...my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people Isaiah 56:7

Transcription

1 ST. AGNES CHURCH Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 20, 2017 Rev. Vincent L. Parsons Pastor Rev. Michael E. Wetovick Associate Pastor Sr. Vera Meis, C.S.J. Pastoral Minister Mass Schedule: (October - May) Saturday: 4:00 pm Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 am (June - September) Saturday 6:00 pm Sunday: 8:00 & 10:00 am Monday, Tues, Wed, Friday 7 am...my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people Isaiah 56:7 Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays one hour prior to evening Mass or by appointment ( ) Sacrament of Baptism Please call the Parish Office 2314 Third Avenue, Scottsbluff, Nebraska (308) Mailing address: PO Box 349, Scottsbluff, NE Fax: Website: Parish Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9am - Noon & 1pm - 4pm

2 This Week s Schedule Monday, August 21, 2017 Daily Mass (7am) Intention: Velma Meis Sr. Vera Meis Communal Rosary (4:45pm) Liturgy of the Hours (5:05pm) Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Daily Mass (7am) Intention: Mary Cook by Jerry & Eileen Young Wednesday, August 23, 2017 Daily Mass (8:15am) Intention: Jack Bussey by Jim & Dorothy Cain Contemplative Prayer (6:00pm) Location: Office Basement Thursday, August 24, 2017 Heritage (9:30am) Friday, August 25, 2017 Daily Mass (7am) Intention: Sr. Vera Meis by Catholic Daughters Saturday, August 26, 2017 Weekend Mass (6:00pm) Intention: Dick DeForge by Donna & Family Sunday, August 27, 2017 Weekend Mass (8:00am) Intention: For the Parish Weekend Mass (10:00am) Intention: Chuck Mulford by Friends Page 2 Year A August 20, 2017 Deacon s Desk In the Gospel this week we read of the Canaanite woman who begs Jesus to free her daughter from a demon. Even when Jesus seems to ignore her, the woman refuses to step back into the crowd but persists in shouting for Jesus to intervene for her daughter. This request was irregular as it came from a woman of Canaan who was not a disciple of Jesus or even a Jew. Regardless of her faith, the woman recognized the healing power that Jesus possessed and pleaded that He heal her daughter. Eventually, Jesus acknowledged the profound faith the woman demonstrated through her persistence and acceded to her pleas to save her daughter. The Canaanite woman expressed the three essential components of prayer; love, faith, and humility. The woman showed her love for her daughter was so intense that she would overcome the repulsion the ancestral enemies of the Canaanites, the Jews, and ask Jesus to perform a miracle on her daughter. Her love for her daughter is so intense that the woman followed Jesus down the road crying and shouting out prayerfully for Him to listen to her plea. The woman observed that Jesus miracles were not magic, nor did he perform for money and therefore she based her begging for Jesus intervention on faith. The more she prays for Jesus to cure her daughter, the more her faith in Jesus grows. She became assured that only Jesus had the power to save her daughter. She concluded that she must be persistent to bring to Jesus awareness of her daughter s plight. Even when Jesus comments that His Father sent Him to save the people of Israel, the woman did not slip away resigned to failure but rather increased her prayer. Jesus cured her daughter because the woman in her faith does not give up on her cry for His intercession of freeing her daughter from the demon. The Canaanite woman models how to appeal to the Lord with intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer has more validity when we ask for the Lord to intercede for a loved one, a family member, a friend, or one held in high esteem. This love we express for this individual is so intense that we would offer our life in trade for the recovery of the one we offered up in prayer. We also pray to improve the quality of life for our family, our community, our nation or our world. Alternatively, our prayers of intercession may be for advancement in a job or increased knowledge through education with our goal to improve the lives of others through our success. We offer these prayers because of love and knowledge that the Lord will intervene on behalf of those in need. We confirm our faith when we do not discontinue our intercessory pleas even when there is no immediate response. God does not delay His response to test us. Prayer is not like a game show where one must gain enough prayer points to win the prize. Nor does God answer prayers by chance, like winning at Keno or Bingo if we have chosen the right prayers. Rather when our prayer is our effort to show how deep our desire is that we are willing to persist in displaying what we believe through His power, God will change lives. Finally, we must approach prayer of intervention with humility. Intercessory prayer is the request in faith for the Lord to look favorably on one s appeal to improve the lives of those we love. We cannot be arrogant in demanding that the Lord comply with our desire and wants within our time frame. Should God consider our prayers when He knows our inner most thoughts, and they do not compare with what we actually express in prayer?...continued on page 5

3 Page 3 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Pa r i s h N e w s Families Grow Vocations Teach Devotion to Mary Many families pray the Rosary as part of their prayers at home. Teach your children how the Rosary is like a photo album of the life of Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles. With Mary as companion and guide, enter into the Mysteries of Jesus Life & Mission. Respond to His call to us to enter an ever deeper discipleship & mission with Him, in community with others. Living Stewardship Now People come to the Church because God calls them. Try volunteering in the parish ministry for people seeking to become Catholic (RCIA), or in a ministry welcoming Catholics who left the Church and want to come home. Copyright 2010, World Library Publications. All rights reserved Tri-parish Enchilada Fundraiser Enchiladas: $15/doz $7.50/half doz Pork Chili: $12/qua $6/pint Order before Aug 27th Call Are you interested in becoming Catholic? Or is someone you know interested in becoming Catholic? Are you an adult Catholic who has never been confirmed or received the Eucharist? Do you just want to learn more about the Catholic faith? If this is the right time for you to take the next step on your faith journey, or if you want to talk to someone about the Catholic faith, please call the Parish Office at or office@stagnes-church.com Wednesday daily Mass changes to 8:15am starting this week Dates to Remember In 2017 Monday, August 21 First day of School Thursday, August 24 Fortis Boy Choir Sunday, September 10 Parish Picnic Friday, November 17 St. Agnes Premiere Ministry Schedule LECTORS Aug 19 & 26 6pm Kathleen Roehl Aug 20 & 27, 8am April Madden 10am Jacque Neu SERVERS Aug 26, 6pm Ryan Hinman Allyson Gion Aug 27, 8am Addison Peck Emma Herman 10am Megan Golden Kamden McGrew Premiere News The St. Agnes School Foundation Premiere will be held at the Gering Civic Center Nov 17, This grand event is an occasion to celebrate! On page 5 of this weekend s bulletin, is a form for nomination of 2 prestigious awards to be presented at the Premiere. You are asked to thoughtfully consider your nominations and return the form by the end of August. Fortis Boy Choir Fortis Boy Choir meets once a week on Thursdays at St. Agnes Church. Their initial meeting for this year is this Thursday (Aug 24) from 5:30-7pm. Auditions will be held. Being in the choir teaches young boys the commitment and work necessary to accomplish a goal. It also develops character, discipline, leadership, global awareness, and a strong commitment to excellence in boys ages 7 & over. For more info, call Larry Cooper ( ). Sunday Collections & ATW Giving August 13, 2017 Actual $ ATW $ Budget $ Surplus (Deficit) $ August 2017 Totals Actual $ ATW $ Budget $ Surplus (Deficit) $ Automa c Tithe Withdrawal A convenient way to give your offering Is by automatic withdrawal via your checking account. St. Agnes Church relies on the financial support of the parish and automatic withdrawal offers an easy way to give on a recurring basis. These contributions help support the many ministries in our parish as well as our priest s and employees salaries, parish utilities, church and office supplies, ongoing maintenance, etc. throughout the year. If you d like the opportunity to sign up for automatic tithing, please consider doing so today! Forms are available in the message centers of the church, or call This Week s Readings Monday: Jgs 2:11-19; Ps 106:34-37, 39-40, 43ab, 44; Mt 19:16-22 Tuesday: Jgs 6:11-24a; Ps 85:9, 11-14; Mt 19:23-30 Wednesday: Jgs 9:6-15; Ps 21:2-7; Mt 20:1-16 Thursday: Rv 21:9b-14; Ps 145:10-13, 17-18; Jn 1:45-51 Friday: Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22; Ps 146:5-10; Mt 22:34-40 Saturday: Ru 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17; Ps 128:1b-5; Mt 23:1-12 Sunday: Is 22:19-23; Ps 138:1-3, 6, 8; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20

4 Page 4 August 20, 2017 Living Our Catholic Faith Reflecting on God s Word Beggars can t be choosers! we might say to a child who asks for a different candy bar from the one we have handed him. Beggars can t be choosers! we might think as we watch a struggling mother sort through hand-me-downs at the free store. Beggars can t be choosers! we might tell ourselves when we are mistreated by someone we rely on to supply our needs. Those four little words may seem logical and harmless. Yet, how many children, unemployed, elderly, sick, or otherwise vulnerable people have lost their self-respect and stopped voicing their needs because they believe those four little words! Today s scriptures challenge us to stop using, or even thinking, those four words. They invite us to see that, yes, beggars can and should be choosers. The first and second readings seem directed to those who feel they deserve better than others. They show God s mercy extending to all who call on and love the name of the Lord, and remind us that all of us have disobeyed, thus all of us are beggars. The Gospel speaks to those who feel they deserve worse than others. The Canaanite woman is held up as a model to imitate, not someone to be scorned and rejected. We are encouraged never again to let feelings of unworthiness convince us that our needs don t deserve a hearing, respect, and a response. Virginia Stillwell Copyright 2012, World Library Publications. All rights reserved. The Jesus we meet in today s Gospel seems a bit stand-offish. He appears at first to ignore the Canaanite woman s pleas to heal her child! Matthew seems to be suggesting that, until this point in his ministry, Jesus himself thought that his mission was only to the Jewish people. When he is confronted by a Canaanite, and a woman at that, he seems baffled. Her sheer determination to make him listen ensures that he cannot continue to ignore her. More importantly, Jesus acknowledges that her faith in him is equal to that of any of the Jewish people he has met so far. In the end, Jesus praises her faith and heals her daughter. Matthew was writing his Gospel for a community of Jewish Christians who had identified Jesus as the Messiah the One promised by God to generations of the Jewish people. They were aware, however, that the Christian faith was attracting people of other races and other religions. They would, inevitably, have been struggling to work out how this fit with all the prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures that foretold a Messiah who was destined to save Israel. The meeting between Jesus and the Canaanite woman offers them a clue about how to understand this situation. When Jesus is challenged to heal the outsider, his initial reaction is to refuse; but then he sees her great faith, and this far outweighs the fact that she does not belong to the people he primarily came to save. In this story the new Jewish Christian community must have found help to see that their initial reluctance to admit outsiders was understandable, and then to recognize that God plants faith in others too and that it is faith rather than background that opens the doors into the Kingdom. Copyright 2010, World Library Publications. All rights reserved. Deacon s Desk continued. How can we expect the Creator to respond in a favorable way to our prayer if we believe that we are entitled just because we ask? How often do we think that laying a guilt trip on the Lord will succeed when we don t get our way? Do we stop praying to God, thinking that we will get even when the Lord does not grant our every wish? Parents do not respond favorably when their children have such an attitude. We should not expect our Father sympathetically to listen to our prayer when we act in the same manner. Understanding how God replies to prayer is very difficult for us as humans to understand. We cannot know what will move God s heart. A person may have his or her prayers quickly answered favorably. Others may pray for years and not receive the desired results. Often God acts on our behalf and graces us with an action that we may not fully comprehend. Certainly, God does not play favorites, as He loves us all equally. Therefore, we cannot categorize God s response to our prayers as a win or a loss. All prayers that we offer to God will benefit those that we have raised up in prayer. We must learn to accept that prayer is under the guidance of God. We must place our trust in the Lord that he listen to each one our pleas for mercy and that He will act according to each one s needs, even if we may never fully understand. Lovingly and continually pray to the Lord for His mercy. Have faith in the Lord that He will give us what leads us to eternal life. With humility, we accept that He knows how to care for our needs. Let us put our hands together in prayer knowing that God will see to the need of each of us. Deacon Dan Gilbert

5 ST. AGNES CATHOLIC SCHOOL HALL OF FAME NOMINATION FORM Please use this form to select your nominations for these two prestigious awards. These awards will be presented at the St. Agnes Premiere Dinner and Auction November 17, 2017 at the Civic Center in Gering, Nebraska. Distinguished Alumni Award This prestigious award is bestowed to a former St. Agnes student in recognition of outstanding achievement through his or her contributions to the arts, business, education, government, humanities, science and philanthropies. The recipient must be an individual who, in deed or action, has brought honor to themselves, to St. Agnes School and to their community. Nomination Criteria: Must have attended St. Agnes School Must be at least 25 years old Nominee may be deceased Nominee s Name: Age: St. Agnes Student: YES NO Attendance Dates: Address: City, State, ZIP: Phone: Qualifications/Achievements: (Please use additional paper as needed.) Friend of St. Agnes Award This service award is given in honor and recognition of an individual that has provided extraordinary service through volunteerism and support to St. Agnes School. The recipient can be alumni, faculty, support staff, clergy, parents, parishioners or community members. Nomination Criteria: Must be at least 25 years old Nominee may be deceased Nominee s Name: Age: Address: City, State, ZIP: Phone: Dedication & Service to St. Agnes: (Please use additional paper as needed.) Nominator s Name: Address: City, State, ZIP: Phone: Return form by August 31, 2017 to: St. Agnes School Foundation * PO Box 2214 * Scottsbluff, NE

6 Page 6 August 20, 2017 Religious Educa on Program dre@st-agnes-church.com Religious Education Office Early Registra on It is registration time! This year we are requesting registration for the St. Agnes Religious Education and CYM programs as soon as possible so we can prepare for the upcoming year. Once again the early registration fee will be $30.00 per child if paid by August 31, The registration can be mailed or put into the collection basket. If registration is completed after August 31 st the fee will be $40.00 per child. The Sunday Religious Education program will be held from 9:15 a.m. 10:15 a.m. in the St. Agnes School building. This morning is for the elementary grades (Pre-School- 5 th ). The Sunday program will begin on October 1, The Wednesday Religious Education classes will be held from 7:00 p.m. 8:15 p.m. in the St. Agnes School building. This evening is for the graders. The Wednesday program will begin on September 20, High School CYM Groups (9-12 grades) will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. in the leader s home. The CYM program will begin on September 20, Confirmation for the 11th grade CYM groups will be held in the Garden Level twice a month on Wednesdays from 7:00 9:00 p.m. The parent/youth meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00 p.m. in the Garden Level. Please return the bottom portion of this form Family Name Address Address Phone Number Cell Number Parent Volunteer during the formation sessions of RE and/or CYM This year we are asking parents to volunteer during the formation sessions (minimum of once during the year). I can help on Date(s) and Grade. Media Permission Slip I give St. Agnes Catholic Church permission to use my child s picture and name in conjunction with the following: { }weekly parish bulletin { }parish website { }television coverage { }newspaper articles Signature of Parent Date

7 Page 7 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary time Have you ever done something to make a sick person feel better?