20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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1 August 20, 2017 CHURCH 50 LEOPARD ROAD, PAOLI, PA PHONE FAX SCHOOL 6 GREENLAWN ROAD, PAOLI, PA PHONE: FAX: MARY KAY HENNESSY, PRINCIPAL 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME All of us who ache to be accepted find lavish comfort in today's readings. Rich in mercy, the Lord welcomes all of us no exceptions. Isaiah extends God's invitation to all nations, even to foreigners who often arouse suspicion from the "in crowd." Saint Paul takes advantage of these fearful suspicions by provoking the Israelites' jealousy: if even Gentiles can offer acceptable worship to the one true God, then God's chosen people should surely do the same. In a similar way, Jesus provokes his disciples in today's Gospel from Matthew. Bantering with a Canaanite woman, Jesus draws out her tremendous faith, which endures despite the typical rejection she faces from scornful Israelites. Whether we identify more with the privileged disciples or the marginalized Canaanite woman, we cannot mistake God's universal invitation to believe in the One who saves us. MASS & WORSHIP SCHEDULE SATURDAY VIGIL: 5:30 PM SUNDAY MASSES: 7:30, 9, 11 AM; 1:30 PM Spanish; 6PM Youth Mass MONDAY-FRIDAY: 6:30AM; Saturday 8 AM RECONCILIATION: Saturday 4-5 PM; or by Appointment CLERGY REV. MICHAEL J. LEE, O.PRAEM., PASTOR REV. STEVEN ALBERO, O.PRAEM., PAROCHIAL VICAR REV. CARL W. BRASCHOSS, O.PRAEM., PAROCHIAL VICAR (PART TIME) DEACON JOHN P. LOZANO DEACON WILLIAM M. MASAPOLLO (RETIRED) REJECTED At one time or another, we have all been rejected or ridiculed, left out of a conversation, or not invited to a party. It hurts to be excluded. God makes all things new, though, and our scriptures today invite us to turn over our aching hearts to the Lord. Some of us might feel reluctant to give our hearts to the Lord, especially if our suffering somehow involves God or the Church. Why pour out hearts to God, after all, if God seems to be the cause of our troubles? A tragic loss, a painful death, or an unavoidable catastrophe can disrupt or destroy our life plans. When people clumsily console us then, saying, "It's God's will," we can easily become suspicious of God and the almighty will. If we suffer from the sinful structures or actions of God's representatives and ministers in the Church, we might look with skepticism at the prayers of that same Church. Even so, our Canaanite woman today persuades us not to lose hope. The disciples scorn her, complaining that she "keeps calling" out for help. Like irritable children, the disciples ask Jesus to "send her away." And just when we might expect Jesus to take her side, to scold the disciples and reward the woman's persistence, he shocks us by implying she is a dog. Undaunted, the woman accepts Jesus' remark and parlays its aggression into her own forceful plea: "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." ACCEPTED The woman's faith is irresistible to Jesus, and to us. Jesus grants her heart's desire, healing her daughter from that very moment. We too are won over by her indomitable confidence in the Lord. Truly, this woman is one of the heroes of the New Testament. When difficulties suffocate us and we feel turned away like a stray dog, we can recall the Canaanite woman's simple words: "Lord, help me." Today's Readings: Is 56:1, 6-7; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28 J. S. Paluch Company

2 Page 2 August 20, TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME God, let all the nations praise you. Psalm 67:2 Sunday, August 20 Vigil Delfino Finocchio 7:30 AM Members of the Parish 9:00 AM Audrey Lengel 11:00 AM Felice DiFrancesco 1:30 PM Deceased Members of the Garaventa family, especially Susana Garaventa 6 PM Arlene & Joseph Martino Monday, August 21 6:30 AM Lord s Blessings on St. Norbert Parish Parents Tuesday, August 22 6:30 AM Joseph Kelly Wednesday, August 23 6:30 AM Timothy Shannon Thursday, August 24 6:30 AM Bunky Mullray Friday, August 25 6:30 AM Anthony Zwigaitis Saturday, August 26 8:00 AM Children with addictions Sunday, August 27 Vigil Armando Spoto 7:30 AM Members of the Parish 9:00 AM Jim Klinges 11:00 AM James Evans 1:30 PM Julia Arce Rombro 6 PM Anna Logue ABBEY DINNER DANCE Save the date for the Daylesford Abbey Annual Dinner Dance Friday, Nov 17 CONTACT: Mike Sanderson at msanderson1462@msn.com OUR VISION St. Norbert Parish aspires to become one in Christ as a community of fervent disciples, who listen attentively for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and who lovingly embrace Jesus, present in the poor, the alienated and the spiritually hungry. Stewardship Persistence Today s Gospel from the Book of Matthew describes what occurred in Tyre and Sidon when Jesus cured the daughter of a Gentile woman. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities. The Apostles faithfully followed the Lord wherever He went, just as we are called to do. There was only one reason that the Lord made this trip (on foot, of course, as that was the only alternative at that time), and that was to cure the daughter of the Gentile woman. Making an effort like that is a sign of Christ s love, and His understanding of a need. He was also trying to teach His followers, which includes us, how important each individual and her or his faith is. Jesus Apostles found this situation, and perhaps even this entire trip, to be a fruitless and empty gesture, more of a bother than it was worth. They even plead with Jesus to ignore the woman and send her away. PRAYERS & READINGS PRAY FOR HEALING: Corinne Kerrigan, Greg Kleckner, Maria Palfy, Ryan Schlecht, Julian D Orazio, William Denney, Elena Prota, Maria Morales, Michael Fullam, Aaron Gelstine, Mary Corcoran, William Wilbur, Tim Dippel, Alice Bowman, Dorothy Wilson, Ed Rofi, Guillermo Ramirez Maldonado, Rudy Spina, Helen Gelstine, Nancy Lowe, Peter Lim, Ed Welsh, Ann Sassaman, Clare Rossmeisl, Diana Reyes, Frank Henriquez, Phyllis McCullough, Lonz Baldino, Patricia Boyce, Frank McMahon, Louanne Armstrong, Joan Schauble, Ruth Chavez, John Francis Erickson, Jim Cleary REST IN PEACE: John Feiler PRAYERS FOR OUR TROOPS: Pvt. Matthew Cress, USA; Pvt. Jessica Flowers, Pvt. Michael Flowers, USA; Capt. Rob Kersey, USN;Capt. Dan Kohli, USMC; 1st.Lt. Spencer Lahiff, USMC; Sgt. Justin Lansford, USA; Pvt. Bryan McCormick, USA; Maj. James Merenda, USAF; Sgt. R. J. Paski, USA; Sgt. Matthew Paski, USAF; CPT Brian Wallin, DO, USA They said, Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us. However, Jesus is teaching a lesson to each of us, actually two lessons. He does not send her away but finally responds, saying O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish. The two lessons (messages) Jesus provides to us are easily summarized. First, we need to know and understand that Jesus loves us and He is aware of our needs. The second is that when we pray and appeal for help (all the woman finally said was Lord, help me! ) a key to answered prayers is persistence. She had it, and we need to have it. catholicsteward.com Visit StNorbert.org READINGS FOR THE WEEK 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

3 St. Norbert Bulletin Page 3 Pastor s Pulpit SOMETHING TO THINK AND PRAY ABOUT YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING Some time ago my sister Marie asked me if I had ever seen a picture of Jesus smiling or laughing. Most of the paintings and drawings of Jesus were stern. I had to admit that I hadn t and then I went looking on the Internet. There were many paintings and drawings of Jesus. The Thumbs Up Jesus I thought was a little too much for sure until I saw the one of Pope Francis. I was pleasantly surprised that there were so many images of Jesus smiling. I sent the one nearby to my sister and she has a copy of it on her refrigerator. May I suggest that you take a moment and look at this picture of a Laughing Jesus and wonder why he might be laughing. With reverence and respect here are few suggestions I thought of: What do you mean you can t walk on water? You gotta get out of the boat! Father, you have to be kidding! KNOW SOMEONE INTERESTED IN... BECOMING CATHOLIC? Explore the Catholic faith each week to learn about and discuss what the Church teaches, why and how it is connected to a personal relationship with God. There is no commitment; the environment is casual and conversational. Our RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), will begin the end of September. Invite a friend or a loved one. CONTACT: Lorrie Grady at or lhg905@verizon.net or Hank Fila at or hankfila@gmail.com CAFFE CORNER... DATE NITE FOR MARRIEDS Looking for a great date night for you and your beloved that gives you some quiet time to talk, reconnect and regroup from the busyness of life? Then consider coming to the Alpha Marriage Course. From Thursday Sept 28 Nov 16 from 6:30 9 PM. The evening includes a catered dinner to get you in the mood. Childcare provided. Space is limited. Registration online will open soon. CONTACT Mark Griswold, caffedirector@stnorbert.org You mean you can t turn water into wine? Peter, why won t you let me wash your feet? Lazarus, get out of that tree! Hey Levi, you still doing that one for them and two for me trick? Remember when you lost me on the way to Jerusalem? Hey Judas, how s the collection going? See I told you I d be back again.surprise! I reflect on the words of Pope Francis in terms of grumpy Christians. Briefly he said that no one likes grumpy Christians. It seems that many of the pictures of Pope Francis demonstrated a welcoming and joyful smile. Don t these two picture make you smile and laugh? They did for me and I found that laugh refreshing. Sometimes life can be tough enough. Laughter lifts the spirit. Enjoy the remaining days of summer and keep on smiling! Fr. Mike GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR OUR... 4TH ANNUAL ABBEYFEST It is truly hard to believe that we will be celebrating our 4th Annual AbbeyFest this coming September 16. Matt Maher (pictured) will be back along with Mandisa, Mike Mangione, Paul J. Kim, PJ Anderson, Kyle Sinkule, FireHill Worship and more (see poster on page 5). Fun games for kids, great food, religious vendors, Confession, Adoration, Mass and fantastic Contemporary Christian music. The Early Bird ticket sale ends Sept 1st so buy your tickets before the rush. If you are unfamiliar with AbbeyFest, you can find out more information at TheAbbeyFest.org and view the short video that captures the essence of a piece of heaven on earth as one parishioner describes it. A great day for young and old, families and singles and uplifting. As a community we are truly blessed by this spiritually uplifting event. I will look for you there. Fr. Mike

4 Page 4 August 20, 2017 News & Events N S. N S P... W A I am pleased to announce that Ann Simpson is joining the Parish Office Staff as Executive Administrative Assistant. Ann is an enthusiastic, energetic and solid professional. Most recently, she has been part -time at Daylesford Abbey supporting our Norbertine Community in its technology needs. Prior to that, she worked at SAP America, where she was a Technical Business Analyst responsible for education services to clients and was the Team Leader on their Customer Call Center. Many of you may know Ann as a St. Norbert School mom. She and her husband Zach have four children at our school. I m looking forward to meeting and getting to know more of you our parishioners. I m also excited about being able to bring our school, parish, CaFFE and Abbey communities closer together to take advantage of the many community offerings like school plays, Daylesford Abbey Art shows, St. Norbert s Fervent Disciples efforts and more, said Ann. As pastor, I can say that we had close to 30 applications and it was very difficult culling down the candidates. All had unique blessings provided by Our Lord. Ann will be starting Sept 1 st and in the meantime coming in periodically to get acclimated. As of Ann s start date, we will be extending the Parish Office hours from 8 AM to 3 PM and possibly adding some evening hours. Stay tuned. Ann will be reporting to me while becoming a welcoming face and extending a friendly atmosphere in our Front Office reflecting our Parish Pastoral Plan of Encountering Jesus, Focusing on Sunday and Forming Fervent Disciples. Say hello to Ann if you see her on Sunday and give her a warm St. Norbert welcome. Fr. Mike ST. NORBERT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM CARES FOR KIDS We re looking for enthusiastic and caring individuals for Part- Time work helping to monitor and direct activities for Elementary school-aged children. Applicants may sign up for less than 5 days a week. DAYS: Monday through Friday 3-5:30 PM throughout the school year. REQUIRE- MENTS: Pennsylvania Clearances and Archdiocesan Safe Environment Training (we will direct applicants on how to obtain requirements). SALARY: $12 an hour. CON- TACT: Geraldine Donaher at gdonaher@stnorbert.org or BETHESDA PROJECT FUNDRAISER SHARE THE BOUNTY Save the date for the Bethesda Project Fundraiser on Thursday, Oct 12, at Pomme, King of Prussia Road, Radnor. Our former Pastor and Bethesda Founder Fr. Domenic Rossi, O Praem (left), will be presented with the Lifetime Inspirational Leadership Award and parishioner Ed Morris (above right) with the First Annual Domenic Award. Make your plans now and stay tuned for more info come. REGISTER NOW FOR WOMEN ONLY... SENT ON FIRE St. Norbert parishioner Sarah Christmyer is one of the featured speakers at the first -ever National Catholic Women's Conference to be held in Philadelphia Saturday, Oct 21, from 8:30 AM - 4 PM. This conference, hosted by W.I.N.E.: Women in the New Evangelization and sponsored by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, also features Kelly Wahlquist, Teresa Tomeo, and Kitty Cleveland with music by Amada Vernon. Join women from around the USA for this inspirational day of faith, fellowship, and fun at Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown. NOTE: Seats are limited and last year's Diocesan women s conference sold out in five weeks so don't wait, register today. MORE INFO: W.I.N.E.Conference.org REGISTER: JUST FOR TOTS KINGDOM JUNCTION Our newest ministry for 1-5 year olds is going strong during the 9 AM Sunday Mass. We ve had a steady increase in the number of families and children participating, said Kim Savage who is heading up this new ministry. There s drawing and coloring along with cute Bible stories, storytelling and playing. Added Fr. Mike, I m so pleased that parents can confidently attend Mass together while their small tykes are enjoying an uplifting Catholic atmosphere. All the volunteers working with Kingdom Junction are cleared by the Archdiocesan safe environment process. Contact: Mark Griswold at caffedirector@stnorbert.org or Kim Savage at k7savage@gmail.com to participate or volunteer.

5 St. Norbert Bulletin Page 5 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Early Bird Ticket Sale Ends Sept 1st

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