February (Lent)
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ARE
YOU FAITHFUL?
A pastor was once asked to define “faithful giving.” His reply was simple. “All I ask is that you apply the same standards to your church giving that you would to other areas important to your life! Now, if you don’t think that’s too much to ask, please consider the following: • If your car starts one out of three or four times, do you consider it faithful? • If the paper boy skips your Monday and Thursday editions, would you miss them? • If you fail to come to work two or three times a month, would your boss call you faithful? • If your refrigerator quits for a day now and then, do you excuse it and say, “Oh, well, it works fine most of the time?” • If you miss a couple of mortgage or car payments during the year, would your bank say,”Oh, well, 10 out of 12 isn’t that bad?” • Or, finally, if you count on someone to meet you at a certain place or certain time each week, and he consistently stands you up, do you consider this person faithful in his promise to you? If you contribute financially only now and then, are you faithful? If you only come to church twice a month, are you faithful? If you only help now and again but will not commit, are you faithful? If you keep only some of His commandments, does this mean you are faithful? If you only love and forgive some people and not all, are you a faithful Christian? Why not try to apply the same standards to your giving to your church as you do in other areas of your total life? We are called by God to be life-long faithful stewards of all His gifts to us. I’ve learned a lot… This June I will have been a priest for 44 years and I will be 70 years of age in August. I’ve learned a lot in 44 years in Mississippi. I’ve learned to be more accepting of people. I have learned to take people as God sends them. We are all a work in progress. This has helped me to become more compassionate and understanding. I have learned that the Sacraments are not trophies to be handed out to those already victorious over sin but are food for the hungry and strength in time of weakness. That they are helps to get us closer to God and they give us the grace of God to help us live better lives. My idea on who merited the sacraments has changed a lot. I have realized that the church is more like a spiritual gym that people do not have to be in great shape to join to participate. I’ve learned the benefit of sharing the story of God as I understand it and that everyone has a story to tell. Like the blind man in the Gospel or the woman at the well, I’ve learned that we come to Jesus as we are and He loves us no matter what. I’ve learned so much about God and others and how important it is to love and extend mercy to people as they are. I’ve been so blessed to experience the goodness of people over all these years and how important it is to be patient. I’m still learning and I am so delighted and blessed in the faith my parents passed on to me and all who helped me to grow in it. It’s wonderful and I praise God. Thank you for teaching me so well by your word and example. Fr. Somers Fasting The church invites us to fast during Lent. This is not just a twisted idea to make people suffer or to turn these 40 days into torture. It is, rather, an invitation to grow closer to the Lord. Fasting is not merely abstaining from food, it has a much more radical meaning. It means leaving behind everything that does not lead to Jesus. It means giving up one’s own ways and follow Jesus’ path. Thus, the church does not ask us to simply fast from meat if we do not leave behind resentments or the desire to get even. Lenten sacrifice does not merely involve giving alms from our surplus. It asks us to go beyond and share what we have, but above all, what we are: our gifts, our time, our generosity The Lenten way calls us to give up things that perhaps give us immediate gratification but are passing on. It invites us to follow Jesus as a way of permanent and full happiness. Depriving ourselves of something that we might not even need is simply a sign of what is essential in life: God and God’s ways. Perhaps nowadays what is an obstacle in opening ourselves up to God is not so much food but images and words. Perhaps our fast this year could be a fast from TV and of all those things that a consumeristic society offers to make room for silence to listen to God and one another. That would be much more useful than any other sacrifice. One of the signs that we understand the fast that God asks of us is that it translates into sharing goods with others. The Lenten fast is not just negative: it opens us up to prayer. Feeling the physical hunger of fasting, we are reminded of our hunger and thirst for God. On the other hand, hunger makes us think of all those people throughout the world – particularly children – who are forced to fast because of poverty. Our voluntary fasting invites us to an active solidarity with the poor. Reconciliation – A much needed gift Our Parish Reconciliation Service will be Monday, March 27, 7:00 –8:00 p.m. Do not let this Lent go by without experiencing God’s gift of love and mercy in this wonderful Sacrament of Reconciliation. Make it a priority. This is what Lent is all about — being cleansed of sin and sinful ways so as to really experience the joy of Easter. Several priests from our deanery will be here and available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Do You Believe? As a Christian… I am too blessed to be depressed. I am to equipped to be whipped. I am too anointed to be disappointed. I’ve been blessed by the best. That makes me different than the rest. ASH WEDNESDAY --- February 17th Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. Need a “Give Up” Possibility for Lent? • Give up bitterness; practice more forgiveness. • Give up hatred; return good for evil. • Give up negativism; be positive. • Give up complaining; be grateful. • Give up pessimism; be hopeful. • Give up harsh judgments; think kindly thoughts. • Give up worry; trust God more. • Give up discouragement; be patient. • Give up anger, be more understanding. • Give up pettiness; be more mature. • Give up gloom; enjoy the beauty around you. • Give up jealousy; give thanks to God. • Give up gossiping; control your words. • Give up sin; turn to virtue. • Give up excuses, be more faithful. Operation Rice Bowl Our faith community will participate in Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten program, Operation Rice Bowl, as a part of our Lenten observance. Throughout Lent, Operation Rice Bowl will help us pray, fast, learn, and give, in solidarity with those in need around the world. We encourage you to be a part of this Lenten journey at home with your family and loved ones. My commitment this Lent is: □ 15 minutes of Scripture read daily □ Attend Mass during the week as well as Sunday □ Pray the Rosary for Peace □ Forgive and be kind to all □ Extend God’s love (A) to the hungry (B) the sick and shut-ins (C) the homeless (D) the poor □ Participate in Operation Rice Bowl, donations to feed the poor □ Other commitments _____________________ A Great Invitation A great truth of our faith is that God continually allows us to start afresh every time we mess up or do not live up to His standard for us. He continually offers us the opportunity to start anew, at any time. We can put our sins, our mistakes, any guilt or hurts of the past, all behind us and start afresh. Our faith assures us that we are loved uniquely and unconditionally by God. This love gives meaning and hope to our lives and assures us that all will be well if we can let go and trust in Him. If you have committed any sins, if you have been away from the sacraments for some time…you can start anew, today! Just come, trust in God, make a good confession, be cleansed and forgiven, and start anew again. Come do it, this Lent. When was the last time you invited someone to Church? A Gallup poll some time ago reported that 40% of inactive Catholics said they would return to Church if they felt the Church wanted them, plus the millions of unchurched folks feel some sort of longing to come home. Invite a relative, neighbor, or co-worker to Mass with you. Offer to pick them up. You might be surprised to see who might simply be waiting for a caring and respectful invitation to God’s house – perhaps even that grown child who left the Church years ago and seems disinterested in religion! Invite a family member or friend to come to Church with you this Lent. Cute Catholic Things Amen The only part of a prayer that everyone knows. Bulletin Your receipt for attending Mass. Choir A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync. Holy Water A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY. Hymn A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation’s range. Recessional Hymn The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left. Incense Holy Smoke! Jesuits An order of priest known for their ability to find colleges with good basketball teams. Jonah The original “Jaws” story. Justice When kids have kids of their own. Kyrie Eleison The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides gyros and baklava… (for non-Catholics it means Lord have mercy). Magi The most famous trio to attend a baby shower. Manger Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn’t covered by an HMO. Pew A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches. Procession The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats. Recessional The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot. Relics People who have been going to Mass for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand. Ten Commandments The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman. Special Thanks… • to all who helped out during Catholic Schools Week activities – parents, along with principals, staff, and faculties made it a great week. • to our Catholic schools in Greenville who are celebrating 121 years of education in the faith and academics. They are the best ever. Thank you for keeping them going. The dividends are great. Notre Dame Baseball St. Joseph School is glad to host Notre Dame baseball team in Greenville for three days. There are 34 coming and they will stay at the Hampton Inn. They will play Mississippi Valley State in baseball on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 pm at Legion Field. Tickets are only $10 and good for both days. For tickets, call 378-9711. Sacrament of Marriage In order to receive the benefits and graces of the Sacrament of Marriage, a Catholic should be married in the church and the proper dispensations granted, if one person is a non-Catholic. Otherwise, it is not the Sacrament of Marriage and is not recognized as a valid marriage by the church. To participate in a wedding which is invalid in the eyes of the church is also wrong. This is the teaching of the church, always has been and still is. The church wants a person to be married right and to receive all the graces of the Sacrament. St. Joseph Schools…Great Dividends for Life We just completed our celebration of Catholic Schools Week…the time each year when we share with the parish and community the many ways our schools make a difference in the lives of children and community. Our schools produce good, excellent education and formation in the Gospel. It’s real life education and it works. It’s not perfect any more than our families are but the dividends are great…for life. For information on St. Joseph Jr./Sr. High School 378-9711 For information on Lourdes 3-year-old and elementary 334-3287 Mark your calendar… The Paul Abide Memorial Golf Tournment will be held on Friday afternoon, April 30. Steve Azar will be our guest of honor, playing and singing. The proceeds from this tournament benefit our schools scholarship fund and is greatly needed and helps out a lot. Mark your calendar now and plan to attend. Try to celebrate an extra weekday Mass Daily Mass during Lent: Monday – Friday 6:30 a.m. Wednesday 6:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. Friday (Church) 6:30 a.m. & 12:00 Noon (Healing Mass) Friday (High School Chapel) 7:30 a.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. Exposition and Adoration: Every Tuesday and Friday from 7:00 am – 8:00 pm there is Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel. Take time for a visit with Jesus. Stations of the Cross: Every Friday at 5:30 p.m. Fridays of Lent should be observed as special days of fasting and abstinence from meat especially for the intention of world peace. Greater love than this no man hath… Jesus paid a great price for our sins. The crucifix is a vivid reminder of that. What great love Jesus showed and we did nothing to deserve it except commit sin. I want to wholeheartedly appreciate what Jesus has done for me and the price He paid for my sins. I never want to take this for granted. I want to respond in gratitude and in love to the best of my ability. I meditate on this often and I tell Him how grateful I am all the time. This gives me great hope and inspiration. And I don’t understand any of it. But I want to tell people about what He continues to do for each of us and how badly He wants us saved and in heaven. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” It’s up to us to make the decision to come to Him and follow His Way. Ideas for Lent: • Make the Stations of the Cross often in church, or at home as part of your daily prayers. • Watch the movie The Passion of Christ. Check it out from the Parish Library or rent it from Blockbuster. • Make sure there is a Crucifix in your home and in each bedroom. They can be ordered through the Parish Office. Call Peggy at 335-5251. • Pick up a copy of the Stations of the Cross on the table in the entrance area of church and pray it daily. Soup and Salad in the Parish Hall every Wednesday from Wednesday, February 24th, from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. Come and join together for a free simple Lenten Supper. |
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