The Family Life Ministry invites all Presentation B.V.M. and St. Joe’s parishioners to our Family Bingo and Hot Dog Supper. Come and join us for an evening of food, fun and prizes!
When: Saturday, May 21, 2016 following the 5:15p.m. Mass at Presentation B.V.M. Church
Admission: Free!
We wish all the moms in our Saint Joseph Parish family a very happy Mother’s Day!
Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children, so You watch over Your Church. Bless these women, that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect.
Book of Blessings
by Prepared by International Commission on English in the Liturgy
A Joint Commission of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences,
The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1989
Have you ever found it difficult to forgive? If so, turn to Mary, the Mother of Mercy. She is the Mother of God whose “mercy endures forever” (Ps 118:1), the Mother of Jesus who prayed, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34). She is our surest help when we struggle with feelings of resentment or the desire to “get even.” For did not she, of all people, have reason to feel resentment, to desire revenge, to despise those who betrayed and abandoned her Son? Did not she have reason to wish for revenge against the hypocrisy of religious leaders who twisted the truth of His words and the goodness of His mighty deeds to justify his condemnation as a charlatan deserving death? And, did not she have reason to wish for vengeance against the cowardice of Pilate, the cruelty of his executioners, and the mockery of the bystanders who scornfully laughed at her beloved Son stripped naked dying helplessly on the cross? Indeed, she had every reason to cry out to God asking for vengeance against the perpetrators of such barbarous cruelty! But, no, she did not. She forgave. She witnessed Jesus asking His Father to forgive.
So let us pray the “Hail, Holy Queen” every day during this Holy Year of Mercy, asking Mary, the Mother of Mercy, to help us be merciful when we feel the desire for revenge or for “getting even.” May Mary, the Mother of Mercy be “our life, our sweetness, and our hope” as we learn how “blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” (Mt 5:7).
–Sr. Annette Pelletier, IHM, Prof. of Theology, Immaculata University
How to Live It
Read the story of Immaculee Ilibagiza. In her book, Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, she recounts how she survived the Rwandan genocide and was brought to forgive those who murdered her family through the prayer of the Rosary, especially the Sorrowful Mysteries. Then, consider taking up the Rosary and asking Our Lady to help you forgive those who have injured you.
Quote from Catholic Tradition
“Seek refuge in Mary because she is the city of refuge. We know that Moses set up three cities of refuge for anyone who inadvertently killed his neighbor. Now the Lord has established a refuge of mercy, Mary, even for those who deliberately commit evil. Mary provides shelter and strength for the sinner.” ‐Saint Anthony of Padua “Even while living in the world, the heart of Mary was so filled with motherly tenderness and compassion for men that no‐one ever suffered so much for their own pains, as Mary suffered for the pains of her children.” ‐Saint Jerome, Father and Doctor of the Church
This Thursday, May 5, is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, a Holy Day of Obligation.
The Mass schedule at Saint Joseph Church will be as follows:
Wednesday (Vigil) – 7:30pm
Thursday – 9:30am.
The Mass schedule at our twin parish, Presentation BVM Church, will be as follows:
Thursday – 6:30am and 7:30pm.
…When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
Acts of the Apostles 1:6-11
Our parish May Crowning will take place this Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 9:30am with the recitation of the Rosary followed by the crowning and the 10am Mass. All parishioners are invited to participate in this special, time-honored religious tradition.
The rosary and crowning will take place in the Church. Each family is encouraged to bring a small bouquet of flowers for Mary’s altar. Vases will be provided.
Children from our parish who made their First Holy Communion this year are asked to wear their special outfits. Those who were confirmed in 2015 are asked to wear their white robes.
Mercy lies at the heart of the Christian faith. Catholics believe in a God of Mercy. He manifested His Mercy, first and foremost, in the Incarnation of His Word in the Person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins. When He walked this earth, Jesus lived for others and greeted everyone He met with mercy and compassion. Mercy was the reason He entered this world. Mercy was why He forgave sins. Mercy was why He cured people of their physical ailments. Mercy was why He cast out demons. Mercy was why He suffered and died for us. Mercy for others was what He asked of his Father from the cross. Mercy was what flowed from His pierced side in the form of blood and water. Mercy was why He sent his Spirit to dwell in the hearts of the members of His body, the Church. Mercy was the reason for the sending of His Spirit at Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit is the Fountain of Mercy. He is the soul of the Church, the sacrament of Christ. He is invoked at the celebration of every sacrament. He is the source of Mercy, because He is the Bond of Love shared by the Father and the Son. From that Bond everything else flows: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Orders, Matrimony, Anointing. These sacraments give honor and glory to the Father. They are actions of Christ. They are the works of the Spirit. Through them we receive His manifold gifts and fruits. Holy Spirit, Fountain of Mercy, pray for us.
-Rev. Dennis J. Billy, C.Ss.R., Krol Chair of Moral Theology, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
How to Live It
During the Holy Year of Mercy, begin the practice of invoking the Holy Spirit as soon as you wake up in the morning. Use the Veni, Sancte Spiritus or similar prayer to the Holy Spirit. Take note of the special daily mercies that result from this simple act of dependence on the Third Person of the Trinity.
Quote from Catholic Tradition
“Come, Holy Spirit. Spirit of truth, you are the reward of the saints, the comforter of souls, light in the darkness, riches to the poor, treasure to lovers, food for the hungry, comfort to those who are wandering; to sum up, you are the one in whom all treasures are contained. Come! As you descended upon Mary that the Word might become flesh, work in us through grace as you worked in her through nature and grace. Come! Food of every chaste thought, fountain of all mercy, sum of all purity. Come! Consume in us whatever prevents us from being consumed in you.” ‐St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
Prayerful best wishes are extended to the family of Katie Nguyen, who was baptized at our Church on Sunday, April 24, 2016. Congratulations, Katie! May God’s grace and blessings guide you throughout your life!
We also congratulate Katie’s sister, Kailly, who received her First Holy Communion at our Church, also on Sunday, April 24, 2016. May the joy and peace of Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist be with you always, Kailly!
Kailly with Father Harrison and her catechists, Kevin Dinh and Jalia Harris.
Congratulations to Tim Trinh and Lauren Pringle who were married at our Church on Saturday, April 23, 2016.
In happiness may they praise You, O Lord, in sorrow may they seek You out; may they have the joy of Your presence to assist them in their toil, and know that You are near to comfort them in their need; let them pray to You in the holy assembly and bear witness to You in the world, and after a happy old age, together with the circle of friends that surrounds them, may they come to the Kingdom of Heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
[The Nuptial Blessing from the Rite of Marriage, Roman Missal (2010)]
Bishop Robert Barron’s The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters video series concludes this Sunday, April 24 in the Parish Community Room immediately following the 10am Mass.
WHAT DO WE REALLY MEAN BY “GOD”?
Atheism is on the rise. Skeptical thinkers like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris vigorously attack belief in God as irrational or, even worse, dangerous. The so-called New Atheism has attracted millions of young people thanks to bestselling books such as The God Delusion and God Is Not Great.
How should Christians respond? How can we turn the tide of secularism and draw people back to God?
In this new six-part film series and study program, Bishop Robert Barron reaches into our rich intellectual tradition to teach us how. Using the insights of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Benedict XVI, he uncovers a clear yet sophisticated understanding of what we mean by “God”.
Who is God? And why does he matter? Watch this series and you’ll not only learn the answers yourself, but you’ll discover how to share them with others – especially those who no longer believe.
PART 6 – THE GOD WHO IS LOVE
The book of Genesis reveals that we are made in the image and likeness of God. What does this mean? For St. Augustine it affirmed that our own traits—our minds, our self-knowledge, our self-love–can tell us something about God as a Trinity. What is Christianity finally about? What is the deepest meaning of being and all reality? The Christian answer is this: God is love, a play of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Saint Joseph’s annual International Buffet will be held at Presentation B.V.M. Hall on Sunday, June 19, 2016 from 3pm to 6pm.
Please sign-up to help prepare a dish to represent your ethnic heritage. Use the sign-up form at the end of this post.
We would also appreciate donations for the prize baskets that we plan to raffle off during the Buffet. Donations of cheer, gift cards, monetary donations or other new gifts may be dropped off at the sign-up table on Sundays through May 29.
More details, including ticket information, will be forthcoming…
Bishop Robert Barron’s The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters video series continues this Sunday, April 17 in the Parish Community Room immediately following the 10am Mass.
WHAT DO WE REALLY MEAN BY “GOD”?
Atheism is on the rise. Skeptical thinkers like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris vigorously attack belief in God as irrational or, even worse, dangerous. The so-called New Atheism has attracted millions of young people thanks to bestselling books such as The God Delusion and God Is Not Great.
How should Christians respond? How can we turn the tide of secularism and draw people back to God?
In this new six-part film series and study program, Bishop Robert Barron reaches into our rich intellectual tradition to teach us how. Using the insights of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Benedict XVI, he uncovers a clear yet sophisticated understanding of what we mean by “God”.
Who is God? And why does he matter? Watch this series and you’ll not only learn the answers yourself, but you’ll discover how to share them with others – especially those who no longer believe.
PART 5 – EXPLORING THE TRINITY
The most important event in human history took place when God, infinite and incomprehensible, became a finite and familiar man, Jesus Christ. While some people reduce Jesus to a wise teacher, the testimony of scripture and the early Church makes it clear that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, God incarnate. He’s the Second Person of the Trinity. And by his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, we too can enter into Trinitarian life.
Bishop Robert Barron’s The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters video series continues this Sunday, April 10 in the Parish Community Room immediately following the 10am Mass.
WHAT DO WE REALLY MEAN BY “GOD”?
Atheism is on the rise. Skeptical thinkers like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris vigorously attack belief in God as irrational or, even worse, dangerous. The so-called New Atheism has attracted millions of young people thanks to bestselling books such as The God Delusion and God Is Not Great.
How should Christians respond? How can we turn the tide of secularism and draw people back to God?
In this new six-part film series and study program, Bishop Robert Barron reaches into our rich intellectual tradition to teach us how. Using the insights of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Benedict XVI, he uncovers a clear yet sophisticated understanding of what we mean by “God”.
Who is God? And why does he matter? Watch this series and you’ll not only learn the answers yourself, but you’ll discover how to share them with others – especially those who no longer believe.
PART 4 – PROVIDENCE AND THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
Perhaps the most difficult question in theology is this: Why does God allow evil? If God is all-good and all-powerful, then why are our lives marked with pain and suffering? These are not abstract questions. They go right to the heart of our experience. We have each wrestled with misery, wondering when God would intervene. As with Job, God does not give us answers. He instead offers a person: the crucified Jesus, through whom God enters our suffering and makes it his own.
This Sunday, April 3, Divine Mercy Sunday, in the Parish Community Room, we will show the video Faustina: The Apostle of Divine Mercy immediately following the 10 am Mass.
This award-winning movie is a beautiful representation of the mystical life of St. Maria Faustina, who became the “Apostle of Divine Mercy”. It tells the story of her mystical experiences as a nun living in a convent in Poland in the early 20th century. It is to her that Jesus appeared and commanded that she be his instrument for promoting devotion to his Divine Mercy, and that the Feast of Divine Mercy be established and celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. He also requested from Sister Faustina that an image be painted and venerated of him and his Divine Mercy, and asked that we pray especially the Chaplet of Mercy.
The story and film are based on her own writings from her “Diary”, which has become a worldwide best-selling spiritual work. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 as the first saint of the new millennium. Actress Dorota Segda received great critical acclaim by European film critics for her stunning portrayal of Sister Faustina.
In the Gospel reading every year on the Second Sunday of Easter, Jesus enters the upper room where the disciples are and tells them, “Peace be with you.” That peace lies at the heart of Divine Mercy. It is the peace which Jesus won for all men and women on the cross. His resurrection is the Father’s public validation of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. That is why Pope Saint John Paul II gave the Second Sunday of Easter the name “Divine Mercy Sunday.”
Saint Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, experienced visions of the Lord Jesus during the 1930s. As a result of these visions, she produced a now-famous image of Jesus with red and white beams of light coming from his side with the words, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
Catholics who go to Confession, receive Communion, and offer prayers for the Pope while also participating in Divine Mercy devotions in a spirit of complete detachment from sin can receive full remission of temporal punishment due to sin (Plenary Indulgence) on this day.
Pope Francis has made mercy one of the hallmarks of his pontificate. He proclaimed the Year of Mercy so that in receiving God’s mercy in our own lives, we can extend it to others. All of us can do this in concrete ways such as forgiving our spouse or siblings. Perhaps there are relationships in our lives that require healing. The poor, the vulnerable, and sinners especially need us to be instruments of God’s mercy. Through Divine Mercy, the great gift of Jesus’ cross and resurrection, we can hear Jesus once again say to us, “Peace be with you.”
-Eric Banecker, Seminarian, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
How to Live It
This year’s Divine Mercy Sunday falls on April 3, 2016. During this special Jubilee year, consider making a effort to receive the Plenary Indulgence available on this Feast of Mercy. To learn more about our Archdiocesan celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, visit archphila.org/mercy or contact the parish at [parish contact info here].
_________________________________________________
Quote from Catholic Tradition:
“I have opened my Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be confirmed in good. Whoever places his trust in My mercy will be filled with My divine peace at the hour of death.” -Jesus to St. Faustina, Diary of St. Faustina, 1520
To continue reflecting on this theme, consider one of these resources!
Recommended Book for the Month: Consoling the Heart of Jesus, Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC
Lighthouse Catholic Media CD: The Saving Power of Divine Mercy by Fr. Jason Brooks
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.
May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church 