saint FRancis xavier parish May 27, 2018 Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. ~Matthew 28:20 Our Mission Statement St. Francis Xavier is a Catholic- Jesuit parish ignited by the Eucharist To Pray, Serve, Do Justice, and Love.
Gaudete et Exsultate -- Rejoice and Be Glad Pope Francis latest apostolic exhortation, Rejoice and Be Glad offers a rich reflection on the Call to Holiness in Today s World. It is both steeped in the church s teaching and in the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola. One of the key things to remember about Ignatius is that he was greatly concerned about the attitude we have towards things, even good things. A bad attitude about a good thing can lead us away from God, and for Ignatius, that s a deal-breaker. So the question isn t just whether something is good in the abstract, but whether it s good for us, and leads us to God which means examining our attitudes about it. When Francis condemns certain attitudes in Gaudete et Exsultate, he really is condemning the underlying attitude of people, and not the (often good) activities they are engaged in. When he wrote of a punctilious concern for the Church s liturgy, there was a sense in which he was going after people with more traditional or overly pious liturgical preferences. Francis never says traditional liturgy is bad and when he wants to be direct, he is. For Francis, the problem comes when we think we can engineer an experience of God or a particular outcome. Whether it is a more progressive liturgy that strives to be meaningful and relevant, or a more traditional liturgy that strives to be beautiful and reverent, we can easily get caught up in our own ideas of how things ought to be done placing ourselves and our ideas in the center rather than Christ. One example, might be the debate over how one should receive communion (in the hand or on the tongue), I have witnessed liberal priests refuse to give communion on the tongue, and even make snarky remarks about those who prefer to receive that way, and I have seen other priests do the same for those who prefer to receive on the hand. (Both are a minority, to be clear, but it happens. Pope Francis reiterates, the Church fully allows both ways of receiving the important thing is to remember you are receiving Christ.) A scrupulous attitude, which anyone can have about any liturgy, is never a good thing. We cannot engineer an experience of God because our experiences of God are precisely gifts of God. Any time we emphasize our own efforts to be holy, our attitude subtly pushes God away we are telling God I don t really need you. This is why Francis is so clear on the problems of Pelagianism and Gnosticism, ancient heresies that said we could get to heaven by our own efforts and that the minds of certain people are specially illuminated, respectively. Over a millennium later, we still want to say that the strength of our wills, or the sharpness of our minds, or the piety of our actions is enough to engineer the perfect thing (be it a liturgy, a social program, or a self-help regimen) to make us good or holy. Francis is clear: God s love is the deciding factor, not our efforts. And our attitudes towards one good thing should never be used as a weapon against another good thing. Francis noted that [some] Catholics consider [migration] a secondary issue compared to the grave bioethical questions, which has been taken as a slight against the Pro-Life movement. Catholics are always free to focus on one issue or another, and even engage in big tent alliances, working with people we disagree with in other areas to advocate for a specific issue, including Pro-Life advocacy. But when we belittle another s focus that is not our own, that s a problem. Our attitude towards the lives of the poor and the lives of the unborn must the same attitude, one of love and reverence. The immigration advocate cannot say to the pro-life advocate you re not pro-life, just pro-birth! and the pro-life advocate cannot say to the immigration advocate our fight is the important one! Ignatian spirituality is about shaping our desires and attitudes by encountering Jesus so that we are able to draw closer to God. Francis is not introducing new Catholic teaching with this exhortation; he s saying that you cannot support one part of Catholic teaching without supporting all of it, and that if you are, you need to examine whether you are doing this for reasons that are self-serving. This document could inflame rival camps in the Church, or it could lead everyone to careful self-examination no matter what camp they are in the Church. Every challenge Francis issues is a challenge to everyone, whether liberal or conservative. Francis is candid The Christian life is a constant battle, We need strength and courage to withstand the temptations of the devil and to proclaim the Gospel. This battle is sweet, for it allows us to rejoice each time the Lord triumphs in our lives (# 158) We know that a life of holiness overcomes the world never through conquest, but through mercy, by the surrender of those who love Him. When we ask if Francis is offering an exacting or an encouraging word the answer is simply yes; when we ask who he is talking to, the answer is everyone. Everyone is called to discern a life of holiness through mercy. Pastor 2
Items of Note: Faith Formation Parents of 2 to 5 Year Olds: On Thursday May 31st, from 5 to 6:30 pm in the Loyola Building, we will be hosting a conversation about a new early childhood faith formation program, rooted in scripture, tradition, and the Montessori method. We will launch Catechesis of the Good Shepherd next year. We will be joined by a national expert, Ann Garrido, PhD., refreshments and childcare provided. More info to follow and at www. cgsusa.org Interested? Questions? Contact Brian at 406-926-9797 or bjohnson@sfxmissoula.org We wish Rachael Beck and her family many blessings, safe travels and pleasant surprises as they begin a new chapter in Nebraska! Couples Corner "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." Online Giving ~ The Green Choice! Thank you for your support of St. Francis Xavier with your online donations through ConnectNow Giving. Many of you have already logged on and made your pledge of support but we d love for many more of our parishioners to do so. Not only is online giving easy - it is also the green choice saving St. Francis Xavier the cost of envelopes and a few trees along the way. With summer approaching and thoughts of travel on your mind, you can still contribute to St. Francis Xavier from wherever you are without having to worry about writing a check. All you need to do is visit sfxmissoula.org, click the Donate tab, and then click ConnectNow Giving or copy this link into your browser: https://giving.parishsoft.com/g3/ If you d like any help registering for the first time, I m more than happy to assist you and answer any questions you might have. Thank you for all you do to support St. Francis Xavier Parish! Katy McKinnon 406.541.6037 kmckinnon@sfxmissoula.org 3
Vamos a celebrar la Misa en español el domingo el 3 de Junio a las 6:00 pm en la parroquia de St. Anthony. Our next Mass in Spanish will be at 6:00 pm Sunday, June 3rd at St. Anthony Parish. Todos están bienvenidos! Fil-Latinarobics New session of AB Blade's Fil-Latinarobics (think Zumba) starting Monday, June 4th at 6 pm at the Loyola Center. Donations for every 6-week session will go toward Habitat for Humanity 2018 Good Neighbor Build! We are entering our fifth year of exercising together with proceeds of over $1200 going to various social outreach projects! For more information, please call Pam at 541-6041. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word At the Roxy Theater Directed by the legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire), Pope Francis: A Man of His Word is intended to be a personal journey with Pope Francis, rather than a biographical documentary about him. The pope s ideas and his message are central to this documentary, which sets out to present his work of reform and his answers to today s global questions. From his deep concern for the poor and wealth inequality, to his involvement in environmental issues and social justice, Pope Francis engages the audience face-to-face and calls for peace. Mass Scriptures for the Month of May, 2018 Saturday 5/26 James 5:13-20 St. Philip Neri Ps. 141 Mark 10:13-16 Sunday 5/27 Deut. 4:32-34, 39-40 The Most HOLY Ps. 33 Trinity Rom. 8:14-17 Matt. 28:16-20 Monday 5/28 1 Pet. 1:3-9 Ps. 111 Mark 10:17-27 Tuesday 5/29 1 Pet. 1:10-16 Ps. 98 Mark 10:28-31 Wednesday 5/30 1 Pet. 1:18-25 Ps. 147 Mark 10:32-45 Thursday 5/31 Zeph. 3:14-18a The Visitation of the Rom. 12:9-16 Blessed Virgin Mary Isa. 12 Luke 1:39-56 Mass Scriptures for the Month of June, 2018 Friday 6/1 1 Pet. 4:7-13 St. Justin Ps. 96 Mark 11:11-26 Mass Intentions for The Month of May, 2018 Saturday 5/26 Sunday 5/27 Monday 5/28 Tuesday 5/29 Wednesday 5/30 Thursday 5/31 For the People* Tim Burger Jim Giuliani Kaye Helms Robert Patterson Susie Byrne Bob Beausoleil Jack Holmes* Mass Intentions for The Month of June, 2018 Friday 6/1 Roger Keller Saturday 6/2 Jim Waters Sunday 6/3 For the People* Trisha Hagan Joan & Daniel Cullen Monday 6/4 Vincent Friia, Jr. * Tuesday 6/5 Elise Schallenberger* Wednesday 6/6 David Matthewa Thursday 6/7 Kenneth Marceau Friday 6/8 John Thaggard* Saturday 6/9 Mercedes Cookie Velasco Sunday 6/10 Tim Burger For the People* Susie Byrne Mass Stipend Suggested Mass stipend is $20 tax deductible... only the intangible value of prayer... 4
May 27, 2018 the Most Holy Trinity For Mass times, the Sacraments, and other inquires please refer to our website sfxmissoula.org Prayers Collections for Sunday, May 20, 2018 Regular Offering - $7848.00 Loose Collection - $1622.00 Aid to the Needy - $50.00 St. Mary's Cemetery - $70.00 Religious Ed - $20.00 Maintenance - $80.00 Online Giving - $1416.40 Thank you for your generous giving! For information on Jesuit vocations BeAJesuit.org Are you interested in finding out more about St. Francis Xavier and the Catholic Church? Whether you are baptized in another denomination, have never been baptized and are exploring Christianity for the first time, or are a former Catholic pondering a return to the Church, we are happy to talk with you, answer questions, and explore the many possibilities. May --- Carlton Quamme, Christina Peebly, Christopher Knight, Vince Harrington, Jim Buck, & Laura Fellin receive His healing and consolation. May --- Richard Brannon rest in peace in Our Lord s Loving arms. Eucharistic Adoration If you are interested in participating in Eucharistic Adoration and would like to commit to an hour of prayer in the church, please contact Kathy Kaiser 406.251.3704. Please Note: The Parish office will be closed on Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day. Find out more by contacting Brian Johnson bjohnson@sfxmissoula.org This Month at St. Francis Xavier Memorial Day Mass & Picnic at Noon on May the 28th to be held here at St. Francis Xavier The Knights of Columbus will provide, burgers, hotdogs, chips, and refreshments. Please bring a dish or dessert to share. Questions: Mike Hamlin 406.544.9820 St. Francis Xavier Parish will often use parishioner likeness in print, video, website or in social media sites for the purpose of sharing our church community with others. 420 West Pine Street, Missoula MT, 59802 406.542.0321 sfxmissoula.org 5