Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Lent 2019 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES IN MISSION
Fi rst Dow n & 40 BY FR. ERIC TELLEZ, PASTOR Dear Friends, There is no Easter celebration without journeying through the Lenten season. A common understanding of Lent, by many, is the practice of self-sacrificing or giving up something for Lent. Looking from the outside this sacrificing practice can seem very odd. Why would anyone want to deny themselves the good things in life and cause personal misery? Is there any good in such a practice? At the very root of sacrifice is love. If the core of loving others is wanting what is good for others, it means that love will require more than just warm feelings towards another. It means learning to place the others needs before our very own. Now there are certain people in our lives that make it easy for us to place them before ourselves. It could be our children, our spouses, people we identify as family members, or maybe someone who has significantly touched our lives. We can see ourselves saying we can sacrifice something in ourselves for the betterment of the other. God is asking us to be willing to expand that sacrificial love towards others. We all know that this can be more of a challenge. Here is an insight that might help. Offering up something (sacrificing) during Lent for someone else can remove the indifference we might have towards another person. In other words sacrificing, offering our sacrifice in honor of another person can remove barriers of indifference or even those feelings of not seeing the human dignity in the other. In today s modern world we can be in constant communication with others, even seeing images instantly, and yet be indifferent to the others suffering, needs or their yearning to be included. This is one of the great social sins that we see all around us. Yet, we are given the gift of another Lenten season to broaden our sacrificial love towards those we find difficult to love or offer them the gift of their value to God s family. Sacrifice does make us more unified with all humanity. As we focus on our crucifix in our sanctuary during Lent, we see one of the greatest acts of sacrificial love, Jesus placing our needs before His own, the Servant of All. This is what Lent draws us towards, to be more like Jesus in offering sacrificial love towards others. I look forward to journeying with all of you this Lenten season as we make our way towards the joyful Easter season. At Easter time, I wonder whose lives you and I have changed by removing the barriers of indifference towards them. I can hardly wait to see who they will be. Peace in Christ, - FR. ERIC Lente n Surv ival K it Praying Make a commitment to Mass; attend daily Mass; spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; pray the Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings; pray as a family by reading through the upcoming Sunday reading from our website; find a devotion or prayer for this special season; as a family listen and talk about the Gospel. Fasting Giving up things for Lent is a powerful experience. Fasting could entail eating less than normal, or fasting from the good things we love to eat. We may also choose to fast from things like television, the internet, social media, or things that consume us. We should reflect on how fasting from such things might help us live differently at Easter time. Almsgiving Put money aside as an offering; reach out to neighbors, co-workers and others who could use your support; use the Lenten Almsgiving resources available in the Narthex; participate in Undies Sundays; lessen another s burden by placing the needs of others before your own needs; be open to understanding your own blindness to the suffering around us.
R ec lamation P r o je c t BY BRIAN CANNON, DIRECTOR OF EVANGELIZATION & FAMILY LIFE Today s world moves at the speed of light. The human experience in our culture is now nearly inextricably meshed with the digital experience. The flow of conscious information that we consume is filtered, edited, and curated by others with a mind to influence us. This leaves us light on experience, but heavy on opinion heavy on factionalism, but light on reflection. Human beings become a means to an end for political ideologies, power structures, and profit models. ways. God s grace and mercy are offered to us at every step along the way. I believe that part of our reclamation project this Lent is simply being able to recognize the presence of God. Not fasting from, but fasting for. Lenten fasting can easily slip into the pattern of routine. Well, it s that time of year again, looks like I won t be having chocolate for a month and a half. The what when we fast is not half as important as the why. Fasting doesn t just help us focus on our relationship with God, it makes space for us to be more present and respond more fully to the needs of others. Just imagine how much more present your teenager might be to you if they fasted from playing Fortnite? What other uses could we find for the money spent on a morning latte? Lent, more than ever, gives us an opportunity to rip out some of the insulation that has built up between our inner core and the experiential world. It s as if years and years worth THEY ARE A of tarnish has accumulated on the silverware (metaphor alert: we re Giving as relationship. MEANS OF the silverware). So, the foundational RECONNECTING practices of Lent; praying, fasting, Make your giving during Lent a WITH THE VERY and almsgiving, are not an endurance vehicle for the encounter with Christ. SOURCE OF Allowing Christ to address another s test. Rather, they are a means of reconnecting with the very source of OUR LIVES. physical needs through your giving our lives and stripping off the tarnish is important, but it s not a sufficient that has obscured our identities. end in and of itself. Sometimes we give just to make ourselves feel better and in ways that Praying for the encounter. are particularly convenient for us, but not truly helpful. Just remember that God s love is a If you re like me, prayer often takes the form relationship. Follow the prompts of your heart of a rushed and somewhat desperate request and truly connect with someone. Whether the for help or a suggestion for a meaningful, but encounter is long or short, with a good friend small, adjustment in my life. Maybe this Lent or complete stranger, the relationship will draw we simply ask that God be revealed to us in new you closer to the heart of God.
Italian for In the Presence of, In Presenza Di is an opportunity for the entire community to gather before the Blessed Sacrament for a time of prayer, praise, teaching and adoration. Based on an old Franciscan devotion, this contemplative night contains praise & worship, silence, scripture, a reflection, and adoration all done in the presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. Lenten Series: Every Wednesday During Lent 6:30-7:45 pm in the Daily Mass Chapel P ray ing, F astin g & Alms giving OUR Stewardship GPS is Giving, Praying and Serving. The three pillars of Lent are Praying, Fasting and Almsgiving. See how similar? Praying and Giving are in both. The difference comes in the other one. Lent is a time of reflection and a time to work with God on making changes to ourselves. Fasting helps with that. This year, as we pray during Lent, we ask that you focus on fasting. This year, really give it your best effort. America Magazine puts it this way... There is a place for fasting in contemporary Catholic spirituality, but the practice must be based in love of God and love of all God s creatures. Following the catechesis in Matthew 6, it must be linked to prayer, by which we express love of God, and to almsgiving, by which we express love of neighbor. It must be rooted in an imitation of Jesus in the desert, in a personal acknowledgment of GPS FOR LENT BY D IANE K AR our hunger for God s word and in an awareness of our solidarity with those who hunger for bread. In the final analysis, fasting is not an end in itself, but a practice that enhances our love of God and of neighbor. So as we fast from food and other things this Lent, and as we feel the pangs of hunger for that food or those things, we pray for those who go without. If you are giving up something you would normally spend money on, like coffee, fast food, candy, etc., save that money during Lent and GIVE ALMS to our Catholic Charities Community Services Counseling, Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl, or Habitat for Humanity. And finally, turn our focus to God and ask Him to help us know, love and serve Him more. If you have any questions, contact Diane Kar at dkar@stpatcc.org or 480-998-3843 x137
Adult Initiatio n BY JOHN KONICEK, DIRECTOR OF ADULT FORMATION & PARISH SPIRITUALITY St. Patrick Catholic Community is known for its welcoming spirit. And while we most often think of this welcoming as something we do for Catholics from other parishes, we also, like most parishes, welcome those who are not Catholic or even Christian. Many come with friends or family members, and sometimes they seek full membership to our parish through a process called Adult Initiation. Adult Initiation at St. Patrick is an ongoing, year-round opportunity for adults to explore becoming Catholic. If you are an adult who has never been baptized or was baptized in another Christian tradition and you wish to grow deeper in your relationship to Jesus Christ, then Adult Initiation may be for you. Initiation is framed in a process of conversion which occurs over a period of time. This journey takes place in small groups with a trained team of facilitators who walk with those seeking to become Catholic. The process is centered in prayer, breaking open the Sunday Readings, sharing faith and life experiences, and celebrating sacred Rites. During the season of Lent, our Catechumens [those seeking Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist] and the Candidates [those seeking full communion into Catholicism but already baptized in another Christian faith] become the Elect of God through the Rite of Election on the first Sunday of Lent. In addition, Scrutinies are celebrated on the last three Sundays before Holy Week. The Lenten season and rites allow the participants to discover what it means to descend into the waters of baptism and rise at Easter to a renewed and deeper commitment to Jesus and to the Church. The elect will celebrate the Easter Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist during the powerful Easter Vigil. At times this process does not enjoy much visibility on the part of the worshiping community except for sending forth the Catechumens and Candidates after the homily every Sunday at Mass. However, Adult Initiation is so very much a celebration, not of a secluded group, but of the entire assembly. Those preparing for the Rites of Initiation at Easter remind us of our desire to be made whole as the body of Christ, of our unity and calling as disciples. The sending each Sunday is less of a removal of persons who can t fully join us around the table of Eucharist as much as it is a reminder to us of how our hearts yearn for the day when they will join us. We also remember to pray diligently and faithfully for these persons chosen and called by Christ. Their faith journey presents to us what it means to be the body of Christ and of our own desire to be renewed in living out our own baptismal faith. It s a communal process. Don t hesitate to approach them and get to know them. Ask them about the path of faith they have been walking. Tell them about yours. Let us be Christ to one another. If you are interested in this process, please call John at the Parish Office.
Undies Sundays LENTEN COLLECTION At all the weekend Masses during Lent, we will be collecting underwear for those in need. This collection will help André House, Circle the City, Justa Center & Paz de Cristo meet the needs of the people they serve. These organizations request: new cotton briefs, Men, sizes 32-38 and Women, sizes 5-8 Thank You. MATTHEW 25 PROJECT Answering the Call to Welcome the Stranger Learn More & Get Involved: STPATCC.ORG/MATTHEW25
LENT TRIDUUM EASTER 2019 The Season of Lent Undies Sundays Collection at all Weekend Masses during Lent Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Wednesday, March 6: 9:00 am - 10:00 am & 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wednesdays, March 13, 20, 27, April 3 & 10: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Wednesday, March 13: 9:00 am - 11:00 am Monday, April 15: 6:30 pm The Sacrament of Reconciliation will not take place on Saturday, April 20 Centering Prayer of Compassion Guided Prayer based on Joyce Rupp s Boundless Compassion Wednesdays during Lent from 9:00 am - 9:50 am in Fenlon Hospitality Center St. Pat Chapter Chat Words from the Hill Book Club Thursdays, March 7, April 4 & May 2 from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm In the Presence of: In Presenza Di Praise, Worship, Eucharistic Adoration & Exposition, Scripture, Teaching, and Quiet Prayer Wednesdays, March 13, 20, 27, April 3 & 10 from 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm in the Daily Mass Chapel Stations of the Cross Fridays, March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5 & 12 at 6:00 pm Fish Fry Fridays Fridays, March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5 & 12 from 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm (Proceeds benefit Catholic Charities Community Services Counseling Program) The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick with the Crosier Fathers March 9 & 10 after all Weekend Masses Saint Patrick Feast Day Celebration March 16 & 17 (Wear green to Mass!) Bishop Olmsted will celebrate with us at the 10:30 am Mass on March 17 Taizé Prayer Prayer around the Cross Monday, March 18 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the Daily Mass Chapel An Evening with Fr. Kevin O Brien, S.J. Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology, Santa Clara University and a presenter on the recent Panel Discussion, The Catholic Church and the Catastrophe of Clergy Sexual Abuse Monday, March 25 at 7:00 pm Beatitudes Podcast New release on March 26 & April 21 Men s Mass & Breakfast Speaker: Scott Bagshaw Saturday, March 23 from 8:30 am - 10:30 am Holy Week & Easter Palm Sunday of the Lord s Passion April 14 Please Wear Red Saturday 5:00 pm Church Sunday, 8:00 am Church 10:30 am Church & Fenlon and 5:00 pm (Youth Liturgy) Church Lenten almsgiving banks & envelopes returned this weekend (Please convert loose change to bills or checks) Holy Thursday April 18 7:00 pm Mass of the Lord s Supper Church Good Friday of the Lord s Passion April 19 12:00 pm Family Stations of the Cross Church Featuring ministers from Stepping Stones, The EDGE & Singing Angels. 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Quiet Prayer and Meditation 7:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy Church Passion, Veneration of the Cross & Eucharist Holy Saturday April 20 Easter Basket Blessing at 11:00 am Daily Mass Chapel The Easter Vigil at 7:00 pm Church Easter Sunday April 21 6:00 am Church 8:00 am Church & Fenlon Hospitality Center 10:30 am Church & Fenlon Hospitality Center 12:30 pm Church ST. PA TR ICK CA THO LIC COM M UNITY C H RISTIAN DISC IPLES IN M ISSION
Lenten Fish Fry EVERY FRIDAY DURING LENT March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5 & 12 4:30-7:30 pm Fenlon Hospitality Center All proceeds benefit Catholic Charities Counseling Program Tickets will be sold at the door. Adult: $10 Child $5 Family Special: $25 (2 adult meals, +1 child and all other children free!) WHEN WE WORSHIP WEEKEND st. patrick Catholic Community CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES IN MISSION 10815 N. 84TH ST. SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260 PHONE: (480) 998-3843 FAX: (480) 998-5218 PARISH OFFICE HOURS Monday - Thursday: 8:30 am - 8:00 pm Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Summer: Monday & Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Tuesday - Thursday: 8:30 pm - 8:00 pm Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 8:00, 10:30 am & 5:00 pm (Youth Liturgy) WEEKDAY Monday - Friday: 8:00 am Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 5:30 pm OUR WEBSITE A vibrant home for resources, information on the sacraments, articles, podcasts, videos and more. WWW.STPATCC.ORG STPATRICKSCOTTSDALE