Website www.stedwardbowie.com Newsletter October 21, 2018 Father Scott Holmer, Pastor Maureen Curtis, Director of Religious Education (301) 249-9199 Monday through Friday 9:00am to 2:00pm (301) 249-9599 during Religious Education hours Tuesday 4:00pm to 8:00pm, Wednesday 5:30pm to 8:00pm and Sunday from 9:00am to 11:00am religioused@stedwardbowie.com LIKE SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR ON FACEBOOK Upcoming Dates to remember Sunday, October 21 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30pm, Sunday Masses at 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:30am; Pre-K Religious Education and Children s Liturgy of the Word during 9:30am Mass; Donut Sunday after all Sunday Masses Tuesday, October 23 Religious Education Classes (CCD); Kindergarten, Level 1, Level 2, Level 4, Level 5 from 4:15 to 5:30, Confirmation Levels 1, 2 and 3 from 6:30 to 8:00; SAINT FAIR DURING BOTH SESSIONS Wednesday, October 24 Religious Education Classes (CCD); Kindergarten through Level 5 from 6:30 to 7:45; RCIC from 5:30 6:30; SAINT FAIR FROM 6:30 TO 7:30 Friday, October 26 Women s Prayer Group following 8:45am Mass; all women of the parish are welcome Sunday, October 28 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30pm, Sunday Masses at 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:30am; Pre-K Religious Education and Children s Liturgy of the Word during 9:30am Mass; MINISTRY FAIR AFTER ALL MASSES Tuesday, October 30 Religious Education Classes (CCD); Kindergarten, Level 1, Level 2, Level 4, Level 5 from 4:15 to 5:30, Confirmation Levels 1, 2 and 3 from 6:30 to 8:00 Wednesday, October 31 NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES Thursday, November 1 All Saints Day, Holy Day of Obligation; Mass times: 8:45am, 4:30pm and 7:30pm Friday, November 2 All Souls Day; Mass times: 8:45am and 7:30pm Saturday, November 3 Christmas Craft Market from 10:00am to 4:00pm Sunday, November 4 Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time; Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30pm, Sunday Masses at 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:30am; NO PRE-K OR CHILDREN S LITURGY OF THE WORD; Christmas Craft Market after all Masses Saint Days October 21 October 27 October 21 Saint Hilarion October 22 Saint John Paul II October 23 Saint John of Capistrano October 24 Saint Anthony Mary Claret October 25 Saint Antônio de Sant Anna Galvão October 26 Saint Peter of Alcantara October 27 Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza Please go to www.franciscanmedia.org to learn about the saints. At this website you can sign up for an email delivery for the Saint of the Day.
October 21 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time October 21 is the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The First Reading is from Isaiah 53:10-11 (Through his suffering, the servant Yahweh will justify many). The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 33:4-5,18-19,20,22 (A prayer of praise for God s mercy). The Second Reading is from Hebrews 4:14-16 (Jesus is the high priest who sympathizes with our weakness). The Gospel is from Mark 10:35-45 (Jesus teaches that those who wish to be great must be the servant of all). You can find these all the readings for everyday of the year on the United States Bishop s Conference web site www.usccb.org; there is a tab at the top of the page for Readings. The following reflection on Gospels come from the website for our textbooks www.findinggod.org. I encourage you to look at this website. Background on the Gospel Reading In this Sunday s Gospel, we continue to read from the section of Mark s Gospel that reports Jesus journey to Jerusalem. Last Sunday we heard Jesus lament the particular challenges those with many possessions face in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus then predicts his passion to the Twelve, who are amazed and afraid. In this part of Mark s Gospel, Jesus words to his closest disciples seem to be intended to prepare them for the events that will occur in Jerusalem. In today s Gospel, James and John ask to be given seats of honor when Jesus enters into his glory. Once again, the disciples seem to be selective in what they hear Jesus say. They want to share Jesus glory, but do not appear to understand that his glory will be preceded by his suffering. Jesus notes their lack of understanding and predicts the suffering they will endure for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus says that the honor they seek is not his to give. When the other ten hear what James and John have asked, Mark reports that they are indignant. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them. Jesus explains the importance of service and sacrifice in the life of a disciple. In particular, he seems to be preparing the Twelve for their leadership roles in the emerging Christian community. Echoing the Gospel we heard several weeks ago (on the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 9:33-37), Jesus acknowledges that his teaching is countercultural. In today s Gospel, Jesus contrasts the dynamics within the community of disciples with those shown by the rulers of the Gentiles. Following Jesus example of sacrificial love continues to be countercultural in our day as well. We might take this opportunity to consider our models of authority and examine our own exercise of authority. On whose example do we model our leadership? Family Connection In the daily routine of family life, power struggles seem unavoidable. Whenever two or more people live together, there will be occasions of disagreement and attempts to exert influence over each other. Today s Gospel can be an invitation to consider how authority is exercised in your household. There is a temptation to exercise our authority in ways that show our power over others. Especially when conflicts emerge, many of us rely upon the power we believe our role gives to us. Jesus teaches us that there is a more persuasive form of leadership. In these daily challenges we have the opportunity to practice and teach the kind of service and leadership Jesus modeled for us in his ministry and in his passion and death. As you gather as a family, invite family members to participate in a role play in which family roles are reversed. For example, you might assign children the role of parents putting their children to bed with parents acting like the children. Or you may have them role play parents asking for cooperation from children to clean up the family room. When the role play is finished, ask if it was an accurate picture of how this situation usually plays out in your household. Does everyone cooperate when asked? What
happens when someone doesn t cooperate? How are the conflicts that emerge resolved? Observe that conflicts based on power struggles in situations such as these seem unavoidable in family life. In today s Gospel, Jesus teaches how Christians are to show their authority over others. Read together today s Gospel, Mark 10:35-45. After reading the Gospel, talk with your family about Jesus unique message to his disciples about how they are to exercise authority. Talk about ways in which you might apply Jesus words in your family life. Conclude by praying we may receive honor in God s eyes by learning to serve others in love. Pray together the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis. Peace Prayer of Saint Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. Gospel Activities Go to the Catholic Mom website www.catholicmom.com for coloring pages and puzzles for this Sunday s Gospel look under Sunday Gospel Activities. Saint of the Week Each week I will highlight a saint whose feast is that week. This week I have chosen Saint John Paul II; her feast day is October 22. The below reflection comes from the Franciscan Media website: www.franciscanmedia.org A coloring page and October Saint Word Find page is attached. Saint John Paul II Saint of the Day for October 22 May 18, 1920 April 2, 2005) Saint John Paul II s Story Open wide the doors to Christ, urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass where he was installed as pope in 1978. Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father, and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol s promising academic career at Krakow s Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an
underground seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology. Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon Fr. Wojtyla earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland s University of Lublin. Communist officials allowed Wojtyla to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong! Bishop Wojtyla attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later. Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations. John Paul II promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome s main synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations, and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria. The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul s ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his papacy. Christ is the center of the universe and of human history was the opening line of John Paul II s 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as a witness to hope. His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. John Paul II began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union, but the governments in those countries prevented that. One of the most well-remembered photos of John Paul II s pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983, with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier. In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people. In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson s disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. Reflection Before John Paul II s funeral Mass in St. Peter s Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter s for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented. Presiding at the funeral Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI concluded his homily by saying: None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi ( to the city and to the world ). We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father s house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Confirmation Saint Fair The Confirmation candidates are presenting a Saint Fair in church on Tuesday October 23 (4:30-5:30, 6:30-7:30) and Wednesday October 24 (6:30 to 7:30). All are invited; you can drop in at point during these times and learn about the saints the have chosen as role models in living their Catholic faith.
Reconciliation and Eucharist at St. Edward s Preparation for Reconciliation and Eucharist is a two-year program: Students who do not attend Catholic school start their preparation at Level 1 in our Religious Education program this class is for children in first grade and children in second grade who have not completed Level 1. Level 2 classes are for children in second grade and third grade who have completed Level 1 and are still preparing to receive Reconciliation and Eucharist. Children in the third grade and higher who have not received their First Reconciliation or Eucharist register for the class at their grade level (for example 4 th graders would register for Level 4) and also attend an additional class to prepare for Reconciliation and Eucharist. The children of Saint Edward parishioners who attend a Catholic school receive these Sacraments at Saint Edward s but are prepared in the first and second grade at their school. You will receive a letter by early September with details about the retreats and practices that all students, both Catholic school and religious education, participate in together. Level 2 Parents please note: First Reconciliation will be on Friday January 25 at 7:00pm Confirmation at St. Edward s Preparation for Confirmation is a three-year program in the areas of knowledge, worship and service and includes students in Confirmation Levels 1 through 3 in our parish Religious Education program and the students of Saint Edward parishioners who are in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades at a Catholic school. Students who do not attend Catholic school are required to attend classes in our parish Religious Education program during all three of these years: Confirmation Level 1 (6 th grade in Catholic school) this year the curriculum focuses on the Old Testament. Students participate in at least 3 Sandwich Sunday Service Projects Confirmation Level 2 (7 th grade in Catholic school) this year the curriculum focuses on the New Testament. Students participate in at least 3 Sandwich Sunday Service Projects Confirmation Level 3 (8 th grade in Catholic school) this year the curriculum focuses on the Sacrament of Confirmation and the meaning of it in a Catholic life. Each of the previous eight years of religious education are tied into the curriculum for this year. Students participate in the Sandwich Sunday Service Project each month from September through April. Confirmation will be on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 2:00pm with Bishop Dorsonville Confirmation Level 3 students please note the following October schedule: Sunday October 21 Volunteer Opportunity; Donut Sunday Tuesday October 23 Saint Fair for all students from 4:15pm to 7:30pm; pizza dinner Wednesday October 24 Saint Fair for all students from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Sunday October 28 October Faith Sharing, Sponsor Certificate, Shrine Permission Slip and Fee due Tuesday October 30 - CCD class for Religious Education students from 6:30pm to 8:00pm Sandwich Sunday Service Project 1. Students in Confirmation Level 3 (8 th grade in Catholic school) participate the Sandwich Sunday Service Project each month from September through April 2. Students in Confirmation Levels 1 and 2 (6 th and 7 th grade in Catholic School) participate in at least 3 Sandwich Sunday Service Projects during each of these years 3. The next Sandwich Sunday Service Project is November 10. Our Ministry Fair will be after all Masses the weekend of October 27/28. Come and see how you can be a part of and serve at Saint Edward s. Refreshments will also be served. We will be putting together Thanksgiving baskets for several families in need from six area Elementary schools so that they can have a Thanksgiving meal. A flyer is attached with grade specific requests for donations. Please bring donations to church by Sunday November 18; you can leave them in the baskets at the church entrances or on the benches in the CCD hall. You can also donate money for the purchase of turkeys; place them in an envelope marked Turkey $$$$ and put it in the collection basket at Mass. Drivers are needed to deliver the baskets on Monday, November 19 at 9:00am. Please contact Rosemary Vincent at rovin14@verizon.net if you are able to do this. Christmas Craft Market The Christmas Craft Market will be on Saturday November 3 from 10:00am to 4:00pm and after all the Masses on November 3 and November 4. Come and see all the crafts that parishioners have been working on. This year, a new addition, Santa s Seconds has been added. Donations of gently used items (no clothing or electronics) can be left at the church doors; please mark them Santa s Seconds.