Inside this Issue 2 Time: The Foundation of Stewardship 3 The Month of Mary: A Time for Celebration and Joy 4 Leading Our Little Ones to Mary Through the May Crowning 6 A Significant Moment in Our Prayer The Presentation of the Gifts 7 Bringing to Life a Central Aspect of Our Faith The Lectors and Readers Ministry Connected to the Body of Christ Through the Prayer Circle Though we often focus our stewardship giving on more active forms of service, it s important not to forget an essential and powerful method of helping those in need prayer. For in lifting up our own intentions and those of our neighbors in prayer, we acknowledge our utter dependence on God s grace. This, in turn, leads us to a greater act of surrender, entrusting ourselves to a good and merciful Father and drawing us all closer together as a parish family. We re a community, says St. t de Paul Prayer Circle member Fran Gill. I think anything that we can do for each other helps us grow as a parish family. The Lord emphasized the importance of praying for each other, and this is one way for us to do that. Fran has been part of this ministry since the 1980s, back when it exclusively operated by phone. Today, however, the ministry has evolved to include three different prayer lines continued on page 5 Parishioner Fran Gill, longtime member and line leader of the St. t Prayer Circle. MAY 2018
Time: The Foundation of Stewardship The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has told us that stewardship is part of discipleship and is a way of responding to God s call in every aspect of our lives. We refer to the three facets of stewardship as Time, Talent and Treasure, and when we consider the importance of these three Ts of stewardship, the time component comes first by design. When we talk about stewardship of time, we are referring to prayer time. Prayer is of the utmost importance in a disciple s life, and it serves as the fertile ground from which the gifts of talent and treasure blossom. Only by spending time in prayer each day and receiving the sacraments are we able to consistently and generously donate our talent and treasure to the Church. When looking for examples of how to live our lives as disciples of Christ and as stewards of God s gifts, we can always turn to the great saints of our Church to guide us. And when it comes to the Stewardship of Time, the life of St. Damien is just one example of how prayer, or Time, is the foundation for our lives of stewardship. Shortly after being ordained a priest, St. Damien volunteered to serve a colony of lepers isolated on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. From May 1873 until his death in 1889 (at the age of 49) St. Damien worked to restore within the lepers a sense of personal worth and dignity. Although for some time St. Damien took the necessary precautions to ensure that he did not contract leprosy, he knew that physical touch was necessary to communicate his love and concern to those afflicted with the disease. He embraced the lepers, dined with them, cared for them, and anointed them in the sacraments. With great humility and sacrifice, St. Damien offered his own life in order to save the lives of others. From where did St. Damien draw his strength? What was the source of his inspiration? Were it not for the constant presence of our divine Master in our humble chapel, I would not have found it possible to persevere in sharing the lot of the lepers in Molokai, St. Damien wrote. The Eucharist is the bread that gives strength... It is at once the most eloquent proof of His love and the most powerful means of fostering His love in us. He gives Himself every day so that our hearts as burning coals may set afire the hearts of the faithful. St. Damien found his strength in the Mass, the greatest prayer of the Church. Prayer was the impetus behind the generosity of this faithful servant of God, and is the fuel that ignites every heart to flame in love. Without prayer, without the grace that flows from the sacraments, we are incapable of leading lives of service and responding to God s call! How much time do you dedicate to prayer each day? One hour? Fifteen minutes? None at all? Before you consider joining a parish ministry or volunteering your talents in service, and before you discern your gifts of treasure to the Church, be sure that prayer is your foundation. Identify a prayer schedule that is manageable. This may entail arising 20 minutes early each day to offer your work to the Lord, or attending daily Mass once a week. Every prayer commitment is unique and personal. Yet, no matter what, this time offering, this dedication to prayer, is the key to serving the Lord with faithfulness, generosity and joy. 2
A Letter From Our Pastor The Month of Mary: A Time for Celebration and Joy Dear Parishioners, In the Catholic Church, we designate a particular devotion for each month and May is when we honor our Blessed Mother Mary. This is a good time for us to think about and concentrate on our devotion to the Mother of God, particularly since Bishop Conley is urging us to pray the Rosary in our households. Of course, that assumes that daily prayer is part of our daily routine which it should be. Our Blessed Mother is important to our faith and to our Church. Her willingness to serve in a way that allowed the Lord to take human form really made our salvation a possibility. Because of her complete trust in God, she lived her life free from sin, and after her life, she was assumed into heaven by the power of God and crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth. She is, of course, not divine. Worship is given to God alone, but we honor Mary as a saint, and recognize her as the greatest of saints. We please God when we remember the role of Mary in our salvation, and foster our devotion to Mary. Devotion to Mary always leads to Jesus Christ Himself. Mary was joyous when she said yes to God. That is the kind of joy we need to seek and we, too, must say yes to the Lord. Let us be grateful to Mary for bringing us her Son. This is why we crown her on our Catholic version of Mother s Day. Through Mary, we are invited to learn the depth of her Son s love for us. Her feminine presence and her maternal protection help us to grow spiritually. For most of us, this time of year is a month of growth in relation to nature. It is difficult not to have May as one of our favorite months for so many reasons. May is a beautiful time. We are called to make it even more beautiful, by growing spiritually through our love for Mary, and as we serve and love one another. I have said many times that St. t s is filled with faithful people. I m truly blessed to be your pastor. During this month of May, let us deepen our love for Mary and strengthen our community in our prayers for one another. Sincerely yours in Christ, Msgr. Robert Tucker Pastor 3
Leading Our Little Ones to Mar God gave Mary to us as our Blessed Mother, and we should take every opportunity we have to honor her, says Carmen Brown. Every May, our parish and school community shows Mary what she means to us as our queen, our mother, and most of all, our heavenly friend. Every May, our parish and school community shows Mary what she means to us as our queen, our mother, and most of all, our heavenly friend. We have held the special tradition of the May Crowning for many years, says Carmen Brown, Coordinator of CCD and the Godparent Program. As Catholics, we believe in honoring our Blessed Mother Mary, and this is a great way to teach the children to do so, as well. We want to continue this tradition with our children in the future. They learn by doing. Events like the May Crowning help our young people see what is most important in life loving God, and savoring the treasures of our sacred faith. Marian devotion is important for children, because we should teach them to honor her, Carmen says. God gave Mary to us as our Blessed Mother, and we should take every opportunity we have to honor her. Annually, there are several different May Crowning ceremonies in our faith community. This year, our CCD children will have a May Crowning on Wednesday, May 2, at about 7 p.m. During the ceremony, the sixth grade CCD students will carry up flowers and Mary s crown in a procession, while students in grades one through eight will sing and pray two decades of the Holy Rosary the Assumption of Mary and the Crowning of Mary. Parents are more than welcome to come and take part in this beautiful family celebration. St. t Parish School will hold its May Crowning on May 1 at 7 p.m. During this elaborate ceremony, all will meet in the church to sing a song, and pray a Rosary led by the third-grade students. Next, a procession will follow, during which the boy students will hold gladiolas and form an honor guard, and the girl students will carry carnations. The fourth-grade girls will then come through the honor guard, carrying a crown, and everyone present will line up around the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary inside or outside, depending on the weather. Lastly, all will help to crown the statue, in honor of Mary s universal queenship. It is a very pretty ceremony, says Marilyn Bohaty, second-grade teacher at St. t School. Mary has such a meaningful role in our lives as the Mother of Jesus. The crowning is such a wonderful way to thank her for all she does for us. It also helps our students get involved with their faith in a way they will 4
y Through the May Crowning always remember. Children get very excited about hands-on things! Furthermore, the school s crowning coincides with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, which normally takes place on Wednesdays. It is really helpful to have the ceremony take place in such a sacred surrounding, and when adoration is going on, Mrs. Bohaty says. It makes it all the more special. Lastly, our parish usually holds a May Crowning ceremony before each of the Masses on one of the first weekends in May. A couple of young people are chosen to crown Mary while the congregation sings a Marian hymn. By crowning our Blessed Mother each year, we can remember how powerful our friendship with her can be, and bring our little ones along with us, as well! If you would like more information about the May Crowning, please contact Carmen Brown at 402-643-3521. THE PRAYER CIRCLE continued from front cover one for members who wish to be contacted by email and two other ones for members who prefer to be part of the phone line. And while the ministry may have evolved with technology, its purpose and function remains the same namely, to further unite us as a church family through intercessory prayer. Basically any time someone has a special prayer intention either for themselves or someone else, they can call either one of the phone line leaders or the church secretary in order to get the prayer chain started, Fran says. We send the intentions out either by email or through a phone call, and then each ministry member can pray for that intention in whatever way they wish. Prayer intentions vary from those with illnesses, difficult financial situations or emotional problems, to persons who wish their name and situation to remain entirely anonymous. Yet, no matter the particular circumstances, the person seeking prayer can know with confidence that they and their loved ones are being covered in prayer by the St. t Prayer Circle members. And in the process, Fran says, each member s prayer life can t help but be strengthened, as well. Any time we pray, our prayer life is strengthened, Fran says. It s really easy to do, too, because it s up to each individual to pray in the way they wish to pray. I, for example, pray for that person right away when the request comes in, and then when I m saying my Rosary later, I offer up one of the decades for the Prayer Circle intentions. Though the act may seem simple, the effects of those prayers though often unknown are truly life changing. This becomes apparent through the occasional emails from ministry benefactors, thanking ministry members for their prayers and sharing about the positive effects that it had on their life. It just makes you feel more connected to the Church, knowing that you re helping others through your prayers, Fran says. Parishioners interested in joining the St. t Prayer Circle or desirous of receiving prayers can contact either the parish office at 402-643-3421 or one of the current phone line leaders Betty Smith at 402-643-3242 and Fran Gill at 402-643-2765. 5
A Significant Moment in Our Prayer The Presentation of the Gifts Occasionally, you might hear someone jokingly refer to halftime during Mass the interval following the Prayers of the Faithful, as the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins. It can be easy, even tempting, to zone out as you sit, waiting for the collection basket to make its way to your pew. But if you pay attention, you ll have the opportunity to enter into something deeper a significant moment in our prayer. It s mentioned by St. Justin Martyr, one of the earliest Christian writers, when describing the Mass in the second century, Bread is brought up and wine and water This practice, of people bringing up the gifts, has been part of our Catholic tradition from the very beginning. Although we might think of this action as being merely practical, in reality, it serves a much deeper spiritual purpose. Each Sunday Mass, someone is chosen, whether an usher, or another member of the parish, to bring forward the gifts bread, wine, and in many cases, the collection of money that has been gathered moments before, from the generosity of the congregation. These gifts not only symbolize, but also in reality, are the work of human hands. The bread and wine are fruit of God s creation, which, through the effort of human hands, are made into the gifts that we present to the Lord. Certainly, the collection that is presented to the priest also serves to represent the work and sacrifices of the previous week. Sharing our monetary treasures is one of the ways that we embrace stewardship. It s an opportunity to generously give back to the Lord, from the fruit of our work. In his book What Happens At Mass, Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB explains, We should not think of the collection of money at this point as some sort of banal, dirty but necessary affair. Money is our work. Money is hours of our lives. And now we give it away, we sacrifice it, for the work of the Church. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul instructs Christians to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1). The physical act of carrying the gifts forward to the priest is meant to serve as a tangible reminder of the fact that we are all called to stewardship. We are all called to present to God our lives our work, our talents, the struggles and victories of the past week as an offering and gift to God. Those who bring forward the gifts each week have the privilege and responsibility of remembering what their action represents that we are called to give generously of our time, talent and treasure to God, who gives us His very self, at Mass. And for those sitting in the pews, tempted to check out for a few minutes, seeing the gifts being brought forward should serve as a powerful reminder to offer our lives back to God, through serving and honoring Him. So next week, don t just sit back and wait for the halftime show. Come to Mass a few minutes early and approach an usher to ask if you and/or your family may bring up the gifts that week. Don t be surprised if you start to notice a change in your heart and a desire to be even more generous with God in the coming week! 6
Bringing to Life a Central Aspect of Our Faith The Lectors and Readers Ministry Since the beginning of the Church and even before, in the Jewish tradition the faith was passed on through the spoken word. From the reading of the Torah at synagogues to the proclamation of Scripture at the earliest Masses recorded in the New Testament, the proclamation of the Word of God has always been a central aspect of the faith. At St. t, those who serve as lectors proclaim the Scriptures, each week, to their brothers and sisters at Mass. I wanted to give back to my parish in some fashion, says parishioner Ryne Seaman of how he first became involved as a lector 20 years ago. Being a lector is a deep honor for me and I try to do my best and put forth a clear message to each of the parishioners in the pews. Sharing God s Word with those gathered at Mass each week is a responsibility that Ryne takes seriously. Aware of the significance of the words he is proclaiming, not only does he practice and prepare, but he also asks for God s help. There is preparation and there are prayers that I deliver a clear message and will hopefully be part of a Mass that s inspirational to parishioners, Ryne says. I hope I deliver a message of hope and salvation and mercy, that will give [parishioners] an opportunity to reflect. It s a very humbling experience to be able to serve in this role and I take it very seriously, and I want to be fully prepared to deliver the message, he adds. Being a lector has also helped Ryne to come to a deeper appreciation of the Scriptures. I think lectoring on a monthly basis has given me a greater appreciation for the message and for Scripture in general, Ryne says. I read the Scripture daily I ve done that for a number of years now. It tells the story of our religion and its origins, and the inspiration it gives me on a daily basis is very integral to putting my faith into action. I try to figure a message God is trying to tell me on a daily basis or how it can be applied to what I m dealing with on a daily basis, Ryne adds. Ryne encourages his fellow parishioners to consider serving in this way. It begins with individual prayer and asking if God is calling in the direction of serving as a lector, Ryne says. Taking a chance it s an opportunity to deepen your faith. If I can do it, anybody can, he adds, with a smile. I would ask people to consider it. It takes everyone being involved in some fashion for us to be a parish that is vibrant and active in growing and helping each one of us to better serve our Lord. If the Lectors and Readers Ministry is something to which you feel called, please contact Msgr. Tucker at 402-643-3421 to discuss the possibility. 7
152 Pinewood Avenue Seward, NE 68434 (402) 643-3421 stvincentseward.org Join Us for Our Annual Parish Retreat at St. t! Friday, June 1, at 6 p.m., and Saturday, June 2, at 8 a.m. You are warmly invited to be part of a life-changing event taking place right here in our own parish. Join us as we take time to reflect on God s goodness and presence in our lives and listen for what more He has in store for each one of us! Whether you have attended many retreats, or if this will be your first, take this step to re-energize your faith and your life by reconnecting with our Lord Jesus Christ, Who wants you to know Him deeply and to give you His peace. The retreat will include Mass, inspiring talks by Deacon Don McArdle (retreat leader and CEO of Catholic Stewardship Consultants), time for quiet reflection and brief small-group discussion. The retreat is divided into four sessions over June 1 and 2 God Is Love, Discipleship, To Be a Christian Steward and Stewards of the Church. There is no cost to attend. Dinner, breakfast and lunch are included. LITURGY SCHEDULE Daily Masses: Monday thru Friday at 7:00 a.m., Saturday at 8:00 a.m. Sunday Obligation Masses: Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Sunday at 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Confession: Monday thru Saturday: 20 minutes before each daily Mass, Saturday: 4:30 to 5:20 p.m., Sunday: 7:30 to 7:50 a.m. & 9:30 to 9:50 a.m. Other confession times available by appointment