ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THIS WEEK S LITURGIES THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 1 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN

Transcription

1 ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 1 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN ALL THINGS CONSIDERED AMAZING NUMBERS The Church has long had the practice of keeping records of the Sacramental life of our people. It began with the Baptism, Confirmation and reception of Eucharist (all of which occurred at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday). There are some scholars who believe the reference to the Book of Life in the Book of Revelation refers to the book in which are recorded the names of those who were Baptized. In any case, it has long been the custom of Catholic Churches to record all Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Marriages and funerals. My quest to remember a wedding date led me to the Sacramental Record Books; and as I looked I was amazed at how many weddings we have had over the last 20 years. So I looked up the other statistics as well. Here are the numbers: Over the last 20 years we have celebrated 1097 baptisms of infants, children and adults. In fact we are now on our third baptismal record book. During that same time we have celebrated the First Communion of 1621 children and adults. (We re on our second book.) Over the last 20 years we have celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation for 948 youth and adults. (We re now on our second record book.) During that same time we have celebrated 231 marriages. And finally, we have celebrated 296 funerals of infants, youths and adults. I cannot even begin to estimate how many people have participated in Sunday or weekday Liturgy, received Communion or celebrated the Sacrament of Penance. (We are not allowed to keep a record of who celebrates Penance even that has to be kept anonymous.) But all the numbers above really surprised me; I guess I never gave it much thought until I looked in the record book and saw the number next to the name! I thought you might like to know what I discovered. THE HOLY LAND In 2011, I led a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. At the time, several folks told me that they were not able to go then and they asked if I would ever do it again. The travel agent who did such a fine job for us on the pilgrimage and last year s trip to France is in the process of making arrangements for another pilgrimage to the Holy Land October While we had discussed a Holy Land\Turkey pilgrimage, the second part will depend on the group s interest: it could be Turkey or Assisi & Rome like last time. There will be a meeting on Sunday, February 9 at 4 pm, for those who are interested. Fr. Dave Howell THIS WEEK S LITURGIES Jan 20, Monday 1 Sm 15:16-23/Mk 2: :00 am +Fr. David Doepker Jan 21, Tuesday St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr 1 Sm 16:1-13/Mk 2: :00 am Communion Service Jan 22, Wednesday 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51/Mk 3:1-6 7:00 pm Communion Service Jan 23, Thursday 1 Sm 18:6-9, 19:1-7/Mk 3:7-12 9:00 am Communion Service Jan. 24, Friday St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 1 Sm 24:3-21/Mk 3: :00 am Communion Service Jan. 25, Saturday The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle Acts 22:3-16/Mk 16:15-18 Jan. 26 Sunday Is 8:23 9:3/1 Cor 1:10-13, 17/Mt 4: :30 Vigil St. Mary Magdalen Parish 9 am +Santiago Cruz 11 am +John F. Nelson THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Isaiah 8:23-9, 3:1 Zebulun and Naphtali were two Jewish tribes who had settled in the northern area of the Holy Land. Eight centuries before Christ, this area experienced a bitter defeat at the hands of Assyria. The prophet Isaiah offers these northern people hope by looking ahead to a day when they would be especially blessed. This northern area of Israel was later known as Galilee, and Christians have seen Jesus as fulfilling this Prophecy. 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13, 17: In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul deals with issues the Church faces in every age. After Paul founded this community and moved on, he heard of polarizations in the Corinthian Church. In today s passage, he speaks bluntly to them about these divisions. Matthew 4:12-23: This reading from Matthew has three parts; first, Jesus is in Israel, quoting from Isaiah who names these same places, second, Jesus is calling his disciples, and third, is a summary of Jesus mission in Galilee. Reflect: How do you follow Jesus today?

2 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME page 2 JANUARY 19, 2014 THE WEEK AHEAD STEWARDSHIP REPORT Week of 1/12//14 Approximately 1,595 people participated Env/Cash $20,586 EFT $15,476 Securing Our Future $ 7,825 TOTAL $43,887 Thank you for your gifts. Please pray for all the sick who have been commended to our prayer that they will respond to God s healing will, especially: Mark Matras, Nancy Burelle, Herb Langer, Bill Gamble, Lois Sproull, Henry Dehanke, Lauren, Maggie, Margie. Helen Godwin, Mike Hendricks, Alice Trader, Cindy Sultana, Jerry Schmidt, Mel Schmidt, Norma Pellerito, Marylyn Trader, David Martin, Kevin Mahar, Addison Donohue, Jack Long, Justina Pellerito, Nancy Sharpy, Patricia Bubik, Jim Brunton, Kay Bosco, Mark Siegrist, Vic Howe, Karen Johnson, Liam, Linda Kehn, Jessi, Kathryn Cook, Jean Galazyn, Marianne Dluzniewski, Mike, Lee, Nick Monte, Genevieve Ditri, Terry Fitzwater, Sean, Vince Masi, Joddi Metcalf, Janet Milo, Sherri Kunkel, Bill Gamble, Mary Marcus, Sarah Weide, Lisa Duranso, Abbie, Tom Nelson, Abby Fountaine, Deneatha Smith, Steve Reichardt, Ellen Wojcik, Hogan McCuan, Peggy Schmidt, Dick Price, Tom Sulkowski, Cullen Walker, Kathy Code, Ed Fisher, Jan Baldinger, Shirley Milatz, Jerome Wszola, Bob Newell, Tom Geni, Sharon Mayer, Jennifer Mosely, Lynn Long, Diane Burr, Mark Horzelski, Jeff Fontaine, John Conahan, Fred Hoekstra, MaryAnna, Sabrina Watt Monday, Jan. 20 No Pre-School 6:00 pm Magdalen s Kitchen 7:00 pm Formation Meeting 7:00 pm School for Discipleship 7:30 pm K of C-Rectory LL Tuesday, Jan 21 9:00 am Pre-School 6:30 pm Troop #385 7:00 pm Baptism Prep 7:00 pm School for Discipleship Wednesday, Jan 22 9:00 am Pre-School 9:30 am MOMS 12:30 pm Knitters 4:30 & 6:30 Religious Formation Thursday, Jan. 23 9:00 am Pre-School 5:30 pm Religious Formation 7:30 pm Music Ministry Friday, Jan. 24 No Pre-School 9:30 am Rosary - Guadalupe Shrine 6:30 pm Eight Great Dates 7:00 pm Divorced & Separated Saturday, Jan. 25 7:30 am Men s Breakfast-Rectory LL 4:30 pm RCIA Dismissal Sunday, Jan :15 am Ichthus 12:45 pm Baptisms 7:00 pm Youth Group MINISTERS OF PRAYER Sun., Jan. 19 Dennis Wagener, Kay Ferris Mon., Jan. 20 Madelyn Gostomski, Peter Kelly, Shirley Brake Tues., Jan. 21 Rachel Tuzinsky, Mary Ellen Magon, Tracy Helms Wed., Jan. 22 Lillian/Richard Rumpz, Joe Lubig Thurs, Jan. 23 Margie Evans, Tom/Rita DeRaud, Anna DeMonaco Fri., Jan. 24 Marilyn/Dan VanTiem, Mary Ann Hargrave Sat., Jan. 25 Kathy Stegmaier, Mary McKaig Please Remember in your Prayers: Fran Schutz and family in the death of her niece, Mary Christine Simonis Rush; Larry Schutz and family in the death of his aunts, Patricia Hanlon and Liz Hanlon; Donna Kovalchik and family in the death of her husband, Pete; Judy Belanger and family in the death of her husband, Ed; and Janice Finn and family in the death of her aunt, Charlotte Mieseler.

3 ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 3 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN Religious Formation News from Mary at mmahar@parishmail.com and Karen at sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org Thanks for a great Confirmation Parent meeting: Last week Fr. Dave helped our Confirmation candidates and their parents/sponsors examine what it means to Believe in one God and had us all renew our Baptismal promises around the baptismal font. Our community room was full as our youth and their parents/sponsors learned about the different Creeds and more about our faith! They were asked to individually write their own Creed and then discuss them. Cathy Hazen, one of our catechists, is condensing all the creeds into one creed for the 9 th grade youth! Elizabeth Milatz had a Power Point presentation which challenged them with many questions and discussions on the Apostles Creed. It was great to hear everyone cheer and moan about the answers! Thank you to all who attended; the community room was packed! Thanks also to the rest of our Confirmation Team, Denyse Smith, Denis Ringle, Loretta Wards, Fran Schutz, and Shelly Brown for helping during the meeting. Formation Meeting Monday, Jan. 20, at 7. Please feel free to join us. Formation Classes: We still have room in our classes if you haven t registered yet (regardless of your ability to pay). Come into or call the office for more information. If payment is a problem, please call Mary at extension #115. Pet Food Collection: Don t forget! Our first grade classes are collecting pet food for various shelters and Gleaners. Marked collection bins are in the Gathering area. WE NEED YOU! We are looking for individuals with the desire to share their faith with the youth of our parish. If you ever felt called to inquire into the ministry of catechist or assistant, give us a call! We need you to pass along the fundamentals of our faith. Catechists and aides are needed in our formation classes during the week on Wednesday and Thursday, along with Sunday mornings and evenings. We will provide training, information and support before you ever meet with a class. Even if you do not feel the classroom is the best place to use your talents, our Formation Team is in need of new members as well. This team helps set the direction of the programs and what goes into our classes. If you have ever wondered if you possess the gifts needed and enjoy working with youth, please call me in the office! Just a reminder about snow days: Since it is January, it is a good time to remind you of our snow policy. If Brighton area schools are cancelled due to bad weather, our Faith Formation classes will also be cancelled. In case Religious Formation is cancelled during the school day, we will notify each family by . (We are no longer using the automated phone calling system.) If you have a change of or phone (cell) numbers let Karen in the office know. Youth News from Margaret at yminister1@gmail.com And Stasia at tkcmm@att.net Well the long awaited weekend away is just next weekend and I cannot wait! Even though we meet every week for two hours, and yes, we have a good time, enjoy laughs and reflect about God in our lives; but when we can get away, friendships are renewed and memories are made, our relationship with one another is made stronger. God is a part of all that we do and we pray for safety, peace; and in gratitude for friendships and support. Every January we take a meeting to review the past year and God s presence in our lives, goals achieved or maybe not. We reflect on what will be in 2014 and pray for God s guidance. This weekend everyone will take some time out to write themselves a letter, self address it and give it to me to hold onto until January next year. This 2014 Lenten season think about joining the high school youth s presentation of The Passion. Practices start February 9th and continue through the season of Lent. The performance for the parish is on Good Friday. Easter is Sunday April 20th. On Super Bowl Sunday, many of our teens will be in the gathering area for our annual Souper Bowl Sunday collection for the needy. With the continued generosity of everyone, we have been able to support a youth in Honduras for a year through Osman s Hope. A child is kept off the streets and is taken in, given a safe place to be, an education, food and medical care. Thank you for helping us to help those in need. EDGE Look for information about our annual EDGE Night Out. It s a chance for us to gather outside of the youth room for some fun, doing something different. I will have permission slips and details soon. It was nice to see everyone last week as we missed the opportunity to gather earlier because of the weather. What a way to bring in the new year.a few more days off school, fun snow to play around in, and the opportunity to spend unexpected time with friends. I pray 2014 has been good to you so far and may God continue to bless your family and friends with love.

4 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME page 4 JANUARY 19, 2014 Adult Education and Formation Faith and Service - From Sr. Joyce pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org Newly Baptized Callie Nicole Funk, parents are Christina & Tony; Carson Rhys Otto, parents are Angie & Collin; and Olivia Marie Kresnak, parents are Cathy & Jared. Living the Eucharist: A Parish Lenten Experience At present, The Evangelization & Adult Formation Ministry Team is preparing for a Parish-wide faith activity for Lent. Our common experience and the essence of our faith is in receiving and living Eucharist, Christ among us. There will be choices offered for in-home Family sharing, Teen sharing groups, Adult faith sharing groups, Individual at home daily prayer offerings and readings so that we all, according to our time circumstances can participate. There will be an evening of Retreat on Easter Thursday for sharing of experiences and thoughts. While future information will be coming, please pray and consider how you can best be one with us in your participation. M.O.M.S. This dedicated group of women meet in the North Room, next to the Nursery, throughout the school year. Meetings with prayer, food, fun, and friendship occur every Wednesday morning from 9:30am noon. Moms of all ages and stages are welcome to come anytime. See the M.O.M.S brochures in the Gathering area racks for more information. Please feel free to contact Erin Wolfe at devonwolfe@comcast.net or Holly Oakes at hoakes73@gmail.com with any questions Community Connect: A One-Day Free Event Purpose: to help people in need find assistance and information. Everything Free: lunch, on site childcare, senior services, veterans services, utility services, financial services, employment services, housing services, transportation services info, attorneys, health screenings, baby items, clothing, bedding, haircuts, and more. Saturday, February 1, 9 am 2 pm Parker Middle School 400 Wright Road Howell, Mi Walk for Warmth 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2014 at the Hartland Education Support Services Bldg. A fundraiser walk-a-thon to provide support for the people of Livingston County that are experiencing a heat emergency during the year, but especially during the cold winter months. Contact Marianne Quada, for more information. NEW CLASS: Card Making to Benefit Meals on Wheels Make birthday cards, have fun, and give some of your time and talent to benefit Meals on Wheels. Join this new group that will be meeting the fourth Tuesday of each month, at 1:00 pm at St. Mary Magdalen. No previous experience is needed. For $5 per class, materials and instructions will be provided to make three birthday cards. Our hope is that participants will donate at least one card per class for Meals on Wheels to deliver to clients on their birthday. To register, please call Pam Ruffini at or ruffipam@hotmail.com by January 27. The first class is on January 28. MARK MATRAS SPAGHETTI DINNER FUND- RAISER At the American Spirit Center Grand River Brighton, MI Thursday, January 30, 2014; 5:00-9:00 pm Mark is a member of St. Mary Magdalen who recently had to have his leg amputated. Unfortunately Mark s insurance does not cover much of the cost of the very expensive prosthetic that he needs. K/E Electric Supply, Mark s employer is hosting this fundraiser. SCOUT SUNDAY: Sunday, February 2, 2014 is Scout Sunday. All members of the Boy Scouts of America are cordially invited to attend the 11:00 Mass, in their Class A uniform, to celebrate this annual event!

5 ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 5 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN Have you experienced a divorce? Or, are you in the middle of the divorce process and feeling overwhelmed? Do you know someone that is going through a divorce, or who has gone through a divorce but is still wrestling with the social, spiritual or psychological pain? DIVORCE & BEYOND RECOVERY & HEALING This may be the information and support that you or that special person that you know is looking for. Cohosted by the Catholic parishes of the Livingston Region and Livingston County Catholic Charities, this education and support group is available for you. Topics will include: The Process of Divorce, Self-Image, Stress, Anger, Blame and guilt, Loneliness, Forgiveness, Happiness and Pathways to Growth Divorce and Beyond is for people who are already divorced or have filed for divorce, but is not for those considering a divorce. Register with Sr. Maryetta Churches, for Friday evenings, 7-8:30pm, January 24-March 28, 2014 here at St. Mary Magdalen. There is a $10.00 fee for program materials. Ichthus Friendship Stories Music Are you desiring a deeper relationship with God and to grow in friendship with others? If so, then consider visiting Ichthus. We meet each Sunday morning at 10:15 am in the north room. All are welcomed. The nursery is open from 9-12 noon. Also, we are beginning to webcast Ichthus via the internet and are seeking those who may be interested in helping. Jan Kevin Szawala is the youth minister at St James in Novi and he is also known as "Mr. Peace" to many high school students across Michigan where he has visited as a motivational speaker. Hear more about being Catholic in public schools and also the upcoming REVEALED youth conference at St. Catherine's in Wixom on February 28. Jan 26 - Gloria Sanchez Thomas, Dr Mary Finn, and Laurene Moore are secular Carmelites and they have a ministry helping missionary sisters in Mexico. Hear what has led them to support and share the gospel with those in need in Central America. 10th Annual Salute to the Stars & Celebrity Dance Competition March 22, 2014, 6:30 pm At St. Mary Magdalen This year s event includes Hors D oeuvres, Raffles, Community Star Awards and a Celebrity Dance Competition including dance teams Tom & Kathie Janego Mike Murphy & Carol Griffith Kaitlin Fink & Dan Maloziec Rev. Mike & Angela Harris Erica Karfonta & Richard Lim Join us for an exciting evening! Ticket prices $45/ pp prior to March 7; $50/pp after; $360/table of 8. Contact Julie at to become a sponsor or to purchase tickets or make a donation. "We must proceed resolutely toward outlawing war completely and come to cultivate peace as a supreme good. Pope John Paul II 7 th Annual Livingston County Community Connect The Livingston County s 7 th Annual Community Connect is on Saturday, February 1, 2014, at Parker Middle School (400 Wright Road, Howell). Members of St. Mary Magdalen have volunteered in the past to bring this important one-day community event to many local individuals and families. The event helps people in need find services, assistance, and information. Volunteers help the guests navigate and get connected to numerous resources. If you are interested in helping, more information is available at the Charity and Justice table in the gathering space, or contact Livingston County United Way at lcuw3@lcunitedway.org or

6 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME page 6 JANUARY 19, 2014 Grieving with Great Hope is a weekend grief support workshop which will be held at St. Joseph Parish, 830 Lafayette, South Lyon on Feb. 21 (7-9pm) and Feb. 22 (10-4:30pm~5:00 Mass) Presenters will include Fr. Stan and John and Sandy O Shaughnessy from Good Mourning Ministry, a local Catholic bereavement apostolate. Cost by Feb. 14 is $15, after is $20. Visit for registration or contact St. Joe s at Next Blood Drive is Sunday, February 9, from 9:30am to 3:30pm in the Gym. Sign up for an appointment after Mass the weekend of February 2nd and 3rd. Give the gift of Life, donate a pint of blood! GYM SCHEDULE Mon. 1/20 9:30-11 Open Walk 8:30 Men s B Ball Tues. 1/21 9:30-11 Open Walk 6:30 Scout Troop #385 Wed. 1/22 9:30-11 Open Walk 1:00 Zumba 7:00-Women s B Ball Thurs. 1/23 9:30-11 am Open Walk 8:30 pm Men s B Ball Gym Fri. 1/24 9:30-11 Open Walk Sat. 1/25 8:30-9:30 Boot Camp Sun. 1/26 7:00 Youth Group