St Joseph’s of Stratford Parish National Catholic Church

Since 1907

Weekly Bulletin

   

 

 cath  

26th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr B September 27th, 2015

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: 5:00 pm - Sunday Vigil Mass Sunday: 9:00 am

SOCL (religious education for kids) – Sunday, 10:00 am

Wednesday - 9:00 am Mass for health

PARISH CONTACTS

PASTOR Fr Michal Gitner

PARISH CHAIRPERSON Nancy Sirois

VICE CHAIRPERSON Dee Smith

FINANCE SECRETARY Barbara Chernesky

1300 Stratford Road, Stratford CT 06615-7639 Tel: 203 377-9901 (office), 203 923-2424 (rectory), Fax: 203 375-6439

www.stjosephsofstratford.org

Dear Parishioners,

A huge, huge thank you to Joe and Jane Pelland, their son Dave and daughter Jennifer and Linda Barry, the main force behind an extremely successful Quarter Night. Also thank you to Frank Squezello and Joe Shandrowski for setting up the venue and the baking ladies Patti Squezello and Ann Marie Egelski. There is a special note from Jane P. on page 3 of the bulletin.

Congratulations to Rob and Cherrie Mongillo on the baptism of their daughter Tatiana here at St Joseph’s on September 26th.

Unfortunately, there is some sad news to report on Steve Chalfa. His right leg needs to be amputated above the knee. As you can imagine, it has big a huge shock to him and he is struggling with the reality. I speak to him and see him on regular basis and we just pray for courage and acceptance.

Finally, the route 113 is open and for good. There will be lane closures on weekdays between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm though. So the winners are the weekend travelers to Lordship. Fr Michal

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GOSPEL CHALLENGE

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us’ (Mk 9:39)

How we might ask, if Jesus presented such an attitude, did his followers in later ages become so bigoted

against outsiders?

FAITH MATTERS

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE GOSPEL

Today’s gospel reading from Mark has a lesson as telling today as it was when Jesus was instructing his disciples. The seriousness that characterizes groups upholding a religious tradition often becomes exclusive and intolerant. The Apostle John reports disapprovingly that they had seen a man “casting out devils” in the name of Jesus. How precious in the memory of Christian faith is the Lord’s response. Authentic faith and discipleship must reflect the inclusive ways of God, proclaimed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “Love your enemies … you must set no bounds to your love, just as your heavenly Father set none to his” (Mt 5:48). “Anyone who is not against us if for us” – words filled with wisdom and generosity. The Lord is at work in every human heart, and who are we to make judgments that may obstruct the mysterious purposes of God?

The rest of the reading provides an important complement to the great lesson concerning outsiders that has just been given. Those who are within the community of faith have a great responsibility to uphold and protect the truth and values of the Gospel – “these little one who have faith” are not the children in the community, but members of the community who may be led astray. What are we to make of Jesus’ drastic advice to “cut off” bodily members that may “cause sin?” If they refer to person morality – the more frequently heard interpretation – they are a reminder that faithful discipleship may call for heroically painful decisions. (As we know, the Semitic forms of expression used by Jesus are surprisingly strong to our ears.) There is a strong case, however, for an interpretation of these words as following on from reference to the “little ones.“ In this interpretation they would refer to exclusion from the community, of persons who would corrupt the faith of insecure believers.

We are called to rejoice in the achievements of those who live godly lives even when their approach may be different from ours. Whoever we are, we are asked to celebrate the goodness that abounds in people and let people be free to express this goodness in a variety of ways.

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.

(Mk 9:38-39)

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PARISH CALENDAR Sept 30th The Lord’s Kitchen

Oct 3rd Blessing of the Animals - 4:30 pm

Oct 4th Ladies Society meeting -10:45 am

EASTERN DIOCESE Oct 10th Ordination to Diaconate of Mr Thomas Walsh Manchester, CT

Oct 17th Rededication of the Cathedral, Manchester, NH

BY THE WEEK

Sundays: Mercy Tabernacle Church 12:30 - 2:30 pm

Tuesdays: Mercy Tabernacle Church 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Wednesdays: AA meeting 12:00 pm Irish dance classes 6:00 pm Thursdays: AA men’s meeting 7:30 pm For news input in the weekly bulletin, please contact Father Michal by Wed: mgitner@gmail.com

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Readers roster September 27th October 4th

9:00am Dee Smith Joe Pelland

Next Sunday’s readings: Genesis 2:18-24, Hebrew 2:9-11 Mark 10:2-16  

NEWS AND EVENTS

Thank you from Jane Pelland: The big winner of Quarter Night 2015 was St. Joseph’s Church as the profit for the night was $1336. A big thank you to Carol Murdzia for her generous gift of the painting for the raffle, to the donors of auction items and refreshments, and to those of you who tossed 49 pounds of quarters into the buckets! Together, you helped make the night a financial success. It couldn’t have happened without the members who worked on the fundraiser, and those who brought family and friends along to bid. We had a fun night, won great prizes, and raised money for our church.

Blessing of the Animals We will hold our second annual “Blessing of the Animals” here at St. Joseph’s on Saturday, October 3, at 4:30 pm. Bring your pets-- dogs, cats, fish, birds--to be blessed on St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day. You may choose to bring photos of your pets if it is difficult for the animals to attend the blessing. Blessings will also be given to children who bring their stuffed animals!

Please do support pediatric oncology a band aid drive to collect children's character band aids for the kids. The hospital only provides plain ones and after the children get their chemo or infusions they really enjoy being able to pick out a cool band aid. Details in the foyer.

Church Dues We are well over midway through the year. Please do remember of our obligation known as the Church ‘dues’. At St Joseph’s we try to keep the dues as low as possible. The single membership is $108.00 and the family is $216.00. All the dues that are collected will be forwarded to the Diocesan Treasurer. It is very important to the mission and ministry of our whole Church that the dues are paid faithfully each year. Thank you for your diligence and support; together let us worship and serve our Lord and God as faithful members of His Church. Please see Fr Michal with the payment.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Les Brown

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First Reading Number 11:25-29 The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp. So, when a young man quickly told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, " Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’aide, said, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses answered him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!" The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Response to the Psalm The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Second Reading James 5:1-6 Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia Gospel Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'" The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sunday Readings

Sept 6th - Oct 4th issues of the bulletin are being sponsored by Jan Chernesky.

If anyone wishes to contribute to the printing cost of the bulletin, please contact Fr Michal.

Printed by Magnetic Copy – 30 Ferry Blvd., Stratford, CT