Sunday, March 30, 2014

Was Blind . . . But Now I See!


Amazing grace – how sweet the sound . . .

 Last 2 years of life, dad really suffered. At one point he asked me – is there something I did? Remember, a devout man who went to daily Mass.

1)    Whose sin was it?

Some thought misfortune due to his sin – sometimes we do cause our problems, but many times not

Not his sin – but sometimes can be used for good!

2)    Jesus, who is the enemy of darkness does something strange - Spits on the ground – makes a mud paste   -   MUDBLOODS

Remember creations story – formed out of clay of ground -  Jesus: Creation being completed –

3)    Wash in pool  Siloam “Sent”   Baptism   -   restores sight

4)    He is a new person - Can see – physically – but now invited to see Spiritually:

Football Commentator – art critic  -   doctor        see what I cannot   

Phrase: Seeing is Believing?   -  NOW - Believing is Seeing!!!

a)     A man

b)    A prophet

c)     A Man from God

d)    Lord  - the Biblical Word for God!!!

Faith is a new kind of sight -    see Christ in poor, unborn child, homeless person     see God’s presence and action in this world!

 March 21, 1748  - John Newton – the Slave trader  -  “The Great Blasphemer”

Tied self to helm of ship   prayed    survived

Amazing Grace

Friday, March 28, 2014

"Making All Things New"

Our archdiocesan pastoral planning process, Making All Things New, which officially got under way this past September after 3 years of preparation, reached another milestone this past week.
Our 40 member advisory group, composed of pastors, permanent deacons, religious, and laity, met from March 25-27 at the Maryknoll Seminary in Ossining and reviewed the suggestions presented by all 75 clusters.
The advisory group was impressed by the obvious dedication and hard work done by the parishes and clusters, which led to the insights and proposals that were the basis for the advisory group's positive and thorough discussions.
The advisory group's preliminary recommendations will soon be returned to the clusters for their further review and deliberation. We ask that these on-going discussions among the cluster and the advisory group take place in confidence, so that all members will feel free to express themselves openly, as the final recommendations are developed for presentation to Cardinal Dolan at the end of June.
After carefully reviewing these final recommendations, and seeking the input of the priest council and other advisory bodies with whom he must consult, the Cardinal will announce his decisions in September.

Confirmation Weekend

Bishop Dominick Lagonegro, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, Episcopal Vicar of Orange County, and Regional Vicar for the Upper Counties, will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for our Confirmandi on Friday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday, March 29 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Please pray for our Confirmandi and their sponsors.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF POPE FRANCIS' PONTIFICATE

Vatican City, 12 March 2014 (VIS) – Tomorrow, 13 March, will be the first anniversary of the election of Pope Francis to the See of St. Peter. These 365 days of his papacy have been characterised as a “time of mercy”, as described by the Pope himself. During these twelve months of intense activity, the Pope “from the end of the earth” who asks us to pray for him, has started out on a new way of working that, with a slow but sure pace, has drawn renewed attention to issues not only of an ecclesiastical nature. The “priest of the world”, as his special secretary Msgr. Alfred Xuereb calls him, “has not wasted a minute! He works tirelessly and, when he feels the need to take a moment's pause, he closes his eyes and does nothing: he simply sits and prays the Rosary”.
To commemorate this first anniversary, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave an interview with Vatican Radio in which he reflects on this year and its “great impulse to a journeying Church”.
“The most important aspect of this first year is without doubt the great attention, the great attraction of the people – I say the people, meaning not only practising Catholics, but everyone in this world – the great attention for this Pope, for his message. It is something that I think and hope is very deeply rooted in the heart of the people, who have felt touched by a word of love, attention, mercy, closeness, proximity, in which through the man, the Pope, the love of God arrives”.
“The Church truly seems to be a journeying people. This is her most characteristic aspect: a sense of great dynamism. The Pope has given a great impulse and journeys with a Church that seeks God's will, that seeks her mission in today's world for the good of all, truly going out to the peripheries, to the ends of the world”, he continues, adding that there are “manifestations of attention, therefore, that come from places, from atypical organs of the press”, that “mean that his message reaches its target”.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Funeral Mass - Isabella M. Manno

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Isabella Manno on Saturday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. Isabella was an active parishioner involved with Catholic Daughters and Prayers Shawl Ministry. She will be deeply missed. Please pray for her and for her family.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. It is a day of Fasting and Abstinence from meat.

Ash Wednesday Masses
7:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.

Ash Wednesday Services
12:00 noon
4:45 p.m.
7:00 p.m.

What, Me Worry?

A man used to worry a great deal. One day his friends noticed – he seemed not to have a care in the world
We, I decided all this worry was unwise and unhealthy.
So I decided to hire someone to do my worrying for me.
How much?  Oh about $1,000 per week.
How can you afford to pay this man?   That’s his worry!

Wish it was this easy!   Safe to say we all have worries
What are yours?

 Business magazine
2% of worrying time is spent on things that can actually be helped by worrying
40% on things that never happen
35% on things that cannot be changed
15% on things that turn out better than expected
8 % on useless, petty worries

Listen to Jesus   4 times-don’t worry    your Father knows what you need -  after all I know you, I love you, I care about you!!

 1)     Yesterday is History  -   with it’s cares,  pains, and mistakes – is gone. It was mine, not it is God’s
2)     Tomorrow is a Mystery – with its fears, possibilities, burdens, promises and failures. But it is not mine, yet – it is God’s
3)     Today is a gift  -  that is why we call it “the present.”   One day at a time

Today is the gift.

 1)      Live in the present
2)     Always try to do the right thing – nothing like a clean conscience
3)     Let go of the rest  - Hand it over to God

Holding up a glass – how heavy is it?   10oz   16oz
Weight doesn’t matter – it depends on how long you try to hold it.
Hold minute – no problem     hour – arm aching    Day – call an ambulance
Put it down

Next to bed
“Before you go to bed, give your troubles to God. He will be up all night anyway.” 

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr
 
Could a mother forsake her child? Even if she should forget, I will never forget you!!!