| SS. John
& Paul
March 13, 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 *Lenten Scrutinies
This Sunday we celebrate the third of our
Lenten Scrutiny Sundays. As the word
implies, the focus is to look deeply at our lives and ask what obstacles are
keeping us from fully trusting in the Lord.
Those preparing for full initiation at Easter through the sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist are the focus for these scrutinies.
But no community of faith should ask new members to do what we are not
willing to do ourselves. The
Scrutiny Sundays become excellent ways to take stock of our own faith journeys
and what might be keeping us from fully giving our lives over to the Lord.
The first scrutiny uses the gospel on the
Samaritan woman and Jesus meeting at the well and talking about the life-giving
water that will not end. The second
uses the gospel of the man born blind who is healed by Jesus and the leaders who
do not see their own spiritual blindness. This
third scrutiny takes the gospel of Lazarus’ death and resuscitation and
invites us to have the same faith as Martha: “Yes, Lord, we have come to
believe that you are the resurrection and the life.”
Each scrutiny begs for a deeper personal relationship with Jesus through
his Word and Sacrament. He is that
water that we seek for life and in Baptism we are forever connected to Jesus,
the well-spring of eternal life. Jesus
is the light of the world, whose Word we receive at every Eucharist so that we
might see ourselves and our world rightly. He
is the resurrection and the life who walks with us in times of darkness, even
death, so that we might know the fullness of life.
Let us not lose this opportunity at the end of
the Lenten season to deepen our walk with Jesus Christ.
It begins by handing over to him all that is happening in our lives.
In that personal, prayerful relationship we can discover that way of our
Lord Jesus which we committed to in Baptism is the way of true life.
Nothing else, no desire, no personal goal, no accomplishment, has full
meaning except in and through that relationship with Jesus. *Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Next Sunday we enter into Holy Week through the
celebration of the Lord’s Passion and remembrance of Jesus’ entry into
Jerusalem with palm branches. It
captures the whole range of emotions—sharing in the triumphal entry, people
singing Jesus’ praises but then the reversal of fortunes, the arrest, trial,
crucifixion and death. This is the
one we walk our faith journey with. And
not just when things are going well and people are singing our praises.
We walk that journey, faithful to the gospel, even when it is difficult,
when the cross comes our way, when sacrifice and suffering are necessary for the
good of others, when death stares us in the face.
On Palm Sunday we always read one of the
gospels of Jesus’ Passion and Death. This
year we will hear the Passion according to Matthew.
As in the past, we will have missalettes available so that all may
participate in the gospel reading. I
encourage you, if you have the time, to read it ahead of time and reflect on
it—chapters 26 and 27 of the gospel of Matthew. *The Great Easter Triduum
The central celebrations of our entire
liturgical year take place during Holy Week.
As we end Lent, we enter into a special three-day period called the
Triduum, beginning with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday,
continuing with the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, and
culminating in the Easter Vigil celebration on Holy Saturday.
If you want to experience what it means to be part of the Catholic faith
community, there is no better way to do it than to come to each of these three
days and participate. Keeping
yourself open to the Scripture, the rituals, and all that happens during these
days, allows you to connect more deeply to the heart of our Catholic Christian
faith. Holy
Saturday (March 26, 8 p.m.) Easter Vigil:
We begin near sundown on this evening with the
lighting of a new fire, the signing and welcoming of the Easter candle, which
represents the light of Christ and leads us into a fifty day season (Easter)
that ends at Pentecost. We have an
extended vigil, listening to the story of salvation through a series of
Scripture readings, culminating on the Easter proclamation.
We invite new members into full initiation with the Church and renew our
own baptismal promises and commitment to live out our Christian lives.
If you have never been part of this celebration, please come and join in.
It captures the heart of all we are trying to be and do as a community of
faith. Good
Friday (March 25, 1 p.m.) Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion There are several parts to this liturgy. No Eucharist is celebrated on this commemorative day of the Lord’s death, but we gather to listen to God’s Word, especially the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. We respond to that Word through a symbolic and solemn prayer of intercession for all the needs of the Church and world, recognizing what we have in common with other Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even those that do not believe in God. |
We then venerate the cross, using the cross we have been viewing throughout Lent. Each person is invited to look on the cross and recognize what the Lord has done for us and how we are asked to share in that cross in our own lives. Each person then comes forward and makes a personal sign through a touch, a kiss, a bow or genuflection. We end with a sharing in the communion from Holy Thursday followed by silence. Holy
Thursday (March 24, 7 p.m.) Mass of the Lord’s Supper. There is no reserved Eucharist as we begin this celebration. Unless we are willing to come together as a community of faith and do what Jesus asked us to do, there is no body of Christ, no communion, no Eucharist. Are we willing? Before we say yes, we must recognize that it is not simply a question of prayer and liturgy. Through the ritual of the washing of the feet we are reminded that the meaning of Eucharist needs to be a willingness to serve others. No service of others, no Eucharist, no body of Christ. All will be invited to have one of their feet washed. We end the liturgy this evening with a procession to an “altar of repose” (we use the large room in the Activities building and set up the environment for that), where the blessed Sacrament is reserved throughout the evening. We are asked to “watch and pray” with the Lord. The building remains open till midnight and we will have a brief prayer/reflection at 9:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and then close with a service at 11:30 p.m. *The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Please note the two times this coming week for
the communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation: Monday, March 14th
at 7 p.m. (no Mass that evening) and Saturday, March 19th
at 3 p.m. We gather and pray
together, listen to God’s Word, examine our conscience and are given a common
penance. Those who want to (all are
encouraged) are then invited forward to confess their sins briefly to one of the
priests (face-to-face) and the priest prays the prayer of absolution with them.
Such a communal celebration is not a time for
extended confession or dialogue. If
you need more individual time, please come on Wednesday, March 23rd
from 4:30-6:30 p.m. This is the
final scheduled time for individual confession prior to Easter. *Parish Picnic
Please mark your calendars for our Parish
Picnic, which has been shifted to a new date—the last Sunday of June, June 26th.
That is the date closest to the feast of SS. John and Paul, our parish
namesakes. We will be adding a few
touches to this year’s picnic, since it is part of our year-long celebration.
For one thing, we will be scheduling some specific activities both before
and after the meal. The picnic will
not start immediately after the Masses but a little later so that people have
time to go home and change and then come back for a more leisurely afternoon.
More details will be forthcoming. But
please mark your calendars now.
May we not lose our Lenten focus but continue our season of penance and
renewal through prayer, fasting, and charity. Fr. Buersmeyer Opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation Communal
Penance Services with individual
confession: Monday,
March 14 — 7:00 p.m. (Note:
No 7:00 p.m. Mass) Saturday,
March 19 — 3:00 p.m. Individual
confessions: Wednesday,
March 23 — 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, March 18 Day of Adoration Beginning
with Mass at 9:00 a.m. followed by
exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and all day adoration Food
for Thought Soup
dinner at 6:00 p.m. followed
by Benediction 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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Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus Council #7018 volunteered
over 14,832 hours of service and gave $14,267 to a wide array of programs and
activities to benefit the Catholic Church, the community, families and youth
during 2004. Council #7018 has
launched a major membership recruitment effort with the theme “Experience of a
Lifetime”. On Sunday, March 13, there will be a membership drive after all the
Masses. Council #7018 members will be available to answer questions and take
applications for membership. |
What does it mean to
be Catholic? Catholics Making Social, Ethical, and Personal Decisions What Approach Does Our Faith Take? What Questions Do We Ask? Date: Tuesday,
March 15 Time: 4:45-6:00 p.m. and
repeated again at 6:30-7:45 p.m. Presented by Fr. David Buersmeyer in the Church for anyone interested in a
Catholic update, those preparing for a sacrament for oneself or a child, or for
anyone with questions to ask. Funeral Ministry Team
We are looking to expand our funeral ministry
team. Our needs vary depending on the number of funeral requests we receive.
We presently have a team of seven that take part in the vigil service,
the funeral mass, or the cemetery committal service. A team member chooses to be
part of one aspect or all three depending on the time frame. As a participant at
the vigil service, a team member would assist the presider as reader. At the
funeral mass, the team member would assist in set-up, as a Communion minister or
lector, and possibly as an acolyte. At the cemetery, an assistant acts as
reader. Training is done by a present team member and/or Fr. Dave or JoAnne. If
you are interested or need further explanation of the different roles, please
call JoAnne at the parish office, (586) 781-9010. Easter flower memorials To
celebrate the memory of a loved one, we are offering the opportunity to make a
donation for the flowers and plants which will be used to decorate our church
for Easter. CLEARLY PRINT the name
of the person in whose name you are making the donation. If you are paying by
check, please make it payable to SS. John & Paul Parish.
Enclose this form and your donation in an envelope clearly marked “Easter
Flower Memorials”. You may drop your envelope in the collection basket or
mail, or bring it to the parish office. Names of those being remembered will be
printed in our Easter bulletin. (The deadline for names to appear in the
bulletin is March 21). Suggested donation is $10. PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY. NAME(S)
TO BE REMEMBERED: ________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Your name: ________________________________________________
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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 Sessions:
March 20 No
Session: March 27 Sessions:
April 3, 10, 17 Grades 1-6 — Tuesday 4:45-6:00
p.m. & 6:30-7:45 p.m. Sessions:
March 15, 22 No
Session: March 29 Sessions:
April 5, 12 Grades 7-8 — Sunday 6:30-8:30
p.m. Sessions:
March 13, 20 Parents! Update WHAT
DOES IT MEAN TO BE CATHOLIC? |
An Invincible Spring! Jn.
11:1-45
The Gospel this weekend is a scene that we are all too familiar
with—people weeping over the death of a loved one.
Death is like winter. In
nature’s winter, despite appearances to the contrary, life doesn’t cease.
It goes underground. What we
see dies, but not what we don’t see. In
the winter of death, life seems to cease altogether.
Death seems to rob us of everything.
When the winter of death came for Lazarus, his sisters were overcome with
grief. Jesus came to them and shared
their grief , so overcome with sorrow that he broke down.
Then he challenged Martha and Mary to have faith in him.
‘I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.
Do you believe this?’ It
couldn’t have been easy for them, yet they believed.
Faith isn’t easy for us either. Death
is the severe test for our faith.
‘I am the resurrection and the life.’
Jesus holds the key to life and death.
He experienced the winter of death, but he also broke the power of death
by his rising from the dead. He
entered the dark kingdom of death and came out victorious.
As a pathfinder for us, he has caused a new and invincible spring to dawn
on all who believe in him.
Winter can cause many of us to feel sad; however, we are not too
despondent because we know that spring will eventually renew everything again.
In the same way, we are sad when the winter of death claims the life of a
loved one, and when we think of our own death, yet what sustains us is our faith
in Jesus, the resurrection and the life.
Just as the expectation of spring takes the sting out of winter, so the
resurrection of Jesus takes the sting out of death for us.
Eternal life is not something that begins when we die.
It begins the moment we hear the voice of Jesus and believe in him.
Even in the midst of winter, we know that spring is already quietly at
work, though its full blossoming is still in the future.
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Easter
Egg Hunt! SS.
John & Paul will be sponsoring an March Pantry Needs
The Samaritan House has announced its pantry needs for the month
of March. They are as
follows: cooking oil,
pancake mix, peanut butter, jelly, juice, laundry soap, dry milk, syrup,
cereal and paper towels. Please
see the “Community” bulletin board about Easter basket and Easter
dinner needs. Please bring your donations to Samaritan House by March 18. Business hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Friday from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Samaritan House is located at 58944 Van Dyke at 27 Mile Rd. in the Alward’s Plaza. If these days/times are inconvenient, items can be dropped off at SS. John & Paul, CLEARLY MARKED “SAMARITAN HOUSE”. Operation Rice Bowl The raising of Lazarus
Martha and Mary are beside themselves with grief at the death of
their brother, Lazarus. When death strikes close to us, we are truly
upset. We need to pray for those who face unnecessary death around the world due to lack of proper
medicines or poor sanitary conditions. Their deaths should upset us, as
do those of close friends or relatives. As we continue our journey with Operation Rice Bowl this week, let us fast as a sign of mourning for all those hundreds of thousands of children who die each year not even attaining their fifth birthdays. Let our almsgiving support Operation Rice Bowl to direct funds to carry on projects designed to bring clean water and sanitation facilities to improve the health of people in communities around the world. Macomb County
Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers The Mission:
The SS. John & Paul community will
soon be implementing a liaison program with Macomb County Interfaith
Caregivers. Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers works with congregations,
community groups and concerned individuals to further the two main goals
of their mission.
The first goal is to respond to the
ever-growing needs of the older and/or physically challenged adults
living in our communities who struggle daily to maintain their
independence at home.
The second goal of MCIVC is to provide
meaningful opportunities for volunteers of all ages to live out their
faith by helping others. Please watch the bulletin in the coming weeks
for more information about volunteer opportunities and services
provided. MARKED “SAMARITAN HOUSE”. |
Meijer community
rewards
Meijer’s is running a new promotion
in March: for every new member that signs up for the Meijer Community
Rewards program in March 2005, the parish will earn $3, in addition to
our monthly earnings! Ten parishioners need to enroll and use their
Community Rewards card by April 30 in order for us to earn this bonus.
If you haven’t signed up yet for this free fundraising opportunity,
please do so this month. There are two ways to register: ¨ enroll
online at Meijer.com/rewards, click “Join”, then “Meijer Guest
Card” ¨ OR
pick up an application at the parish office ¨ Our
organization number is 617883
The rest is easy—just swipe your Rewards card before the last
item is scanned. Meijer’s does the rest. There is no cost to you or
the parish to join or use this program. Funds raised in 2004-05 are
earmarked for the purchase of a new parish sign on 28 Mile Road. Thank
you for supporting our parish. Highlights of Parish
Council meeting February 23, 2005 ¨ Parish
Evaluation Inventory (PEI) Council
approved the plan, with the addition of (as part of the strategic
summary) the intention to measure the goals in the goal-setting process
on an annual basis and reassess them accordingly. ¨ Proposed
Medical Emergency Action Plan for SS. John & Paul Anne
Petriches, Parish Nurse, attended the meeting and discussed a proposed
medical emergency plan. If a parishioner becomes ill at services, either
an usher or a health ministry member should be notified. The dated
action plan will be posted in the kitchen along with a list of health
ministry members, a blood pressure machine and a medical kit. ¨ Goal
Setting Process June is the projected completion target date. A simplified format of the results of the voting at the January 19, 2005 all commissions meeting will be distributed to the people after all the masses on April 10, 2005. A “town hall” type meeting will be held on April 17, 2005. Teen News ¨ Meeting
Sunday, March 13 6:30-8:30 p.m. with “special” reconciliation service
for teens. ¨ Meeting
Sunday, March 20 6:30-8:30 p.m. Teens doing last hour of the session with
8th grade. ¨ Tuesday,
March 22
Teens doing Stations of the Cross for
grades 1-6. Please take the time to join us. ¨ Good
Friday, March 25:
Teens doing Stations of the Cross
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Almsgiving The
third pillar of our Lenten journey
Jesus teaches us to look beyond ourselves and make the needs of
others our own. Through the
Gospel, we are specifically called to take action on behalf of the most
vulnerable members of society. As
a community of faith, we have the obligation to reach out to those most
in need. When we give alms,
we give something of ourselves, whether it be material resources, time
or talent, to help support the needs and rights of our brothers and
sisters, without thought of recompense or recognition.
The Samaritan House is
a non-profit, ecumenical organization sponsored by nineteen local
churches and is devoted to providing our neighbors in need with
emergency food, utility and medical assistance.
To that end, SS. John & Paul parishioners have given alms to
the Samaritan House through our sponsorship, volunteer services,
monetary and food donations, special collections, Sharing Tree gifts,
Back-to-School backpack drive, Thanksgiving and Easter food baskets and
bimonthly food drives here at the church.
Birthright of Macomb is
another non-profit volunteer agency dedicated to the rights of the
unborn and aid to mothers and families in need.
This agency depends solely on donations and volunteers to keep it
going. We at SS. John &
Paul have for many years been associated with this agency through our
almsgiving of monetary assistance through special collections, gifts
from our Sharing Tree, the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day flower
sales and most recently our “Baby Shower” during the month of
October. These are just two examples of SS. John & Paul’s year round community almsgiving. |
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| Eucharistic Prayer Requests Saturday and Sunday March 12-13, 2005 Isaac Giffin by Gaffke Family Lorraine Geromin by Snodgrass Family Rudi Dietrich by Family Dominic Tringali by J. Clancy Family Scott Ragni by Family Tim Cronenwett by Family Monday, March 14, 2005 Donald & Oreste Vazquez by Family Tuesday, March 15, 2005 In gratitude to the school sisters of Notre Dame by Sr. Flavia Buersmeyer Wednesday, March 16, 2005 Giuseppe Verrilli by Family Saturday and Sunday March 19-20, 2005 Isabelle Grajewski by Krieg Family Frank & Jean Quayhackx by Family Celestino & Paqsquale DePalma By G. DePalma Vito Nicola & Theresa Bavora & Family By G. DePalma |
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