September 14, 1969, First Parish Mass · May 17, 1970 Ground-breaking · August 15, 1971, Dedication of the church
6th Sunday of Ordinary Time C
A S H E S
“You’ve got dirt on your forehead.” We’re likely to hear those words from thoughtful friends who display their intimate concern as well as their religious absent-mindedness when we go out in public after Mass on Ash Wednesday.
The distribution of ashes replaces the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass. Instead of merely “calling to mind our sins,” we receive a very public reminder of our sinfulness.
“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel,” we hear. Or, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.”
But it wasn’t always that way. In the early church, only public sinners wore ashes. These sinners convened regularly to prepare for their reconciliation at a parish service and they formed - well, what we now call “support groups.” As penitents, they used to wear ashes on their heads or in their clothes. Symbols of human mortality, ashes represented their complete dependence on the mercy of God. In the middle ages, the support groups dwindled but sinners remained strong in numbers. So Pope Urban II ordered up the first Ash Wednesday in 1091. Ashes were for everybody, and we’ve been rubbing dirt on our foreheads ever since.
Dirt is something we’re constantly washing off children and ourselves. Only in church do we deliberately put dirt on the most public part of our bodies, our foreheads.
Ashes are what’s left in the now-cold fireplace. Ashes heat the barbecue. Ashes are all that remains of the home after the tragic fire. Ashes enrich the compost heap. Ashes of the faithful departed fill commemorative urns. Ashes represent destruction, refuse and waste, but they hint at new life. Long before recycling became popular, the church got into the act on Ash Wednesday. Ever wonder what happens to those palm branches left over from last Holy Week? They’ve been burned into ash, stuffed into bags and now await the chance to dirty your forehead on Ash Wednesday this year. The symbol of Christ’s glory has become the symbol of our sin.
On Ash Wednesday, you’re not just another dirty face. No, you’ve tossed yourself into the recycling bin of Lent, ready for renewal this Easter. Copyright © 1997 Resource Publications, Inc., 160 E. Virginia St. #290, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 286-8505, Paul Turner, pastor of St. Munchin Parish in Cameron, Mo.
ASH WEDNESDAY
Ash Wednesday is almost upon us. The beginning of Lent. The beginning of a time of reflection and preparation. The beginning of a time of joy. JOY!? WHY JOY?? Because Christ is truly risen. Because our time of Lenten preparation is looking forward to the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection and the promise of our salvation. Because during Lent we don’t pretend that Easter never happened. During Lent we look forward to celebrating that Easter resurrection in the best way possible, and we take this season to prepare ourselves for that celebration.
We prepare by repentance and conversion. We prepare by making our lives more like Christ’s so that we can be one with him in his glory. CHRIST IS RISEN! LET US PREPARE IN JOYFUL AND GRATEFUL ANTICIPATION.
Copyright © 2008 Resource Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
On Spiritual Adoption
St. John’s Church is encouraging all members to participate in our Spiritual Adoption program that will begin on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25. Sign up will be taken after all Masses on March 6, 7, 13, 14, and 20, 21. You will select a boy or girl baby, receive a Spiritual Adoption prayer card and wrist bands will be available in adult and youth sizes. The wrist band serves as a daily reminder to pray for your adopted baby. We appreciate a donation for the wrist bands that have “I Cherish Life” embossed on them. The prayer that will be said every day is: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.”
Good News Reflection: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, C
Jer 17:5-8, Ps 1:1-4, 6 (with 40:5a) 1 C or 15:12, 16-20
Luke 6:17, 20-26
In this Sunday's Gospel reading, the Lord makes it clear that he sides with the downtrodden: the poor (this could mean spiritually or materially), the hungry (again, spiritually or physically; the Lord cares about all who feel empty), the weeping, the hated, the excluded, the insulted, and those who are denounced on account of their faith in Jesus.
Whenever we contribute to someone's miseries, we are setting ourselves up against God. For example: bad-mouthing people even when the complaint is justified – this is working against Jesus instead of with him.
So is telling demeaning jokes, filing lawsuits that exceed fair justice, or failing to help anyone who comes to our attention in need of what we could share. So is deliberately intimidating an employee or spouse, or being consistently late and causing others to wait on us, or demanding too much from others, or demanding so much of ourselves that we have no energy or time for the people around us.
Whenever we contribute to the miseries of others, we work against Christ, not with him. What happens to those who continually and unrepentantly set themselves against the Lord? Oh woe! Blessed are those whose hope is in the Lord (as this Sunday's first reading and responsorial Psalm remind us) but woe is inevitably experienced by those who depend on themselves for happiness.
The selfish rich benefit from their wealth temporarily, but they cannot take it to heaven nor can they buy their way into heaven. Meanwhile, the Lord sides with who suffer because this wealth had not been shared with them. Similarly, those who laugh at the ones who cry will not laugh long, for joy at the expense of another is only temporary and never truly satisfying.
The favored and famous who currently receive accolades will be criticized the moment their backs are turned. The downtrodden are uplifted by Jesus, but those who lift themselves up don't have enough strength to carry the burden very well – they are miserable even while they smile.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
In what ways do you feel downtrodden? What is Jesus saying to you about this? How is he holding you? In prayer, get in touch with his awesome concern for you!
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
When you've felt downtrodden, how did you discover that Jesus truly cares about you? What blessings come from knowing that Jesus is on your side?
© 2010 Terry Modica, Catholic Digital Resources, www.catholicdr.com. Printed by permission.
To view or subscribe to daily Good News Reflections, visit www.gnm.org.
NEXT SUNDAY’S READINGS
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Ps 91:1-2,10-11,12-13,14-15
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13
Parish News and Announcements
AKUA Run/Walk for Vocation Campaign
From Fr. Peter J. Dumag, Director of Vocations
The AKUA Run/Walk for Vocation Campaign is a creative way to raise awareness about vocations, solicit prayers, and make sacrifices in support of our future priests, deacons, and those involved in the consecrated life of our Catholic Church. Join us on February 15, 2010 for the Great Aloha Run (GAR) to start the series. Bishop Larry Silva joined the Great Aloha Run last February 16, 2009 with about 80 AKUA volunteers who pledged prayers intentions for vocations. For more information, please contact the Vocations Office at (808) 585-3343 or visit vocations.catholichawaii.org see events.
HE FIRST LOVES US
Lenten Weekend Contemplative Retreat on Friday, February 19 at 7pm to 2pm Sunday, February 21. $139 includes 2 nights private room and 5 meals. Space is limited. Free will offering will be taken. St. Stephen Diocesan Center, Pali Highway. For more information contact Pat Tom 261-8104 or Maxine 254-1091.
SPECIAL COLLECTION FOR THE AUGUSTINE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Our Catholic School provide a quality education to students from all ethnic, religious and financial backgrounds. The Augustine Educational Foundation provides scholarships to financially needy students in our schools. Please take a moment today and help make a difference in a student’s life – your gift goes directly to support tuition scholarship on our island/vicariate. MAHALO for helping the
Lent Begins this week with Ash Wednesday. As part of our community’s observance of Lent, we ask all families to participate in Catholic Relief Services’ Operation Rice Bowl, a program of prayer, fasting, learning, and giving. Please be sure to take home a Rice Bowl packet and follow this simple yet powerful Lenten practice.
From the Pastor’s desk…
Greetings in the Lord!
As you are all aware, our parish participated in the diocesan campaign called, With Grateful Hearts. We completed our campaign raising $ 1,657,143.00 of our goal of $1,045,000.00. Part of the promise of the campaign is that 25% of all monies collected would be returned to our parish. And now I am happy to let you all know that from the generosity of our parishioners, $211,598.36 has been collected over the last quarter and I received a check this week for $52,900.00, which is 25% of that amount. As you know, these monies will be directed towards improvements of our parish facilities and to pay our parish loan.
Again, I want to say thank you for the generosity of all those who participated in this campaign.
With all my prayers,
Fr. Manny Hewe
RESPECT LIFE…
“Human persons are not to be understood merely from the perspective of their past histories or from … the present. … We must always see in other human beings persons with whom we shall one day share God’s joy. We must look upon them as persons who are called, together with us, to be members of the body of Christ, with whom we shall one day sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with Christ himself, as their brothers and sisters, as the brothers and sisters of Christ, and as children of God.”
-- Pope Benedict XVI, “In the Beginning …”: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall, p. 49.
Renovation
Principal Balance @ 12/31/09 $ 514,552.48
Monthly Principal and Interest $ 8,514.31
Debt/Renovation Collection
January 30/31 $ 3,156.50
Gift of Treasure
January 30/31 $ 13,751.05
“How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?” Psalm 116:12
“If our prayer is resolutely united with that of Jesus, in trust and boldness as children, we obtain all that we ask in his name, even more than any particular thing: the Holy Spirit himself, who contains all gifts.” (CCC 2742)
PRAY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS:
Healing/Blessings – Fay Molina-Sagon, Mary Molina, Leilani Mueller, Robert Bonura, Felicidad Sagon, Rose Sagocio, Ron Thames and everyone mentioned in our Prayer Intentions Book.
Deceased: Krystle Good, Millie Rynders, Sarah Ruiz, Romeo Saludes
MASS INTENTIONS:
Monday, February 15, 2010
8am Mass Philip Yan (RIP
Ross Acebo (RIP)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
8am Mass Crimson Aznar (Healing)
Alice Robertson (RIP)
Wednesday,February 17, 2010
8am Mass Millie Rynder (RIP)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
8am Mass Martin & Helen McNally (RIP)
Hak Soon Kim Mercado (RIP)
Friday, February 19, 2010
8am Mass Terry Silva (Birthday Blessing)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
8am Mass All Souls in Purgatory
5 pm Mass George Dona (Birthday Blessing)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
7am Mass For the intention of the Holy Father
9am Mass For the People
11am Mass For all the Priests & Religious
6pm Mass For all the Souls in Purgatory (RIP)
