JUST BE KIND A week or so ago when I was scheduled for the Midnight Mass (the 6:30 a.m. weekday Liturgy), I began to read through all of the readings for the upcoming week that Sunday afternoon. Yet, I found myself still pondering the Sunday readings for that Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Psalm especially for that weekend had called for disciples to be gracious, merciful, and compassionate. I was stuck at gracious. Just what is/was gracious? I hadn t heard that word used since my mother had said that, one of her friends was a gracious person and to act accordingly when we visited. Indeed, as I looked up gracious, there happened to be a chart on the web site that I visited showing the frequency of the use of the various words. Gracious was used frequently in the 1800s but the chart showed that the word gracious almost flat-lined by 2010. Did this mean that we moderns stopped using the word? Did modern Americans, like myself, stop using the word because we had no idea of what it meant to be gracious? Had social media taken it s toll on graciousness with the lack of opportunity to actually be social? I mean, that we have all experienced to some degree, either by watching or participating, the act of being in the same spot with another person and actually texting one another and not engaging in actual conversation. I must confess. I have been on car trips and instead of talking, I have asked questions, sent quips, photographs, cute sayings, etc. via text while people were less than a foot away. Mea culpa! I don t think that was gracious. Well, I had the perfect opportunity with the upcoming weekly homilies to investigate not only gracious, but merciful and compassionate as well. The readings for that week actually lent themselves to this task quite well. That Monday I explained my dilemma and with the collective wisdom of the Early Birds we set out to find out what the scriptures were asking of us. Several early morning Mass attendees came up to me after Liturgy and gave me examples and situations where someone had acted in a gracious manner. Well, at least I knew that they were listening. Some of the synonyms for gracious were, among many, considerate, courteous, polite, thoughtful, kind. In Christian belief and usage, gracious meant showing divine grace. Alright, we were getting somewhere. Parishioners kept giving me their own definitions such as joyful giving as an attempt to better understand. So, we tackled merciful and compassionate in the same manner. It was quite easy to begin to get a handle on these words or give examples of when someone was gracious or merciful or compassionate. However what seemed to be lacking was making these words, these attributes part of our individual lives. We knew when someone was gracious, or merciful, or compassionate but how did we become gracious, merciful, or compassionate? Is not Liturgy meant to change us, transform us, converts us? How does this work in our own lives? We (I needed!) agreed we needed some simple act or advice or a constructive way to become more of what the Scriptures were asking us to become. I needed a visual reminder! A chart, I needed a chart. I looked at all of the words again. I looked at their definitions. I looked at their synonyms again. These words were used to define the other. Merciful was used to define gracious. Compassionate was part of being merciful. Gracious was the act of being compassionate with others Then it jumped out! There it was obviously present. The one word that was used to help in defining the other three words-kind! To be gracious was to be KIND. To be merciful was to be KIND. To be compassionate was to be kind. KIND. Simple, direct, easy, and obvious; all we had to be was KIND! In being KIND, one was on the road to being gracious, to being merciful, to being compassionate. Our lives would be more attractive to others when we are KIND. That is one of the components to Evangelization. To live lives that are attractive to others. To evangelize is to be KIND. That week we heard in Scripture that The mission of Jesus is authenticated. (by being KIND) Jesus prayed to send (KIND) laborers for the harvest. Jesus chooses and sent (KIND) disciples to proclaim the reign of God. We are called to share God s love as gift (KINDly). When one encounters opposition and even persecution, return it with KINDness. There it was! JUST BE KIND. JUST BE KIND. JUST BE KIND Love and KINDness, Fr. JC
16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME PARISH NEWS I am the Light of the World, whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life. ~John 8:12 Perhaps you or someone you know is considering becoming Catholic or would like to become Catholic, but is unsure how to get started. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the formation process the church uses to help members of the community journey in faith and come to share in the full sacramental life of the church. It is an ongoing process within the life of the parish community. While the RCIA is designed to welcome new members, it also leads every Catholic to deeper belief and renewal of his or her faith. The RCIA is specifically for unbaptized adults seeking to join the Roman Catholic Church. Registration forms are now available at the Parish Office and On the Parish Website. Please return registration form to the Parish Office RCIA Box. A member of the RCIA team will contact you to set up an introductory meeting. Formal RCIA session run from September 2017-May 2018. Adults baptized in other Christian Traditions who wish to join the Catholic Church and Adult Baptized Catholics who have not completed the Sacraments of Initiation are directed to Adult Confirmation. Safe Environment Training For St. Theresa Parish Volunteers In order to volunteer at St. Theresa Parish you are required to annually participate in Safe Environment Training referred to as SET. The SET compliance requirement is as follows - Initially, the SET Foundation training program Protecting God's Children for Adults", is offered in group sessions requiring in person attendance, completion of a volunteer application & acknowledgment, and signature of the diocesan Code of Ethics. Subsequent years the SET requirement can be completed online which is referred to as SET Renewal. Renewal is available for each new year starting on July 1 st and we encourage you to complete the present years renewal session as soon as possible. For a SET Foundation session please contact Rita Laguna in the Parish Office @ 602-840-0850. To complete an online SET Renewal, follow the steps below and go to www.safeenvironmenttraining.org. Click on My Obligations Enter your first name, last name and street address. Click on I am not a robot and then Search. When your profile comes up - update any information that is not correct then click on Update Information and Continue. Your name should appear in the green banner and should say Welcome (your name here). Under the green welcome banner click on View All Online Courses. Find the 2017 online coarse and begin. Please make certain you wait until the session states you have completed your annual renewal. If you leave the session early you will not get credit for compliance. An email notification should follow shortly thereafter from the SET Database Administrator confirming compliance. When you have completed the class, please send your Ministry Head an email confirmation that you are done. If you have any other questions about your SET requirement please contact your Ministry Head in the Parish Office @ 602-840-0850.
Are You A Practicing Catholic Over The Age 19 Who Somewhere Along The Way, Missed Celebrating The Sacrament Of Confirmation? Easter and summer sessions have completed but Fall session registration is open. Materials are now available in the Parish Office and on the Parish Website. Please complete the form and attach a copy of your Baptism Certificate and return to RCIA box in the Parish Office. Mark your calendar, Fall sessions begin Sunday, September 10th and include six weeks of one-hour preparation sessions. Confirmation celebration is scheduled tentatively for Sunday, October 29th at the 11AM Liturgy. Special arrangements will be made to accommodate work schedules. Please email Patty and David at pdpettit@sttheresaphx.org for more information. Do You Have Any Girl Scout Cookies Left In Your Freezer??? If not, you are in luck, Troop 700 still has some available! STCS Girl Scout Troop 700 have all of your favorite cookies available for ONLY $3 a box!!! Thin Mints, Trefoils, Samoas, Do-si-does, Tagalongs and Savannah Smiles. Please call Shannon @ 602-796-5346 to purchase. Saint Vincent De Paul Our 5th Sunday collection will take place NEXT weekend, July 29th/30th after all Masses. As usual at this time of the year, demands on our resources increase. Children are not getting meals at school, temperatures are high, and rents have significantly increased. Your generosity to our ministry is deeply appreciated and needed. Volunteers Needed For Sunday Hospitality Consider joining this wonderful ministry of Hospitality serving donuts and coffee after Sunday morning Masses. We are in need of families to assist after 7:30 & 11AM Masses. Assistance is needed only once a month between September and May. This is a great way to provide service of hospitality to our parishioners and community. If interested, contact Shannon Braccio in the Parish Office @ 602-840-0850 or sbraccio@sttheresaphx.org. Pray For Those... Who Have Died: Ronald Broatch & Alice Culling Welcome Drips & Digs! St. Theresa Parishioners and School Parents have united to provide the parish & school with exciting new landscaping opportunities. With Fr. JC leading, their first project is to build raised garden beds to enhance the agricultural growing component of this year s school curriculum. If you are interested in any capacity, please ask Fr. JC! Lenten Fish Fry Proceeds Our Lenten Fish Fry s not only provided great food along with a wonderful opportunity to gather with fellow parishioners, they also generated a profit of $1329.83! These proceeds will be donated to our adopted 2017 Lenten charitable outreach effort---the Welcome Home Fund at Verde Villas. Thanks again to all parishioners who supported the Fish Fry s and to Cindi Bankert and the many other volunteers who helped make this year s Lenten meals the best ever! Children s Liturgy of the Word: This program for children 4-9 begins again in the fall and we are looking for committed volunteers for the 9AM Mass. This is not religious education or sacrament preparation but the Sunday readings presented to children in an ageappropriate format. This is a wonderful way to share your faith and/or receive service hours. Volunteers can choose which Sunday they can serve and must be SET certified. Please call Gina Keating in the Parish Office, 602-840-0850, ext. 111. Vacation Bible School: Harry Potter and the Prince of Peace was a huge success. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who participated in the fun and excitement of sharing the love of Jesus with more than 80 children; from the adult stations leaders and teens/ tweens who came early each day to the families who donated snacks or funding to send a child to camp YOU make the difference and we are grateful! See you next June.
16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Are you the parent of a child 7-17 who has never been baptized and who would like to become Catholic? The RCIC program mirrors that of RCIA and meets each Sunday following the 9AM Mass. Children and teens are prepared for initiation into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist during the Easter Vigil. Please call Gina Keating at 602-840-0850, ext. 111, or stop by the Parish Office for more information. PASTORAL CARE The New Evangelization is a Task of Apostolic (or Pastoral) Action. Authentic apostolic action is nothing other than acts of true love done for the love of God and for our brothers and sisters. Currently Pastoral Care is in need of EM s for the homebound and for Care Meridian, and people to help set up for funerals. If you feel called to serve in this capacity or you have any questions please contact Maureen Schaaf @ 602-586-7429 or by email at mschaaf@sttheresaphx.org. Hospitalized Or Homebound If you or a loved one is in need of communion, anointing of the sick or confession, contact Maureen Schaaf in the Pastoral Care Office at mschaaf@sttheresaphx.org or 602-586-7429. SET (Safe Environment Training) Needs To Be Renewed Every Year The new videos are uploaded. All volunteers for Pastoral Care, please go to http:// www.safeenvironmenttraining.org/ to renew, then send me confirmation at mschaaf@sttheresaphx.org. We will be having group renewals for those who do not have a computer or are not computer savvy. 2017 SET Renewal Classes: Tuesday August 8th, 2017 10 11AM OR 6-7PM in the Parish Office Conference Room. Please RSVP so we can have an accurate class roster. Alzheimer s Support Group Meets... Tuesday, July 25th at 4PM in the Parish Office Conference Room. If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer s or dementia and need support, stop in and see if this is the group for you. BUNCO - Come get out of the heat, make new friends, and have great fun!! Monday, August 21st at 1:45 PM in Fr. Feeney Hall. Please call Patti Iannucci @ 602-952-0802 for more information. Hour of Prayer for Peace Every Thursday 6:00-7:00 PM in the Convent Chapel Biblical Reasons For Wanting To Spend One Hour With Jesus In The Blessed Sacrament Jesus will give you all the graces you need to be happy! "The Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water." (Rev 7:17) Jesus is infinitely deserving of our unceasing thanksgiving and adoration for all he has done for our salvation. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honor, glory and praise." (Rev. 5:12) For peace in our country! "When my people humble themselves and seek my presence... I will revive their land." (2Chr 7:14) Adore Jesus for an hour in the Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays, from 9AM to 8:30PM in the Convent Chapel. Adorers for the 5 6PM hour are needed. If you can commit to this hour each week please contact Maureen at 602-586-7429 or mschaaf@sttheresaphx.org. SCHOOL NEWS STCS Welcomes Our Parish Families To Consider Applying For Our Little Flower Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten Program For The 2017-2018 School Year Students who are three and four years old will enjoy learning, socializing and growing in a loving, nurturing, Christ Centered environment in our Early Childhood Center. We are pleased to announce that in addition to our full time pre-school and pre-kindergarten classes, a part time pre-school option from 7:55AM to 12PM Monday through Friday is being offered. As a ministry of the Parish since 1957, the Little Flower program s mission is to support the family in preparing students spiritually, academically and socially to assume responsible roles in a global society while living out the values of the Gospel. We hope you will join our STCS family. Please contact Heather Chapman at 602-586- 7490 or hchapman@stcs.us to schedule a tour.
Mass Intentions & Celebrants (JULY 24TH-JULY 30TH) MONDAY, JULY 24TH 6:30AM +JULIE MCCOMBER-FR. JC TUESDAY, JULY 25TH 6:30AM +CONNIE PATCHETT-FR. JC WEDNESDAY, JULY 26TH 6:30AM +KEN HOWE-FR. JC THURSDAY, JULY 27TH 6:30AM +EILEEN VAUGHN-FR. JC FRIDAY, JULY 28TH 6:30AM +CONNIE PATCHETT-FR. JOACHIM SATURDAY, JULY 29TH 6:30AM +JACK WILSON-FR. JOACHIM 4:00PM FOR THE PARISHIONERS-FR. JC SUNDAY, JULY 30TH 7:30AM +JOHN, OLGA & DAVID BARBIERI-FR. JOACHIM 9:00AM +JESSE VERGA-FR. JC 11:00AM +ED MUSENBROCK-FR. JOACHIM 5:00PM +AL MUCKENTHALER-FR. JC The Priest scheduled to celebrate the Mass IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. ~Readings ~ Week of July 23, 2017 Sunday Wis 12:13, 16-19; Ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43 or 13:24-30 Monday Ex 14:5-18; Ex 15:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6; Mt 12:38-42 Tuesday 2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6; Mt 20:20-28 Wednesday Ex 16:1-5, 9-15; Ps 78:18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28; Mt 13:1-9 Thursday Ex 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20b; Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56; Mt 13:10-17 Friday Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11; Mt 13:18-23 Saturday Ex 24:3-8; Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15; Jn 11:19-27 or Lk 10:38-42 Sunday 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Ps 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52 or 13:44-46 Sunday 1:00PM Infant Baptisms (Church) Monday Tuesday 6:00PM Adult Basketball (Msgr. McMahon Gym) 6:30PM SVDP Mtg. (Convent Conference Rm) Wednesday 9:30AM Centering Prayer (Convent Chapel) 5:00PM Reconciliation (Church) 6:30PM Rosary (Convent Chapel) Thursday 9:00AM Adoration (Convent Chapel) Friday 10:00AM Ronald Broatch Funeral (Church) Saturday 9:00AM Reconciliation (Church) 8:00PM Al Anon (Classroom 16) Alcoholics Anonymous (Classroom 17) Summer Reminder As many of us take vacation time and travel out of the heat during the summer months, we ask for your continued financial support for the ministries of St. Theresa Parish. It is your financial tithing that enables us to provide the ministries, facilities and services which help us to build up the Body of Christ here at St. Theresa. Don't forget about our electronic giving option, ParishPay. You can stop by the Parish Office for a sign-up form or if you wish to sign up online you can visit www.parishpay.com. You can also call 1-800-950-9952 and pick option 1. May God continue to bless you for your ongoing support of our parish community!