CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH

Transcription

1 March 4, 2018 Third Sunday of Lent CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH 6300 McKenna Drive, Mobile, Alabama Website: TELEPHONE NUMBERS Parish Office: Fax School Office: , ext. 1 Fax Rel. Ed. Office: , ext. 7 Fax Full-Day Care: Fax Youth Ministry: Fax PARISH OFFICE HOURS Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PASTORAL STAFF Very Reverend James F. Zoghby, V.F. Reverend John S. Boudreaux Deacon Arthur W. Robbins Mrs. Kristy F. Martin, School Principal Mrs. Diane M. Stoyka, Parish Catechetical Leader Mrs. Judi B. Ankiewicz, R.C.I.A. Coordinator Mr. Peter J. Stoyka, Youth Ministry Director TO REGISTER AS A MEMBER OF THE PARISH Please fill out a Census Form. Census Forms are available in the church vestibule and parish office. COMMUNITY CENTER RENTALS & SERVICES For rental information and kitchen services, please call the parish office at or SUNDAY MASSES Vigil: 5:30 p.m. Saturday Morning: 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. WEEKDAY MASSES 6:30 a.m.: Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m.: Monday through Saturday SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and by request, particularly after the 6:30 & 8:15 a.m. weekday Masses. BAPTISM, MARRIAGE, ANOINTING OF SICK Please call the parish office ( ) or information and scheduling baptism, marriage, anointing of sick. ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.) Please see published schedule for specific dates and times, or call the parish office ( ). SUNDAY SCHOOL (C.C.D.) Grades K 12, Sundays during school year, 10:05-10:55 a.m. in school bldgs. SCHOOL, SACS-accredited for Grades PreK3 through 8. To register, or to obtain further information or to arrange for a personal tour of our school, please call the school office, , ext. 1, or send an to kmartin@corpuschristiparish.com.

2 THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT BLOOD DRIVE Today Today, Sunday, March 4, 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Bloodmobile on site here at Corpus Christi. UNDERSTANDING THE CATHOLIC FAITH ADULT SERIES OF 4 MORE CLASSES for Catholic and Non-Catholic Adults Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Through March 28 Adult Ed. Room in the Community Center For information, please contact one of the priests at or Church@CorpusChristiParish.com. Lent Next Sunday Catholic Maronite Rite Mass This Mass, which is in one of the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, will fulfill your Sunday obligation. Also, you can receive Communion again at this Mass, even if you already received Communion at an earlier Mass today. Sunday, March 11, 6 p.m., here at Corpus Christi Church, celebrated by Chorbishop Richard D. Saad, pastor of St. Elias Catholic Maronite Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Next Sunday, March 11 Jazz Brunch in the Banquet Hall With Jazz Musicians Performing Live! 2 nd Sunday of the Month (Every month except June, July, August) Buffet Served from 12 Noon to 1:30 p.m. $10.25 for Adults! $4.25 for Children (Age 12 & under) Friday Stations of the Cross 6:30 p.m. Friday Evening Mass 7:00 p.m. Through March 23 Communal Reconciliation Service Monday, March 26, 7 p.m. Once a month 3 rd Sunday 5:30 p.m. Mass During the school year (Sept. to May), we have an extra Sunday Mass the 3 rd Sunday of each month. High School students serve. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box, Food, Clothing donations and In-Need Drop Box at the SVDP table in the vestibule. Join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by attending a meeting on the 1 st & 3 rd Mon. of the month, 6:30 p.m.,parish House. To seek help, call ; leave name & phone no. St. Vincent de Paul Society to be on EWTN A 10-episode series of 30-minute TV programs will air on EWTN twice a day (5:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. CT) over a period of 10 weeks,, starting today, March 4, showing the many different activities of the SVDP Society in service of those in need. Who wants to be an Altar Server? Notify the parish office at or Church@CorpusChristiParish.com. You may also contact Mike Martin, Director of Altar Servers at Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Banquet Hall $9.25 for Adults! $4.25 for Children (Age 12 & under) March 7: Turkey Tetrazzini, Glazed Ham, Macaroni & Cheese, Steamed Cabbage, Petite Peas, Garden Salad, Dinner Roll, Cheesecake. Iced Tea, Lemonade, Coffee. (Kids Option: Chicken Tenders/Fries) Must RSVP no later than TUESDAY EVENING Return an RSVP Card, or call or WedNightDinner@CorpusChristiParish.com Partners in Education Recognition Students & teacher recognized at the Feb. 27 th School Mass for outstanding performance in the prior month, and the businesses that recognized them: Caleb Morris, 2 nd Grade Knights of Columbus Cade Wimmer, 4 th Grade Rehm Animal Clinic Madison Langham, 8 th Grade Providence Hospital Sarah Weeks, Teacher Assist-2-Sell Realty To join the Partners in Education group, call School Principal Mrs. Martin, , ext. 1, or Richard March, Widowed Persons Support Group For information call parishioner Glen Porter at The Corpus Christi Women s Club Lenten Communal Prayer Service and Covered-Dish Light Supper The prayer service will be led by Fr. Zoghby and Fr. Boudreaux Monday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m at the Parish House. Please bring a soup, salad or bread to share. All ladies are welcome! Contact: Lois Gafford

3 CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA MARCH 4, 2018 Fish Fry Fridays February 16 through March 23 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Corpus Christi Community Center Banquet Hall 40 DAYS FOR LIFE Join fellow parishioners in prayer on the sidewalk at the Planned Parenthood site on Wednesdays, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. To sign up, go to or contact Corpus Christi s 40 DFL Coordinator, Steve Pierre, ahoalton322@gmail.com, Volunteers needed: 10 volunteers for Thursday Prep, 1:30-3:00 p.m. 10 volunteers for Friday Set-up, 1:30-3:00 p.m. 40 volunteers for Friday Fish Fry, 4:30-8:30 p.m. To volunteer, contact Tracey Netto at tbn1105@ hotmail.com For further info, please contact Melissa Overstreet at or at melissaoverstreet@gmail.com. The PTO Fish Fry also provides opportunities for Bake-Sale Fundraisers for various groups in the Corpus Christi Family. Fish Fry Bake-Sale Fundraisers Feb. 16 Bake Sale for 8 th Grade Luncheon Feb. 23 Bake Sale for Disciples of St. Michael Mar. 2 Bake Sale for 6 th Grade Girl Scouts Mar. 9 Bake Sale for Daisy & Junior Girl Scouts Mar. 16 Bake Sale for 8 th Grade Class Gift Mar. 23 Bake Sale for Easter Egg Hunt for Booster Club Also! SCRIP will be available for purchase! Fish Fry Meals Fish Fry Meals include fish, two sides and a drink. Regular Plate: $7.00 Hungry Man: $8.00 Child s Plate: $5.00 Extra Side: $1.00 Gumbo: $4.00 Pizza: $1.00 Nachos: $3.00 Soft Drinks: $1.00 Special Seating The Atrium will be reserved for Adults Only Seating, and the Family Room will be reserved for Adults Quiet Seating. Volunteers will direct guests to the seating they desire. For child safety, children are to remain in the banquet hall, and must be accompanied by their parent or guardian if they are outside in front of the building or in other areas of the community center. For the safety of their children, parents and guardians must take care that their children are not running through the parking lots outside, or inside the community center. The Fish Fry Fridays are Sponsored by the Corpus Christi PTO Melissa Overstreet, PTO President Scarlett Moulder, PTO Vice President Leslie Youkey, PTO Secretary Sandi Zoghby, PTO Treasurer MOSJ OUTBACK WEEKEND For Parents & Teens, Husbands & Wives and Engaged Couples Friday, March 9, through Sunday, March-11 Camp Grace Wanda Drive, Mobile, AL Register online at The Men of St Joseph offer this unique, spirit filled, adventurous retreat: Men of St Joseph Outback a high octane, two-person encounter with several reflective talks and outdoor activities such as a high ropes course. MOSJ Outback is about building, restoring and strengthening relationships. The weekend experience is designed to give husbands & wives and parents & teens a practical strategy for daily living, focusing on their relationship with God, family, friends, church and community. MOSJ Outback will include the celebration of Mass, Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Tuesday Night Bible Study Meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Parish House. The Bible Timeline, a Catholic study with a series of 24 videos. Info: Dave Burchette, or davebur1955@gmail.com. Tuesday Women s Bible Study 10: a.m., Room 3 (2 nd Flr, Com. Ctr). The book of Exodus: Moses, Joshua, the Migration to the Promised Land. Please bring your Bible. Info: Judi Ankiewicz, : Leave name & no. Thursday Women s Bible Study 9:15-10:45 a.m..,com Ctr Conference Rm. The Letters of John and the book of Revelation. Ignatius Catholic Bible Study. Info:Joanne Donaghey, or joannekd@alo.com. Nursery is available. AA Alanon OA CODA AA: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Cougar Den. Alanon: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. OA: Sat., 9 a.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. CODA: Tues., 6:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. Women of Mary Wednesdays, 7 to 8 p.m. Room 3 (2 nd Floor, Community Center) All women are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Sr. Deborah Kennedy, R.S.M., Men of St. Joseph Tuesdays, 7 to 8 a.m. in the Family Room Also Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. in the Parish House All men are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Damian Bell, or or Damian@rockbwm.com. Wed Evening Info: Walter Bracewell, or walter.bracewell@gmail.com

4 CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA MARCH 4, 2018 The Corpus Christi Women s Club The CCWC will have a special presentation at the Parish House on Evergreen Rd., Thursday March 8, at 6 p.m. by USA student Jacqueline Naro on AARP's "Home Fit" with topics relating to lowcost ways to stay safe in your home a 30 minute presentation with handout info. All ladies welcome! Contact: Lois Gafford Spring Forward Next Weekend, March This coming Saturday night, set your clock FORWARD one hour. Around the Archdiocese: Mobile Deanery ACCW Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women Lenten Day of Reflection: Wed., March 14, Visitation Monastery. 9-9:30 Registration. Fr. Cecil Spotswood. A light lunch and admission is free. Reservations: Carlee Russell, , or Shirley Alexander Lebanese Food & Cultural Festival, St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church, Birmingham, April Info: or visit CHRISTUS 2018 Conference. Dr. William P. Brown, Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, March 8, 7 p.m. ($5), & Friday, March 9, 10:15 a.m. ($3). Spring Hill College Gautrelet Room. Info: Rice Bowls for Lent Rice Bowls and instructions are in the vestibule. Visit CRSricebowl.org for more info Please return your Rice Bowl by Tuesday, March 27, in or at the giant Rice Bowl in the church vestibule. MARRIED IN CHRIST Michael J. Lachaussee & Joyce Munn O Brien Tristan Lane Deaton & Kaytlin Claire Salazar Welcome New Parishioners Will & Portia Brown and their children, Parker and Grayson Frank & Deana D Alonzo Michelle Dudley Quinten & Alex Scott and their children, Stevie and Waylon REST IN PEACE Joseph Draper Dumas Geraldine Martin Gorman Doris Wade Habeeb Rebecca Averell Purvis Haupt Robert Frederick Hupka Flowers The flowers before the altar this weekend have been placed in memory of Elizabeth Richardson on the 1 st anniversary of her death. Given by her family. FIRST COLLECTION TODAY: Tithing Offerings. SECOND COLLECTION TODAY: Corpus Christi Building Fund. FEB. 11 TH BUILDING FUND ONLINE & COLLECTION: $1, FEB. 11 TH TITHING ONLINE & COLLECTION: $17, ASH WEDNESDAY COLLECTION FOR OUR SVDP: $3, BLACK & INDIAN MISSIONS COLLECTION: $1, FEB. 18 TH BUILDING FUND ONLINE & COLLECTION: $ FEB. 18 TH TITHING ONLINE & COLLECTION: $25, Thank You and God Bless You God bless all for tithing, contributions, bequests, remembrances in wills in support of God s work here at Corpus Christi Parish. To make a donation of stock, ask your financial manager, or call Selena Hemphill at Morgan Stanley at or Receive a detail listing of your contributions by mail, or fax at any time: Call or Church@CorpusChristiParish.com Offering Envelopes If you wish to use Offering Envelopes, just notify the parish office ( ). An initial set will be sent to you right away, and then, every two months, you will receive a two-month s supply of envelopes. Online Giving With Online Giving make a one-time contribution or set up a recurring automatic withdrawal from a checking or saving or credit card account: Use a computer, tablet or smartphone to go to click Church ; then click the green Online Giving icon on the side left of the church s homepage. Follow the instructions to contribute to the tithing or building fund or special collections. For assistance, call , ext 1, or the parish office, Repent and Believe the Good News

5 Photo of students from Corpus Christi Parish at the Annual ACYC (Archdiocesan Catholic Youth Conference) for high school teens of the Archdiocese of Mobile. The theme for ACYC 2018 was Verso L Alto, an Italian phrase meaning towards the top or to the top. It s a phrase most often associated with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: Blessed Frassati wrote this phrase on a picture of him climbing a mountain an activity he often enjoyed. St. John Paul II called Pier Giorgio Frassati, a man for the Beatitudes, so we look to Blessed Frassati as a role model for our young people. In our prayerful discernment of this year s theme, we recognized that we wanted our young people to orient themselves towards the top, towards heaven. This upward orientation will compel us to daily prayer, a relationship with Jesus Christ, and an active role in the Church community. Peter Stoyka, Director of Youth Ministry Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Holy Student ~ Pier Giorgio Frassati was born to a wealthy family in Turin, Italy. From an early age he displayed a deep faith a source of confusion to his agnostic parents. Although he later became a Third Order Dominican, he believed his vocation was to serve God in the world, reflected in his dedication to the poor and the cause of social justice. He studied engineering with the hope of improving working conditions for miners. In 1918 he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much time visiting the poor and sick in their homes. To fellow students who complained of the stench in the slums, he replied: Don t ever forget that even though the house is sordid, you are approaching Christ. Frassati s religious devotion did not detract from his vibrant personality. He loved mountain climbing and skiing. He was known for his practical jokes and lively humor. A fervent anti-fascist, he took part in public demonstrations that occasionally landed him in jail. In every sense he was an intensely alive person. His family and friends were shocked when he was suddenly struck down by polio and died on July 4, They were further surprised by the throngs of poor people who gathered to pay their respects at his funeral. We will never be truly Catholic unless we conform our entire lives to the two commandments that are the essence of the Catholic faith: to love the Lord, our God, with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati By his example he testified that holiness is possible for everyone, and that only the revolution of charity can enkindle the hope of a better future in the hearts of people. St. John Paul II at the beatification of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati in 1990

6 True Fasting Fasting is a spiritual discipline by which food is voluntarily given up for a defined period. The purpose of fasting and of any penitential practice is to train people to exercise self-control and discipline, to express sorrow for sins, to resolve to lead a more fervent life of loving service of our neighbor. Catholics are encouraged to fast from food one hour before receiving Communion. A Day of Fast consists of one full meal and two lesser meals, with no in-between snacks for those years of age in good health. In the United States, a day of fast is required only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Additionally, these two days are Days of Abstinence (no meat) for those 14 years of age or older, in good health. In Church history there were periods when fasting requirements were very strict and burdensome, and the self-imposed fasting of some saints was extreme and even detrimental to their health. But for all of its traditional popularity as an ascetical observance, fasting as a regular religious practice does not seem to have a lot of support in the Bible! Within the Jewish faith, the Mosaic Law required everyone to fast only twice a year. However, the Pharisees fasted not just two days a year but twice a week. In doing so, they separated themselves and put themselves into a class of holy people. They disapprovingly noted that Jesus did not do any extra fasting, and in the Gospel accounts, Jesus is criticized for his apparently casual attitude about fasting. Although the Gospels says that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert before he began his public ministry, he apparently did not require that his disciples engage in extra fasting. We re told that, on one occasion, the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus with the objection, Why is it that while we and the Pharisees fast, your disciples do not? In the Gospel read on Ash Wednesday, Jesus criticizes those who make a show of performing the religious activities of praying, almsgiving and fasting: Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see... When you fast, you are not to look glum as the hypocrites do. They change the appearance of their faces so that others may see they are fasting. Matthew 6, 1-6, In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, God s people ask the Lord: Why do we fast, and you do not see it? Afflict ourselves and you take no note of it? And God answers: Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, and drive all your laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting, striking with wicked claw! The Lord says: This is the fasting I wish: Releasing those bound unjustly, setting free the oppressed, sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. And then, God (through Isaiah) seems to change the very definition of fasting! He says: Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: that a man bow his head like a reed, and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your own wound shall quickly be healed. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! if you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech. Isaiah 58:1-9 Some of the saints have expressed the same concern of Isaiah, that is, the mistaken notion that God is pleased with our religious devotions while we refuse to change our hearts, turning away from unloving behavior. St. Basil the Great wrote: Take heed that you do not make fasting to consist only in abstinence from food. True fasting is to refrain from vice. Shred to pieces all your unjust contracts. Pardon your neighbors. Forgive them their trespasses. St. Francis de Sales wrote: Everyone paints devotion according to his own passions and fancies. A man given to fasting thinks himself very devout if he fasts, although his heart may be filled with hatred. A man doesn t dare wet his tongue with wine or even water, yet he won t hesitate to drink deeply of his neighbor s blood by slander, vilification and gossip. Another man thinks himself devout because he daily recites a vast number of prayers, but after saying them he utters the most disagreeable, arrogant and harmful words at home and among his neighbors. As with all religious practices, fasting must serve the greater goal of uniting ourselves with God through loving our neighbor. Jesus said that all will know his disciples by the way they love one another. He didn t say that his followers would be known by the severity and frequency of their fasting and other penances.

7 Litany Of Forgiveness For those who have betrayed us... Father, forgive them. For those who have let us down... For those who have been indifferent to us... For those who have crippled our lives... For those who have doubted us... For those who have accused us... For family members who have hurt us... For friends who have denied us... For those who have walked away from us... For my own self-pity... Father, forgive me. For my lukewarmness... For my times of despair and distrust... For my disbelief in your love... For searching everywhere but in your heart... For apologies frozen on my lips... For my words of love unspoken... For compliments never offered... For a heart closed in self-centeredness... For not believing in your forgiveness... O Jesus, take our very selves and wash them in that unconditional love of yours, for you are a God of mercy and compassion, you who live and love forever and ever. Amen. Falling in love with Love Essentially, everything proceeds from Love and tends towards Love. God s gratuitous love is made known to us through the proclamation of the Gospel. If we welcome it with faith, we receive the first and indispensable contact with the Divine, capable of making us fall in love with Love, and then we dwell within this Love, we grow in it and we joyfully communicate it to others. Dear brothers and sisters, in this season of Lent, as we prepare to celebrate the event of the Cross and Resurrection - in which the love of God redeemed the world and shone its light upon history - I express my wish that all of you may spend this precious time rekindling your faith in Jesus Christ, so as to enter with him into the dynamic of love for the Father and for every brother and sister that we encounter in our lives. For this intention, I raise my prayer to God, and I invoke the Lord s blessing upon each individual and upon every community! Portion of Pope Benedict XVI s Lenten Message, 2013 LENT is more than a time of fasting; it can also be a joyous season of feasting. Lent is a time to fast from certain things, and to feast on others. Fast from judging others, Feast on the Christ dwelling in them Fast from emphasis on differences Feast on the unity of life Fast from apparent darkness Feast on the reality of light Fast from thoughts of illness Feast on the healing power of God Fast from words that pollute Feast on words that purify Fast from discontent Feast on gratitude Fast from anger Feast on patience Fast from pessimism Feast on optimism Fast from worry Feast on Divine Providence Fast from hostility Feast on peace Fast from bitterness Feast on forgiveness Fast from self-concern Feast on compassion for others Fast from needless anxiety Feast on trust Fast from discouragement Feast on hope Fast from acts that tear down Feast on acts which build up Fast on thoughts that weaken Feast on promises that inspire Fast from idle gossip Feast on purposeful silence Fast from problems which overwhelm Feast on prayer that strengthens