St. John The Evangelist Parish

FR. BILL’S NOTES- On January 18th we began Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with the theme, You are witnesses of these things” from Luke 24:48. This week was first observed at Graymoor in Garrison, NY from January 18-25, 1908. This week invites the whole Christian community throughout the world to pray in communion with the prayer of Jesus, “that they all may be one” (John 17:21). January 18th was the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter and the 25th is the Conversion of St. Paul. Since 1966 the World Council of Churches and the Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity have collaborated on a common service. The Council of Churches of the City of New York was organized in 1895 and is the oldest continuing ecumenical council in the United States representing the major Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox denominations in New York. It provides leadership for public policy advocacy and other common ministries of the churches. We encourage all to participate in Mass and through prayer in this intention for this week as well as praying for the people in Haiti. Thanks to the Altar Rosary Society for their contribution to the Fuel Fund from the Memory Tree. It is a help in this winter when we have had so much cold weather. We also thank those who have helped with the snow shoveling. It has been a big help for me. Congratulations to Anthony Lombardo who received his Eagle Scout Award on January 9th. There is a lot of effort to achieve this award in living the Scout Promise and Scout Law. It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead. We have many available Mass openings for this year. In scheduling an announced Mass, the Mass is offered here and the name is printed in our church bulletin with a stipend of $15. The stipend for unannounced Mass is at least $5 and those names may be sent to missionaries. Our Music Ministry is still looking for help particularly at the 5:00 PM Saturday Mass. The 8:30 & 10:30 Masses on Sunday would welcome additional help

Reflection by Deacon Ed (January 17, 2010

Today the Church enters into a liturgical period called “Ordinary”, which consists of the Sundays from the Baptism of the Lord until the beginning of Lent. Although it is called “Ordinary” time, the Lord is always working in extraordinary ways in our lives and in the Church. The Greek word “epiphany” means showing or manifestation. The early Church celebrated the gift of God, of the Eternal One, in the ordinariness of our human existence and in the everyday events of our lives. This can be seen in three manifestations in the life of Christ: 1. The Messiah to the Wise Men of the East; 2. The Savior at the beginning of His apostolic mission by means of the testimony of the Spirit and of John the Baptist; and 3. In today’s Gospel the mercy of God by means of the first “sign” at Cana, the manifestation by which His disciples believed in Him.

Today’s Gospel is very vivid. This story has been made more prominent since Pope John Paul II included it in the new Mysteries of Light in the Rosary. Are we attentive to the “signs” that the Lord uses to show Himself to us today? Can I allow Mary, God’s Mother, to help me be more attentive to the Lord’s instructions; “Do whatever He tells you?” Can I see His presence in selfish actions that are changed into His selfless love? Am I aware of how the Lord manifests Himself to me in the miracles of forgiveness and reconciliation? The Lord wants to do these and many other miracles in our lives if we put at His disposal the “water” of our efforts at prayer, of sacrifice and of doing good works. In this way we will be able to show all the world “His marvelous deeds” in the midst of our “ordinary” lives.

The scripture today shows us that Mary truly is a gift not just in her ‘yes’ that changed the world,’ but also in her ability to help us to be better followers of Jesus. She helps us to go deeper into our prayers, to seek the reasons why we pray for certain things, and to see the aspects of our lives as directed by God and not us.

THE HAND PRAYER

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

CHEROKEE LEGEND

The Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

Fr. Bill's Notes (January 10, 2010)

On January 1st we celebrated the Feast of the Motherhood of Mary. It was disappointing to see that a number of people seemed not to honor our Blessed Mother by not participating in Mass that day. In starting the new year we can use Mary’s intercession for so many difficulties and problems in our world. But it seems that many people are going to try to handle these situations without prayer or Jesus’ or Mary’s help.

We have times during our day of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that need adorers. Jesus used to take time off from what He was doing and go apart, meditate and pray to God the Father. Yet, we have people in today’s world who do not take the time to spend with Our Lord, Who is our Savior and wants us to spend lasting life with Him. Next Sunday we will have Adoration of Christ’s Presence in the Blessed Sacrament from after the 10:30 Mass until 10:30 in the evening. Can you find time to be with Him particularly as we start the new year?

Pope Benedict XVI wrote a book, “God is Near Us” and says that the Eucharist is nothing less than the Lord Jesus giving Himself in His ministry. The Eucharist is about the unlimited generosity of God Who desires the transformation of all reality into the Divine.

Allied to the Catholic conviction of the Eucharistic Presence of Christ is the proper posture for receiving Holy Communion – kneeling or standing – in the hand or on the tongue. Pope Benedict has said, “both exercise tolerance and to recognize the decision of each person.” He acknowledges that for nine hundred years, communion was received in the hand and standing and whatever posture one might prefer today. He concludes that the Church could not possibly have been celebrating the Eucharist unworthily for 900 years… The Eucharist is far more than just a meal; it has cost a death to provide it… God Himself gives to us, that we may give in turn… We cannot have communion with the Lord if we are not in communion with each other; when we go to meet Him in the Mass, we go to meet each other, to be as one with each other.”

LESSONS FROM A DONKEY

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW
I LEARNED FROM NOAH’S ARK

1 – Don’t miss the boat.

2. Remember that we are in the same boat.

3. Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.

4. Stay fit. When you’re 60 years old,

someone may ask you to do something really big.

5. Don’t listen to critics;

just get on with the job that needs to be done.

6. Build your future on high ground.

7. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.

8. Speed isn’t always an advantage.

The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

9. When you’re stressed, float a while.

10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs,

the Titanic by professionals.

11. No matter the storm, when you are with God,

there’s always a rainbow waiting.

Fr. Bill's Notes (January 3, 2010)

As we being a new year we should remember that we are called to be partners in ministry with Jesus. We are to carry on His work in sharing the Good News and see how we can use His gifts to build up His kingdom. We know He will give us help. For the New Year we ask His blessings.

May you be the one with welcome in your smile and hello etched in your hand. The hand you extend to those you meet as you are the reflection of God’s love. May the wellsprings of compassion flow deep within you until you can taste the tears of your brothers and sisters. May your friendship with God be strong and healthy. May that love be both a comfort and a challenge as your struggle to find your way in the New Year. May your prayer be that of wisdom, guidance and a deeper understanding of God’s way for you.

We are still looking for some help with music particularly at the 5:00 PM Mass on Saturday. We can use singers at other Masses too. We also have asked for help with Fr. Jim’s Library to organize it better and perhaps expand it. We would be happy to have volunteers for Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family which reminds us that we are a parish family so we pray: Lord God we thank you for the gift of family. We acknowledge that our image and name as family came from You. We are family. We give thanks to you for the many joys and blessings that have come to us through our family. We pray for the strength to be a light within our family. May we open our hearts, our eyes and ears and carry our light to those in need. As members of one global family we are equal in your eyes and help us to continue to appreciate the diversity of persons since we are equal in human dignity. Help us to forgive those members of our family including ourselves who have caused us pain. Let us proclaim our willingness to be the holy people you call us to be. Amen

THANK YOU- This year’s breakfast with St. Nick really brought out the true meaning of Christmas. I became friends with JenEve Ma shortly after her mom passed away this past February. We connected very quickly and had much in common. We were both moms, both pregnant, and both had lost our own mothers. Then in August, JenEve and her husband, Clinton, were faced with the unimaginable – they lost their 21 month-old son, Giles, in a tragic car accident. I felt awful and wanted to do something. I prayed for inspiration and was led to the idea of dedicating this year’s ‘Breakfast with Santa’ to a charity of their choice. In October, JenEve and Clinton were informed that their son’s heart was donated to a four-year-old boy from North Carolina, Scotty Diciuccio. Scotty’s uncovered medical bills average $4,000 each month. They suggested that all monies raised be donated to Scotty’s family. The response from our parish community was overwhelming. With your love and support, $1,500 was raised for this cause. Our family would like to extend a big thank you for all who helped, donated, and prayed for the success of this event. We ask you to continue to keep the Ma Family in your prayers, as well as for Scotty’s continued good health. May you all enjoy a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Happy New Year.

Vanessa Loviza

FUTURE IN LITTLE THINGS
-- Author Unknown

At age twenty-one, Jacques Lafitte, a son of a very poor carpenter of Bayonne, set out to seek his fortune and future life's work. He had no references from influential people, no brilliant academic career behind him, but he was young and full of hope.

Jacques arrived in Paris and with his usual thoroughness began looking for a job. Days became weeks, and still he had no job or income. But he kept at it. Nobody in Paris noticed this determined young man.

One morning Jacques applied at the office of the famous Swiss banker, Monsieur Perregaux. The banker asked him a few questions about himself. Then he slowly shook his head and said there would be no job offered at the moment.

Sadly, and more discouraged than ever, Jacques left the bank and walked slowly across the courtyard. As he did so, he paused, stopped and picked something up. Then he continued into the busy street, wondering if perhaps it wasn't time to return home to Bayonne.

At about that moment, he was overtaken by a man who tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me sir," he said, "I'm an employee at the bank. Monsieur Perregaux wishes to see you again."

For the second time that morning Jacques faced the famous banker, "Pardon me," said Monsieur Perregaux, "but I happened to be watching you as you crossed the courtyard of the bank. You stooped and picked something up. Would you mind telling me what it was?"

"Only this," replied Jacques, wonderingly, as he took a bright new straight pin from the underside of the lapel of his coat. "Aaah," exclaimed the banker, "that changes everything. We always have room here for anyone who is careful about little things. You may start at once."

Thus Jacques Lafitte began his long and amazingly successful association with the bank, ultimately assuming complete control of what became, "Perregaux, Lafitte and Company," one of the largest banks of Europe.

How many futures have hinged on such insignificant things? Little things are important in life to God. God has one Son, who came only once, and thirty of His thirty three years were spent in what we call the "hidden life" doing ordinary things like us and all the little things. We all have a hidden life and to God. Who sees us in much of our daily activities, working around our house, doing the laundry, housework, shopping, driving, greeting people, praying for others, working at our jobs, commuting, bearing up under our illness, annoyances, limitations, colds and headaches. What is most convincing about one's spiritual life is how we go about the little things that no one sees or knows where we get no recognition or thank you, doing the ordinary little things in an extraordinary way. What would Jesus do! He did the little things as well as the big things with the same care.

PRAYER

"Lord, your grace is sufficient for me. Fill my heart with love and gratitude for the mercy you have shown to me and give me freedom and joy to love and serve others as you have taught."

Reflection by Deacon Ed (December 27, 2009)

In an atmosphere of Christmas joy, today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We turn our gaze from the crib to the humble dwelling of Nazareth. Having become our brother, Jesus wanted to experience life; He thus becomes part of the first, fundamental cell of society. In this way, Jesus gives perennial, valid recognition to the most common of human institutions. For us believers, the family finds its model in the family of Nazareth, where human history of the Redeemer and His parents unfolded. We think of the difficulties Mary and Joseph had to face at Jesus’ birth and then their exile in Egypt to escape Herod’s persecution. Nazareth has also become the symbol of that “normality” of daily life which marks every family’s existence. Such small towns as Nazareth were a kinship network, most everyone would have been a relative of Jesus. They lived in close proximity and were part of each other’s lives. When we think of the family of Jesus, we can delete the image of Jesus sitting quietly with Mary while Joseph was busy making chairs in the carpenter shop. The Holy Family lived in close quarters with cousins, in-laws, shirttail relatives of all kinds. There was no getting away from family.

Years ago when the Duke of York visited the U.S. he said with tongue in cheek, “I notice something very unusual about American parents… how well they obey their children. Another Englishman, Charles Dickens, describes his growing up, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of time.” That is kind of summary of family life. It brings our happiest feelings and our most sorrowful. It takes a lot of virtue and patience to be part of an extended family… a lot of indirect kindness that may or may not have an effect. We do our best and try to be kind, knowing that we can’t single-handedly change things. Jesus was part of an extended family, no different from ours.

The message that comes from the Holy Family is first of all a message of faith; the family of Nazareth is a home which truly centers on God. For Mary and Joseph, this choice is realized in their service to the Son of God entrusted to their care, but is also expressed in their mutual love, rich in spiritual tenderness and fidelity. With their life they teach that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, a covenant that involves reciprocal fidelity and rests upon their common trust in God.

The mystery of Nazareth teaches every family to beget and raise its children, marvelously cooperating with the Creator’s work in the world. It is in united families that children grow up and experience the most important, the richest moments of gratuitous love, fidelity, mutual respect and the defense of life.

TWO BABES IN A MANGER

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.

Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city.

Following instructions, the children tore the paper carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby’s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.

The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for then translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.

For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately… until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, “And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told Him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept Him warm, that would be a good gift.

So I asked Jesus, “If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?” And Jesus told me, “If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.” “So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and He told me I could stay with Him…for always.”

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.

The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him…for always.

I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

Fr. Bill's Notes (December 20, 2009)

Christmas is a season of love. God’s love comes to us in human form through the birth of Jesus and we continue to bring that love in today’s world by sharing ourselves and our gifts with others. That is why our parish staff and I wish you and your loved ones a holy, happy and merry Christmas. We are grateful to Mary for saying “yes” to God’s invitation to be the Mother of God. Now we are called to say “yes” in sharing God’s love.

In this world where there is so much darkness, violence, and lack of respect for other people, Jesus came to bring us a peace that the world cannot give. He wants us to have that peace that the angels sang about on the first Christmas. We can find that peace when we realize He is in our midst with a love that we try to share and bring to others with our exchange of gifts, sending cards, having meals together. We try to live Mother Teresa’s words, “I see Jesus in everyone and everything.” With the lights we hope will continue to be lit, we want to bring Christ, the Light of the World, to chase away the darkness of unbelief through our reflection of His love.

We have the great gift that Jesus gives to us in receiving His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. He wants us to share His gifts not only at this time, but throughout the year so the Spirit of Christmas may help to bring about His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. That’s why we are grateful to all who serve in their dedication for working in the various ministries` and service which help support the spiritual and material needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This way we can show others what the love and peace of God means to us.

THE HOMELESS MAN
-- Author Unknown

It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked to the church.

As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face.

He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet with holes all over them, his toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church.

We all fellowshipped for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man laying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me.

A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to the church opened. In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head down. People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit he took off his hat and coat.

My heart sank. There stood our preacher...he was the "homeless man." No one said a word.

The preacher took his Bible and laid it on the stand. "Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today." Then he started singing the words to this song. "If I can help somebody as I pass along. If I can cheer somebody with a word or song. If I can show somebody that he's traveling wrong. Then my living shall not be in vain."

"IS YOUR LIVING IN VAIN?"

PRAYER

"Father, we rejoice in the gifts of love we have received from the heart of Jesus your Son. Open our hearts to share his life and continue to bless us with his love. Amen."

Fr. Bill's Notes (December 13, 2009)

We thank all those who have been gifts to us, not just at Christmas time, but throughout the year. They have shared their time, talents and treasure to help to bring the faith to our Parish Family and to others. God has shared His love with us in the birth of Jesus and our Blessed Mother has given us her only Son. We should show our thanks by bringing the gifts that we can be and are to those whose lives we touch.

We especially remember those who in the last month have shared joy, happiness, and community. The Craft and Vendor event, the first Community Thanksgiving Dinner, the Blood Drive, the promotion of Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament, the Cub Scout Car Races, the Rite of Acceptance for our support of our RCIA Candidate, Susan, Blessing the Advent wreaths, -- have all been great events. We are thankful for all who have assisted in bringing people to God and God to people.

As we use the season of Advent for home improvement in ourselves, we are making a home for Jesus to come in and abide with us. This is a time for using the Sacrament of Penance and there are a number of days. On Monday, December 14th at St. Mary of The Snow, on Wednesday, December 16th at St. John’s in Woodstock, on Friday, December 18th here, and on Monday, December 21st at St. Francis deSales in Phoencia. The time for all these places is 7:30 PM. We will also have confession here on Saturday, December 19th from 4:00 to 4:30 PM. Making these changes in our lives is a great present to give to Jesus for His birthday and prepare the way of the Lord.

“Rejoice the Lord is Near” is the theme of this third Sunday of Advent. The prophet Zephaniah sees the people of Jerusalem drifting more and more into a pagan lifestyle and the people shutting God out of their hearts. But he saw God had not deserted His people and said, “Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord God is in your midst.” St. Paul who is in prison reminds us that God is guarding his mind and heart because the Lord is right there in his prison cell. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord always because the Lord is near.” John the Baptist reminds the people that someone mightier is coming who will “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Use this time of Advent to prepare the way of the Lord and draw near to Him with His love. This is the spirit of getting ready to celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ coming into our lives.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone

Reflection by Deacon Ed (December 6, 2009)

The Season of Advent and the general rush toward Christmas is often wrapped in a yuletide blanket of cozy, comfortable religion. We can pass through this season without too much discomfort. Unlike Lent with its ashes, penance and self-denial, we associate Advent with more positive things and good feelings.

In the modern spiritual lingo, Advent is a “positive experience” but it’s over almost before we know it. However our reading from Baruch does not invite us to be clothed in the yuletide blanket of cozy, comfortable religion, but “wrapped in the cloak of justice from God.” There is nothing like justice-talk to throw a damper on our seasonal cheer, even worse, is the movement from justice-talk to justice-action. Maybe the problem lies in our understanding of justice.

What is justice?...God’s love made visible. Justice is essential to this season and celebration of the coming of Jesus into our heart and history, but we must first remove the negative baggage associated with it. When we hear the word justice our minimalistic-calculators (small minds) call for giving each person his/her just due…a balancing of the scales and restoring those injured by daily life from those who play fast and loose with the law. There is a kind of grimness, drudgery about justice which gives the impression that it is only a duty. There is little zest or passion associated with justice. Yet the bible experiences justice in a very different way. Justice has little, if anything, to do with balancing scales and minimal calculations of fairness.

Justice is generosity, it is passionate, and it is involved commitment to real human needs. The biblical insight about justice goes much deeper than simple entitlement and an even distribution of scarce resources. Justice draws us into the way in which God interacts with us. To use the justice-imagery of Baruch we see that God’s justice towards us is generous, glorious, joyful and life-giving. There is no mention of merit or a bland calculation of what one deserves. There is an overwhelming air of joy and delight. Justice is the experience of God’s generous love made visible in our lives. As the people of the new covenant of God’s loving generosity (justice) we are called to be just in a like manner. It is the season for generosity. Not the mania giving, getting and rushing about which is all too common. Rather, we are called to be inwardly calm and see the many ways God has taken the windings of our lives and made them straight; the rough places and made them smooth. We are called to do the same for one another.

GEORGE CARLIN’S VIEWS ON AGING

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50, and your dreams are gone...But! wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50, and make it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that, it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's, and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 & a half!' May you make it to a healthy 100 & a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's family name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND, ALWAYS REMEMBER
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Fr. Bill's Notes (November 29, 2009)

This weekend we begin the season of Advent and start the Church’s year. This time leads us to the celebration of Christmas and hopefully the sights and sounds of the season help to stir up in us a readiness to receive our Savior as it brings us to the great mystery of God’s becoming human for us.

Advent is a Latin word meaning, the coming. During this time we prepare to celebrate the three comings of Christ: His lowly birth in the past, His coming to us and to His Church in the present, and His promised return as our Judge at the end of time. Originally celebrated as a kind of Lent before the Feast of Christmas, it developed its own distinctive character emphasizing the joy filled hope in the coming of the Lord.

During the first part of Advent, the prophecies of Isaiah and John the Baptist remind us that we are waiting for God’s coming among us and so we have some preparing to do. The observance of Advent leads us to renewal and to the joy and celebration of Christmas.

The predominant liturgical color of Advent is purple and that symbolizes the emphasis on repentance signaled by John the Baptist’s call to reform our lives and make straight the way of the Lord.

The Advent wreath is probably the most popular symbol of Advent and its candles are symbols of Jesus, the Light of the World who overcomes the darkness and warms a wintry world. One candle is lit each week and they are usually three purple or blue candles and one pink. The pink one is lit on the Third Sunday of Advent and is the “Rejoice” candle reminding us that the coming of Christ is near so we should not lose hope even when things seem so dark.

December 5th, Saturday, will be the day when our young people will meet Jesus and His forgiveness as they make their first Confession. We pray that they will receive the Sacrament often as they draw near to Jesus and He is always ready to take us back when we are sorry for any wrong we have done and are going to try to do better.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.' ²t²t²t²t²t²

May we all remember to be thankful for our many blessings this Thanksgiving!

Fr. Bill's Notes (November 22, 2009)

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, as we remember all those who have helped us, our families, and our country be where we are today. We especially thank God for His many blessings that He has given us. There are so many things to be thankful for. Don’t take those blessings for granted, but share your time, talents and treasure to build up God’s kingdom.

In this month we see so many saints of all ages and from different walks of life. There have been a number of people we know who have led holy lives and probably are sharing in Jesus’ victory over sin and death even thought they have not been canonized.

One such person is Audrey Santo from Worcester, Massachusetts. On August 9, 1987, when she was three years old, she fell into the family swimming pool and in being rushed to the hospital she was overmedicated. She was out of a coma in three weeks, but remained in a state called Akinetic Mutism—non-moving and non-speaking.

People came to pray to Audrey; Catholics and other faiths. She has manifested medically unexplainable marks on her body that resemble the wounds of Christ and these have been evident especially on Good Friday. She has brought people, including priests and bishops, to focus on Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist. At five Masses that were celebrated in the chapel of her family’s house, the Precious Blood of Jesus appeared on five consecrated hosts. These were verified scientifically to be human blood.

Audrey clearly tells us that God doesn’t make junk because even though she could not walk or talk, she was valuable in offering her life as a victim for those who were suffering, just as Jesus did. Through her intercession some people have received healings. One such case is where her body suffered the effects as though she was having chemotherapy even though she never had any of those treatments while she was praying for someone who was being treated for cancer with those treatments.

Audrey’s story has been on EWTN, “Unsolved Mysteries” and “20-20”. Audrey was born on December 19, 1983, and went home to God on April 14, 2007. In 2008, Audrey’s mother, Linda, received a letter from Rome from a Doctor Andrea Ambrosi who is Postulator to the Congregation for Causes of Beatification and Canonization and he stated the Church was very interested in pursuing the canonization of “Little Audrey” and he came from Rome to Worcester to explain and begin the process. Two miracles, fully authenticated and documented and fully attributed to Little Audrey, must be presented for consideration by the Church. Financial help is needed for the secretarial work, collecting, translating documents, responding to replies, printing and mailings are a daunting and expensive task.

For more information and what you could do to help, you may use the website at littleaudreysanto.org or write to ”Little Audrey Santo Foundation, 68 South Flagg Street, Worcester, MA 01602.

This is a rare opportunity to directly participate in the canonization of a saint of the church.

IF A MAN LACKS COURAGE

By Rev. Patrick Fountaine, "Little Talks About Life"

It can be truthfully said that courage isn't the only quality necessary for success in the world. But it can also be truthfully said that if a man possesses all other qualities and lacks courage, he cannot succeed.

There is an old tale about Satan walking in the Street of Life, sulking in the shadows with his hunting dogs, the little imps of human weakness.

A man, Albert, came walking down the streets; Satan said to a little imp, scowling with a bitter face: "Go, get him for me!" Quickly the imp crossed the street, silently and lightly hopped to the man's shoulders. In his ear he whispered, "You are discouraged."

"No, said the man, "I am not discouraged." "You are discouraged!" insisted the imp. This time the man replied, "I do not think I am." Louder and more decidedly, the little imp repeated, "I tell you, you are discouraged!" Albert dropped his head and murmured: "Well, I suppose I am." The little imp darted back to Satan, and said proudly: "I've got him; he's discouraged."

Another man, Carlson, passed. Again old Satan said: "Get him for me!" The proud little demon of discouragement repeated his tactics. The first time he said, "You are discouraged." The man replied, emphatically, "No." The second time Carlson replied, "I tell you I am not discouraged!" The third time he said to the imp, "You lie! I am not discouraged!" And Carlson walked down the street, his head erect, going straight toward the light.

The imp of discouragement returned to his master, crestfallen, "I couldn't get him," he reported. "Three times I told him he was discouraged. The third time, he called me a liar, and that really discouraged me!"

THE LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost hope. The good man suffers many troubles, but the Lord saves him from them all. Psalm 34:18-19)

Reflection by Deacon Ed (November 15, 2009)

Fortune was the lady who lost her purse near Price Chopper the other day. Fortunate, because the boy who found it was honest. He rode over to her house, he knew her from church, to return it to her. “Very strange,” commented the lady, “before I lost my bag there was a twenty dollar bill in it. Now I find two fives and ten one dollar bills in it.” “That’s right, lady,” agreed the honest boy. The last time I found a lady’s purse, she didn’t have any change for a reward.” The boy was hopeful for a reward, but to play it safe, he took an active part in achieving his hopes.

For the greater part of the Old Testament there is no sign of hope, that death is the beginning of a new, more glorious life. “Life” for the Hebrews meant this present life. Their relationship with God was here and now. So the fruits of that relationship meant a fuller, richer life. It was assumed then, that the more you owned for controlled, the more goodies you accumulated, the better was your relationship with God. Only gradually did they dare hope that there was something more, that the human longing for life, never fully satisfied by anything we enjoy here and now, would find fulfillment in resurrection from the dead.

The reading from the book of Daniel, (the hero, not the author), offers hope in the face of such death to all those who are faithful to God. “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.” This is one of the few readings of the Old Testament that reminds us of the hope of the resurrection of the dead and of a final judgment beyond our human history.

This reading from Daniel is like a “mini-apocalypse” that unveils portions of our hidden destiny, resurrection and judgment. St. Mark’s Gospel gives us a sensational picture that will identify the end of the world and bring us to the threshold of a “life in the world to come.” These scriptures forcefully try to convince us that we live in the shadow of eternity, but that “hope” should nourish our hearts. With such hope we need not live in fear and hysterical expectation. Our aim should be to live daily in such a way that it doesn’t really matter to us when Jesus comes, when the end of the world consumes us.

It is indeed good to fix our eyes of Christ’s final coming…for that is our Christian hope. Yet it would be tragic to be so fixed on the far horizon that we are blinded to Christ’s daily coming to us…the poor, the lonely, the frightened, the sick and the lost in a strange world that does not seem to care.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DIE

Author Unknown

A house church in a city of the USSR had managed to receive a single copy of the Gospel according to Luke. This was the only written copy of the Scripture that many of these Christians had ever seen. They tore it into small sections and distributed them among the body of believers. Their plan was to memorize the portion that had been given, and then on the next Sunday they would meet and redistribute the scriptural sections to memorize more.

On Sunday, these believers arrived inconspicuously in small groups or as singles throughout the day so as not to arouse the suspicion of KGB informers. By dark they were safely inside, windows closed and doors were locked. They began by singing quietly but with deep emotion.

Suddenly, the door was forced open and in walked two soldiers with loaded automatic weapons. One shouted, "All right everyone line up against the wall. I f you wish to renounce your commitment to Jesus Christ, leave now!"

Two or three quickly left, then another. After a few moments, two more, "This is your last chance" he ordered, "or stay and suffer the consequences." Another left. Finally, two more in embarrassed silence with their faces covered, slipped out into the night. No one else moved. Parents with small children trembling beside them, looked down reassuringly. They fully expected to be gunned down or at best, to be imprisoned.

After a few more moments of complete silence, the other soldier closed the door, looked back at those who stood against the wall and said, "Keep your hands up, but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ brothers and sisters. We too are Christians! We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers." The other soldier interrupted, "But, instead, we were converted! We have learned by experience, however, that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted."

Stories like this from the underground church in Russia have a way of jolting us! Immediately, this question comes to my mind. Would I be willing to die for my faith in Jesus Christ? Talk about a commitment, yet, it was exactly this kind of total giving that brought our modern day church into being. Those who have gone before us were willing to give everything, including life, to preserve and spread this gospel! Can we do the same? Can we stick to our guns when others disagree with us, when our beliefs and moral positions are unpopular? Can we do less?

PRAYER

"Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart to recognize your presence with me and to understand the truth of your saving word. Nourish me with your life-giving word and with the bread of life."

Fr. Bill's Notes (November 8, 2009)

We celebrate Veteran’s Day on Wednesday, November 11th. We honor those who have served our country so we can enjoy the freedoms we have. Many have devoted their lives for us and we pray on that day, especially for those who have died giving themselves so that others could have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We also remember those who are doing this in many parts of the world today. May God continue to bless them and all they are doing to share the gifts and freedoms that many here take for granted.

In this month we remember those people who have been models for us and have been declared saints. There have been many people whom we know who have lived holy lives, but may not be honored here as saints. Some are in the process of canonization, e.g. Cardinal Cooke, Dorothy Day, Pierre Touisant. There are two young women who have been noted for uniting themselves with closeness to God: Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and Audrey Santo. Both died in their 20’s and both lived not far from us, yet a great number of people do not know their stories.

Blessed Kateri, a Mohawk woman was baptized at the age of 20. When she had been 4 years old her parents and brother died of small pox, but her eyesight had been impaired. Because of her poor vision, she was named “Tekakwitha” which means, “She who bumps into things”. She was taken in by her uncle who was bitterly opposed to Christianity. When she was 18 she began instructions in the Catholic faith. She was ridiculed and scorned by the villagers and help life was even threatened. She escaped from Fonda, NY to a settlement of Christian Indians in Canada. At the age of 21 she made her First Holy Communion. In Canada she taught prayers to children and worked with the elderly and sick. She was known for her great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Cross of Christ. She endured great suffering from a serious illness. Kateri’s last words were, “Jesus, Mary, I love you”. Witnesses reported that within a few minutes of her death the pock marks from smallpox completely vanished and her face shone with radiant loveliness. Many people have been praying that she will be recognized as the first Native American saint in the United Sates.

There are many saints who have lived near us who have great stories. Get to know some of those who shared the faith or brought it to our state as did, “The Lily of the Mohawks”, Kateri Tekakwitha. The e-mail address in Fonda, NY is kateri-s@yahoo.com.

BREAKFAST WITH SAINT NICHOLAS- The 3rd Annual St. John’s Breakfast with St. Nicholas will be held on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 from 11 AM to 1 PM. There will be cookie decorating, lots of food and drink, live music and a special guest. This year all the proceeds will be donated to Scotty Diciuccio, the recipient of a very special boy’s heart – Giles Ma. His parents, JenEve and Clinton, donated Giles’ organs and Scotty is the five year old boy who received the gift of Giles’ heart. Unfortunately, Scotty’s medical bills are $4,000 a month; and that is what insurance does not cover. So this will be a very special family to help support. If anyone is interested in donating, making reservations, or volunteering, please contact Vanessa Loviza at vloviza@hotmail.com or call 247-3613. All proceeds will be donated in loving memory of Giles Ma and Beverly Defino; two very special angels! If you would like to see more of Scotty’s story, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/scottydiciuccio

FR. JIM’S LIBRARY- A suggestion has been made to improve the library so that more people would be able to use it with more books available. New matching shelves could be made, perhaps even with wheels so that they would be more visible to encourage greater use. Someone could categorize the books and hopefully would bring in more children’s religious books to be included. If you have any ideas or can help with any of those presented, please call the rectory. The library is a tribute to Fr. Jim and how he shared the faith in his priesthood for so many years.

THE SACK LUNCHES

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

“Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. “Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.”

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base'.

His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch.

It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers. Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars! Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury." - Mk 12:42-43

Fr. Bill's Notes (November 1, 2009)

As we begin the month of November we are reminded about the Church’s teaching on the Communion of Saints. There is a union with the Saints in heaven, the souls in Purgatory and us here on earth.

We are all called to be saints – holy ones in God’s household. No one should say I can’t be a saint because God gives us the means and graces to be holy. We have the Holy Spirit and our guardian angels who lead us to do the will of God, which is our way of being holy. Saints come from all walks of life with not always holy times in their lives. They turn their lives over to God as they realize His part in their lives.

We here on earth have to work and pray so that we can prepare ourselves for eternal life. We believe that we will face two judgments; one as soon as we die and the other when the Lord Jesus returns. Some may be completely united with God and are given immediate entry into the joy of heavenly life. We can honor them as saints and ask them to pray for us. Some who die at peace with God, but still are far from perfect when they leave this world. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that, “all who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”

During this month there are envelopes to remember the dead and by these offerings uniting themselves with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in a Novena for these deceased.

WHAT MY FATHER WORE

What my father wore embarrassed me as a young man. We lived in south Texas, and my father wore tattered jeans with the imprint of his pocketknife on the seat. He liked shirts that snapped more than those that buttoned and kept his pencils, cigars, glasses, wrenches and screwdrivers in his breast pocket. My father's boots were government-issues with steel toes

But, as a child, I'd crept into his closet and modeled his wardrobe in front of the mirror. My imagination transformed his shirts into the robes of kings and his belts into soldiers' holsters. I slept in his undershirts and relied on the scent of his collars to calm my fear of the dark. Within a few years, though, I started wishing my father would trade his denim for khaki and retire his boots for loafers. I blamed the way he dressed for my social failures. When boys bullied me, I thought they'd seen my father wearing his cowboy hat while walking our dog. I felt that girls snickered at me because they'd glimpsed him mowing the grass in cut-offs and black boots.

My father only bought two suits in his life. But the day before my parents' twentieth anniversary, he and I went to Sears, and he tried on suits all afternoon. With each one, he stepped to the mirror, smiled and nodded, then asked about the price and reached for another. He probably tried ten suits before we drove to a discount store and bought one without so much as approaching a fitting room.

Later, though, he donned the same suit for my 8th-grade awards banquet, & I wished he'd stayed home. After the ceremony (I'd been voted Mr. Citizenship), he lauded my award and my character while changing into a faded red sweatsuit. He was stepping into the garage to wash a load of laundry when I asked what even at age fourteen struck me as cruel and wrong. "Why," I asked, "don't you dress 'nice,' like my friends' fathers?"

He held me with his sad, shocked eyes, and searched for an answer. Then before he disappeared into the garage my father said, "I like my clothes." An hour later my mother stormed into my room, slapped me hard across the face. In time they forgave me, and as I matured I realized that girls avoided me not because of my father but because of his son.

I realized that my mother had slapped me because my father could not, and it soon became clear that what he had really said that night was that there are things more important than clothes. He'd said he couldn't spend a nickel on himself because there were things I wanted. That night, without another word, my father had said, "You're my son, and I sacrifice so your life will be better than mine."

For my high-school graduation, my father arrived in a suit he and my mother had purchased earlier that day. Somehow he seemed taller, more handsome and imposing, and when he passed the other fathers they stepped out of his way. It wasn't the suit, of course, but the man. After we returned home, my father replaced the suit in the flimsy Sears garment bag, and I didn't see it again until his funeral. I don't know what he was wearing when he died, but he was working, so he was in clothes he liked. My mother thought of burying him in the suit from Sears, but I convinced her otherwise and soon delivered a pair of old jeans, a flannel shirt and his boots to the funeral home.

On the morning of the services, I used his pocketknife to carve another hole in his belt so it wouldn't droop around my waist. Then I took the suit from Sears out of his closet and changed into it. Eventually, I mustered the courage to study myself in his mirror where, with the exception of the suit, I appeared small and insignificant. Again, as in childhood, the clothes draped over my scrawny frame. My father's scent wafted up and caressed my face. And I stood there for some time, facing myself in my father's mirror, weeping and trying to imagine - as I will for the rest of my life - the day I'll grow into my father's clothes.

Reflection by Deacon Ed (October 25, 2009)

The Gospel is filled with anonymous people who came to Jesus for healing. But today’s story is about someone with a name and a place. He is Bartimaeus. Bar in front of a name tells us he is the son of Timaeus. Bartimaeus, a blind man who begged for alms on the road outside Jericho, was likely a fixture there; a little annoying perhaps, as beggars can sometimes be, dressed in a dirty cloak, crying loudly to passersby for help. The day that Jesus was passing by, people found Bartimaeus particularly annoying and told the poor man to keep quiet. But he kept crying out even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

Very often people describe an unpleasant group experience, whether among acquaintances or strangers, as a “shouting match.” This usually means some were out of control. In a shouting match there are no winners, but that’s not the case in today’s story. While suffering from impaired or lack of vision, blind persons usually have a keener perception in other areas. They depend on sound, voice, footsteps, a fragrance, upon a voice they recognize with love, or an unfamiliar voice they hear with fear.

Bartimaeus hears joyful voices coming from a “sizeable crowd”. He learned very quickly the cause of all the excitement was Jesus of Nazareth. So this beggar has to rely on his voice, and a shouting voice it was. Nothing, no one, could keep Bartimaeus quiet. He utters one of the most beautiful prayers, “Son of David, have pity on me.” In his frenzy he tosses off his cloak when he hears Jesus say, “Call him.”

“What do you want me to do for you?”….as if Jesus didn’t know what a blind beggar wanted. “Master, I want to see.” And again we hear that familiar phrase, “Your faith has saved you.”

It is because of our faith that we have respect for the Holy Name of Jesus. And when we hear that sacred name being used by people in a way that sounds like a curse, especially by some who call themselves Christian, we can try to make amends for that sacrilege by repeating Jesus’ name in a prayer. That’s the least we can do.

What can we learn from the Bartimaeus story? He began by acknowledging his blindness. He admitted that he could do nothing about it. He believed in Jesus and filled with faith he was persistent in approaching Him. He believed, he asked, he trusted, he saw.

Like Bartimaeus we must throw off the cloak that holds us back, approach Jesus with persistence and faith and cry out from the depths of our being, “Lord, that I may see.”

GOD BLESS OUR CONFIRMANDI- Who celebrated this Sacrament on October 18th. Estelle Chiodo, Timothy Cornelison, Joseph Costa, Gavin Cranston, Ashley Davies, Padraic Defino, Patrick Fenaughty, Jesse Forte, Morgan Mitchell, Tanner Taylor. We pray that they accept the gifts that the Holy Spirit orders them: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Right Judgment, Courage, Reverence, Wonder and Awe in God’s Presence.

QUILT OF HOLES

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, 'Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.'

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn,

allowing Christ to shine through!

Fr. Bill's Notes (October 18, 2009)

During the past year we have tried to bring our people closer in their relationship with God and our Parish Family. We have been blessed with so many who have given their time, talent and treasure, to share their faith and to bring others into the Parish Family in worshipping God and supporting each other. We have seen the men starting a group to get to know their faith better. There has been a Bible Study Group to help people understand more fully the Love Story that God has given us. We pray that our young people who are being confirmed this weekend will be strong witnesses to God’s presence in a world where so many are afraid to profess their faith. The Family evening of our Religious Education Program brought parents and young people to realize how we can work together to become stronger in our faith.

As we look at our Parish Financial Report we have seen our insurance costs rise, but we have been able to bring some of our expenses down to keep us in the black. Through events like starting a dinner on Thanksgiving Day for those who are alone and those who have need we are sharing our gifts as a sign of our gratitude to God and we ask His blessings on those who have arranged this meal. We pray that we can continue to grow spiritually and our monthly time of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will bring us more in touch with our loving God. We also pray that those who have been inactive will return to receive the graces that God has for them and their loved ones. We pray too that parents may be the best of teachers for their children.

May God bless all of you as you continue to support our Parish Family by all that you do.

TAKE A TOUR OF OUR CHURCH AND LEARN WHY WE DO THE THINGS WE DO AT MASS- All parishioners are invited to an informative evening as we will take a tour of or church and learn why we do the things we do at Mass. This will take place at 6:00 PM on Monday, October 19th. This presentation will be given by Barbara Renner.

COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DAY DINNER- St. John’s will be hosting our 1st annual Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner for anyone who will alone for the holiday. The dinner will take place from 1 to 3 PM. Transportation will be provided for those who are in need. If you would like to help with this endeavor we have signup sheets at the entrances of the church for setup,kitchen help, clean up and donations of items that are needed. There will be a box at the side of the church for food donations of: Stove top stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy mix, green beans, corn, canned sweet potatoes, apple juice/cider and baked items are needed for dessert. If you are in need of government or community service hours, please considering helping out. FMI, contact, Barbara Curry at 246-4340 or Helen Avagliano at 246-1830. So spread the word to your surrounding neighbors that would benefit from this special day! Flyers are available at the entrances of the church!

Fr. Bill's Notes (October 11, 2009)

We are concerned when our young people go to college as to whether they will practice their faith. Hank Grimsland, who is the Catholic Campus Minister at SUNY New Paltz is looking to form a Catholic Student Club on the SUNY Ulster Campus. We ask the SUNY Ulster students who are interested to contact him by phone at 845-255-8536 or at hgrimsland@hvc.rr.com. In this week’s bulletin there is an insert describing some of the events and community service opportunities that have taken place at New Paltz. We pray that our young people will take advantage of this opportunity.

Next Sunday, October 18th, is World Mission Sunday, when Catholics of the world unite at Mass to recommit ourselves to our vocation through Baptism, to be missionaries. This day was established by Pope Pius XI in 1926. He saw the day as a way to ‘foster understanding of the greatness of the missionary task and encourage zeal among the clergy and the people.” Pope Benedict XVI noted, “the goal of the Church’s mission is to illumine all peoples with the light of the Gospel as they journey through history towards God, so that in Him they may reach their full potential and fulfillment… The church’s mission is to spread hope ‘contagiously’ among all peoples. This is why Christ calls, justifies, sanctifies, and sends His disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God, so that all nations may become the People of God.”

Next Sunday, October 18th, at 2 PM, Bishop Dominick Lagonegro will celebrate a Mass for Confirmation. We hope that those who have been praying for a particular student will come to welcome that student to complete initiation into the Church.

Also next Sunday will be our day of Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament from after the 10:30 Mass until 1 PM and then from 4 PM until 8:30 Mass on Monday morning. Check to see if there is a time that you might be able to spend with Our Lord. There are a number of times that are empty. If this happens on a regular basis we may have to change the time the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. We hope this doesn’t happen because the Blessed Sacrament is a blessing to our parish.

There is a Rosary Evangelization Apostolate which has produced an inspiring rosary CD with Archbishop Dolan, who leads the prayers and gives inspiring reflections which bring us closer to Christ in the context of our daily lives. This CD is entitled, “Gazing on the Face of Jesus with Mary”. A portion of every sale will go to St. Joseph’s Seminary at Dunwoodie. The cost of each set (there are two CDs in a set) is $17.95 plus $6.95 for postage and handling). Please call the rectory for order forms.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

Dear Brothers & Sisters in the Lord:

At Baptism, each of us becomes a missionary, called by the Lord to share our Catholic faith with those around us – to be part of the Church’s mission to the world.

Jesus Himself, before He returned to the Father, promised His followers the Holy Spirit and charged them with being His “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

That mission is now addressed to each one of us. We are to support, in prayer and sacrifice, the work of missionaries who bring the “Good News” of Jesus Christ to the faraway places of today – Africa and Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the remote regions of Latin America.

Our World Mission Sunday, celebrated this year on October 18th, the world’s Catholic community will unite at Mass to recommit itself to our baptismal vocation to be missionaries. As we pray and respond here at home, we replicate what will be taking place in every parish and chapel across the globe. More than 1,150 young communities of faith in the developing nations rely on your assistance this World Mission Sunday. Your generous support of the missions, through the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, will reach those who await the “Good News,” longing to experience Christ’s hope and love. For this, I am deeply grateful.

Please also continue to pray that all of us here in the Archdiocese of New York may be eager and effective witnesses of Jesus Christ, as He asked us to be.

With prayerful best wishes, I am,

Faithfully in Christ,

Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan

Archbishop of New York

Reflection by Deacon (October 4, 2009)

Marriage has been described as man’s most difficult undertaking. From the volumes of advice written on the subject, this seems to be an accurate appraisal. Psychologists, marriage counselors and clergy tell us that most people today want and expect happiness from marriage. But few can define it; those who have it, live it; but those who don’t, can’t pinpoint what’s missing.

Society’s standards for happiness have fooled many couples. Security in the form of a home, job, children, and material possessions is part of the “package.” Some people think it can be wrapped up and purchased at the altar with a simple exchange of vows. Lured by this false advertising, they enter into marriage with the hope of solving personal problems. When their expectations fail, the life drains from their relationship, these days often before their first anniversary. Then, out of habit, stubbornness, or fear of loneliness they merely exist and don’t really live.

Marriage is a bond that is being challenged every day. Flexibility and a sense of humor help spouses deal with all the variables that comes with their vows. Too easily a husband and wife let hurt feelings, tired bodies and restless minds obscure the kind of openness that encourages growth in their life together and the widening of interests as their lives unfold each day. Sometimes couples are victims of their own virtues. How often have we heard of the father who struggles with two jobs to give his family the things in life he never had only to lose his children’s friendship because they hardly ever see him? Or a mother who conscientiously does volunteer work three days a week and then is too tired for a family picnic on the weekend?

The reading from Genesis in the Old Testament, reminds us that woman is all that man is and is meant to experience the sharing of life in marriage. In marriage, God presents His love to human experience, a sharing of life not a surrender of life. In this scripture, God teaches us what He reminds us of in the New Testament about the stability of this union, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and the two of them become one body.”

Fr. Bill's Notes (September 20, 2009)

This weekend is our time of Eucharistic Adoration from Sunday after the 10:30 AM Mass until Monday at 8:30 AM. Pope John Paul II said, “closeness to Christ in silence and contemplation does not distance us from our contemporaries but, on the contrary, makes us attentive and open to human joy and distress and broadens our heart on a global scale. Through adoration, the Christian mysteriously contributes to the radical transformation of the world and to the sowing of the Gospel. Anyone who prays to the Savior, draws the whole world with him and raises it to God.”

Many people say, “what can I do since I am only one person and also feel insignificant.” St. Maria Faustina had a vision from Jesus who showed her that each time a person visited Jesus exposed in a monstrance, she saw His Divine Rays of Love and Mercy burst forth and encircle the whole world and everyone in it with graces and blessings. Find some time to spend with Jesus at this time of His Presence in the Eucharist because you do make a difference.

I want to thank all for their prayers and wishes on the occasion of my birthday and ordination anniversary. I am especially thankful for Archbishop Dolan’s call to say, “Happy Birthday”. I will try to keep serving you in my time in the parish and I am grateful for all the help I have received.

There has been some concern about the swine flu. Parishioners who are “under the weather” even with what appears to be just a cold should not worry about shaking hands at the Sign of Peace at Mass. The health people remind us to sneeze into our elbows instead of our hands, to “sanitize” and wash our hands frequently. A wish spoken “Peace be with you”, a bow or wave, express our desire that our neighbor find God’s peace in their lives. We want them to have peace, but not any case of the flu.

We will have the Blessing of Animals at 12:30 PM on The Feast of St. Francis, October 4th. This will be in the parking lot. If the weather is not good it will be on the front porch of the church.

THE HEART

"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart..."

"You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.

The surgeon looked up, annoyed "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, to see how much damage has been done..."

But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there," said the boy.

The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up, and I'll plan what to do next."

"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart.."

The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels, and I'll find out if I can make you well."

"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there." The surgeon left.

The surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery, "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, and widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy, painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis, here he paused, "death within one year."

He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. "Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did You do this? You've put him here. You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"

The Lord answered and said, "The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow.."

The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?"

The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for He has done his duty. I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb."

The surgeon wept.. The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"

"Yes," said the surgeon. "What did you find?" asked the boy. “I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.

Fr. Bill's Notes (September 5, 2009)

Next Sunday, September 13th, we will participate in Recovery Sunday; praying for those who are affected with addictions and their families. Addiction is an illness, not a bad habit or a sign of weakness. It is a treatable illness that kills people. We pray for people who have cancer and other illnesses and we should pray for those who have the illness of addiction.

Statistics say 18 million Americans struggle with alcoholism, 6 million are addicted to drugs and 6 million are addicted to gambling. More deaths and disabilities in our country each year can be attributed to addictive illnesses than from any other cause. Nine million children in American live with at least one parent that has the illness of addiction. Fifty percent of all traffic accidents are addiction related. Eighty-five percent of all prison inmates are there due to alcohol or drug related crimes. We pray for individuals and families to seek treatment and to recover from this devastating illness.

One of the groups that has helped to heal afflicted people for 75 years has been Alcoholics Anonymous whose programs have been taken on by other groups with various addictions. It was started by an irreligious man who venerated science and disbelieved in a personal God. But Bill Wilson, a 39 year old former stockbroker and chronic alcoholic was deeply depressed, hated his plight, totally humbled. As a last resort, he sent up a plea, “If there is a God, let Him show Himself! I am ready to do anything, anything!” The 12 Step Program emphasizes reliance on a Higher Power, rigorous self-examination, restitution for harm done, prayer and meditation. Bill Wilson wrote in his book “the central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do for ourselves.” He also wrote, “we have found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him.”

Let us pray for those needing recovery and their families.

Our Monthly Sunday Prayer Meeting will be held on September 6th, this Sunday, at 1:30 PM. It is unfortunate that many don’t find time to spend with God to thank Him for the blessings they have received as well as asking His continued blessings on them and those they love.

We will be celebrating Catechetical Sunday on September 13th with the commissioning of our Catechists at the 10:30 Mass. The theme for this year is “Catechesis and the Proclamation of the Word”, which calls us to reflect upon the role that every one of us plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. We are grateful for those who assist in our parish faith formation for those of all ages and we ask God to continue to bless and guide them. Our Religious Education Program begins on September 14th at 6:05 PM and there will be an opening Mass at 6:30 PM, which is open to all.

Our RCIA sessions will begin on September 16th at 7:30 PM for those who might want to become Catholic or learn more about their faith.

HOW LABOR DAY BEGAN

The first Labor Day Holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, and planned by the Central Labor Union. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and hold a “workingmen’s holiday”. The idea spread, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country. In 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a federal holiday. Labor Day was to be observed with a street parade to exhibit to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

THE CHURCH & MIGRATION 2009

“Catholic teaching has a long and rich tradition in defending the right to migrate…Five principles emerge from such teachings, which guide the Church’s view on migration issues.

Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland. All persons have the right to find in their own countries the economic, political, & social opportunities to live in dignity & achieve a full life through the use of their God-given gifts. In this context, work that provides a just, living wage is a basic human need.

Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families. The Church recognizes that all goods of the earth belong to all people. When persons cannot find employment in their country of origin to support themselves and their families, they have a right to find work elsewhere in order to survive. Sovereign nations should provide ways to accommodate this right.

Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders. The Church recognizes the right of sovereign nations to control their territories but rejects such control when it is exerted merely for the purpose of acquiring additional wealth. More powerful economic nations, which have the ability to protect and feed their residents, have a stronger obligation to accommodate migration flows.

Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection. Those who flee wars and persecution should be protected by the global community. This requires, at a minimum, that migrants have a right to claim refugee status without incarceration and to have their claims fully considered by a competent authority.

The human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be respected. Regardless of their legal status, migration, like all persons, possess inherent human dignity that should be respected. Often they are subject to punitive laws and harsh treatment from enforcement officers from both receiving and transit countries. Government policies that respect the basic human rights of the undocumented are necessary.

(excerpted from “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope”. US Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2003.)

Then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!"---that is, "Be opened!" And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. - Mk 7:34-35

Reflection by Deacon Ed (August 23, 2009)

Two young men on a European holiday had a one day stopover in Rome. One young man upon arrival immediately visited all the famous attractions of the city, finally ending with a visit to the Holy Father at the Vatican. The second young man, being fatigued from the journey, decided to lay down to rest. He fell asleep only to awaken when it was dark and too late to go anywhere. Both went to the same city, but one did not profit from his journey. When we come to Mass are we awake or are we asleep?

Each time we enter a church we are enveloped by sacred space and time. Sacred space carries us mentally into the presence of God. Sacred time transports us into the days and seasons of the cycle of Christ’s mysteries. Vatican II described what this cycle can do for us when it wrote that “the Church opens to the faithful the riches of the Lord’s power and merits, so that in some way made present at all times, and the faithful are enabled to lay hold of them and become filled with saving grace.”

The Mass is the heart of the liturgy. The word means, “the action of the people”. That was the Chosen people’s phrase for worship. Our worship is centered on the Eucharistic sacrifice, the Mass, which is different from the sacrifice of the Cross only in the manner in which the sacrifice is offered. On the Cross, Christ physically shed His blood and was physically slain, while in the Mass there is no physical shedding of blood or physical death, because Christ can die no more.

Christ continues to offer himself as a sacrifice in the Mass, in order: to unite us with Himself, to give us a gift worthy to be offered to God the Father and to make us share in the merits of His sacrifice on the cross.

Through the Mass, the merits of His sacrifice on the cross are applied to our souls. The Mass is in the truest sense the continuation of the redeeming sacrifices of Christ. The Mass brings Calvary within the reach of all souls in every time and every age.

By other good works we do, we offer to God gifts that are human. In the Mass we offer Him gifts that are divine: His only begotten Son. There is no more holy and divine act that can be performed on earth than the sacrifice of the Mass. However as a good work, the graces and favors are limited, partly by the will of God and partly by the dispositions of those to whom the fruits are applied. Therefore, the more devotion we have at Mass, the greater will be the profit we derive.

Holy Mass may be offered for the living of whatever creed and persons assisting at Mass may have their own private intentions for offering it, aside from the intentions of the priest. Mass may be offered for any intention except that which is bad.

Are you awake or are you asleep?

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE

If Jesus came to your house
To spend some time with you,
If He came unexpected,
I wonder what you'd do.

Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room
To such an honored guest
And all the food you'd give to Him
Would be the very best.

And you would keep assuring Him
You're glad to have Him there--
That serving Him in your home
Is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming,
Would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome
To your heavenly visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in
Or hide some magazines
And put the Bible where they'd been

Would you hide your worldly music
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right
in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder - if the Saviour
spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing,
the things you always do?

Would you go right on saying,
The things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?

Would you take Jesus with you
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him
stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great
relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend
some time with you.

Fr. Bill's Notes (August 16, 2009)

This weekend we celebrate Mary being taken to heaven after she completed God’s work for her in carrying out His will. She brought Jesus and His message and deeds to us. As our mother, she intercedes for us and wants us to share the Good News.

Our faith is built upon preaching, using words to tell others about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. It is an essential element of our lives as disciples, one that is often overlooked. It even seems that Catholics have an aversion to speaking about Jesus. The Lord wants us to speak about what He has done. St. Paul has said in his letter to the Romans, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.” Jesus wants all the baptized to speak about what He has done.

The Pope has said in a letter to all the baptized in the Church in America that they are called to proclaim with renewed vigor that there has to be a commitment to the person of Jesus Christ. That commitment involves a proclamation of the preaching of His name, His teaching, His life, His promises and the Kingdom which He gained for us by His Paschal Mystery (His passion, death and resurrection). We have to be alive in doing this as many of the Evangelical churches are doing. All Catholics should be ready to speak of the human face of God and the divine face of man. This proclamation, walking with the Holy Spirit, will make an impact on people, awaken and transform hearts. The Holy Spirit, the primary agent of the Church’s mission, wants us and helps us to speak about Jesus. In these times when so many people’s lives are characterized by fear and hopelessness, it is crucial for all to remember what Jesus has called us to and to overcome whatever obstacles hold us back from telling others about Him. Don’t say “I can’t do this” or “this is for religious, priests, sisters and brothers to do.” Everyone by their baptism into God’s family should stand alert, ready in any and every situation and conversation to give an account for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15). We have Good News to share and don’t hesitate to bring it to others. As Jesus did, “The Holy Spirit is with you and helps you to bring that Good News to others.”

With our Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Sunday August 16th after the 10:30 AM Mass until Monday before Mass we are reminded by Pope Benedict that “It is precisely this personal encounter with the Lord that then strengthens the social mission contained in the Eucharist, which seeks to break down not only the walls that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also and especially the walls that separate us from one another.” Plan to spend some time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Thanks to Msgr. Desmond Vella who will be filling in for me during this week when I will be taking some vacation time. He is a good reflection of St. John Vianney. He was in my Seminary class, retired (sort of) and is presently living at Immaculate Conception Church on 14th Street in New York City. We hope he will survive the fresh air of the country.

PAY IT FORWARD

It was a beautiful day for sightseeing around downtown Portland. A bunch of counselors were on their day off, away from campers, just out for some fun. The weather was perfect for a picnic, so when lunchtime came, they set their sights on a small park in town. Since they all had different cravings, they decided to split up, get what each one wanted and meet back on the grass in a few minutes.

When one of the counselors went to the hot dog stand, her friend accompanied her. They watched the vendor put together the perfect hot dog, just the way Robby wanted it. But when she took out her money to pay the vendor, he surprised them. "It looks a little on the cool side, "he said, "so never mind paying me". This will be my freebie of the day."

They said thanks, joined their friends in the park, and dug into the food. But as they talked and ate, man sitting nearby looking at them distracted them. They could tell that he hadn’t much more attention than that.

They finished eating and decided to head off for more sightseeing. But when they went to the garbage can to throw away their lunch bag, they heard a strong voice ask, "there isn’t any food in that bag, is there?" It was the man who had been watching them. They didn’t know what to say. "No, I ate already." “Oh," was his only answer, with no shame in his voice at all. He was obviously hungry, couldn’t bear to see anything thrown away, and was used to asking this question.

They felt bad for the man, but didn’t know what to do. That's when Robby said, 'I'll be right back. Please wait for me a minute" and ran off to the hot dog stand. She brought back a hot dog, crossed back to the trash can, and gave the hungry man the food.

When she came back, she simply said, 'I was just passing on the kindness that someone gave to me." "That day,' said Robby's friend, "I learned how generosity can go farther than the person you give to. By giving, you teach others how to give also." We can do the same for each other during this summer season. "Whenever you did it to the least of my brethren, you did it to me.”

Fr. Bill's Notes (August 9, 2009)

Saturday, August 15th is the Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother into heaven. It is a day when she is honored for carrying out God’s will. Because it falls on a Saturday this year, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Though we will have a Vigil Mass on Friday and the 8:30 AM Mass on Saturday to honor our Blessed Mother. The evening Mass on Saturday at 5:00 PM will be the Sunday Vigil Mass. Remember in the summer not to take a vacation from God.

Next Sunday, August 16th, there will be Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament all day and all night until Monday at 8:30 AM. Take time to spend with Our Lord praising and thanking Him for all the blessings we have and enjoy, including vacation.

In these days, when there are so many attacks on our faith, we need strength and so we pray: “Dear God, You invite all who are burdened to come to You. Touch my soul with Your compassion so I may be supported in kindness and also be more compassionate to others. Touch my heart with Your courage so that my own courage grows and that I may more fully be an instrument of Your love and peace. Touch my mind with Your wisdom, so that my mouth may always speak in ways that please You. Help me to lead others to You by my example. Bring me strength in body, mind and spirit so that I may share the light of my soul – Your creation – with others even in difficult times. Amen.”

Many people wonder about the problems and troubles in our world and yet don’t find time to spend in prayer. Next Sunday, our time of Adoration gives us the opportunity to draw closer to God, Who gives us His love and strength. We are also blessed in the county to have Prayer Groups to give thanks to God and also to ask Him for our needs. There are Prayer Meetings almost every night of the week. -- On Monday at 7:30 PM at St. Joseph’s, 242 Wall Street, Kingston. On Tuesday at 7:15 PM, Our Lady of the Rosary Group meets here and begins with time of prayer with the praying of the Rosary and other prayers before the praise, songs and quite time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. On Thursday at 7:30 PM at St. Peter’s School Hall on James Street in Rosendale the group ‘God’s Loving Heart’ meets. On Friday at 7:00 PM the ‘Community of God’s Amazing Grace’ meets in the chapel of St. Mary’s in Saugerties. We pray that more people will draw closer to the love God has for us by participating in one of these groups.

A Prayer Meeting will be held this Sunday, August 9th, at 1:30 PM. All are invited to join in giving praise and thanks to God for all the blessings we have.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

THE BUZZARD

If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT

The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE

A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE

In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly
and trust in our Creator who loves us.

Fr. Bill's Notes (July 25, 2009)

As we come to the halfway mark of summer we remind all, young and older, that participation in Mass should be part of people’s plans as there should be no vacation from giving to God thanks for all we enjoy and can do. We also remind people that attire at Mass should be respectful and not beachwear. Going to God’s house should be special because He is our God.

The article in Catholic New York about priests retiring caused some questions. At the age of 75 bishops and priests who are pastors have to retire from their titles in those regards. They still function as priests and can still be administrators of parishes. This is the area that I am in. Administrator in this category can continue on a yearly basis, needing a doctor’s okay. With the shortage of priests there may be a joining of parishes and a lessening of the number of Masses in a parish. Dioceses near the Archdiocese of New York (e.g. Albany, Scranton) are already experiencing this with one priest taking care of 2 or 3 parishes. Pray for more people to answer the call to the priesthood especially in this year dedicated to the priest.

There will be no Sunday afternoon Prayer Meeting on August 2nd or special Mass with healing prayers, as there is a Charismatic Conference in Scranton on July 31st, August 1st and 2nd. On August 9th we will have at the 10:30 Mass the Anointing of the Sick. This Sacrament is available for those who need the strengthening power of Jesus and the grace of the Holy Spirit in their time of sickness and notable weakness. Elderly people (those over 60) may be anointed if they are notable weakened even though no serious illness is present. This Sacrament can be received by all baptized who are physically, emotionally or spiritually sick. This Sacrament can strengthen the sick and encourage them not to lose hope as they unite themselves to the sufferings of Jesus. In the Letter of St. James in the New Testament he says that the prayer of faith can raise up the sick and turn them away from sin by using the help of the Holy Spirit to strengthen them against the temptations of the evil one who makes them anxious about death.

This day was selected as being close to the day when Audrey Santo almost drowned and for over 20 years offered her condition for people who needed God’s help. Her prayers and people’s faith brought healing from God. She is being considered for beatification.

THE MASTER’S PLAN RESULTS

The Master’s Plan is the overall name given to Mrs. Barbara Renner’s 4th Grade Religious Education Class’ “Good Deed” Project. This project is based on the Scripture of the “Three Servants” – where each servant was given a sum of money to take care of for the Master while he was away.

The 4th Grade students of St. John the Evangelist Church have learned that everything we are given in life; our money, our talents, our time, our knowledge, etc. was never meant for us to keep to ourselves. God expects us to share it willingly with others, especially those in need.

At the December Advent Program each child in Mrs. Renner’s class was given $10. They were to invest this $10 to make the most of it. The children broke up into different groups: Josephine Chiodo and Nicole Joers organized a Bake Sale and turned their $10 (each) into $321.00 and donated it to Morgan Finch, a 4th Grader who has leukemia. Gabrielle Cilibrasi took her $10 and put it towards the price of poster board to make Yard Sale signs. At her Yard Sale she raised $50 and donated it to the Owen Gerson Memorial Fund. Makalya Davies also had a Bake Sale, turning her $10 into $264, which she donated to the Ulster County SPCA. Bridget Palmgren ran a 50/50 raffle. She took her $10 and tried to win the pot. She didn’t win, but raised $400. Half went to the winner and the other half of $200 she donated to St. Jude’s Hospital. Mary Rothe held and Bake Sale/Raffle turning her $10 into $200, which she donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Keith Sherburne held a project called Sunday Undies and Holy Drawers. He took his $10 and purchased children’s socks and underwear and encouraged parishioners of St. John’s Church to join him in this endeavor. He turned his $10 into approximately $60 worth of items to be given to the nurses of local elementary schools to be used for children in need. Noah Voerg ran a Super Bowl Sunday Pool. He took $10 and tried to win. He didn’t win, but raised $100, which he donated to the ASPCA. In total the students of Mrs. Renner’s class turned $80 into $1,195.00 for charity. Over the past five years a total of $6,631.00 has been given to different charities as part of this Master’s Plan Project.

Each child did their “Good Deed” in memory of a loved one and also for a parishioner who has died during this past year. This is because they have learned that our religion teaches us to pray and do acts of charity for the people who are in purgatory so that they can be received into heaven.

May we learn from the example of these students and challenge ourselves to look at the gifts God has given us and use them wisely; so that at the end of our lives on earth, God will say to us, “You have been a good and faithful servant. Come, you have inherited eternal life.”

Fr Bill's Notes (July 19, 2009)

As we come to this day when we have Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament from after the 10:30 Mass on July 19th until 8:30 AM on Monday, July 20th, we are reminded of how important it is to pray for priests in this “Year of The Priest”. Pope Benedict XVI designated this special year for priests: 1. To make the role and the mission of the priest in the Church and in contemporary society increasingly perceived and 2. to foster spiritual perfection in priests. The ordained priest is necessary to change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. Without the ordained priest there would be no celebration of the Eucharist when we have the representation of the Last Supper. Spending the time with the Lord even if we don’t know how to pray, in time, if we are patient, something will happen to us. The Holy Spirit will move in us, or perhaps better, we will become aware of the Spirit who has always been at home in us. Prayer can help to strengthen us in our weakness.

There is a priority of prayer over action since it is on prayer that the effectiveness of action depends. The church’s mission largely depends on each person’s personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and must therefore be nourished by prayer: “It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of activism and the growing secularism.”

Archbishop Fulton Sheen felt that people should spend time with Jesus to realize in the Blessed Sacrament all that He has given us. It makes us wonder why people can’t find time to spend with our Lord and yet expect Him to listen to their intentions. God is not just a “sugar daddy” who gives us what we want even though we don’t feel that we want to spend time in growing closer to Him and develop our personal relationship with Him. That personal relationship is what religion is about. Religion is not a matter of empty rituals, but those rituals should deepen that relationship.

BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE!

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories. He often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands. He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on. Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak. Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket. Hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks. She saw me watching her and she smiled. 'My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know.' I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes. 'My husband passed away eight days ago,' I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. 'Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together.'

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away. I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood; trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone. I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, and then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile! I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. 'These are for you,' she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. . 'When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for.' She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision. I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone. Oh, you haven't forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel. Every day be thankful for what you have and who you are.
ded for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between the door and me. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission, laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.' Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.' I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.