Liturgy October 30, 2016 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time The Lord is gracious and merciful. (Psalm 145:8) From the general audience of Pope Francis, January 13, 2016: In Sacred Scripture, the Lord is presented as a merciful God. This is his name, through which he unveils, so to speak, his face and his heart to us. As the Book of Exodus recounts, on revealing himself to Moses he defined himself in this way: the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6)... The Lord is merciful : this word evokes a tender approach like that of a mother toward her child.... The image it suggests is that of a God who is moved and who softens for us like a mother when she takes her child in her arms, wanting only to love, protect, help, ready to give everything, even herself.... It is also said of this merciful God that he is slow to anger... God knows how to wait, his time is not the impatient one of man; he is like the wise farmer who knows how to wait, allowing time for the good seed to grow, in spite of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30). Lastly, the Lord proclaims himself abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. How beautiful this definition of God is!... The word love, used here, indicates affection, grace, goodness. It is not soap opera love. It is love which takes the first step, which does not depend on human merit but on immense gratuitousness. It is divine solicitude that... is able to go beyond sin, to overcome evil and forgive it. Abounding in faithfulness : this is the final word of God s revelation to Moses.... Faithfulness in mercy is the very being of God. For this reason God is totally and always trustworthy.... This is the assurance of our faith. Thus, in this Jubilee of Mercy, let us entrust ourselves to him totally, and experience the joy of being loved by this God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. Father God, thank you for being so loving and merciful toward me. Wisdom11:22 12:2 2Thessalonians 1:11 2:2 Luke 19:1-10 The next Devotion of the Stations of the Cross will be November 9, 2016 7pm in the Church Next Week s readings 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time November 6, 2016 year Readings C 1st Reading: 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 God will raise us to live again forever. Psalm 17 Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. 2nd Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 May the Lord encourage your hearts. Gospel: Luke 20:27-38 In God there is no death. Jesus response to the legalists trying to trip him up today is simple. Don t sweat the details of eternal life just have faith. There are times when we too can get caught up in the trivia and miss the important things in life. As we hear God s holy word today, let us try to set aside inconsequential things and focus on God s message of faith and life for each of us. November 1, All Saints Day, Mass at 9am & 7pm We are nearing one of our most beloved holy days. All Saints Day, November 1, with two Masses, one at 9am and another at 7pm, followed the next day by All Souls Day. As we have in the past, there will be plenty of prayer requests forms for your deceased family members and friends. They will be in the pews and at the doors of the church. There will also be an envelope you can use in your monthly envelope packet. Your prayers will be kept throughout the month of November and included in all the Masses said during the month. November 2, All Souls Day There will be an 8:30am Mass on All Souls Day. All are invited. On Saturday, November 12, 11:00 AM, O Dea High School will celebrate its annual Alumni Memorial Mass in St. James Cathedral to honor their deceased graduates. Father Michael G. Ryan, pastor of St. James, will be the celebrant of the Mass. After Mass a complimentary lunch will be offered in the Isaac Orr Center, 910 Marion St. If you wish to attend the Mass and/or the lunch, please respond by Tuesday, November 8, to Dianne Irwin, Director of Development, dirwin@odea.org or 206-622-7151. Veterans Day News We will be celebrating Veterans Day at all masses on November 12th and 13th. Come celebrate Veterans Day to honor our living and deceased friends and relatives who have served and are serving in armed forces. This year we suggest that those being honored wear their battle ribbons and medals. We also ask everyone to bring a friend or relative who IS or HAS served their country. If your beloved veteran is one who has passed away, please bring a framed photograph to one of our three masses.
Parish Life (All volunteers in ministries at St John Parish/School require Safe Environment Training.) PARISH STEWARDSHIP Collection for week of October 16, 2016 Vigil Mass $ 1,259.00 8:30am Mass $ 3,120.00 10:30am Mass $ 1,537.00 Mail-in $ 5,934.00 Electronic giving $ 4,379.79 $16,229.79 Total Budget for 2015 2016 Sacrificial Giving is $712,194. Divided by 52 weeks = $13,696.04 needs to be collected each week. (This does NOT include restricted donations such as Holy Day Collections, (Christmas and Easter), and donations made to our ministries or coffee & donuts.) Celebrate Our Parish The annual State of the Parish will be the weekend of November 5-6. Please join us for this joyful presentation of this past year. The presentation will occur during the Masses, after a short homily from Father. Nursery & Sunday School The Nursery & Pre-school Sunday School are open at 10:15am for the 10:30 Mass. The Nursery is open at 10:15am also, ages 1-3, meets in Extended Day Care XDC. Pre-School -Sunday School for ages 4 and 5 also meets in XDC. XDC is in the main school building on courtyard side of the building, ring the bell and look for the sign There are Registration forms for Pre-School-Sunday School at the doors of the church and on our website. stjohnsea.org Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is a program for children ages 6 to 10. They are invited to attend during the liturgy of the word portion of mass. Led by two parent volunteer teachers, they go to a classroom on the ground floor of the school building and will return after about 20 minutes. There, the children will learn about the readings of the day and the gospel, at their own level, and will have the chance to ask questions, sing songs and hear stories. Interested in volunteering as a CLOW leader or assistant? Contact Julia Rudden to learn more! I ve been accumulating a few short prayer nuggets, too short to run on their own, but each one good. Enjoy! Practice the pause. When in doubt, pause. When angry, pause. When tired, pause. When stressed, pause. And when you pause, pray. { Thanks to Sue Kelly. } I traveled to Novi, Michigan, near Detroit, in September for work. While there, I spotted a bumper sticker that said: Need prayer? 1-800-541-PRAY You know this one from Godspell: Dear Lord, of you three things I pray: To see you more clearly; Love you more dearly; Follow you more nearly; day by day. Amen. { Thanks to Bob George. } Lord, I turn to you in gratitude for the grace of faith in my life. Grounded in your love, give me the courage to obey the judgment of my conscience so that I may give glory and honor to you in everything I do. { Thanks to Soheila Beberness. } This is what God asks of you, only this To act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with God. Micah 6:8 { Thanks to Loretta Fletcher. } Finally, I got this postcard in the mail last week. Made me wonder: How often, at work, do I think to pause and pray for a moment? Advent is just around the corner! Advent decorating is Saturday, November 26 from 10-noon Christmas decorating is Sunday, December 18 at noon. De-decorating is Sunday, January 8, at noon. If you have a prayer nugget you d like to share with the parish, email Bill Marty, bill@takenroad.com..
Book Group Starting-Focus on Catholic literary stories All people interested in a Catholic-themed book club are invited to join together on November 7 from 7-9:30 pm in Quigley Chapel to share refreshments and bring book selections to propose for this season s reading and discussion. We will meet once a month to enjoy fine literature, refreshments and discussion on the book. This Catholic book club will be open to questions of grace, hope and redemption. All ages from high school to seniors are welcome. Please bring a book that you like to recommend and we will vote on which book to read. The first meeting will be a get to know you and get to know what your ideas will be for literary stories. As Flannery O Connor said about her work, I am anything but an instrument for Your story. Let s get started on a book and delve into how these particular stories reveal something about the divine love and grace of God. What: Book Club When: Monday, November 7, 2016 Where: Quigley 11 Who: Anyone with a passion to read and discuss How: Bring a book and an interest in connecting with others Faith Formation We need YOUR ideas! There are great things going on in the archdiocese, from prayer groups to justice circles to workshops. We have access to retreat postings and workshops, but we really need to hear from you and what you would like to see happening at the parish. I am hoping that you will take a few minutes to write down what you would like to have happen here, and what times work for you. I have had a few people come forward and give suggestions, and this has been helpful. But we need to hear from all of you. Please take a moment to drop us a line and let us know how we can help you continue to develop your faith life and connect you to your community. You can drop your ideas off at the parish office, or fold it up and drop it in the collection basket. You could even email me. Sheila Connolly sconnolly@stjohnsea.org 782-2810 ext. 352 Preview of Workshops for Vincentian Formation Training Sat., Nov. 5, 2016 Seattle University Student Center Join us on Saturday, November 5, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Seattle University Student Center for the Continuing Vincentian Formation and Training Day. While you are free to choose which courses interest you, we urge everyone to consider having conference member representation at the two workshops on Helpline Protocol. You do not have to register for the workshops of your choice, simply RSVP for the event on this page and you are welcome to walk into the workshops of interest. Time schedule for workshops is shown below: Special Presentation on the Enhanced Conference Database presented by Joseph Roberts, St James-Bl Rosalie Rendu Conference member. Continuing Vincentian Formation and Training Day Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016 9:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Student Center of Seattle University For any questions or concerns, please contact Thomas Wagner at thomasw@svdpseattle.org REGISTER NOW See You at CYC 2016 Why should you go to CYC? To be inspired, to live your faith boldly! Experience the larger church, see how you are a part of the community of faith and meet youth from around western Washington and beyond! Have fun with inspiring speakers, live band, new friends, and more! go to: www.oyyae.org/youthministry/events SACRED HEART RADIO 1050 KBLE ~ Seattle Sunday Mass - 5:00 am, 9:00 am Daily Mass - 5:00 am, 9:00 am Monday - Saturday Rosary - 1:00 pm, every afternoon 8:30 pm every night Chaplet of Divine Mercy: 1:30pm Sunday & Saturday
Sheila Connolly A registration form for pre-school Sunday School on the back of this flyer, for your convenience.