ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 1 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN ALL THINGS CONSIDERED PLEDGING LENT You are invited to be a part of the 40 day journey to Jerusalem. Over these 40 days our community will walk, pray, exercise and reflect as a means of transforming each of us and all of us to be more Christ-like. Each week during these 40 days, there will a colored log available as you leave. It will have a reflection, some questions to ponder and a weekly theme. Participants are invited to use these ideas (or the daily reflection found in the Little Black Book of Lent), to transform their time spent in walking or other exercise into a spiritual exercise. Participants are then asked to fill in the log below and place it in the basket near the gift table when you come to Liturgy on the weekend. All the mileage will be added up to move us along the map in the Gathering Area. Our goal is to be in Jerusalem for the sacred three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Twenty minutes of prayer or twenty minutes of prayer & exercise both equal one mile. If your exercise routine is calculated in miles, list the mileage. Our parish goal is a healthier, holier community arriving in Jerusalem in time for Easter! LENT: A TIME TO PRAY TOGETHER! Lent is a time of prayer and penance, so that we can grow to be more like Christ. Those who join a small, faith-sharing group during Lent will spend some of their time praying together as will the couples who participate in the Couples Prayer series. Our community also offers you three ways to come together to pray with your fellow parishioners. Monday Evening Prayer offers a half hour of communal and contemplative prayer, along with a Scriptural reflection offered by a fellow parishioner. Weekday Eucharist is celebrated on Mon\Tues and Thurs\Fri at 9 am and Wed evening at 7 pm. (Week day Liturgies are simpler and last about 30 minutes.) Friday Stations of the Cross provides an opportunity for us to walk those last hours of Jesus life, so that we can witness and become witnesses of the love He shows us. During the journey, one of our parishioners will share a reflection with us on one of the stations. I hope you will take advantage of one of these opportunities to share in communal prayer. THE SCRIPTURES ALIVE!! At the end of February we will have m Arichibal & Janet Marie with us! Along with their life size puppets, they will tell us the parable & stories of the Bible! Mark your calendar now for February 28, 29 and March 1 at 7 pm. (Kids of every age will love it!!) Fr. Dave Howell THIS WEEK S LITURGIES February 15, Monday Lv 19:1-2, 11-18/Mt 25:31-46 9:00 am +Fr. Lawrence P, Delaney February 16, Tuesday Is 55:10-11/Mt 6:7-15 9:00 am +George and Ruth Bennett February 17, Wednesday Jon 3:1-10/Lk 11:29-32 7:00 pm Mass of Remembering February 18, Thursday Est C:12,14-16,23-25/Mt 7:7-12 9:00 am +Mary Ann Zych February 19, Friday Ez 18:21-28/Mt 5:20-26 9:00 am +Marguerite Cattermola February 20, Saturday Dt 26:16-19/Mt 5:43-48 February 21, Sunday Gn 15:5-12, 17-18/Phil 3:17 4:1/Lk 9:28b-36 4:30 pm Vigil +Kaye Williams 9:00 am +Al Schneider 11:00 am St. Mary Magdalen Parishioners SECOND SUNDAY IN OF LENT Genesis 15: 5-12, 17-18 This passage recounts the making of a covenant between God and Abraham. Ancient Near-Eastern people often established a covenant by cutting animals in half and setting the halves opposite each other. The participants walked barefoot in the blood flowing between the halves, thereby establishing a blood relationship. But this covenant involves God, who will pass between them in a more dramatic way. Philippians 3: 17 4:1 The ancient city of Philippi was located in what today is northeastern Greece. Paul s community of converts at Philippi was especially dear to him. In this section of his letter to them, Paul is upset but not with them. He has heard that false teachers have come to the community, teaching that Jewish food laws and the rite of circumcision applied even to Christians. Luke 9: 28-36 Today we hear the awesome story of the transfiguration. A few verses earlier Jesus extracts from his disciples the truth about who he is: The Messiah of God. Then Jesus shocks the Twelve with the truth that he must suffer, be killed, and raised. Here Jesus is in the company of Moses and Elijah, two great figures in salvation history, both suffered persecution. The three converse about the exodus of Jesus soon in Jerusalem. Reflect: How does knowing Christ transform your own life?
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Page 2 FEBRUARY 14, 2016 STEWARDSHIP REPORT Week of 2/7/2016 Approximately 1,633 people participated Env/Cash $21,505 EFT -0- Securing Our Future $ 2,950 TOTAL $24,455 Children s Collection $94.94 Oh, that today you would hear his voice. Hebrews 3:7 Please pray for the sick, especially: Emma Aiello Laurie Atkinson Jan Baldinger Larry Buslepp Thom Caprara Mark Comeau Hugh Conahan Marguerite Conkel Julie Everton Bill Gamble Jerry Gamble Frank Glowacki Tom Herrmann MaryAnna Horkan Greg Kalwasinski Teresa Kaminsky Walter Kovacs Sherri Kunkel Lucia Lehman Kelly Luck Gwen Maes Hogan McCuan Tom McSweeney Delaney Mitchell Christine Paweski Sam Petrocella Carol Phillips Betty Prise Michelle Schmid Betty Sharpy Mark Siegrist Elaine Sirko Tom Stadtmiller Kateri Sullivan-Golbiw Marylyn Trader Karin Tuthill Nick Yanick Tom Zremski John Mikaela MASS OF REMEMBERING A monthly Mass of Remembering will take place this Wednesday, February 17. Liturgy is offered for deceased parishioners and relatives, especially: Rena Weis, Catherine Black, Delphine Stelmasek, Nicholas Robari, Donald Pellerito, Addison Donahue, Jo- Anne Gawlowski, Bevery Lovio, Mary Retke, Charles Ruf, Lilian Russano, and Hal Weber. Good News!! Good News!! Janet Marie and marchibald with special guests Miz Geeza and Shermant Ondamount, will entertain and teach us the stories of Jesus. Using traditional hymns and original songs, stories from Scripture and original parables filled with love, humor and audience participation, they will share with us the Good News and invite us to be good news to others! Our Parish Mission will enthrall, entertain and make the heart of the Gospel real for all, young and old! It will take place 7:00 pm, on: Sunday, February 28,Monday, February 29 and Tuesday, March 1 Join us for one of the best times you ll ever have in church!!! BANNS OF MARRIAGE II. Debra Knepp and Michael Chappel II. Candice Gokey and Jacob Lambert THE WEEK AHEAD Monday, February 15 8:15 am Catholic Charities 9:00 am Preschool 6:00 pm Magdalen s Kitchen 6:30 pm Formation Meeting 7:00 pm CRHP Core Meeting 7:00 pm Evening Prayer 7:30 pm Couple Prayer 7:30 pm K of C Planning Meeting 7:30 pm School for Discipleship Tuesday, February 16 9:00 am Preschool 6:30 pm Boy Scout Troop #365 7:00 pm Community Life 7:00 pm Living the Eucharist Wednesday, February 17 9:00 am Preschool 9:45 am Moms 1:00 pm Knitters 4:30 & 6:30 Religious Formation 7:00 pm Mass of Remembering 7:30 pm Finance 7:45 pm Bible in Beads Thursday, February 18 9:00 am NO Preschool in AM 5:00 pm Preschool VIP Night 5:30 pm Religious Formation 7:00 pm Living the Eucharist 7:00 pm School for Discipleship 7:00 pm Wellness 7:30 pm Music Ministry Friday, February 19 9:00 am NO Preschool 6:00 pm Soup Supper 6:00 pm YAM Vicariate 7:00 pm Stations of the Cross Saturday, February 20 5:00 pm K of C Spaghetti Dinner 7:00 pm Euchre Tournament Sunday, February 21 9:00 pm RCIA Dismissal 9:30 am Blood Drive 3:30 pm Passion Play Rehearsal 7:00 pm Living the Eucharist 7:00 pm Youth Group All Weekend: Dearborn Meat Sales Girl Scout Cookie Sale
ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 3 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN Religious Formation News from Mary at mmahar@parishmail.com and Karen at sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org THANK YOU! To all parents who donated food and their time to help make our 9 th grade Super Bowl confirmation class a success! It truly was a team effort! 0ur 9 th grade youth really seemed to enjoy our Catholic sports-themed, interactive stations. 4 th Grade Solemn Penance Retreat: If you have not already done so, please RSVP by Friday, 2/19, to Karen in the church office the number of parents and/or guardians attending with your child. Parish Mission Coming February 28, 29 and March 1 at 7pm! Join us for one of the best times you ll ever have in church!! Our parish mission will enthrall, entertain and make the heart of the Gospel real for all, young and old! Watch for more information in the Visionary, Fr. Dave s column and in the gathering area. Family Penance Services: Thursday, March 3, at 6:30 and Saturday, March 5, at 10am. Have you been away from this Sacrament for a long time? Are you afraid you won t remember what to say? These youth-friendly services will help you celebrate this wonderful sacrament. Lent: How will your family make the journey from Lent to Easter this year? Will your family participate in a small-faith sharing group? Will your family participate Evening Prayer Monday evenings at 7pm? Will your family attend Liturgy Wednesdays at 7pm? Will your family attend Stations of the Cross Fridays at 7pm? Think about taking time to make this Lent a prayerful experience for the whole family. PLEASE pray about joining our catechetical team. We train you, give you mega amounts of support, and usually have a catechist, co-catechist and/or aide in each classroom. We even have Lead Catechists to help with lesson planning and classroom management. We are recruiting now so you can observe a class in action, see how much support is available, and look through the materials we provide. Feel free to call or email Karen in the office to see where your talents and gifts fit in. We need you. Even if you do not feel the classroom is the best place to use your talents, our Formation Team is in need of new members as well. This team helps set the direction of the programs and what goes into our classes. If you would like to share your gifts and talents and enjoy planning and/or working with youth, our Formation Team meets the third Monday of the month at 6:30 pm. You will find us in Room 3 tomorrow, February 15, at 6:30pm. Feel free to join us! Class Break: there are no Religious Formation classes next Sunday, February 21 - February 28. Classes will resume on March 2 and 3. Youth News from Margaret at yminister1@gmail.com and Jillian at jilliankillian25@gmail.com It seems as though we just celebrated the season of Christmas and have everything put away from such a colorful and bright time of the year and here we are now in Lent; a drastic change of scenery and emotion. But, if you think about it, Lent is just as colorful and bright if we truly take the time to grow in relationship with God and one another. How do you feel when you give forgiveness or seek it for yourself, joyous right?! What about that feeling you get when you sit with a shut in or a sick relative or visit a nursing home, peace and love right? Although Lent is reflective and quieter than Advent, this season can be filled with great excitement and anticipation. Color these bleak days in the desert with love, compassion and your time. You will find there are many reasons to be happy. I pray these next weeks and days find you seeking God in everyone and in everything. May you gain peace and contentment in your life. Thank you for your generous donations last weekend for our annual Souper Bowl Sunday collection for the poor. We collected just under $800, enough to continue our year sponsorship for a child in Honduras and for donations here locally for those in need. We are selling hams this weekend as a fundraiser to help cut the cost of our summer service trip. One last comment about our Winter Weekend Getaway.it is truly one of my most favorite activities I plan for the youth. I am still hearing about the fun they had, how awesome the serious and prayerful activity was and to witness the friendships made was awesome. With a few new chaperones this year, even us adults had fun and made new friends! EDGE On February 22 nd, we will be at Sky Zone for EDGE Night Out. You need to RSVP at https://brightonstore.skyzone.com/waiver/. There you will fill out the waiver to participate. This EDGE meeting is 6-8 pm. We ll meet at Sky Zone at 6pm, jump 6:30-7:30, and then have pizza and pop till 8 pm. The cost is $16 and includes the above plus Sky Zone socks. Transportation to and from the facility is your responsibility.
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Page 4 FEBRUARY 14, 2016 Adult Education and Formation Faith and Service - from Sr. Joyce pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org Lent Bread & Soup Suppers 6 pm Fridays during Lent in the Community Room. See the Chart at the Community Life Board to let us know you are coming, if you can bring bread or a pot of soup. Lent is a time for giving Alms and those taken will be given to a needy cause. Invite a friend and stay to pray the Stations of the Cross at 7 pm Regional 50 + Seniors Lenten Retreat Thursday, February 18 St. Joseph Church, Howell 9:30 am 2 pm Presenter: Fr. Charles Irvin Get you tickets from Sr. Joyce Cost: $9 to LCCC (Livingston County Catholic Charities) Euchre Tournament Saturday February 20, 7 pm come for a Euchre Tournament in the Quad. Cost is $5 per entrant that goes toward prizes. Bring a snack if you like but it is not necessary. See Sign ups at the Community Life Board. Prayer for Lent Merciful Father, send your Holy Spirit upon us this Lent to guide us by the Light of the Gospel. May we set aside all that impedes us from taking up our cross and following Jesus. May all our prayer, self-denial and acts of charity lead us closer to you and deepen our compassion for our suffering brothers and sisters. Revive in us a lively sense of the divine gifts of faith, hope and charity so that, whatever the circumstances of our lives, we can trust in your everlasting care. Amen. This weekend begins our Diocesan Services Appeal (DSA). Our DSA theme See That You Also Excel in This Grace of Giving, taken from II Corinthians 8:7, reminds us that growing in Christ includes growing in the grace of giving. Next weekend our parish, and all parishes throughout our diocese, will conduct Commitment Weekend for our Diocesan Services Appeal. This is when we will be asking each member of St. Mary Magdalen Parish to consider, prayerfully, a generous gift to DSA. Our parish goal can be reached if each one of us shares a portion of the many blessings God has bestowed upon us. Please prayerfully consider how you or your family will respond to this call to carry on Christ s work in our community. Charity & Justice Backpacks for Flint The released prisoner backpack program got off to a great start in December with the delivery of our first 25 stuffed backpacks. The next shipment is needed in the very near future and we are short of men's winter hats, tooth brushes and toothpaste. The back packs have been very well received and have played a significant role in getting released prisoners enrolled in training and on the path to a new life. Please consider helping this program continue to move forward. Hope in the Box February shopping lists for Hope in a Box are available at the Charity & Justice table. The requested items for this month are shampoo and bottled water. Thank you for supporting Hope in a Box. Senior Giving Tree On Ash Wednesday, the Senior Tree of Life will be in the Gathering Area. Tags on the tree represent the needs of senior citizens of the following organizations: Livingston County Catholic Charities, the area senior centers (Brighton, Hartland, and Howell), and White Pines Rehabilitation Center. Please take a tag and return it securely fastened to the item. All requested items must be returned by March 14. Please do not wrap any of the items. Please contact Dianne Sweeter at 248.842.7762 or at dsweeter@yahoo.com. Thank you for your support. Severe Weather Center For several weeks I have requested volunteers to help organize our parish s involvement to provide a place for the homeless of Livingston County on the coldest nights of the winter. Two people have responded to the invitation. If you can help, in a leadership capacity, please contact Deacon Gary at 810.229.8624 or deacon3@saintmarymagdalen.org. Unless three more people volunteer, At this point I am reluctant to go forth with any kind of commitment. Blood Drive St. Mary Magdalen Parish Sunday, February 21, 2016 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Childcare provided.
ST. MARY MAGDALEN Page 5 BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN i.d.916 Livingston ADORATION & GAME NIGHT WITH A TWIST GUEST SPEAKER: Deacon Peter Lawrence Friday, February 19 6:30-9:00 pm St. Mary Magdalen, Brighton DATE NIGHT YOUNG ADULT COUPLES MAR- RIED & ENGAGED Sunday, February 21 5:30-7:30 pm Location provided upon RSVP Questions on all Young Adult Ministry events can be directed to Shannon (810)588-7665 or info@livingstonyam.com Bible in Beads Join with us to reflect on the Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary, Wednesdays at 7:30 pm in the Library: February 17, 24 and March 2, 9 and 16. Childcare available. Call (248) 881-9505 for info. See www.bibleinbeads.com MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS God is speaking to you, but are you listening? Here is a class that will teach you how. Darlene March will offer a class for those who wish to learn centering meditation in silence and emptiness. Please join her in the Rectory Lower Level on Tuesday, March 8, 10 am, or that evening, 7 pm. You don't need to bring anything; just wear comfortable clothes. No sign up necessary-- just come. If you have any questions, contack Darlene March at: ddmarch56@gmail.com. Experience and Learn IGNATIAN CONTEMPLATION A Way of Prayer Presented by Linda Chevalier Wednesday February 24 10:00 AM in the East room and 7:30 PM in the North Room Ignatian Contemplation is imaginative contemplation, a way of prayer that can deepen our personal relationship with Christ, bring us to a more intimate knowledge of him, and so to a deeper love of him and a closer adherence to him. Prayer using the imagination is a pillar of the Ignatian spiritual tradition. Through the act of contemplation, the Holy Spirit makes present a mystery of Jesus life in a way that is meaningful for you now. You use your imagination to go deeper into the story so that God may communicate with you in a personal, evocative way. COUPLE PRAYER SERIES BEGINS THIS MONDAY! You and your fiancé or spouse are warmly invited to join us in the Community Room, this Monday, February, 15, 7:30 9 pm for the beginning of our special Couple Prayer Series (www.coupleprayer.org). Experience for yourselves why couples who not only attend church together weekly, but who also pray together daily, have a divorce rate of less than 1 divorce in every 1000 marriages. Come a few minutes early if registering at the door on Monday. As one couple responded after taking this series, Nothing we ve ever done has made the difference this has made in our lives. This is tremendous. WELCOME NEWLY BAPTIZED William Thomas Thiel, parents are Stacy & Tom; Cooper Paul Flavin, parents are Lisa & Zach; Izabelle Mae Szegda, parents are Rebecca & Tim; Leonardo William Hackett, parents are Lisa & Bill; Wyatt Jacob, Austin Patricia, and Annabel Clementine, parents are Tricia & Matt. MINISTERS OF PRAYER Sun Feb 14 Volunteer Mon Feb 15 Jan Iannuzzi, Bob & Pat Metz Tue Feb 16 Joyce Muchler Wed Feb 17 Sister Joyce Hoile Thu Feb 18 Jim Hynes Fri Feb 19 Pat & Steve Holden Sat Feb 20 Volunteer ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE Mon Feb 15 8:30 pm Men s Basketball Tue Feb 16 8:30 am Zumba 6:30 pm Troop 385 Wed Feb 17 6:00 pm HAYAA Basketball Thu Feb 18 8:30 am Zumba 5:00 pm Preschool VIP Night 8:30 pm Men s Basketball Fri Feb 19 Sat Feb 20 7:30 am Boot Camp Sun Feb 21 9:00 am Blood Drive 7:00 pm Youth Group
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Page 6 FEBRUARY 14, 2016 Tickets On Sale! Tickets are on sale for Livingston County Catholic Charities annual Salute to the Stars and Celebrity Dance Competition. Our 2016 celebrity dance teams are: Kate & Terry Braciszewski (Owners - Terry B s Restaurant) coach, Karen Wright of Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Karen Perez & Carlos Garza (Perez-Garza Family & General Motors) coach, Marcie & Sara Fergus of Spotlight Dance Studio. Crystal Wietecha & Jim Metz (LOC Federal Credit Union & Law Offices of James Metz II) coach, Karen Assenmacher of Karen s Dance Academy. Amanda & Ethan Whitesell (Lansing State Journal, Michigan.com & MBS Envision, Inc.) coach, Michelle Marzejon of Michelle s Academy of Dance & Performing Arts Center. March 12, 2016 Crystal Gardens, Howell Time: 6:30 pm Cost: $60/pp or $440/table of 8 Ticket deadline is March 1, 2016. Includes: Strolling Hors D oeuvres, Cash Bar, Mini Auction, Honoree Presentation & Dance Competition. On-line voting for your favorite dance team opens February 15, 2016. The team with the most votes on-line and at the event combined win the Community Favorite award! Votes are $5/ vote (can vote in increments of $5.00 for multiple votes). For more information, to sponsor the event or to purchase your tickets, contact Julie Amman at 517-545-5944. Individual tickets can also be purchased on-line through Eventbrite at www.livingstoncatholiccharities.org. Table tickets must be purchased through LCCC offices. Come Join the Fun! Brighton Catholic Volleyball Calling all girls in grades 4-8! Saint Patrick and Saint Mary Magdalen Parishes are forming teams to participate in a spring volleyball league. The league will run from mid-march through mid-may. Practices will be held on Wednesdays and games will be played on Friday nights against Howell, Hartland, South Lyon and Huron Valley teams. Parent Volunteer coaches will be needed. ALL COACHES MUST HAVE VIRTUS TRAINING. Registration deadline is February 22, 2016 For a copy of a registration form please email PJ O Leary: paddyoleary@sbcglobal.net Questions? Call Anne Grose (810) 844-0072 PJ O Leary (248) 672-4064