ST. JOAN OF ARC CATHOLIC CHURCH. April 7, 2019 Fifth Sunday of Lent

April 7, 2019 (View this bulletin on-line at www.stjoanofarcfl.com) Page 1 ST. JOAN OF ARC CATHOLIC CHURCH April 7, 2019 Fifth Sunday of Lent Pastoral Team Rev. Patrick Rebel, Pastor Assisting: Rev. Jerry Murphy, Rev. Edward Reiter, Rev. Michael Kouts, Rev. Paul Coughlin, Rev. Dennis Kaelin, Msgr. Joe Sobiesiak Deacons: Deacon Fred LaPiana and Deacon José Cruz Business Manager/Secretary: Anne Cofone Faith Formation and Youth Ministry (352) 686-7864 Faith Formation Director: Mary Jo Waggoner StJoanRelEd@gmail.com Youth Ministry: Nancy Lovelock, Youth Minister SJOA-Youth@Tampabay.rr.com Director of Music: Joyce Thorpe SJOAorganist@gmail.com OFFICE EMAIL: jchrchca@tampabay.rr.com Website: www.stjoanofarcfl.com Emergencies Only: (352) 666-3156 or (352) 683-0755 Website: www.ndcsfl.org Ministers of the Eucharist: Please notify the Parish Office if you, or someone you know is sick, in the hospital, homebound or shut-in. Eucharistic Liturgies Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 pm (Spanish) Weekdays: Monday Saturday 9:00 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. & by appointment Baptism for Children: Parent preparation. Matrimony: If you are contemplating marriage at St. Joan of Arc Church, please be mindful that there is a six month prior notice request required. RCIA/RCIC: Rite of Initiation into the Catholic faith. In His Footsteps Soup & Sandwich Lunch Served on the second Thursday of each month, Noon - 2:00 p.m. in our Parish Hall and on the fourth Thursday of each month for the homebound only. Mary & Martha s Gift Shop: Closed during all Masses Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Saturday: 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sunday: 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. St. Vincent de Paul Society: (352) 556-3670 Parish Office Hours: Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday: 9:00 a.m. - Noon Closed daily 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. and all holidays Office Phone: (352) 688-0663 Notre Dame Catholic School: Phone: 352-683-0755 Website: www.ndcsfl.org

Page 2 (View this bulletin on-line at www.stjoanofarcfl.com) April 7, 2019 Notes from the Pastor Lent A Time For Mercy Discover God s Mercy Pope Francis states that sacred Scripture helps us to rediscover the merciful face of the Father. We can begin by reading the Gospel of Luke, the Evangelist of Mercy. He reveals God s mercy in the words and actions of Jesus. As we read, we can pause to contemplate the powerful examples of mercy in the stories of the prodigal son, the lost sheep, the good Samaritan, the feeding of the multitudes and the healing of the people who are sick. Pope Francis also recommends that we read the Gospel of Matthew and the prophets Micah and Isaiah. Pope Francis states: In this way, it will be possible to contemplate God s mercy and adopt it as our lifestyle. Pray the Psalms During this season of Lent, we can experience the mercy of God in the Psalms. We can start with Psalm 136. Psalm 136 tells the story of God s goodness that includes for His mercy endures forever after each verse. As we become more comfortable praying this psalm, we may want to pray other psalms as well. Pope Francis also suggests that we pray Psalms 25, 103, 146 and 147. We may discover others who speak to our heart about God s loving care. Pope Francis states, In a special way the Psalms bring to the fore the grandeur of His merciful action. Meditate on Mercy Pope Francis also tells us that the practice of mercy is waning in the wider culture, and many times the word seems to have dropped out of use. We can take time during Lent to mediate on the needs for mercy in the world. We may think of mercy as compassion or sympathy, but the word mercy has a much deeper meaning. Mercy means that we enter into the suffering of the other people. We place ourselves inside their hearts and minds, and then respond to their needs. This is the same way God responds to our needs when we pray to Him. We can ask ourselves, who is in need of mercy in our family, our workplace, our community, our country and the whole world? Pope Francis states; It is time to return to the basics and to bear the weakness and struggles of our brothers and sisters. Mercy is the force that awakens us to new life and instills in us the courage to look to the future with hope. Adapted by Our Sunday Visitor by Lorene Hanley Dusquin Notes from Deacon Fred A Public shaming for sins committed has a long standing tradition in our country. Beginning in Massachusetts, the puritan culture publicly humiliated those who lapsed in moral fortitude. There was also a penalty for interrupting the preacher during worship service. They were to stand in the public square on a four foot high stump with a sign hanging around their neck reading Wanton Gospeller! Imagine. For the citizen who practiced adultery the letter A would be worn on their outer garment for all to see. Public shaming and executions predated the puritans even during the time of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus knew that fear of punishment for violations of the law lead to conformity, but Jesus brought something new.. He was after our love and our hearts, not our blind obedience. He wants to develop and live in intimate relationship with us. Jesus never shamed or instilled fear in His ministry. He taught. He healed. He forgave. He embraced. She was scarred. Surrounded by people accusing her of adultery. The scarlet A. She was alone, humiliated with no one to defend her. She looked over and saw this man writing on the ground quietly. She couldn t keep her eyes off of him. Something about him. She didn t notice the angry crowd which had surrounded her had disappeared until he looked up and asked, Is there anyone here that condemns you? She looked and saw no one and looked back in astonishment and replied no sir. Then neither do I, go and sin no more., he said. And She was free. He was alone. Stripped of his clothes. Nails in His hands and feet. People staring. His mother crying. Thorns penetrating his head. Blood dripping from His wounds. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Scripture doesn t tell us if the woman set free from her sin was there that day. Scripture doesn t tell us what Jesus wrote in the sand. Perhaps it wasn t writing at all, but the cross he drew. Her sins were forgiven that day by the man who carried that sin and put that sin to death on that cross. Her sin and our sins were nailed to that cross that day and for every moment we are forgiven through the sacrament of reconciliation We were there. We were thought of. We were loved. We are loved.

April 7, 2019 (View this bulletin on-line at www.stjoanofarcfl.com) Page 3 T M S. J A P J,,,. GOD S ACTIONS NOW When Jews celebrate the Passover, they always tell the story of the Exodus in present terms, as if they themselves experienced those events: when we were prisoners in Egypt; when God brought us out of slavery and through the waters of the sea. We would do well to follow their example and see the works of Jesus and his sacrifice as being in the present, as happening to us now. We believe that Christ s work, his teachings, and his sacrifice on the cross were not just for his followers in the past, but for all people at all times. When we think of this in our prayers, we become one in faith with that great cloud of witnesses, the saints. We have been striving through Lent to repent of our sins and failings, and to follow Jesus more closely. Today in the story of the woman caught in adultery, we see Jesus forgiving the woman, saving her from a horrible death, and urging her not to sin any more. This is new, and brings out something for which the law had not allowed forgiveness. Of course one can sin no more if one is dead, caught in one s sins forever. But Jesus introduces the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation. TODAY S READINGS First Reading See, I am doing something new! (Isaiah 43:16-21) or Ezekiel 37:12-14. Psalm The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy (Psalm 126) or Psalm 130. Second Reading I have been taken possession of by Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8-14) or Romans 8:8-11. Gospel Go, and from now on do not sin any more (John 8:1-11) BEST INVENTIONS I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill. Thomas Edison SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Fifth Sunday of Lent; Third Scrutiny Thursday: St. Stanislaus Friday: Abstinence (no meat) Saturday: St. Martin I TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Next weekend, many churches provide palms to be carried in the opening moments of the liturgy, as we gratefully recall Jesus entry into the holy city of Jerusalem. The children who greeted him on that day used what was both handy and traditional, since palms were carried to inaugurate the joyful harvest feast of Succoth. To this day, faithful Jews are directed to take a beautiful palm branch, green and straight as possible, called a lulav, and bind it with three myrtle branches fifteen inches long, and two longer willow branches. At the end of the temple service, everyone carries the lulav, circling the sanctuary in a dance called the Hoshanot, singing hymns of joy. In other climates, Jews and Christians alike have had to make accommodations over the years. In Italy, everyone carries olive branches today, often brought from their own garden. In England, forsythia branches are preferred, a relative of the olive, sign of peace. Germans prefer pussywillows, and others look for flowering spring branches. In our part of the world, what do you think would be the best choice to express joy and welcome, and to remind us of the joy of Christ s victory even as we prepare to commemorate his passion? James Field SURE CURE The only cure for sorrow is to kill it with patience. Irish Proverb GOOD INFORMATION Our judgments are only as good as our information. Anonymous ST. JOAN OF ARC GROUNDS CREW.... We are asked to give to our church, our TIME, TALENT and TREASURE. Many cannot give much monetarily and we understand that, can you give time? We need volunteers for our Grounds Crew. They are here on Wednesday and Friday mornings mowing, trimming shrubs and maintaining our sprinkler system to keep our property beautiful. Please think about donating some hours each week or month to help keep our parish grounds beautiful. If you are interested please call the parish office at: 352-688-0663.

Page 4 (View this bulletin on-line at www.stjoanofarcfl.com) April 7, 2019 Notitas del Diácono José SATURDAY April 6 9:00 a.m. In Honor of Our Lady of Fatima req by Rosary Association 4:00 p.m. Annette Smith (D) req by Gallagher Family SUNDAY April 7 7:30 a.m. Szidonia Steiger (D) req by Mary Jo Lovell 9:00 a.m. Robert DeChiara (D) req by His loving Mom and Dad 11:00 a.m. Donald and Bruce Chenail req by Evelyn and Julie 1:00 p.m. For our Parish Community MONDAY April 8 9:00 a.m. Mary Trojanowski (D) req by Loving Family TUESDAY April 9 9:00 a.m. Stanley Thorpe (D) req by SJOA Parish Council WEDNESDAY April 10 9:00 a.m. For the Souls in Purgatory req by Barbara Brush - THURSDAY April 11 9:00 a.m. For the Intentions of CCW FRIDAY April 12 9:00 a.m. Joseph Parisi (D) req by His loving wife, Connie SATURDAY April 13 9:00 a.m. Manuel da Costa Magueta (D) req by Rita and John Rashak 4:00 p.m. Stanley Thorpe (D) req by MaryAnn Quinn SUNDAY April 14 7:30 a.m. George Drobina (D) req by Mary Ann Drobina 9:00 a.m. For our Parish Community 11:00 a.m. Carmela Losito (D) req by Loving Daughter 1:00 p.m. Elisa Díaz (D) req by Daughter, Mary Dios realiza algo nuevo! Y no se trata de la liberación del exilio al que se refiere Isaías en la primera lectura. Ni tampoco se trata de la huida de Egipto que recuerda Isaías. Ni siquiera se trata del sacrificio redentor que Jesús hace en la cruz. No, Dios está realizando algo nuevo aquí mismo y ahora mismo. Dios, por su misma naturaleza, cuida de su creación, lo cual incluye la humanidad. Las obras de la salvación que recordamos no son solamente acontecimientos históricos; son modelos de la continua gracia de Dios en el mundo. La creación y la salvación son siempre y para siempre nuevas. Cuando una meta está al alcance se hace más fácil superar todos los obstáculos que encontramos en el camino. Esto lo sabe bien un corredor que va a la cabeza y se acerca a la recta final, no importa cuán difícil haya sido la carrera. San Pablo sabe esto, pues ya ha pasado por numerosas adversidades y está consciente de que habrán más; pero también sabe que ha ganado a Cristo y por eso más nada es importante. Por lo tanto, se esfuerza para llegar a la recta final, para alcanzar la meta y el trofeo al que Dios, por medio de Cristo Jesús, nos llama desde el cielo (filipenses 3, 14). Las lecturas de hoy nos permiten presenciar el número de personas a quienes se les ha dado una vida nueva. Isaías nos dice que Dios puso agua en el desierto para darle vida a los israelitas que habían huido de Egipto y después a aquellos que habían sido liberados del exilio en Babilonia. A Pablo se le dio una vida en Cristo cuando se encontró con Jesús camino a Damasco y dice que todo lo demás lo considera basura. A la mujer en el Evangelio también se le da vida cuando Jesús desafía a los escribas y fariseos, y después la despide sin condenarla. También a nosotros se nos promete una vida nueva, una vida vivida a la luz de Cristo. Pregunta de la Semana De qué maneras está Dios creando algo nuevo en mí y en los demás? You cannot out-do the generosity of God. Stewardship Report for March 10, 2019 Attendance: 948 Envelopes : $5401.00 Offertory Cash $1642.00 2nd Collection $ 56300 Total: $7606.00 Ash Wednesday $2731.00

April 7, 2019 (View this bulletin on-line at www.stjoanofarcfl.com) Page 5 Thank you for your generous support of The Catholic Relief Services Collection and for helping Jesus in disguise. Your contributions make a difference for the poor and marginalized around the world. If you missed the collection, it s not too late to give! Just visit www.usccb.org/nationalcollections, and click on the How to Give link on the left. YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US FOR OUR 2 ND ANNIVERSARY ST. JOAN OF ARC LATIN/AMERICAN DANCE PARTY APRIL 27, 2019 - DJ RAY DIAZ PLUS LIVE PERFORMANCE by Our Musicians MENU: ROAST PORK, RICE with GANDULAS CHICKEN, BAKED ZITI, and SALAD Doors Open: 5:00pm / Dinner: 6:00pm Dance until 11pm Cost: $15.00 pp TICKETS ON SALE now AFTER ALL MASSES-- -NO TICKETS will be sold at the door. PLEASE: No Children, No Jeans or Sneakers. St. Vincent de Paul Center needs volunteers at the store for cashier and phone answering positions as well as sorters and pricers. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 8:30-4:30. Call Woody 352-596 4730 for more information. 9 St Vincent de Paul THRIFT STORE & FOOD PANTRY, 1291 Kass Circle Spring Hill 352-688-3331 Food list 9) Our SVdP Food Pantry collects these suggested Items each month. Please donate based on the first letter of your last name to help those in our area. A,B...spaghetti meat sauce, dry spaghetti. C,D...beef stew, canned tuna, canned ham, Spam. E,F,G chunky soup, clear broth, Ramen noodles. H,I,J...Rice-a-Roni, macaroni & cheese, Hamburger Helper. K,L,M...rice, Spaghetti O s, Beef-a-Roni, ravioli. N,O,P...toilet paper, personal products, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes. Q,R,S,T canned vegetables, canned fruit, baked beans, instant potatoes. U,V,W,X...boxed cereals, powdered milk. Y,Z.peanut butter, jelly, All Fruit, canned fruit drinks. SAVE THE DATE!!! The CCW will be hosting our Annual Spring Luncheon and Games on Thursday April 25th. Lunch will be Pizza, salad and brownies and ice cream for dessert. Cost is $15 per person. Doors open 11:30, lunch at 12 and games to follow. Come join us for a fun day of games, food and fellowship. Any questions contact Rosalie 352-200-6481 Foundations of Life Tampa Bay Walk/Run For Life 2019 Saturday - April 13, 2019 Ben T. Davis Beach 7740 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway Registration: 8-9 am Walk/Run Begins: 9 am 1 mile 2 miles 5K Benefitting Foundations of Life Pregnancy Center: Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco & Pinellas Knights Women s Center, Project Rachel & Perinatal ComfortCare. Register Today at Foundations of Life Pregnancy Center. 6515 N. Armenia Avenue, Tampa, FL 33604 Phone: 813-631-4393 Email: foundationsoflife@ccdosp.org Register Online at: FoundationsofLife.org - Click Events Icon The St. Joan of Arc Columbiettes Annual Mildred Baylis Scholarship applications are available in the parish office. All applicants in their senior year must be families that are registered parishioners of St. Joan of Arc and must be attending an accredited two or Four Year college or university. Applications must be returned no later than May 31st. Any questions, please contact Joanne Lambraia (352-666-0396.

Page 6 (View this bulletin on-line at www.stjoanofarcfl.com) April 7, 2019