April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH 6300 McKenna Drive, Mobile, Alabama 36608 Email: Church@CorpusChristiParish.com! Website: www.corpuschristiparish.com TELEPHONE NUMBERS Parish Office: 342-1852 Fax 342-6313 School Office: 342-5474, ext. 1 Fax 380-0325 Rel. Ed. Office: 342-5474, ext. 7 Fax 380-0325 Full-Day Care: 342-2424 Fax 343-3119 Youth Ministry: 342-1852 Fax 342-6313 PARISH OFFICE HOURS Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PASTORAL STAFF Very Reverend James F. Zoghby, V.F. Reverend John S. Boudreaux Deacon Arthur W. Robbins Mrs. Kristy F. Martin, School Principal Mrs. Diane M. Stoyka, Parish Catechetical Leader Mrs. Judi B. Ankiewicz, R.C.I.A. Coordinator Mr. Peter J. Stoyka, Youth Ministry Director TO REGISTER AS A MEMBER OF THE PARISH Please fill out a Census Form. Census Forms are available in the church vestibule and parish office. COMMUNITY CENTER RENTALS & SERVICES For rental information and kitchen services, please call the parish office at 342-1852 or 342-1420. SUNDAY MASSES Vigil: 5:30 p.m. Saturday Morning: 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. WEEKDAY MASSES 6:30 a.m.: Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m.: Monday through Saturday SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and by request, particularly after the 6:30 & 8:15 a.m. weekday Masses. BAPTISM, MARRIAGE, ANOINTING OF SICK Please call the parish office (342-1852) or information and scheduling baptism, marriage, anointing of sick. ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.) Please see published schedule for specific dates and times, or call the parish office (342-1852). SUNDAY SCHOOL (C.C.D.) Grades K 12, Sundays during school year, 10:05-10:55 a.m. in school bldgs. SCHOOL, SACS-accredited for Grades PreK3 through 8. To register, or to obtain further information or to arrange for a personal tour of our school, please call the school office, 342-5474, ext. 1, or send an email to kmartin@corpuschristiparish.com.
EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD During the first centuries after Christ, a cross with an image of the body of Jesus was rare. The emphasis was placed on the Resurrection. Thus, crosses were either bare without the corpus (image of the body) or, at least by the fifth century, adorned with precious jewels. When the corpus or image of the body of Jesus did begin to be more frequently shown on the cross, it was often the risen, triumphant Lord that was shown rather than the dying or dead Jesus. Around the 1200s, in the wake of major natural and political disasters that swept through Europe, the Passion of Christ began to assume a more central role in the Church s theology and spirituality. The portraying of the crucified Jesus on the cross became common, with crucifixes graphically displaying the suffering Christ. Today, with a renewed emphasis on the Easter Victory of Jesus his resurrection from the dead as the central mystery of our faith, many crucifixes proclaim that having died on the cross, Jesus is now free of the cross. He is Risen! Alleluia! In the first century, the early Christians celebrated every Sunday as the day of the Resurrection. In the first century, the early Christians celebrated every Sunday in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus. By the second century, they established a particular day for the celebration of the resurrection, which was connected to the Jewish Passover. Their observance began at sundown on Saturday evening. They called it the Night of the Great Vigil, a time of remembrance and expectation that lasted throughout the night so they could sing alleluia at dawn on Easter morning. It was during the Night of the Great Vigil that new Christians were received into the Church. By the fourth century, it became customary for people to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to celebrate what was called the Great Week, which included Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. Over time, the practice of observing Holy Week spread throughout the Christian world, with prayers, historical re-enactments and special liturgies. During the Middle Ages, the celebration of the Easter Vigil gradually fell out of practice. In 1955, Pope Pius XII re-established the Easter Vigil, and during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the bishops called for the restoration of the early Christian rituals for receiving new Christians into the Church at the Easter Vigil. In 1988, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was issued, and today, the Easter Vigil is once again an integral part of Holy Week celebrations.
EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD Do you have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life? Pray and ask for God s guidance. Contact Fr. Victor Ingalls, Director of Vocations at 251-415-3871 or vingalls@mobarch.org. or 400 Government St., Mobile, AL 36602. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box, Food, Clothing donations and In-Need Drop Box at the SVDP table in the vestibule. Join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by attending a meeting on the 1 st & 3 rd Mon. of the month, 6:30 p.m.,parish House. To seek help, call 251-510-8166. CHILDREN S FIRST EUCHARIST Practice: Sat., April 14, at 10 a.m. in church for about one hour. First Eucharist Mass: Sun., April 15, at 1 p.m. Students meet in classrooms at 12:30 p.m. Info: DianeStoyka@yahoo.com. SUNDAY SCHOOL No Classes today, April 1, and no classes next Sunday, April 8. Classes resume Sunday, April 15,10:05-10:55 a.m. Sunday School participants at 9 a.m. Mass are dismissed with final blessing Info: at dianestoyka@yahoo.com or 342-5474, ext. 7. Next Sunday, April 8 Jazz Brunch in the Banquet Hall With Jazz Musicians Performing Live! 2 nd Sunday of the Month (Every month except June, July, August) Buffet Served from 12 Noon to 1:30 p.m. $10.25 for Adults! $4.25 for Children (Age 12 & under) Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Banquet Hall $9.25 for Adults! $4.25 for Children (Age 12 & under) April 4: No Wednesday Night Dinner [Easter Week/Spring Break] April 11: BBQ Chicken, Hamburger Steak, Cory s Potatoes, Baby Lima Beans, Zucchini & Tomato Casserole, Caesar Salad, Rolls, Cupcake Station. Iced Tea, Lemonade, Coffee. (Option: Chicken Tenders/Fries) Must RSVP no later than TUESDAY EVENING Return an RSVP Card, or call 342-1852 or email WedNightDinner@CorpusChristiParish.com Tuesday Night Bible Study Meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Parish House. Info: Dave Burchette, 251-367-6660 or davebur1955@gmail.com. Tuesday Women s Bible Study 10:00-1130 a.m., Room 3 (2 nd Flr, Community Center). Info: Judi Ankiewicz, 251-344-0321: Leave name & no. Thursday Women s Bible Study 9:15-10:45 a.m..,com Ctr Conference Rm. Info:Joanne Donaghey, 251-554-6753 or joannekd@alo.com. Nursery is available. Widowed Persons Support Group For information call parishioner Glen Porter at 666-8977. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Next Meeting: 4 th Mon., April 23, 7 p.m., The Parish House. Info: Chad Pugh, Grand Knight, 232-0648 or chad.pugh34@gmail.com. Wedding Anniversary Celebration Saturday, May 19, at the 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass Forms will soon be in the vestibule for couples who, during this year of 2018, have or will have been married for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 or 51, 52, 53, etc. years. Those who wish to participate must complete the form. Their names will be included in the program. They will be called to the altar area for the renewal of their wedding vows. Visitors, friends & parishioners are invited to join all of the anniversary couples at the reception in the banquet hall. Forms will be due by Monday, May 14. Partners in Education Recognition Students & teacher recognized at the March 27th School Mass for outstanding performance in the prior month, and the businesses that recognized them: Wyatt Waters, 2 nd Grade Payne Environmental Services Makinley Higdon, 4 th Grade Farmers Insurance Matthew Fisher, 8 th Grade Donaghey Orthodontics Janet Minto, Teacher Asst Professional Estimating Services To join the Partners in Education group, call School Principal Mrs. Martin, 342-5474, ext. 1, or Richard March, 401-0466. Who wants to be an Altar Server? Notify the parish office at 342-1852 or email Church@CorpusChristiParish.com. You may also contact Mike Martin, Director of Altar Servers at 251-391-8666. AA Alanon OA CODA AA: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Cougar Den. Alanon: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. OA: Sat., 9 a.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. CODA: Tues., 6:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. First Friday Adoration 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the chapel. Sign-up sheet is on the table in the chapel. Welcome New Parishioners Ann Brooks and her son, Jacob
CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA APRIL 1, 2018 REST IN PEACE Agnes Lucille Ellis Christopher Robert Mahoney John William McNellage Tufic Saade (father of Marlene Jalkh and Dany Jalkh) Tony Guarino (Memorial Mass, April 14, at 1:00 p.m.) Rice Bowls are due! Place them in or at the giant Rice Bowl in the church vestibule. Around the Archdiocese: Our Savior Catholic Preschool/ MDO: All past/present teachers, students, parents, grandparents are invited to a celebration/reunion April 8. 1-5 p.m., Jennings Hall. Share memories! Blisters for Sisters 5K & Fun Run, April 21, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sacred Heart Residence, 1655 McGill Ave. Info: 476-6335. Principal Position: St. Benedict School, Elberta, Ala. Info: Kabreo@mobarch.org. Deadline: April 13. Applications at http://archmobileschools.org/employment.cfm. CHRISTUS, an Ecumenical Consortium of Bay Area Churches, presents The Deacon in Christian Traditions, April 12, 7 p.m. in Byrne Memorial Hall at Spring Hill College with panelists Norman Gale, Demetrios Golfos, John Peoples, Shelley Turner. Members & Students Free, Guests, $3. FIRST COLLECTION TODAY: Tithing Offerings. SECOND COLLECTION TODAY: Corpus Christi Building Fund. CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES FINAL: $1,596.02 MAR. 18 TH BUILDING FUND ONLINE & COLLECTION: $1,799.50 MAR. 18 TH TITHING ONLINE & COLLECTION: $24,572.47 Thank You and God Bless You God bless all for tithing, contributions, bequests, remembrances in wills in support of God s work here at Corpus Christi Parish. To make a donation of stock, ask your financial manager, or call Selena Hemphill at Morgan Stanley at 470-1084 or 800-624-7814. Receive a detail listing of your contributions by mail, email or fax at any time: Call 342-1852 or email Church@CorpusChristiParish.com Offering Envelopes If you wish to use Offering Envelopes, just notify the parish office (342-1852). An initial set will be sent to you right away, and then, every two months, you will receive a two-month s supply of envelopes. Online Giving With Online Giving make a one-time contribution or set up a recurring automatic withdrawal from a checking or saving or credit card account: Use a computer, tablet or smartphone to go to www.corpuschristiparish.com; click Church ; then click the green Online Giving icon on the side left of the church s homepage. Follow the instructions to contribute to the tithing or building fund or special collections. For assistance, call 1-800-348-2886, ext 1, or the parish office, 342-1852. Recognizing all people as children of the one God, Jesus brought healing to the sick, comfort to those in sorrow. He assured the downtrodden of God s love for them. He befriended sinners. He embraced and accepted the outcasts. In his teaching he proclaimed the Good News message of God s love for everyone, and, showing the primacy of love of neighbor, he taught us not to condemn but to love one another. But for religious leaders who opposed him, Jesus teaching was too inclusive, too unconditional, too passionate, too merciful, too forgiving. Jesus was condemned and put to death. But God the Father raised him up, and said: This is my beloved Son. My favor rests on him. LISTEN to him!
Easter Reflections The Certitude of Salvation! Christ obtained, once and for all, the salvation of man of each and of all men, of those whom no one shall snatch from His hand... Who can change the fact that we are redeemed a fact that is as powerful and fundamental as creation itself. We became again the property of the Father thanks to that love which does not recoil from the shame of the Cross to be able to guarantee salvation to all men. No one shall snatch you out of my hand. (John 10:29) The Church announces today the paschal certitude of the resurrection, the certitude of salvation. St. John Paul II Love, Not Hatred, Wins! Believing in Christ s resurrection means that no matter how difficult life gets, one believes that love and goodness are far more powerful than hatred and evil. Yes, in the world there is much evil, there is a permanent battle between good and evil, and sometimes it may seem that evil is stronger. But, no, the Lord is stronger. Despite all the things that make us doubt the positive outcome of history, Christ wins, and goodness wins. Love, and not hatred, wins. Pope Benedict XVI God Is Stronger Than Hell Itself! You must have boundless faith in the divine goodness, for the victory is absolutely certain. How could you think otherwise? Isn t our God more concerned about our salvation than we are ourselves? Isn t he stronger than hell itself? Who can ever resist and overcome the King of the heavens? What are the world, the devil, the flesh and all our enemies before the Lord? St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcine (19th-20th centuries) Let No One Despair of Pardon! Christ is risen! He has burst open the gates of hell and let the dead go free. His Holy Spirit has unlocked the doors of heaven, which stand wide open to receive those who rise up from the earth. Christ is risen! His rising brings life to the dead, forgiveness to sinners, and glory to the saints... And so all of us ought to rejoice on this holy day. Let no one, conscious of their sinfulness, withdraw from the church s common celebration, nor let anyone be kept away from our public prayer by the burden of their guilt. Sinners they may indeed be, but they must not despair of pardon on this day. St. Maximus of Turin (380-467) I Have Destroyed Death! The Lord, though he was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of those who suffer. He was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave. But he rose from the dead and said, I am the Christ. I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one, and taken people to the heights of heaven: I am the Christ. Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your ransom, your life, your resurrection, your light. I am your salvation and your king. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With my own right hand I will raise you up, and I will show you the eternal Father. St. Melito of Sardis I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. St. Paul, Romans 8:38-39 Christ, though innocent, suffered willingly for sinners and accepted unjust condemnation to save the guilty. His Death has washed away our sins, and his Resurrection has purchased our justification. From the Preface for Palm Sunday
Easter means you can put truth in the grave, but it will not stay there. Clarence W. Hull We are sons and daughters of the Resurrection, and Alleluia is our song! St. Augustine Rejoice! The message, the spirit and the impact of Easter go on through the entire year. Every use of blessed water reminds us of our baptism into the death and resurrection of the Lord. Every celebration of the Eucharist is a commemoration of Jesus passion, death and resurrection. Every Sunday throughout the year is a miniature Easter celebration, reminding us: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Alleluia: Praise God! The term alleluia is a Hebrew word meaning praise God. Surprisingly, it does not appear very often in the Scriptures only 15 times. From the earliest days of Christianity, however, it became a popular expression of triumph, of joy, and of hope. St. Augustine wrote that the entire life of a Christian should be an alleluia, a living expression of praise to God for His infinite goodness in lifting us up to be His children, and to share in His victory eternally. Fr. O Day, S.J. THEY FOUND THAT THE TOMB WAS EMPTY On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, when the women came to the tomb, they saw that the body of Jesus was not there. Suddenly, two men in brilliant clothes appeared at their side, and said to them, Why look among the dead for one who is alive? He is not here. He has risen! (cf. Luke 24:1-6) Philip s Easter Egg An eleven-year-old boy named Philip was in a religion class with eight other children. On Easter Sunday the teacher gave each child an empty plastic egg. The children were told to go outside and find something to put into the egg that would remind them of the meaning of Easter. They came back exited and happy. As each egg opened there were exclamations of delight upon seeing a butterfly, a twig, a flower, a blade of grass. Then the last egg was opened. It was Phillip s and it was empty! Some of the children laughed at Phillip. But teacher, Phillip said, the tomb was empty. Sadly, Philip died a few months later. The newspaper article said that at the funeral eight children put a large empty egg on the small casket. On it was a banner that said, The tomb was empty.
The Easter Homily of St. John Chrysostom (347-407) Let all pious men and all lovers of God rejoice in the splendor of this feast! Let the wise servants blissfully enter into the joy of their Lord. Let those who have borne the burden of Lent now receive their pay, and those who came after the third hour be grateful to join in the feast, and those who may have come after the sixth, let them not be afraid of being too late, for the Lord is gracious and He receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him who comes on the eleventh hour as well as to him who has toiled since the first. Yes, He has pity on the last and He serves the first. He rewards the one and is generous to the other. He repays the deed and praises the effort. Come you all: enter into the joy of your Lord. You the first and you the last, receive alike your reward. You rich and you poor, dance together. You sober and you weaklings, celebrate the day. You who have kept the fast and you who have not, rejoice today. Let no one grieve over his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep over his sins, for pardon has shone from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it. He has despoiled Hades by going down into its kingdom. He has angered it by allowing it to taste of His flesh. When Isaiah foresaw all this, he cried out: O Hades, you have been angered by encountering Him in the nether world. Hades is angered because it has been frustrated. It is angered because it has been mocked. It is angered because it has been destroyed. It is angered because it has been reduced to nothing. It seized a body, and, lo! It discovered God. It seized earth, and behold! It encountered heaven. It seized the visible, and was overcome by the invisible. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Christ is risen and you are abolished. Christ is risen and evil is cast down. Christ is risen and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen and life is freed. Christ is risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead. For Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the Leader and Reviver of all who had fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen! One Great Sunday! The fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in joyful exultation as one feast day, or better, as one Great Sunday. These days, above all others, are the days for the singing of the Alleluia. The paschal candle, a symbol of the presence of the Risen Christ among the people of God, remains in the sanctuary near the altar through Pentecost Sunday. The first eight days of the Easter season make up the octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. The Glory to God is prayed and the dismissal is sung: Go in the peace of Christ! Alleluia! Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Rejoice and Be Glad! During the first three or four centuries of Christianity, if you asked a Christian to name the feast days of the Church, your answer would have been a puzzled stare, for there was only one feast: the Resurrection of the Lord, and every Sunday was a celebration of the Resurrection. Devotional crosses were bare, and by the 5 th century, they were sometimes adorned with jewels. When the body of Christ (the corpus) did begin to be displayed on the cross, it was often the risen, triumphant Lord that was shown rather than the dying or dead Jesus. Around the 13 th century crucifixes, graphically displaying the passion of Christ, became common. Our calendar now has many beautiful feasts, but all of these other feasts exist because of the feast of Christ s Passover from death to life. The psalm for Easter Sunday proclaims this message well: This is the day. It is not one of many days, but it is the day of all days, that gives all the others their origin, purpose, meaning and destiny. Christ is risen. He is truly risen! St. Augustine wrote: Every Sunday is a little Easter. The message, the spirit and impact of Easter go on through the entire year. Every use of blessed water reminds us of our baptism into the death and resurrection of the Lord. Every celebration of the Eucharist is a commemoration of Jesus passion, death and resurrection. Every Sunday throughout the year is miniature Easter celebration, reminding us: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.