| SS. John
& Paul
February 20, 2005 |
A community of believers united and growing in Christ to serve as generous and loving stewards of God's love. | |
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Pastor’s
Perspective *Second Sunday of Lent: Transfiguration
We began Lent with ashes that mark us as people in need of conversion and
repentance (Ash Wednesday) and allowing ourselves to see the forty days of
penance as a season of grace rather than simply deprivation (First Sunday of
Lent). Today we are invited to both
recognize the glory of God that can unfold within us and yet to be willing to
say “Yes” to the journey that will get us there—no shortcuts—which will
include a share of the cross and willingness to walk with the Lord all the way.
The Transfiguration of Jesus is not something that will be added to Jesus
once he dies but is part of his deepest identity.
The challenge is to never lose sight of our deepest identity—the glory
of God revealed in and through us—while living in the midst of a life that,
quite frankly, can be difficult, burdensome, just plain lousy.
Our “Yes” to God is not just a yes to the good things that are
happening and the desire to share eternal life.
Our “Yes” involves us in the daily struggles and sacrifices that
don’t seem to change much and yet are necessary for us to live life with
integrity and wholeness.
Our prayer and penance for the season, then, becomes a symbol of
willingness to take on whatever sacrifices life sends us, if they have to do
with living lives of faithful discipleship.
Take a look at your typical week. Think
of the small ways you are asked to be open to others, go a little extra to help
another, let go of having the last word or being right so that the situation can
improve, take on the tasks of the day though they can be tedious, and so forth.
That is the true penance of the season.
Our voluntary penance is a way to train body, mind, and spirit to more
readily take on these necessary penances. *25th Anniversary Mass
We celebrate the parish’s 25th
anniversary Mass next Sunday at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome to the Mass and/or
the small reception after in the Activities Center.
The Worship Commission and the 25th
Anniversary Committee have been working diligently behind the scenes for this
celebration. The challenge was to keep it upbeat and festive and yet respect the
season of Lent, which we are in. The
25th
year is a milestone for a parish that needs to be celebrated.
Join us next week.
A reminder that in the Lenten mailing home each household received a note
card, which invited you to write a remembrance or thought, story or event, hope
or prayer that connects to this parish. It
doesn’t matter if you are in your first year here or your 25th.
We want to gather such thoughts and let them be part of our parish’s
collective history.
Additional cards are in the literature racks at the back of the church or
available at the office. Please try
to do a little reflection. Write it
down and turn it in with the Sunday collection or at the office. Thanks. *Thank You To Michael LaRaia, for the handmade new candle stands. We now have a matching set of 8 such candle stands, of varying sizes, all able to be used in procession. He worked hard to have them ready for us by this coming week.
To Susan Ferro, for the final design of our 25th
anniversary banner. You see it on
the banners outside; it will be used throughout the year for our bulletin and in
other ways. The 25th Anniversary Committee came up with the overall idea, but
she was able to translate that idea to the elegant design you see on the
banners. *Taize Prayer for Lent
We have begun our Taize-style prayer for Lent.
Each week we have tried to pick two times that will allow for various
groups to participate. All are
welcome at any time. The various
days and times are listed on page 2.
The key to this prayer is the willingness to enter into the meditative
music and silence. It includes song,
Scripture, quiet and a candle-lighting ritual. *Fridays of Lent
Let’s continue trying to make Fridays a real participation in “Lenten
time.” At a minimum it means
abstinence from meat on Fridays. In
addition, we are encouraging turning it more into a day of prayer/penance in
whatever other ways fit your schedule.
Please join us in the evening for a simple soup at 6 p.m.
This week you will notice that we will begin with Taize-style prayer at 6
p.m., have the soup and bread meal, and then listen to a talk by our guest
speaker, Fr. John West. |
*Our Friday Speaker: Fr. John West We have invited Fr. West, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Farmington and a theologian for the Archdiocese of Detroit, to be our guest speaker this Friday, following Taize prayer and soup. His parents are members of the parish and this is his home parish. He will focus on the “Year of the Eucharist” which Pope John Paul II has proclaimed, by looking at the Eucharistic Prayer. Fr. West is a superb educator and speaker and is well-worth the time you will be taking to be here this Friday. *The
“Essential Catholic”: Tuesdays of March
I will be leading a three session Catholic update class on the first
three Tuesdays of March. There will
be a 5:00-6:00 p.m. session that will be repeated from 6:45-7:45 p.m. The time
frames will allow parents of our Religious Education students to more easily
participate . But the sessions are
for any Catholic from high school age on up who is interested in a brief,
interesting update on the essentials of our faith.
Questions will be gladly welcomed and discussed.
Session #1
will look at “What are the essential practices if one is to live as a Catholic
Christian?” What are they for you? Did you ever wonder why we as Catholics
have certain practices or where they came from?
I hope you can take time to attend any or all of these sessions.
Eventually I would like to see us integrate such a Catholic update series
into all of our sacramental preparation programs so that every parent whose
child is celebrating a sacrament and every couple engaged to be married would
have attended something like this at least once. *Parish
Council Meets This Wednesday
The Parish Pastoral Council is immersed in the goal-setting process for
the parish. In addition, it needs to
give its approval of our “Together in Faith” document, which we will be
sending to the Vicariate. The
“Together in Faith” process is designed to force parishes to look at
resources of people, building and finances, educational and liturgical
resources, Christian service and outreach, and come to a realistic understanding
of what is strong and needs to remain, what can be strengthened, or what needs
to be done in conjunction with other parishes.
Our own goal-setting process went at such issues in overlapping ways,
with a lot more specifics. Both,
however, point to the reality of growth for the parish, and a willingness to
absorb the growth of the population in the area.
Both saw the importance of eventually addressing
worship needs, but also focused on how to increase involvement within the
parish, as well as to expand our outreach of service to others.
The Parish Council will soon be asking the whole parish to give its
feedback on some type of draft of the goals and how they might be achieved.
Nothing is yet written in stone, but I hope that it can become a
framework for what needs to be tackled most urgently and what needs to be
planned for most diligently. It will
be far-ranging. For example, whether
our worship space will be adequate and, if not, what would have the highest
priority in doing something about that—staying the same, expanding the current
building, looking to build new? Or,
what is the relative priority of an eventual permanent multi-purpose building?
Or, how can we expand our Christian service volunteer ministries even
farther and with greater participation? What
about our youth ministry? And so forth.
Out of this goal-setting process will come some priorities that will have
to be translated into commitments of time and money.
Please keep praying for the Parish Council as it works through some of
this, and be willing to speak your own mind when it comes time to responding to
the draft.
May our own weaknesses be transfigured by our communion with Jesus
Christ. May God turn such
limitations into moments of growth and grace for us and others. Fr. Buersmeyer SS.
John & Paul Parish
25th Anniversary We’re
celebrating our 25th Anniversary! We
welcome all present and former
parishioners to join us for Mass followed by a reception with
light refreshments in the Activities Center. Date:
February
27, 2005 |
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“Food
for Thought” Fridays
during Lent 6:00-8:00
p.m. February
25 Taize
Prayer followed by soup at 6:30 and Lenten speaker Fr. John West at 6:45 who
will speak on “The Year of the Eucharist”
If
you would like to donate soup, bread or help set up or clean up, please sign up
on the poster in the hallway to the Parish Center. Thank
you!
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LITTLE ROCK SCRIPTURE STUDY TOPIC: The
Passion and Resurrection Narratives of Jesus WHEN:
Mondays from 6-7 p.m. on the following weeks:
February 14, 21, 28, March 14, 21 April 4, 11 WHERE:
Parish Center WHO: All
scripture lovers, young and old alike This
study compares the particular insights found in the passion and resurrection
accounts of the four gospels. Examining these events, the core of our faith,
will challenge you to incorporate both the pain of the cross and the hope of the
resurrection into daily living. Please register by signing up on the board in the hallway going to the Parish Center. Cost for the books is $10.00 Taize prayer
During the weeks of Lent, we have scheduled two times each week for you
to experience this unique and beautiful form of prayer.
Each time we gather, there will be time for singing (a repetitive form of
song that is easily learned), group prayer, scripture and silent meditation.
We will use two or three different stations of the cross each week as a
way to further the meditations. The
weekly schedule and times of prayer varies each week and is listed below: WEEK 1 Tuesday, February 15, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 17, 6:30 p.m. WEEK 2 Monday, February 21, 11:00 a.m. Friday, February 25, 6:00 p.m. WEEK 3 Tuesday, March 1, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, 6:30 p.m. WEEK 4 Wednesday, March 9, 7:00 p.m. Friday, March 11, 6:00 p.m. WEEK 5 Wednesday, March 16, 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 17, 6:30 p.m. WEEK 6 Monday, March 21, 11:00 a.m. Ushers meeting We will start the preliminary plans for the picnic since it will be in June. New ideas for this year’s picnic will be discussed. Please try to attend this meeting. |
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CHRISTIAN FAITH FORMATION |
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2004-2005 Religious Formation Program Early Childhood — Sunday (ages
3-4-5 years) During
9:30 a.m. Mass No
Session: Feb. 20 Sessions:
Feb. 27, Mar.
6, 13, 20 Grades 1-6 — Tuesday 4:45-6:00
p.m. & 6:30-7:45 p.m. Sessions:
Feb. 22, Mar. 1, 8, 15, 22 Grades 7-8 — Sunday 6:30-8:30
p.m. No
Sessions: Feb. 20 Sessions:
Feb. 27 Mar.
6, 13, 20 For Catechists & Assistants TAIZE
PRAYER Tuesday,
February 15 6:30
p.m. This
is your opportunity to spend time this Lent praying and singing together during
this special time of meditative prayer. Please
plan on joining us. SACRAMENT
OF Tuesday,
February 22 All children who have made their First Reconciliation will have the opportunity to celebrate this sacrament as part of their Lenten preparation. |
Transfiguration Mt.
17:1-9
Finding an old oil lamp covered with layers of dust and dirt can make it
look pretty useless. But if
you clean off the layers of dirt, polish it until it sparkles and then light it,
suddenly the lamp is transformed. It
positively glows, radiating light and beauty to every corner of the room.
Disfigured by dust and dirt, it is now transformed with beauty.
When an object or a person is loved and cared for it becomes brighter and
worthier.
Jesus went about Galilee with
his divinity covered by his humanity. On
Mount Tabor God’s light burst out from Jesus’ body and he was transfigured.
The three apostles got a glimpse of Jesus’ divinity, which was hidden
in the depths of his humanity. They
were overcome with the beauty and brilliance of it.
It was not a surface thing, but an inner essence shining through. God was
in Jesus.
Within each of us we have the potential for good and for evil.
With evil we are capable of such things as hatred, bitterness, greed,
envy, lust, cruelty, etc. These are
ugly and bring out the worst in us. They
corrupt the heart which reflects on our face as hardness and darkens the eyes.
Our potential for good such
as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, compassion, etc. bring out the
best in us. They purify the heart
which reflects on our face as softness and causes the eyes to shine.
Goodness transfigures us.
We are transfigured by what we love, what excites us, what moves us, what
rouses our spirit, what causes us to be awake and alive.
What shows us at our brightest and best.
You may have met someone who was not at all physically attractive, even
somewhat repulsive. However, when
that person started to speak of something that excited him, a transformation
took place. His eyes might shine and
his appearance would become beautiful as though he were breathing in beauty.
At times we can all feel down with feelings of failure and worthlessness.
But then something nice happens to us—a friend calls or we get a letter
or email with good news in it and suddenly everything is changed.
The truth is though, that a spark of joy or hope or love has been kindled
in our hearts, and we see ourselves and our lives in a new and better light.
We are made in the image of God, carrying the brilliance of God’s
divinity within us. It’s when we
sin that this image is tarnished and it’s when we are good that causes or
image to shine, transfigures us.
Like the apostles on Mount
Tabor, we too can experience rare moments of light and joy, getting a glimpse of
the promised land towards which we are traveling in faith.
In his love for us, God allows us to taste on earth the joys of the world
to come. In between, like Abraham,
we travel in the darkness of faith. Time for Adoration Peter
was a man of action; he always needed to be doing something. So on Mt. Tabor,
instead of contemplating in silence and wonder the glory of his Lord, he wanted
to build three tents. There is a
time for stillness, for contemplation, for wonder, for adoration in the presence
of God. A time to heed the words of the psalmist:‘Be still, and know that I am
God.’ Sometimes we are too busy.
We would be better to be silent, to be listening, to be wondering, to be adoring
in the presence of God. |
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Easter food drive
The Samaritan House annual Easter Basket and Easter Dinner Drive
is now underway. The intention of this program is to provide filled
Easter baskets to all young children whose families are clients and to
provide the family with the means to make Easter dinner.
This year volunteers are expected to fill 280 dinner baskets and
are in need of the following items: Brown sugar, boxed potatoes
(scalloped or au gratin), Jell-o, canned fruit, coffee, cake mix, cake
frosting, applesauce, mayonnaise (small jar), Easter egg coloring kit.
Fifteen dollar gift certificates or cash donations are needed for hams. Please bring your donations to Samaritan House by March 18. Business hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Samaritan House is located at 58944 Van Dyke at 27 Mile in the Alward’s Plaza. If these days/times are inconvenient, items can be dropped off at SS. John & Paul CLEARLY MARKED SAMARITAN HOUSE. Samaritan House plans 10th anniversary The Samaritan House will hold its 10th Anniversary Gala Celebration at the Capital Banquet Center, 12350 31 Mile Road, on Friday, April 22. Tickets, which are available in the parish office, are $75 each and include valet parking, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, dinner (prepared by Chef John), dessert and dancing to the music of Gateway Orchestra. “It Take Two” will provide music during cocktail hour and dinner. Tickets must be purchased by April 1. This event is black tie optional. Operation Rice Bowl The Transfiguration
Abraham is to be a sign of God’s blessing for all humankind. We
are all blessed with this incredible planet we call earth. Yet the
distribution of its resources among God’s people is very uneven.
As we continue our journey with
Operation Rice Bowl this week, we pray for justice and
equity in meeting people’s basic needs. We fast to recall the abundance we enjoy, while many lack the bare
necessities. We give to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. The Transfiguration
calls us to hope for future glory where all will share in God’s
beneficence. St. Clement to hold blood drive
St. Clement of Rome in Romeo will be sponsoring a Red Cross blood
drive on Sunday, March 6, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. St. Clement is
located at 343 S. Main between 31 and 32 Mile Roads. For more
information or to schedule an appointment, please call 752-6804. |
Recycle your inkjet cartridges
SS. Peter and Paul Warming Center is partnered with AAA
Environmental in an inkjet cartridge recycling fundraiser. SS. Peter and
Paul will provide preaddressed, postage paid envelopes to send the
cartridges to the recycling center. The bags are specially marked with
SS. Peter and Paul’s bar code so they get 50 cents credit for each
cartridge returned. The center will not accept Dell or Epson cartridges.
If you would like to recycle your cartridges, please pick up a recycling
bag in the parish office. Catholic high school
Come and learn about the opportunity to bring Catholic secondary
education closer to home.
An informational meeting will be held
at St. Lawrence Parish on Thursday, February 24, at 7:00 p.m. St.
Lawrence is located at 44633 Utica Road). For questions call
586-306-9611. 25th Anniversary · Our
25th anniversary year-long celebration will begin at the 11:30
a.m. Mass on February 27, 2005 followed by a reception with light
refreshments in the Activities Center. Please invite any former
parishioners you may know of to this mass and reception. · We’re
still accepting photos for our parish photo album. If you and your
family would like to be included, please send your photo to the parish
office with your names on the back. We’ll return it to you after
scanning it into a database. Or, if you have a digital photo, e-mail it
to us with your names. · Also,
we are still looking for photos of past parish events, family
sacraments, daily Mass in the old rectory or elementary school, etc.
that span our early years as a parish and will help us celebrate our
25th Anniversary. Send those in also. Be sure to include your name so
that we can get them back to you. 2004 statements 2004 contribution statements were mailed to all parishioners who have contributed $250 or more during 2004. If you did not receive a statement but would like one, please call the parish office (586) 781-9010 and we will be happy to send you one. Please note, your 2004 CSA donation is not included on your statement. You will receive a statement directly from the Archdiocese of Detroit . |
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Meijer rewards update
We received a check from the Meijers Community Rewards program
for $141.93 for purchases made in January. Since April, 2004 we’ve
earned over $1,572.00. So far 97 parishioners have enrolled in this
fundraising program with all proceeds earmarked for the purchase of a
new sign on 28 Mile Road. If you would like to enroll in this free
program online, go to: Meijer.com/rewards, click “join”, then “Meijer Guest Card” or you can pick up an application at the parish office. Our organization number is 617883. Thank you for remembering the parish when you shop. Capuchin Solanus Center to host day of
spiritual reflection
The Solanus Center, 1780 Mt. Elliott, Detroit, will host a day of
prayer and reflection entitled “Have You Seen His Face” on Saturday,
February 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The reflection will focus on the Beatitudes. The day is designed for all Christians, not just those practicing Catholicism. For more information or to register, call (313) 579-2100 x 203. Bulletin sponsors Thank you. This bulletin is furnished to the parish without charge. The advertisements that appear completely defray all publishing costs with which the church would otherwise be burdened. Please patronize these sponsors as a thank you for their kind generosity. A family perspective by
Bud Ozar
In today’s Gospel, Jesus changed before their eyes.
Transfiguration is more common than we think because all of us change.
Any commitment we make to another person, such as in marriage, is a
commitment to change. We aren’t just making a commitment to them as
they are now, but also to who they will become. Baptism Congratulations
to Ryan Gabriel Sebastian who was baptized February 20, 2005. |
Health notes
We often think of February as heart month because of
Valentine’s Day. However, the American Heart Association also
designates February as American Heart Month. With that in mind, here are
some facts you might want to consider: ¨ Cardiovascular
disease is the No. 1 cause of death for men and women in the United
States ¨ Stroke
is the leading cause of disability and the number three cause of death
for Americans ¨ 1
in 2 women will die of cardiovascular diseases, more women than the next
14 leading causes of death combined ¨ The
economic toll of these diseases is more than $329 billion each year ¨ More
Americans die of cardiovascular disease than all forms of cancer, AIDS,
and accidents combined ¨ The
leading cause of death for infants in the western world during the first
of life is congenital heart defects ¨ Every
year 1.5 million Americans have heart attacks and 720,000 die of this
disease ¨ Every
year nearly 750,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke and 160,000
die from stroke ¨ Every
33 seconds someone dies from cardiovascular disease ¨ Every
53 seconds someone suffers a stroke and every 33 minutes someone dies
from a stroke ¨ Heart
attack is women’s No. 1 killer and the risk greatly increases with
age, especially after menopause Heart
attack warning signs include: 1. Chest discomfort —
lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and returns. Can feel like
uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain 2. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body — can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms,
the back, jaw, or stomach 3. Shortness of breath —
often accompanies chest discomfort but can occur beforehand 4. Other signs — can
include cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness. One research study found
that nausea and back, neck and jaw pain were more common in women To
learn more about heart disease, contact the American Heart Association
at www.americanheart.org.
Respectfully submitted,
Anne Petriches RN
Co-lead Parish Nurse
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Together in Ministry Youth Ministry Why is it important to be an adult
mentor? Our Youth Ministers say… · Working
with teens is a special and unique opportunity to minister to God’s
children. As an adult mentor
I feel it is important to “LISTEN”
to the teens and to hear what they are saying, and then to help them
find what they might be searching for.
Teens love to feel respected, needed, and helpful.
Teens need a lot of positive reinforcement.
They need to know that the choices they make are their own, and
that we as adults will be there to guide them, give them praise and
advice when needed, but that our purpose is not to judge them. It is
often up to adults to help teens to look at who they are, discover where
their strengths are, and to see how a strong faith can help them each
and everyday of their lives. Our
teens at SS. John and Paul are SIMPLY AMAZING!
They come together to be supportive and encouraging of one
another and to share their faith, hope and love for one another.
In today’s modern era, it is essential that adults invest their
time and energy into our church of tomorrow. (Karen Peters) · Teens
need someone who is willing to take the time to relate to their
issues...their concerns. It
is so easy for adults to get wrapped up
in every day living, taking care of the house, going to work,
paying the bills...that we sometimes lose sight of the concerns of our
teens. By being involved
with our youth, we help provide a voice that reflects our values in the
hope that they care enough
about their beliefs to carry their faith into adulthood.
It is all too easy for the teens to lose sight of their faith in
this modern era where the internet rules, and what is acceptable
politically and socially is directly contrary to our faith.
So I stay involved with the teens in their faith development,
keeping hope alive for our Church’s future, our kids.
I hope to open their eyes to a larger world.
They have so much energy and idealism...it is worth helping them
to find their generous spirits and to then give them opportunities to
share it. And, selfishly,
the kids do keep you young! It’s
a pleasure spending time with them. (Laura Hester) · We
feel very blessed to be working with the teens as
positive role models. We
have a wonderful group of teens active in our parish.
The teens like to use their helpful hands in participating in
community and parish-sponsored events.
The meaningful experience they receive from these events will
help them grow into the future active adults of our community.
Having a teen ministry gives the teens a place that they know
they are always welcome. Seeing
other teens involved, even in attending mass, gives them a sense of
belonging. Watching our
teens grow in faith gives us a wonderful feeling of pride to be involved
in this ministry. · MORE
NEXT WEEK!
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| Eucharistic Prayer Requests Saturday and Sunday February 19-20, 2005 Wanda Pelino by Ginste Family Bernard Darga by Family Giuseppe Pittiglio by Family Rudi Dietrich by Family Br. Brice Wilder by Martino Family Monday, February 21,
2005 John Larsen by Greenway Family Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Michael Bem, Sr. by Family Wednesday, February 23, 2005 Helen Greenway by Family Saturday and Sunday February 26-27, 2005 Helen Guastini by Family & Friends Ida Lancia by Family Joe Talley by Pennington Family Bob Henk by Sturm Family
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