Liturgy Sunday, July 15, 2018 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) In June of last year, the United Nations estimated that there were 7.6 billion people living on Earth. In an even more jaw-dropping statistic, the Population Reference Bureau has estimated that approximately 108 billion people have lived on Earth since the beginning. So can you imagine that before God created the world, in the midst of these 108 billion people who would live in it, he knew you perfectly and chose you to be with him? When we hear that God chose us before the foundation of the world, it can sound so theoretical. We think of us as a universal group: God s people. And while we are all part of this large group, we are not just anonymous members of the crowd. God s love for us is not generalized. It is personal and specific. He loves you for who you are. He loves you in the best way you can be loved. As overwhelming as this may sound, let this truth sink in today. Even if there were 100 trillion people, it doesn t matter. You with all your quirks and idiosyncrasies were in God s mind and in his heart from the beginning. He created you with a specific purpose, and he longs for you to be with him forever! Here s one way to ponder this amazing truth: take today s second reading, and wherever you see the word us, substitute your name. For example, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed [your name] in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose [your name] in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him (Ephesians 1:3-4). Reread the whole passage slowly a couple of times. Proclaim it out loud. Let God expand your understanding of how much he loves you. Then bask in that love today. Father, I am so amazed to know that I am in your heart. Help me to trust and rely on your personal love today and every day. Amos 7:12-15 Psalm 85:9-14 Mark 6:7-13 Next Week s Readings -Year B July 22, 2018 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading Jeremiah 23:1-6 I will gather the remnant of my flock and appoint shepherds for them. Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want. 2nd Reading Ephesians 2:13-18 Christ is our peace who made both one. Gospel Mark 6:30-34 They were like sheep without a shepherd. Our readings today reveal and confirm God s desire to shepherd us: to care for, protect, and comfort us as shepherds tend their sheep. In the first reading, God promises to provide shepherds for the people, particularly a descendant of David who will rule wisely and justly. In the Gospel, Jesus, Son of David, is moved with pity when people flock to him, comparing them to sheep without a shepherd. With these passages in mind, we are able to sing in the psalm, The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. The Funeral Mass for parishioner Delores (Dede) Gonzales will be held in the church on Friday July 20th, at 10:30. A rosary will be said at 10am There will be a reception after the mass at the Greenwood Masonic Hall. All are welcome. Women s Recollection Our next Evening of Recollection for Women will be on Thursday, July 26, 2018 (7:00-9:00 pm.) The recollection will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 22209 58th Avenue W, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. **Confession starts at 6:30 p.m., before the recollection. THERE WILL BE NO RECOLLECTION IN AUGUST. The next Devotion of the Stations of the Cross will be August 8, at 7pm in the church. Contact Jim Russell at russelljim12@gmail.com for more information.
Parish Life PARISH STEWARDSHIP Collection for week of July 8, 2018 Total Budget for 2017 2018 Sacrificial Giving is $741,020. Divided by 52 weeks = $13,696.04 needs to be collected each week. Mail in 5pm Vigil 8:30am 10:30am Electronic Total $ 585.00 $ 947.00 $ 1,998.00 $ 2,488.00 $ 5,134.35 $ 11,152.35 (This does NOT include restricted donations such as Holy Day Collections, (Christmas and Easter), and donations made to our ministries or coffee & donuts.) FYI We are unable to process mutilated or foreign currency and it will not be counted towards our deposit. The St. John Book Club is r eading Our Lady of the Lost and Found by Diane Schoemperlen. Nancy Busch Allen will be hosting the next book club meeting at 7pm, July 24th at her home 6526 1st Ave NW. Thank you Nancy for hosting. I've mentioned before that music and singing are my favorite parts of the mass. Last weekend, Fr. Crispin encouraged us to spend most of our prayer time in praise and thanksgiving, before adding our petitions. Praise doesn't come easily to me. Is it an American culture thing, or just a problem with me? I don't know. As I was thinking about praise, the 10:30 choir sang one of my favorite communion meditations, the refrain from He's My Source, repeated Taizé style. Imagine tweaking the wording a bit, and singing this as a prayer of praise. You're my source of light that shines in my darkness, You're my source of living water that I need every day. You're my sword and my shield, you're the fairest of ten thousand. You're my bright morning star, my soon coming king, my risen Lord. [repeat] [Thanks to the 10:30 choir.] If you have prayer nuggets you'd like to share with the parish, email Bill Marty, bill@takenroad.com. Thanks! The Young Adult Group for people in their 20s and 30s will meet Sunday, July 22 at 7:00 pm in the mezzanine for munchies, beer, and fellowship. There will be a speaker on Catholic Social Teaching. Please come and bring a friend! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL! Christ the King parish has invited St. John's kids to join their Vacation Bible School this summer! July 30-August 3 from 9 am to 12:30. This is for kids who will be in Kindergarten through 5th grade in the fall. Please see the attached flyers for information and registration. They are also looking for adult volunteers. (St. John VBS will return in summer, 2019, when we're no longer under construction!) The Youth Mission Trip is collecting items for the migrant workers and their families. Our Mission Trip participants will be proud to deliver items donated by St. John parishioners. Canned food, (especially meat products,) socks, underwear, gardening gloves, diapers, wipes, formula, children s books, crayons, math flash cards or workbooks, and stuffed animals would all be appreciated. We will have a BIG COLLECTION at 10:30 mass on August 12. But you can bring items to the parish office any time between now and August 19. Thank you for your generosity to people in need! (office hours for parish office are still the same, 8am-4pm, Monday thru Friday.) Let s Finish this Campaign! Only $13,335 to go! We have now moved into our 10th week of the 2018 Annual Catholic Appeal. We have received pledges/gifts from 222 households for a total of $87,020! We have just over 1000 households in our Parish. If each one of the remaining 800 households gave just a little we could make our goal of $100,355 easily! It's not too late for you to give! If you haven't already done so, won't you please consider making a gift this year? No gift is too small. If you're unsure what to give, please consider a gift of $1 a day or $365 or more. Go online to https://donate.seattlearchdiocese.org/aca or use a pledge envelope. If you'd rather call in your gift to the Appeal Office, they can be reached at 800-809-4921. Thank you to all those who have made their pledge to ACA!
St. John Young Adult Group (People in your 20s and 30s) Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events and bring a friend! July 22: 7:00 p.m. in the mezzanine (79 th Street above the gym). Snacks, drinks, and discussion on Catholic Social Teaching. Sheila Connolly, dynamic speaker and teacher extraordinaire, will lead this discussion. August 25: 11:00 a.m. at Agua Verde in the U. District. Meet at the kayak rental area for kayaking followed by lunch at Agua Verde. September 16: 7:00 p.m. in the newly-renovated rectory. Snacks, drinks, and fellowship. High School Week of Service and Fun! August 6-10 Grow your heart, have some fun, get some service hours under your belt! A group of up to 12 high schoolers will volunteer at various charities around town in the mornings and have fun in the afternoons. Contact Kristin Kent with questions: kkent@stjohnsea.org Contact the Parish office for permission slip and more details. Middle School Mission trip to the Skagit Valley! August 19-24 There are a few spots left for this wonderful opportunity for middle-schoolers (including kids who just graduated and will be freshmen next year). Your new Blanchet freshman can get ALL service hours for the coming school year completed this summer. Highly recommended! Contact Kristin Kent at kkent@stjohnsea.org Camp Don Bosco Hispanic Family Camp 2018: Rejoice & Be Glad For the tenth consecutive year, Camp Don Bosco in Carnation will host a Hispanic Family Camp August 24-26. Conducted entirely in Spanish, the event aims to celebrate and strengthen families through faith-filled activities, opportunities for recreation, offering access to community resources relevant to families and closing Mass on Sunday. For more information, contact Annie Bailey 206-274-3194 or Ana.Bailey@seattlearch.org Campamento para Familias 2018: Alegraos y regocijaos Por celebrarse en el Campamento Don Bosco en Carnation del 24-26 de Agosto por décimo año consecutivo. Realizado completamente en español, este evento busca celebrar y fortalecer a las familias mediante actividades de fe y recreacionales así como ofreciendo acceso a recursos relevantes para las familias. Para mayor información, favor de contactar a Annie Bailey 206-274-3194 o Ana.Bailey@seattlearch.org