CHURCH OF ST. THOMAS MORE GLENDALE, AZ April 19, 2015 Breaking of the Bread Liturgy The breaking of bread is what the early church called their weekly gathering what we now call Mass or the celebration of the Eucharist. At that gathering, they remembered the Last Supper, when Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples. Our current Breaking of the Bread comes right after the Sign of Peace. In this liturgical action, we again recognize Jesus. When bread is broken, it is diminished, split, torn apart from the whole. By breaking bread we understand the virtue of humility, by which Christ the bread of life broke, split, diminished himself. And by breaking himself, Jesus gave us a glimpse into his true nature one who was broken and poured out for us. Welcome to the Parish Prayer of St. Thomas More: Give us, good Lord, the grace to work for the things we pray for. Our warmest welcome to all who worship with our parish family, whether long time registered or newly arrived in the parish. If you are not registered, please stop by the Parish Office and pick up a registration form. For your convenience a drop box is located outside the Parish Office front doors if you wish to leave paperwork when the office is closed. Please do not leave checks or cash. At the same time, the Breaking of the Bread recalls how we join the sacrifices and sufferings of our own lives to that of Christ s Paschal Mystery. In this liturgical action, we acknowledge the presence of Christ not only in the Eucharist, but also his presence in our lives. As this fractioning occurs, the liturgical documents indicate that the Lamb of God should be sung. To strengthen the meaning of this action, we sing a litany form of the Lamb of God with various invocations to Christ. At the end of the singing of the Lamb of God, we remain standing in preparation for our procession to Communion. We stand until all have received, out of respect and reverence for this action of Communion, where our ministers of the Eucharist offer holy food to holy people in the holiest of all communions. [Austin Fleming, Yours is a Share ] The 2004 instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum led to a change in the time we pour the wine into separate cups. Rather than pouring at the same time the bread is distributed, the deacon now pours the wine at the Preparation of the Gifts. This was done out of reverence for the Eucharist, which is transformed into the Blood of Christ during the consecration. The instruction says we should avoid pouring the Precious Blood, lest anything should happen that would be to the detriment of so great a mystery." (RS 106). The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:35. This line from today s Gospel still resounds in us - nearly 2000 years after it was first recorded. Steve Raml Liturgy & Music Director BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! The Desert Brass return to St. Thomas More for an exciting Spring Concert on Sunday, April 19 at 6:00 p.m. They ll perform a wide range of music, from traditional tunes to songs from your favorite Disney movies. This is a FREE concert bring your friends and family for an evening of great music. SISTERS RAG DRIVE UPDATE Once again, many thanks to all the parishioners who have supported the SISTERS outreach in the Rag Drives these past years. We are sorry to inform you that St. Vincent de Paul is no longer using rags for recycling. Currently other options are being investigated for the coming year and hope to information soon. CULTURAL DIVERSITY MASS SATURDAY, APRIL 25 St. Augustine Parish 3630 N. 71 Ave., Phoenix Celebrant - Bishop Eduardo A. Nevares 5:00 p.m. Musical Preludes Featuring Ethnic Groups 6:00 p.m. Mass 7:15 p.m. Multicultural Reception and Buffet Complimentary
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER INNOCENCE Adult Formation The Scriptures this weekend say we should know God. Then it makes an even bolder assertion: we should know God in Jesus Christ. Then it makes the boldest assertion: we should know God in one another. Peter argues that we should have known whom we were killing; you could not tell the difference between a murderer and an innocent man? St. John echoes Peter, in saying we must know God in the innocence of life. Jesus breathed God through every pore: he loved especially the poor, the outcast, the thieves on the cross, the mother who was burying her only son, the leper, and each one of us caught in fear, addictions, hungering for God and family, etc. We are like the woman who loved tulips. Loved to photograph them and give the pictures to family and friends. She was driving to a nursery to take pictures of tulips when she spotted a little home that was surrounded by tulips and daffodils. She saw a woman bent over the flowers with a large straw hat and calico dress, tenderly caring for each flower. She stopped her car and approached the old woman, asking to take pictures of her flowers. They walked together and the photographer was clicking away. The old woman took her by the hand to show her the prized flowers. This one took me years I call it my Jesus tulip. It was red with black edges and the black went down the petal to form a crucifix. This over here is my Holocaust tulip this too took me many years. It was black with three red streaks on each petal and they were joined at the bottom the way a menorah is. The photographer asked: You must be a religious person? The old woman said: Thank you. Why these two? They are remembrances, the old woman said. Are you a Christian? No, but my husband was and the Jesus tulip is for him. The photographed asked: And the Holocaust tulip? Oh, that is for me. I could give you some bulbs when they are ready? The photographer was overjoyed she would share her remembrances. The old woman took off her glove to find a piece of paper and there was a deep silence that came over them. The photographer saw her tattoo of a number. The old woman looked deeply into her eyes filled with tears, My husband was a U.S. soldier who found me half dead. He came back for me. He took me here and gave me life. Why the flowers? I am asking God to make them all beautiful again. For what they have been through. Jesus was made beautiful but still has his wounds to remind us of the meaning of suffering. Jesus called his ancestors and they were made beautiful. Who have we made beautiful this week? Mary Ann Ronan THIS MONTH WE LL BE DEBT FREE LET S HAVE A MORTGAGE BURNING CELEBRATION!!! This is a grateful and exciting time in the life of our parish because it represents a time of completeness. All families are invited to come and celebrate with us as we give thanks to God! Sunday, May 3, 2015 4:00-6:30 p.m. Parish Courtyard Complimentary Dinner, Bounce House and Inflatables, Popcorn, Snow Cones and Lemonade $1.00 Beer & Wine Garden Premium Inflatables ADULT CONFIRMATION CLASSES BEGINNING THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 7:00 P.M. PARISH HALL All baptized Catholic adults considering receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation are invited to the first class. The classes encourage candidates to reflect on ways to grown spiritually and be more active in their Christian journey. Each week a different speaker will cover topics from spirituality to scripture. To register, please attend the first class and bring a copy of your baptism certificate. For more information, contact Wade McFall in the Parish Office.
Youth Ministry Grades 6-12 FIRE (6-8 grades) Sun., April 19 4:00-5:30 p.m. t.u.f.(9-12 grades) Sun., April 19 Sun., April 26 GROWING IN FAITH, ACTING IN LOVE 6:00-7:30 p.m. 6:00-7:30 p.m. St. Thomas More www.stmglendale.org St. Thomas More is on Facebook! Search in Facebook Church of St. Thomas More or link to us on the parish website www.stmglendale.org. MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY Community Health Lecture Series Foothills Library, Tuesday, April 21, 6:30 p.m. An Osteopathic Approach to Autoimmune Disorders Presented by David Shoup, D.O. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS The Knights of Columbus will have a table in the courtyard this weekend with information about organ donation and they will also be selling tickets for the Knights of Columbus Annual Charity Raffle. Calling all 6 th, 7 th and 8 th grade students! You are invited to a Junior High Dance sponsored by the Student Council at Bourgade Catholic High School on Friday, May 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. Students should wear appropriate event attire. Admission is $5.00 plus a donation for Ronald McDonald House: sponges, cleaning supplies and toothpaste. Students must be signed in and out at the door. More information can be found at www.bourgadecatholic.org. Bourgade Catholic HS is located at 4602 N 31 st Ave., just west of the I-17 and ¼ mile south of Camelback Road Christian Formation Grades K - 5 ELEMENTARY FAITH FORMATION Calendar / Class Times / Days: April 20 and 21 Class April 27 and 28 Last Class of the year Session A Monday: 4:45-6:00 p.m. Session B Monday: 6:30-7:45 p.m. Session C Tuesday: 4:45-6:00 p.m. Session D Tuesday: 6:30-7:45 p.m. Will Your Child Begin Kindergarten Or First Grade Next Year? Now is the time for them to start their faith journey too! Registration for 2015-16 Christian Formation is taking place Sunday, April 19! It s time to for your child to begin their faith journey. Don t delay register Sunday! Come to the Parish Hall 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. to start your child on their faith journey. Elementary Confirmation and First Communion Parent Meeting Monday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. This is a required meeting. Confirmation sponsor forms are due. CATECHISTS MEETINGS Sacrament Catechists Wednesday, April 22 at 6:00 p.m. CLOW Catechists Monday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. CHILDREN S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW) Children in Kindergarten through third grade are invited to participate in the Children s Liturgy of the Word parallel liturgy during the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Masses. Sunday, April 26, will be the last session for CLOW until September. Parents: If you ve come to a CLOW session with your child and are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Maria in the Parish Office.
CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS APPEAL SUNDAY, APRIL 19 The Catholic Home Missions Appeal will take place next week. One way that this appeal works to strengthen home mission dioceses in the United States is by funding seminarian formation in poor dioceses. The blessing of seminarians places a financial burden on these dioceses, where educating each seminarian costs $35-40K per year. Your support is needed for these young men, so that they might go back and serve their parishes. Please strengthen the Church at home by making a gift to next week s appeal. Catechists Are The Heart Beat Of The Christian Formation Program! Become a catechist, the rewards are fantastic! Enjoy sharing your faith and talents with the children Witness the conversion of the children as they grow in faith Prepare children to receive the sacraments: Reconciliation and Confirmation/ First Communion Enjoy the fellowship of the catechist teams Catechist faith formation, materials, and support are provided Contact Maria or Ann in the Parish Office for more information. ST. TEKAKWITHA S FEAST DAY All are invited to join the Diocese of Phoenix Indian Mission communities in celebrating St. Kateri Tekakwitha s Feast Day on April 25 at St. Francis of Assisi Mission, 3090 N. Longmore Rd., Scottsdale. Ceremonies will begin with the St. Kateri Chaplet and Litany at 9:00 a.m., followed by Mass at 10:00 a.m. with Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and concelebrating priests. The festivities will continue all day with traditional Indian foods, dancing, and an arts and crafts sale. In this Sunday s Gospel, Jesus explains the meaning of the scriptures. Like the disciples, when we offer and receive forgiveness, our hearts burn because we encounter the risen Christ within us. Have you considered answering the call to help those in need find forgiveness and healing in their life by joining the Society of St. Vincent de Paul? Given in Gratitude for God s Blessings The plate collection for Sunday, April 12, was $35,431. Thank you for your faithful support. 2015 CDA CHARITY AND DEVELOPMENT APPEAL Our parish is making steady progress towards our CDA goal of $147,000 and 100% participation. To date, our parish has raised $126,141 representing 520 gifts. It is not too late to make a gift. Every gift, no matter the size, will make a difference in our community. Pledges can be made by completing a pledge card or online at diocesephoenix.org/cda. Thank you for your support. Thanks to Our Advertisers ANDRÉ HOUSE has volunteer opportunities available. To sign up online visit www.signupgenius.com/ go/70a044fa8a72f4-andre2/. FAITH COMMUNITY NURSING RN s from this ministry are available to speak with parishioners. You may call the Parish Office and leave a message and one of the nurses will contact you. PARISH HALL RENTAL Please patronize our advertisers and thank them for supporting our bulletin when using their products and services. If you wish to donate altar flowers in honor or memory of a loved one, please contact the Parish Office. The Parish Hall is available to rent for private functions. Please see the parish web site under FAQ s or stop by the Parish Office for an information sheet.
PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS Tina Gantner, Joan Graham Karen Kozlowski, Simon Lam Don Sandefur, Lloyd Singer, Joanne Spiek Questions, comments or concerns, please call the Parish Office. Have Your Blood Pressure Checked After All Masses - Sunday, April 26 Buy your Sunday Arizona Republic here and support the teens. A mere $2.00, like everywhere else, but you re helping the STM teens. Assistive hearing devices are available at the sound booth. Please see the sound tech - they will be happy to help you. Monday, April 20 4:45 pm Faith Formation Session A 6:30 pm Faith Formation Session B Tuesday, April 21 4:45 pm Faith Formation Session C 6:30 pm Faith Formation Session D Wednesday, April 22 6:00 pm Sacrament Catechists Meeting 6:30 pm Fire Youth Group Thursday, April 23 9:15 am Morning Bible Study 6:30 pm Evening Rosary 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry Training 7:00 pm Men s Ministry Friday, April 24 Saturday, April 25 Sunday, April 26 Blood Pressure Sunday 4:00 pm Fire 6:00 pm TUF 6:30 pm CFS APRIL Readings for the Week April 19, 2015 Sunday Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps 4; 1 Jn 2:1-5a; Lk 24:35-48 Monday Acts 6:8-15; Ps 119; Jn 6:22-29 Tuesday Saint Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Acts 7:51 8:1a; Ps 31; Jn 6:30-35 Wednesday Acts 8:1b-8; Ps 66; Jn 6:35-40 Thursday Saint George, Martyr; Saint Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr Acts 8:26-40; Ps 66; Jn 6:44-51 Friday Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr Acts 9:1-20; Ps 117; Jn 6:52-59 Saturday Saint Mark, Evangelist 1 Pt 5:5b-14; Ps 89; Mk 16:15-20 Sunday Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 4:8-12; 1 Ps 118; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18 Please come to Mass early enough not to disrupt. Leave late enough not to insult. Worship reverently enough not to distract. AND dress proudly enough not to offend. SATURDAY, APRIL 18 5:00 pm Kevin Cleary SUNDAY, APRIL 19 7:30 am +Jenny Geampa 9:00 am Parishioners of St. Thomas More 11:00 am +Bob Reynolds TUESDAY, APRIL 21 8:30 am +Noberhisto Pati WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 8:30 am +Victoria Quizon THURSDAY, APRIL 23 8:30 am +Justin A. Wiedemeier FRIDAY, APRIL 24 8:30 am +Charlotte Stemrich SATURDAY, APRIL 25 5:00 pm +Nicola Russo SUNDAY, APRIL 26 7:30 am +Corozon Viray 9:00 am +Eileen Komosinski 11:00 am Parishioners of St. Thomas More Prayer List * Linda Blanchard * Sonya Coronado * * Sharon DiCosmo * Gabriel Garcia * Jordyn Kube * * Derrick Sandoval * Alex Spartz * Names will be kept on the prayer list for two weeks, at which time you will need to call the Parish Office to update. Thank you.