WHAT DO YOU SEEK IN LIFE? July 14, 2013 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME SEEK GOD FIRST, ABOVE ALL ELSE => & BE BLESSED!

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1 July 14, 2013 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME DIALOGUE --&-- FEAST ABUNDANTLY on CATHOLIC THEOLOGY & SCRIPTURE WHAT DO YOU SEEK IN LIFE? Jesus said, Do not worry, saying, what will we eat? or what will we drink? or what will we wear for clothing? For the Gentiles (unbelievers/ pagans) eagerly seek all these things. Your Heavenly Father knows what you need, so You, (who do believe) Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and all the rest will be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33) SEEK GOD FIRST, ABOVE ALL ELSE => & BE BLESSED!

2 July 14, 2013 Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary DO THIS love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all our soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind: and your Neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27) and YOU WILL LIVE. (Luke 10:28) Our happiness in this world, in the midst of all its trials, suffering and pain, as well as our eternal happiness in the life to come, depends on how we embrace this mandate (DO THIS!) of Jesus. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:34f; Rom 13:8f) Our first reading from Deuteronomy emphasizes that this Law of Love is: Not too mysterious and remote It is not up in the sky, that you should say, who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out? Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out? No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out. (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) There is a hierarchy and a right order in these two commandments that each of us must be willing to accept and follow for our happiness and eternal life. First, to place God and God s Laws, prayer and worship and pursuit of holiness as our primary goal of life. This includes not taking a vacation from God during Summer or placing God, prayer or worship in second place to all our other priorities! Second, it means that we are also vigilant and mindful of the good we can do for our neighbor in our love for them, without asking who is our neighbor? Jesus helps us to recognize the pragmatic side of love of God expressed in love of neighbor through the compassionate parable of the Good Samaritan. St. Augustine (De verbis Domini sermons, 37) identifies the good Samaritan with our Lord, and the man who is beaten and left for dead at the side of the street with Adam, the symbol of all fallen, sinful mankind. Moved with compassion for the pain and hopeless, helpless condition of humanity, the Lord comes to earth to show mankind how to love. He binds our wounds, and cures our ills, he pays the price for us to be made whole. Each of us, therefore, as a disciple of Christ, must do the same as Jesus. We are called to enter into the same loving relationship with the Father, as he had; seek to do the Father s will as he does; have compassion and love for all those around us as he demonstrates in the parable and bears witness to in his passion, suffering and death. Then we will have the joy that only He can give and happiness as our eternal reward. We cannot distance ourselves from members in our family, in our church or in our community and claim to have love for God or neighbor. In our love for God and in keeping with his two great commandments we ought to examine the depth and the fidelity of our life of prayer and relations with others. We also need to take stock of our attitude and outreach to those around us: feed the hungry, forgive others, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, visit the sick, pray for the living and the dead. We are called to make our gifts of charity to serve the needs of the church and the poor and to wholeheartedly seek greater opportunity to express our love for God and neighbor each day. Our only true occupation on earth, in this life, is that of loving God and neighbor. Anything that we do that does not reflect these two great commandments would not only be a colossal waste of our time and energy but may also be at the peril of our eternal soul. Let us have a Holy Neighborhood Watch that helps to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters and helps to experience the happiness and goodness God intends for us now and forever. Fr. Francis Nigli

3 Mass Schedule and Intentions Monday July 15, St. Bonaventure 7:00 am + John Sojka Parish Schedules R Tuesday July 16, Our Lady of Mount Carmel 7:00 am + Ed Babl Wednesday July 17, 7:00 am + Tom Schaub Thursday July 18, St. Camillus de Lellis 7:00 am + Clarence Gokie 4:00 pm Int. Catholic Daughters #697 [ Friday July 19, 7:00 am Int. Bernice Nigli Saturday July 20, St. Apollinaris 6:00 pm Parish Family Sunday July 21, Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 8:00 am + Ray Hamik 9:30 am + Helen (Classen) Sullivan 11:15 am + Darwin Carr Weekly Planner Monday July 15, Tuesday July 16, 1:00 pm Legion of Mary at PC Wednesday July 17, [ Thursday July 18, 4:00 pm Nursing Home Mass 4 Friday July 19, Saturday July 20, 6:00 pm Mass Sunday July 21, 8:00 am Mass 9:30 am Mass 11:15 am Mass at Amelia Liturgical Ministers ~Servers for Daily Mass~ Mon. July 15, 7:00 am Will Otte & Kevin Butterfield Tue. July 16, 7:00 am Jadyn Eby & Payton Birkel Wed. July 17, 7:00 am Abby & Andy Riley Thur. July 18, 7:00 am Andy Riley & Pete Blumenstock Fri. July 19, 7:00 am Grady & Connor Semin ~ July 20 & 21 ~ SERVERS 6:00 pm Connor Semin & Brittany Soukup 8:00 am Zac & Isaiah Wiese 9:30 am Christian & Mason Walsh MUSICIANS 6:00 pm Susie Kramer & Bette Rowe 8:00 am Need Volunteers 9:30 am Sharon Spencer 6:00 pm Peg Gray 8:00 am Jim Welsh 9:30 am Erin Boyle LECTORS EMHCs 6:00 pm Nancy Berg, Kaylee Krotter, Brad Reynoldson, Jake Reiman, Marisa Miles 8:00 am Sarah Pribil, Carissa Soukup, Lawrence & Jane Reiman, Carole Willis 9:30 am Anthony Harvey, Chris Kozisek, Lucas Kozisek, Jodi Loecker, Kyle Loecker USHERS 6:00 pm Neil Liewer, Greg Appleby, Jim Gallagher, Benedict Schmit 8:00 am Dale Mudloff, Jim Butts, Don Duffy, Need Volunteer 9:30 am John Boyle, Don Koenig, Bill Timmerman, Kyle Kramer GREETERS 6:00 pm Chad & Becky Dean Family 8:00 am Joe & Ann Krotter Family 9:30 am Dave & Teresa Pongratz Family Vocation Cross & Prayer: Bob & Paula Atkeson Family ***Please include an Our Father to your meal prayers for the increase in the religious vocations. God Bless you!

4 Parish, School, & community News St. Joseph s News Call for Mass updates. Upcoming Mass Times Sunday, July 21 11:15 am Sunday, July 28 11:15 am Sunday, August 4 11:15 am Liturgical Ministers Sunday, July 21 11:15 am Int. + Darwin Carr Lector: Maureen Metschke EMHCs: Lee Tomjack, Daryl Tomjack, Rick Doolittle Offering: Mr. and Mrs. Ron Dexter Servers: Kenade Tomjack and Jordan Laetsch Cleaning: Sandra Homolka Vocation Cross: Mr. and Mrs. Ron Dexter Sunday Stewardship Last Week s Collection (7/7/13) Budget per week needed till 7/1/ Actual since 07/01/ Projected Over projected giving 9.00 Church News & Events A very special Thank You to our Church family who remembered us with cards, gifts, phone calls and congratulations in person for our 50th wedding anniversary. We were married at Amelia in 1963 before the west side of the church was built on and the highways were gravel. God Bless All, Jerry and Juanita Homolka. Congratulations to Jeremiah and Jenna (Sladek) Wellborn on your recent marriage. May God bless you with many years of happiness. Please contact Sandra Homolka at with any news items, prayer requests, or other items to be included in the St. Joseph s section of the bulletin. Please Pray For: Gene Carr, Pam Young, Leone Young and anyone needing a little extra support in their day, may God be there to offer both them and their families comfort and peace. If you have someone you would like added to our prayer list or needs to put someone on the prayer chain please contact Sandra at Project Life and Liberty When government attacks religious freedoms especially when it attacks our freedom to respect and revere life at its most defenseless the fabric of our society is placed at risk. The government has found a way to ignore the laws which protect our consciences and to exploit loopholes to suppress freedom of conscience in health care. In addition, the government sanctions the murder of innocent human lives daily. It is important that concerned citizens and especially concerned Catholics express their views to their Senators and Representatives without delay. YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED NOW! Congress MUST come together to respect life and religious freedom, and we must hold them accountable. A postcard signing event will be held the weekend of July and gives parishioners, as individuals and as a community, an opportunity to give a timely and effective public witness to respect for life and religious freedom. Please participate by signing the cards in the pews that weekend. The parish will pay for postage. We will take a few moments after communion to ask you to fill out the cards and then the ushers will collect the cards. THANK YOU in advance for your participation in this most worthy effort! L.I.F.E Overflow Upcoming Activities July Service Projects around town July 24 Youth Group Night, 7pm in YG Room July 28 Youth Choir sings at Mass, 9:30 am August 1, Niobrara Canoe Trip August Worlds of Fun Youth Trip KC, MO KC Golf Tournament The Knights of Columbus will be hosting a Four-Man Scramble on Friday evening, July 19, at 5:30pm at the O Neill Country Club. The teams may consist of both men and women. The entry fee is $30 plus the cost of a cart rental. This fee also includes a meal at the end of the tournament. To register, please call OCC at

5 Parish, School, & Community News Please pray for the sick Larry Burival, Craig Drueke, Susan Snyder, (sister of Jean Jeffrey), Clint Morrill, Patricia Gallagher, Carol Jackson, Patrick McConnell, Sam Derickson, Karla Peter, Kathy Turnbull, Dustin Zuhlke, Ray Kallhoff, George Van Every, Sharron Zakrzewski, and all those with long term illnesses. Sacrificial Sunday Giving (7/7/13) Give to the Most High as He has given to you, generously, according to your means. Sirach 35:9 Total Weekly Needed for Budget Amount (till 7/1/13) $15, Actual Amount Received 18, Plate (without Envelope/Pledge) Current Total 18, Over Pledged Amount 3, Current Sunday Over 3, Fill the Gap to date 16, With Deepest Sympathy + Please remember the soul of Gary Chvala and all those who have died. May their families be comforted knowing that their loved ones are at peace in God s loving arms. Marriage Vows Congratulations to Kaitlin Reynoldson and Spencer Wagenaar who have exchanged marriage vows. May the Lord bless them with many happy years together! Grateful thanks to all the dedicated youth group members who helped set up, sell, and tear down from our St. Patrick s Youth Group Rummage Sale. Thank you to all who donated items to sell. We hope all the shoppers found some treasures! Sweet corn for sale! St. Mary Junior Class will be selling delicious Soukup Sweet Corn. You can purchase a dozen freshly picked ears for $6.00, or order pints or quarts of prepared sweet corn ready to cook or freeze for a free will donation. Expected date of delivery: late July or August. Disclaimer: availability of corn will depend on favorable weather during the rest of the growing season, and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. To preorder sweet corn, contact any Junior class member. For further questions, you may contact Sharon Spencer at or Connie Soukup at Archdiocese of Omaha upcoming events Marriage Celebration Sunday, September 8, St. Cecilia Cathedral, Omaha or Sunday September 15, at St. Mary s in Norfolk. Archbishop George J. Lucas and the Family Life Office invite you to attend the annual Archdiocese of Omaha marriage Celebration honoring couples who are celebrating 5, 25, 40, 50, 55, 60 or more years of marriage. Registration required by Monday, July 29, To register contact Reggan Simons X 1300, or toll free You can register online at under Events. Sponsored by the Family Life Office and Spirit Catholic Radio. ENCOUNTERING GOD S PLAN FOR MARRIAGE Want to strengthen your marriage? Join us for the marriage enrichment workshop Encountering God s Plan for Marriage at St. Patrick s Parish, located at 223 Harmony Road, Council Bluffs, IA, 51503! This workshop will unpack God s invitation to joy and our response through the Theology of the Body. The workshop will be held in two sessions, on August 3rd and 10th from 9 am to 12 pm. Snacks and Childcare will be available. Attend one or both sessions; reserve your seats today with Adam Storey at astorey@dmdiocese.org HEARTLAND CATHOLIC MEN'S CONFERENCE Saturday August 3, 2013 at the D.J. Sokol Arena in the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center. The Fourth Annual Heartland Catholic Men's Conference is an effort of the Archdiocese of Omaha to provide Catholic men in our area with an opportunity to come together in solidarity, to know their faith better, network with other Catholic men, and receive spiritual nourishment. This annual event is also informative in that it will provide area men with a view into the many opportunities for spiritual and intellectual growth available to them and opportunities they can take advantage of in their own parishes. You are welcome to scan this site to learn more about the details of this year's conference and to contact us with questions about the conference. More importantly, we hope to see you there!