PM No Evening Hours During the Summer! GOOD SHEPHERD STATUE We would like to thank Connie Camelliri, who kept the statue this past week. Anyone interested in keeping the statue in their home and praying for vocations for one week should contact the Rectory. St. Helen s Purgatorial Society Mass All parishioners have the opportunity to enroll the names of loved ones in the Purgatorial Society. The Purgatorial Society Mass will be held on the last Friday of each month. The offering to be enrolled in the Purgatorial Society is $120 per name (a total of 12 Masses for one year will be said for your loved one). Aside from listing one name, a husband and wife together, or a family name is also acceptable. Having a Purgatorial Society is wonderful way of living out the Scriptures and will be a relief for those who desire to have their loved ones remembered with prayers all year long at God s Altar. Please stop in at the Rectory if you are interested in having a loved one enrolled in the Purgatorial Society. The next Purgatorial Society Mass will be held Friday, August 25, The Order of Franciscans Secular meet on the 3rd Saturday of every month in St. Helen s Rectory after the 9AM Mass. Come and learn more about the Franciscan way of life. Diocese of Brooklyn Night Tri-City Valley Cats at Brooklyn Cyclones Thursday, August 3, 2017 Class of 2017 Honorees Ceremony Before Game Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto throws out ceremonial first pitch. Field box tickets $10. Use Code: BKDIOCESE at brooklyncyclones.com/offer Or call BKLYN for more information.

2 July 30, 2017 Page 2 Pass on the Good News! What good news? The Good News of Jesus Christ and our Catholic faith! This fall over 400 children, kindergarten through 7 th grade, will sign up to learn more about Jesus and our Catholic faith. You can help them learn and grow in faith by becoming a catechist for the St. Helen s Faith Formation Program. With classes offered Monday evenings, as well as Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, you are almost sure to find a time that fits your schedule. As you nurture the faith of our young, you will learn and grow as well! As one long-time catechist put it, I learn so much from the children! We provide you with training, materials and support. Classes begin September 25 th. If interested, or for more information, please contact Ms. Haiffa Vizoso, Director of Religious Education at the St. Helen s Religious Education Office: Residents of Howard Beach and Surrounding Communities Justice for Karina! Justice for victims of violent crimes everywhere! Join us on August 2, 2017 for our first anniversary walk dedicated to our angel, Karina Vetrano, who was horrifically murdered in her hometown of Howard Beach. Meet at 6:30PM at 165th Ave. & 85th St. The walk begins at 7PM down 83rd St. to St. Helen s, where we will have a moment of silence and prayer. Come together as a community and show that we Do Not Stand For Violence!

3 July 30, 2017 Page 3 CATHOLIC CHARITIES NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES HOWARD BEACH SENIOR CENTER The Center is located at Cross Bay Blvd., across from Stop-N-Shop on Cross Bay Blvd. A DEFENSIVE DRIVING CLASS will be offered on the following dates: Wednesday, August 23rd, and Saturday, September 23rd. All classes are from 9AM-4PM. Pre-registration in person is required. Cost is $20 for AARP members, and $25 for nonmembers (payable by check). Please call Rosalie at for further information. Howard Beach Community Blood Drive Wednesday, August 2, :00-7:30PM At St. Helen Catholic Academy Eligibility Criteria: Bring your NY Blood Center or alternate signature or photo ID Minimum weight: 110 lbs. Ages (16 yr. olds must have parent s permission aged 76 & older must have doctor s note) Eat well (low fat) and drink fluids No tattoos for the past 12 months All Donors Will Receive A Pair of Mets Tickets!! (Tickets will be redeemed on line). For more information please call New Family Religious Education Registration for Our program consists of Eight Religious Education grades: Kindergarten through 7 th Grade We are now registering children for the school year. You may pick up a registration form at the Religious Education Office located in the school building. The registration fee is $75 for one child, and $100 for two or more children in the same family for registrations received up to and including 7/13/17. The registration fee for forms received after 7/13/17 is $100 for one child, and $125 for two or more children in the same family. If the child was baptized at a Church other than St. Helen, you will need a copy of your child's Baptismal Certificate. If you do not have one available, you should contact the rectory of the Church where your child was baptized. It takes a couple of weeks to process a Baptismal Certificate at most parishes. Place your request now so your registration for our program will not be delayed. If you have any concerns or questions please contact us at Reregistration for those enrolled in the current year was sent home. Policies Regarding Infant Baptism at St. Helen Parish Parents seeking Baptism for their children who live within the territory of St. Helen Parish are asked to register as members of the parish before requesting an initial interview for Baptism. Registration is easily done at the parish office anytime during business hours. Parents seeking Baptism for their children who live outside the territory of St. Helen Parish are asked to obtain a letter from the parish in which they live authorizing the Baptism to take place at St. Helen. Initial meetings with parents seeking Baptism for their children will normally take place on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00 9:00PM and on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30AM 12:30PM. AUGUST OCTOBER, 2017 Mornings of Preparation Required Before a Baptism: (All begin at the 11:00AM Mass and continue in the Msgr. McGinness Room) August 13 & 27 September 10 & 24 October 8 Schedule for Baptisms: (All begin at 2:00PM) August 13 & 27 September 10 & 24 October 8 & 22 Please call for more information and/or to schedule an appointment.

4 July 30, 2017 Page 4 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2017 Another year of Vacation School has come to an end! On our visit to Rome we learned about St. Paul and the early church. As always we are blessed with people from our parish community who help to make all things possible: Our Adult Leaders: Maryann Kellen Paulette Richardson Johnna Pelczar Cetti Madonna Our Jr. Leaders: Nicole Magliulo Abby Piotrowski Grace Ann Piotrowski Nicolette Madonna Gianna LaVacca Nicholas Fine Jake Richardson Gianna Richardson Joseph Magliulo Isabella Piazza Madison Taravella Bianca Deodato Isabella Freeberg Our Youth Volunteers: Gianna Marie Vastano-Trapasso Special thanks to Ms Haiffa Vizoso, Director of Religious Education, for her time and patience, and to Alison Ulmschneider for her time and effort. And a BIG THANK YOU to Dr. Peter Pelczar and Gabrielle Pelczar for building Rome in one day!

5 July 30, 2017 Page 5 Homiletic starters and scriptural reflection points for each day of the month Mon., July 31 Ex 32:15-24; 30-34; Mt 13:31-35 When it is time. God tells Moses, When it is time I will punish them for their sin. Talk about waiting for the other shoe to drop! The parables of the kingdom also include waiting for that mustard seed to become a tree; for the yeast to do its work. We don t know what fruit our actions will bear. Who hasn t done something that was undeniably wrong? Yet, if it were possible to undo that action we might not because from it came a much loved child or the work we were meant to do or some other blessing. And, who hasn t done what seemed like a good deed, only to have it go awry? Conclusion: We do our best, but God s in charge and our best is when we let God be God. Forgive us, Lord, our failings. Give us a grateful heart. Tues., Aug. 1 Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28; Mt 13:36-43 Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field. What is a weed? At a nearby nature reserve we are told that a weed is anything that grows where it s not supposed to. This means that the tiny redbud that sprouts in the middle of my flower bed is a weed. Corn growing in the middle of a soybean field is a weed. In Jesus parable, the wheat and weeds grow up together in the same field, and the field is a metaphor for both the church and the kingdom of God. The good and bad are all wrapped up together, and it is not our business to decide who does and who doesn t belong in God s realm. Forgive us, God, when we decide others do not belong in your kingdom. Wed., Aug. 2 Ex 34:29-35; Mt 13:44-46 When Aaron and the other children of Israel saw Moses, and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become, they were afraid. One of the strangest images ever created of Moses may be a statue by Michelangelo. Carved out of pure white marble, Moses is seated, holding the tablets of the law and he has two horns on his head. Why? It has to do with the Hebrew word for radiant, which is almost identical to the word for horn. Michelangelo evidently decided that Moses face had sprouted horns, not light, during his encounter with God. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, his face was shining so brightly that the people were afraid of him. The light, the radiance, was seen as a sign of God s presence and glory. Open our eyes to the shining sacred moments of life, we pray. which collects fish of every kind. The thirteenth chapter of Matthew s Gospel is almost entirely parables of the kingdom the sower, the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, yeast, the pearl of great value, and finally, the fishnet. Some images convey the idea that the kingdom starts small but will grow and grow and grow. Others are about separating the good from the bad or determining who is in God s kingdom and who is not. Jesus is trying to teach the disciples and us that God s kingdom has room for everyone. God of love, keep us from deciding who fits in your kingdom. SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Fri., Aug. 4 Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37; Mt 13:54-58 A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house. It s safe to assume that word of Jesus teaching and healing had made it back to Nazareth. You d think they d be proud and happy: Come and see local boy, now a preacher! But that isn t what happens. The people recognize that Jesus speaks with authority and power, but they can t get beyond the fact that they knew him when he was a baby. They know his parents, his family. In the same way, it is difficult for us to truly hear words of challenge and prophecy when they come from someone we know. Help us listen, O God, even to familiar voices. Sat., Aug. 5 Lv 25:1, 8-17; Mt 14:1-12 Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. This is one of those Gospel stories that makes us wonder why it was ever included in the Scriptures. John confronted King Herod for marrying his brother s wife and it cost him his life. To be fair, Herod was distressed when Herodias told her daughter to ask for John s head. But, Herod doesn t want to be seen as lacking in power or authority in front of his guests. Even though this event is not about Jesus, Matthew is telling his audience that doing what God calls us to do can be difficult, even dangerous. Doing God s work is no guarantee that we will be loved and respected; indeed, we may be treated the way Jesus was. Faithful God, help us to follow where you lead. Thurs., Aug. 3 Ex 40:16-21, 34-38; Mt 13:47-53 The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,