1 Sunday, February 17, 2019 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time REFLECTION ON THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL: Turn the Woes Around Blessed, fortunate, happy are you who are rich, rich in money or power, in talent or time, because you can do so much for the poor, can lift the yoke of the oppressed. But blessed only if you have the mind of the poor, the mind of Christ. Only if you recognize that you may not do what you will with what you have. Only if you realize that you are stewards, that whatever you “own” you hold in trust. Only if you employ your power for peace, your wisdom to reconcile, your knowledge to open horizons, your compassion to heal, your hope to destroy despair. Blessed, fortunate, happy are you who are full now, who the hungry, to touch empty stomachs with compassion. But blessed only if you have the mind of the hungry, the mind of Christ. Only if you do not take your food for granted. Only if you are uncomfortable as long as one sister or brother cries in vain for bread or justice or love. Only if you experience your own emptiness - how desperately you need the hungry, how far you still are from God. Blessed are the full, if you are always hungry. Blessed are you who laugh now, because you can bring the joy of Christ to others, to those whose days are woven of tears. But blessed only if you can laugh at yourself, if you don’t take yourself too seriously, if human living doesn’t revolve around you and your needs, your hiatus hernia and your latest rebuff. Only if you take delight in all God's creation, in snow and star, in blue marlin and robin redbreast… in the presence of the Trinity within you. Only if laughter means that you let go - let go of all that shackles you to yesterday, to dead hopes, imprisons you in your small selves. Blessed are you, because you are free. Fr. Walter J. Burghardt, Speak the Word with Boldness Walter Burghardt, SJ (1914-2008) was a spellbinding preacher whose powerful calls for social justice and understanding influenced generations of priests and pastors. RETIREMENT THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS: Since I announced my June retirement, I am receiving many helpful thoughts and loving considerations from parishioners on what to expect and what to do in retirement. I received the following prayer entitled Prayer of the Third Age from a parishioner this past week and I am sharing it here for parishioners reflection and consideration. Thanks for all the caring advice and counsel. Prayer of the Third Age Lord, teach me how to grow old! Convince me that the community does me no wrong if it lifts responsibilities from my back, no longer asks my advice, and finds others to take my place. Take from me the pride of experience and the sense of my indispensability. May I be able to accept, in this gradual detachment from things, what is simply the law of time; and may I be able to see in this change in my duties one of the most fascinating manifestations of life renewed by Your Providence. Keep me, O Lord, useful to the world, contributing by my optimism and my prayers to the joy and the courage of those who are now in the hardness of responsibility; and make me humble having no regrets for the past, offering my sufferings as a gift for the reconciliation of society. May my leaving the field of action be simple and natural, like the gentle setting of the sun. Forgive me if only today, in tranquility, I understand how much You have loved me and helped me. At least in this moment may I have a clear and full perception of the destiny of incredible joy You have prepared for me, and towards which You have sent me walking since the very first day of my life. Lord, teach me how to grow old like this! Amen. -Anonymous
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1 Sunday, February 17, 2019 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
REFLECTION ON THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL:
Turn the Woes Around Blessed, fortunate, happy are you who are rich, rich in money or power, in talent or time, because you can do so
much for the poor, can lift the yoke of the oppressed. But blessed only if you have the mind of the poor, the mind
of Christ. Only if you recognize that you may not do what you will with what you have. Only if you realize that
you are stewards, that whatever you “own” you hold in trust. Only if you employ your power for peace, your
wisdom to reconcile, your knowledge to open horizons, your compassion to heal, your hope to destroy despair.
Blessed, fortunate, happy are you who are full now, who the hungry, to touch empty stomachs with compassion.
But blessed only if you have the mind of the hungry, the mind of Christ. Only if you do not take your food for
granted. Only if you are uncomfortable as long as one sister or brother cries in vain for bread or justice or love.
Only if you experience your own emptiness - how desperately you need the hungry, how far you still are from
God. Blessed are the full, if you are always hungry.
Blessed are you who laugh now, because you can bring the joy of Christ to others, to those whose days are woven
of tears. But blessed only if you can laugh at yourself, if you don’t take yourself too seriously, if human living
doesn’t revolve around you and your needs, your hiatus hernia and your latest rebuff. Only if you take delight in
all God's creation, in snow and star, in blue marlin and robin redbreast… in the presence of the Trinity within
you. Only if laughter means that you let go - let go of all that shackles you to yesterday, to dead hopes, imprisons
you in your small selves. Blessed are you, because you are free.
Fr. Walter J. Burghardt, Speak the Word with Boldness
Walter Burghardt, SJ (1914-2008) was a spellbinding preacher whose powerful calls for social justice and
understanding influenced generations of priests and pastors.
RETIREMENT THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS: Since I announced my June retirement, I am
receiving many helpful thoughts and loving considerations from parishioners on what to expect and what to do in
retirement. I received the following prayer entitled Prayer of the Third Age from a parishioner this past week and
I am sharing it here for parishioners reflection and consideration. Thanks for all the caring advice and counsel.
Prayer of the Third Age Lord, teach me how to grow old! Convince me that the community does me no wrong if it lifts responsibilities
from my back, no longer asks my advice, and finds others to take my place.
Take from me the pride of experience and the sense of my indispensability. May I be able to accept, in this
gradual detachment from things, what is simply the law of time; and may I be able to see in this change in my
duties one of the most fascinating manifestations of life renewed by Your Providence.
Keep me, O Lord, useful to the world, contributing by my optimism and my prayers to the joy and the courage of
those who are now in the hardness of responsibility; and make me humble having no regrets for the past, offering
my sufferings as a gift for the reconciliation of society. May my leaving the field of action be simple and natural,
like the gentle setting of the sun.
Forgive me if only today, in tranquility, I understand how much You have loved me and helped me. At least in
this moment may I have a clear and full perception of the destiny of incredible joy You have prepared for me, and
towards which You have sent me walking since the very first day of my life.
Lord, teach me how to grow old like this! Amen.
-Anonymous
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Christian Education / Formation
Scripture Reflection
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
February 17, 2019
Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20;
Luke 6:17, 20-26
Today is a day of reversals: turn away from God
and you will be barren like a tree in the desert in the
middle of lava. But, “blessed are you who are poor
for the kingdom of God is yours.”
Jeremiah and Jesus are exhorting the people to
turn to God and turn their back to the false idols of
the world: money, fame, power. When Jeremiah
referred to the lava, salt and empty earth, he was
talking about Sodom and Gomorrah. The cities had
been destroyed by the Lord for their sinful ways. He
was trying to save the Israelites from the same fate.
They were turning to the gods of the neighboring
countries and not following the covenant they had
with God.
What is Christianity without the Paschal
Mystery? Nothing, according to Paul. He’s absolutely
right. If Jesus hadn’t been crucified, died, and then
been resurrected from the dead, there would be no
point in us believing in Him. But, as Paul points out,
Jesus did. He was the first one to do so and we will,
too someday.
Jesus was telling his followers how important
following Him is. “Blessed are you when people hate
you, and when they exclude you and insult you…
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.”
It’s hard to believe that people are hated, excluded, or
insulted for being Christian in 2019, but in countries
all around the world, this happens every day. It is
dangerous, even illegal to be a Christian in counties
like China, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan and many
more. That’s why freedom of religion is so important.
That’s why the practice of our faith is so important.
Can you image not being allowed to practice your
faith? Ponder that for a while. Having to sneak a
Bible around or burn all your Crucifixes? Maybe
attending Mass once a week isn’t so hard. Definitely
something worth thinking about!
ADULT FAITH FORMATION CALENDAR FOR THE MONTH
February
18th Sacraments Refresher starts
25th Lectio Divina: Praying with the Scriptures
26th-27th Introduction to the Bible Workshop
Did you know?
Did you know? That Beatitude means “blessed
are” in Latin? Beati sunt are the first two words
for each of the sayings in the Latin Vulgate Bible
which gives the Beatitudes their name. The
Beatitudes describe the blessedness of those who
have certain qualities or experiences peculiar to
those belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven.
(https://www.britannica.com/topic/Beatitude-
biblical-literature)
Sacraments Refresher
Mondays, February 18 - March 25
7:00pm-8:30pm.
Have you ever wondered what the
Sacraments are all about? Were you
confirmed as an infant so didn’t get a
lot of catechism as a child? Do you
want to be able to answer some of your
kids’ questions? Sessions will cover one Sacrament