26th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 29, 201926th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 29, 2019 Parish Office (863) 453-4757 Fax (863) 453-2620Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 29, 2019

Parish Office (863) 453-4757 Fax (863) 453-2620

Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday

9 AM to 2:30 PM

Administrator Fr. Ronnie Sison

Assisting Clergy

Fr. Leo Frechette Fr. Gerald Grogan

Retired

Deacon Dan Hoppe

Schedule of Masses Saturday

Confession 3:15 to 3:45 PM English

6:30 PM Spanish Vigil Mass

4 PM English 7 PM Spanish

Sunday 8 AM and 10:30 AM

Holy Days

Vigil Mass 5:30 PM 8 & 10:30 AM Daily Mass

Monday-Friday 8 AM First Friday

Mass and Holy Hour 8 AM

Visit us on the web!

www.ologap.org

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Unlike the “Rich man” in today’s Gospel (Luke 16: 19 – 31) who ignored the poor man, “Lazarus,” at his doorstep, Katherine Drexel, who was born in Philadelphia in 1858 and who died in 1955, came from one of the wealthiest families in the United States, and at a young age became heiress of the Drexel banking fortune in Philadelphia. Unlike the “Rich man” in today’s Gospel, she became a nun, founded the Order of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and spent her life and wealth building over 60 schools for the poorest of the poor Native and Afro-Americans in the most isolated parts of the U.S., and built the first Catholic University for Black people in New Orleans. She was what Jesus wanted the “Rich man” to be in today’s Gospel in responding to the poor man on his doorstep. She is a wonderful role model for all of us in responding to the word of God and the challenges on our “doorsteps.” She is now an American Saint.

Page 2 Our Lady of Grace

Welcome Father Ronnie Sisson – October 1, 2019

October 4th – Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Date of Blessing of Animals to be announced.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Page 3

Sins of commission and sins of omission

There is a story told about a young boy, who lived in a small town, who heard that the Messiah had come. He became very excited. He ran from one house to the next in the village square announcing with great enthusiasm that the Messiah had come. There was an old Rabbi who lived in the center of the village square. The young boy ran to his house, knocked at the door and, rushed into the Rabbi’s house with the news, “The Messiah has come.” Being a wise old Rabbi, he did not over-react. He was sitting in an armchair beside the fireplace in the living room which overlooked the village square. He rose slowly from the comfort of his armchair, walked slowly across the living room to the bay window which overlooked the village square. Very slowly, he pulled back the curtain and, for what appeared to be an interminable period of time, he peered down on the activity in the village square. Then, with a tinge of sadness in his face, he turned back to the young man who had shared the news with him. And, in a disappointing voice he said, “No, son, the Messiah has not come; because if he did, things would be different in the market place.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel (Luke 16: 19 – 31), illustrates with a story, a parable, what the Rabbi had just said. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, who were the religious authorities of his day. He uses two characters in his parable: “the rich man” and “the poor man Lazarus.” The rich man was not condemned for being rich. He may have worked hard and with great enterprise to make his wealth. He may have gone to the Synagogue on the Sabbath. He may have been familiar with the commandments. Why then was he condemned? The penitential rite with which we begin mass gives us an insight into what his sin was, for which he was condemned. We pray, “I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned… in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.” It suggests that there are two kinds of sin: sins of commission, that is, where I do something wrong against someone – lie about them; and, sins of omission, where I fail to do something for someone who is in obvious need. Dr. Martin Niemoeller, a Lutheran Pastor, who supported Hitler in the early days of his leadership, but later led the German Evangelicals to oppose him, articulated the catastrophic effects of not opposing Hitler earlier and speaking out against him:

“They came first for the Communists, But I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then, they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, And I didn’t speak up because I was not a Catholic. Then they came for me, And by that time, no one was left to speak up.”

Here is how Martin L. King describes this malaise, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." Jesus condemns the “rich man,” not for what he did, but for what he didn’t do. He didn’t help a man he knew – Lazarus – who lived on his doorstep.

Page 4 Our Lady of Grace

Church Service Center Collection October 5/6

Highlands County is the 57th poorest of the 67 counties in Florida. Much of that poverty is a stone’s throw from OLG Parish, in the downtown area of Avon Park. We are cognizant of Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel parable, in which the Rich man totally ignored the poor man Lazarus, who literally lived on his door step.

56 volunteers from various churches and from none around Avon Park volunteer their time to assist in the Church Service center (CSC). Last month, the Church Service Center assisted in approximately 500 families, representing between 1,200 to 1,300 poor people in Avon Park. Last year, OLG donated $30,000 to the CSC in funds and a very large collection of food on the 1st Saturday and Sunday of the month. Parishioners are encouraged to bring non- perishable food to Church at all masses next weekend, October 5/6. We will take a second collection at all masses to assist poor people looking for financial help.

1st Saturday of the Month 8 a.m. Mass, Oct 5th

OLG has a rich history of many dedicated and generous benefactors to the Parish over the years. We remember deceased OLG benefactors at the 8 a.m. Mass on the first Saturday of the month. The 8 a.m. mass will be followed by confessions at 8:30 a.m. 1st Friday Mass & Benediction, October 4, 8 a.m.

The 8 a.m. Mass on Friday, October 4, will be followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, which will conclude with Benediction at 9 a.m.

K of C Breakfast Sunday, October 6th, 8 a.m. – 12 noon, Grogan Center

The Knights of Columbus will serve the best breakfast in town, Avon Park, to the best parishioners in town, OLG, at the best price - $7 per person - in the best hall in town, the Grogan Center. The K of C breakfast helps you to get to know fellow parishioners while eating a good breakfast. You do not have to eat alone, or, eat in a hurry. Take your time and get to know your fellow parishioners.

Bring Box tops for St. Catherine Catholic Grade School next weekend, October 5/6.

You are invited to bring General Mills Box tops to Church next weekend, October 5/6, to all masses for St. Catherine Catholic Grade School, Sebring. Drop them in a box for that purpose at the main entrance to the Church.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Page 5

Two Sundays ago, we had the three-part teaching by Jesus in the three parables, “The Lost Sheep,” “The Lost Coin,” and the “Lost Son.” The three themes common to all three parables was the theme of “being lost.”

We provided you with a prominent example of “being lost” in the bulletin a few weeks ago, with the story of the greatest Olympian of all time, namely, Michael Phelps.

Michael Phelps has his life very much together now. That was not his situation in 2014. He tentatively retired from swimming in the Olympics in 2012. Then, he did not know what to do with himself. He felt “lost” without swimming – that’s all he ever knew. There are any number of outlets one can pursue or experiment with when one feels “lost.” And. Michael Phelps experimented. He began to self-medicate, leading to drug addiction. Then he turned to alcohol. Withdrawal systems which accompany drug and alcohol addiction soon lead to withdrawal from ones loved ones and friends. Michael withdrew from his loved ones. He had been estranged from his father for over two decades. He considered ending his life. An unlikely friend, who had his own serious personal problems, who was an all-pro linebacker with world champions Baltimore Ravens, reached out and got Michael Phelps to get into rehab. While he was there, he gave

him a book which had helped him a lot, “The purpose driven life” written by a Protestant minister on the West Coast, Rick Warren. Michael found this book a game changer in his life. He no longer feels “lost.” He feels that through the friendship of his ‘older brother’ Ray Lewis he has “Found God,” and, in finding God, he has “found himself.”

In the three parables cited from Luke’s Gospel, chapter 15, Jesus tells us that the “Lost Sheep,” “The Lost Coin,” “The Lost Son” were “Found” because someone reached out – “The Shepherd,” “The woman,” and “the Father.” And because they “searched” for the one who was “Lost,” they were able to “find” what was “lost.”

Pope Francis, time and time again has reminded us that we are not a “maintenance Church;” we are a “mission church.” He says that the Church needs to go through a paradigm shift.

A “Maintenance Church” is one in which we wait for the “lost” person to return. It may be a member of our own family, a good friend, a neighbor, a work mate, a school mate

A “Mission Church” is a church in which its members “search” for the “lost sheep.” It means going out and “reaching out” to invite like Ray Lewis did for Michael Phelps.

The RCIA – The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults - is a process which invites and “searches out” those who have a sense of being “lost” – family members, friends, work mates, neighbors, school mates – and we invite them to come to know who Jesus is and in coming to know who Jesus is come to know who they are. The RCIA begins on Monday, October 7, at 7 p.m. in the Grogan Center.

Page 6 Our Lady of Grace MASS INTENTIONS SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28 4:00 pm + J.Dale Pounds by Judy Pounds. 7:00 pm + Jacob Martinez and the Perez Family.

+Quinn Janathan Basso & Family by Mother.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29 8:00 am + Ignaitius Krass by Karen & Howard

Hecker.. 10:30 am + Carolyn Colangelo by John & Sandy

Wolbert. + Helen Gerlecz by MaryLee Cipriano MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30 8:00 am For our Parish family. TUESDAY OCTOBER 1 8:00 am + Pauline Cooper by Henry Cooper. WED OCTOBER 2 8:00 am + Pauline Cooper by Henry Cooper. THURSDAY OCTOBER 3 8:00 am + Arlene Naida by Charles Naida. FRIDAY OCTOBER 4 8:00 am + Joan & Tim Roche by Neal Roche. SATURDAY OCTOBER 5 8:00 am Benefactors of the Parish. Sarah

McDonald, Frances & Audrey Peffer, Orlando Nardone, Maria Guerrero, Mary Litwinski, Norma George, Fred Bruno, Loumella Faust, Donald McCormack, Lester Reinbolt, John Lacenski, William & MaryAnn Patterson, Mary Ann Bland,

4:00 pm + Glen Hartsfield by Ann Hartsfield. +Ann Mrotz by Joe & Beverly Borowski. 7:00 pm + Rosalinda Martinez by Herlinda

Martinez. + Herlinda Matta by Rodriguez Family. SUNDAY OCTOBER 6 8:00 am + Irene Tederous by M/M Nelson

Tederous 10:30 am + Germaine Picard by Betty, Mike &

Angie.

FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Claudette Laverriere Lillian Mellske Barry Intorre Rosa Arosemena Jade Jackson Andres Clavijo Liliana Morales Bruno Litwinski Gary Ingles Debra Kemmett Charles Naida John Minadeo Roseann Arcardo And for those who care for the sick, for the deceased member’s Zulmira DaSilva and Bob Kramer and benefactors of the parish, and for our loved ones. SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING Safe environment training is scheduled. at Our Lady of Grace on Thursday, October 10 at 6 pm in the Religious Education building and Saturday October 12 at 9:30 am. Sessions are held in English & Spanish. Anyone working with children or vulnerable adults must be fingerprinted and take a safe environment class. You must preregister for Safe Environment. You can register on line dioceseofvenice.org and go to Safe Environment. You can call the office and we can assist you. 453-4757. To be fingerprinted come by the Parish office to get registered for a appointment at St Catherine in Sebring. BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN The Knights of Columbus will be handing out Baby Bottles the first weekend in October and throughout the month. October 6th is “Respect Life Sunday”. Marriage Struggling? If your marriage has become troubled and stressed, unloving or uncaring; if you have grown cold and distant; even if you are divorced or separated, or are thinking about it, no matter how bad it may be… Retrouvaille can help, as it has helped tens of thousands of others. Our next program in Tampa begins Nov 08-10, 2019. For more information, visit www.HelpOurMarriage.org, or call (813) 816-0711. Not counseling or group therapy. All contacts and names held in strictest confidence.

Staff

& Ministries

Administrative Assistant Betty Heiring

[email protected]

Religious Education

Angie Heiring, DRE [email protected]

(863) 453-7537

Music Gene Ryan

[email protected]

Associate Youth Dir. Angie Heiring

(863) 453-7537

Knights of Columbus Joe Hamilton (260) 418-8043

Women’s Guild Debbie Augusta -

President (863) 385-8872

Respect Life

John & Doris Harrison (863) 314-9202

Parish Council

President

Judy Pounds

Vice President Piedad Sarmiento-Noriega

Secretary

Judy Nugent

Members Debbie Augusta Maureen Cool

Darlyne Devany Jim McGann Karen Hecker Tina Starling

Teresa Torres

“A rich man” ignored …at his doorstep…a poor man…”

“There was a rich man … who dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door step was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs used to come and lick his sores…”