THIRD
SUNDAY in LENT
MARCH
11, 2007
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
6:45 NANCY Q. KEEFE--M
req.
by Kevin Keefe
9:00 ANTHONY GAGLIARDI--A
req.
by the Family
TUESDAY, MARCH 13
6:45 EDWARD RILEY--M
req. by Ralph Santoliquido
9:00 JOSEPHINE and CORNELIUS
SHIELDS, PAUL V. SHIELDS,
and AILEEN SHIELDS BRYAN--M
req. by the Shields Family
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14
6:45 MARIA COLELLA--A
req. by Angelo Colella
9:00 KATHY JO
TAMAGNA--M
reg. by Joseph &
Katherine Tamagna
THURSDAY, MARCH 15
6:45 CATHERINE
WYLIE--M
req.
by Albert & Kathleen Wassell
9:00 VERONICA
MC PEAK--M
req. by the McPeak family
6:45 AGNES DORAN--M
9:00 DANTE and EDMONDO MATTIOLI--M
req.
by Adriana Mattioli
PATRICK, bishop
9:00 MARGARET BAKER--M
req. by Maureen Morris
5:30 JULIE
MURPHY--M
req. by the Banks Family
SUNDAY, MARCH
18
7:30 DR.
NARONG KEOLAMPHU--M
req. by Jane & Paul Kuhn
9:00 WILLIAM
J. NEALON--M
req. by the Pisani Family
10:30 EDWARD
GARBA--M
req. by Martha Garba
12:00 LEO
RUZZI--M
req. by Sts. John & Paul
Parish
5:00 FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: John Manning, Meghan
Chiodo, James Curtin, Carmella
Musumeci, Msgr. Joseph J. Boyd, Ramona Murill, Debra Abrahamsen, Patricia Kuhr, Theresa Astorino, Joseph Mileti, Dotty
Doherty, Caroline Weldon, Brenda McWeeney, Lenny Cavalieri, Jenna Mussolini, Teresa
Civetta, Frank Maiola, Aileen O’Brien, Sister
Margaret Coakley, Ed Lenard, Pam Hissey, Tricia Eigo, Alice Nasta, Mildred Traub, Catherine Ann
Brennan, Mary & Tony Fraioli, Hank Lawlor, Sarah Butler, Mimi Cosgrove,
Kristen Long, Patrick Lamont, Elizabeth Kim, Eloise Selby, Thomas M. Lamb, for
our service men and women at home and abroad; for the faithful departed, ELIANI
KIAMI, and those who have no one to pray for them; and for the honored dead of
the Armed Services.
SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last week’s collection (3—04—07)
$12,558
Peter’s Pence: $
3,500
Attendance:
1,040
The parish of Saints John and Paul thanks you for
your support. We are grateful to our parishioners who use our envelope system.
If you wish to receive Church support envelopes, please call the Rectory at
834-5458.
10:30 AM
MASS MUSIC NOTES
As we approach Holy Week, the Gospel Acclamation reminds us “Repent,
says the Lord; the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The choral selection for the
Third Sunday of Lent is “Miserere Mei” by Orlando di Lasso: “Lord have mercy on
us, take away our sins and for give us.”
BAPTISM
PREPARATION for PARENTS of INFANTS
To arrange for a
Baptism, please call the rectory and you will be given an appointment with one
of the parish priests.
Water in
the Word
Baptismal
Preparation Session Schedule
All sessions are
offered on the following Saturday mornings from 10 AM – 11:30 AM. Please call
the rectory to attend. We will begin new sessions in 2007. The date for the upcoming
class is as follows: April 14th,
FRIDAY, MAY 4th at 7:30 pm,
and June 2nd.
STATIONS
of the CROSS
There will be Stations
of the Cross at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM on all Fridays during Lent.
EASTER
FOOD BASKETS…
We
will have the collection of Easter Food Baskets on Sunday, April 1st,
from 4 – 5 PM and again on Monday, April 2nd, from 8:30 – 9:30 AM.
The sign-up sheets will go up the weekend of March 17th and 18th.
EAGLE
SCOUT PROJECT
Brendan
Duffy, a parishioner, is a candidate to be become an Eagle Scout. He is
collecting supplies to benefit the children of the CAP Center in Mamaroneck.
The following items would be greatly appreciated:
Tempera paint: All colors, gallon size only
Construction Paper: Only 9 x 12 and 12x18 sizes. Individual color
packs only.
School Glue: Gallon size (Elmer’s or generic)
Finger-paints: All colors, pint size
Crayons: Thick style only
A
collection box will be in the hall between the church and the school where you
can place the items. Thank you for your help and generosity.
CALENDAR of EVENTS for WEEK OF MARCH 11th:
SUNDAY, MARCH 11th:
7:00 AM: Breakfast Run
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Education Classes
MONDAY, MARCH 12th:
3:00 PM GYM, RMR & AUD: PSPA after school
activities
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
TUESDAY, MARCH 13th:
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA after school activities
6:00 PM RMR: Cub Scouts
7:30 PM RECTORY: RCIA
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14th:
11:00 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Mass
12:45 PM RMR: 3rd grade Brownies
12:45 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA after school activities
2:50 & 7:30 PM: Religious Education classes
THURSDAY, MARCH 15th:
7:30 PM AUD: First Communion Parent Meeting
FRIDAY, MARCH 16th:
2 :00 PM CHURCH: Stations of the
Cross
8:00 PM CHURCH: Stations of the
Cross
SATURDAY, MARCH 17th:
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY
FR.
BRIAN’S BIBLE CLASS
Father Brian’s class on
the new Catechism for Adults will be held on Monday evening, March 12th, at 7:30.
This program takes place in the rectory meeting room.
RCIA
The RCIA class will be
held on Tuesday, March 13th, at 7:30 PM in the rectory.
CYO
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL
All boys and girls, 5th
through 8th grade, are invited to play on Saints John and Paul CYO
baseball and softball teams. We will have two teams in teach sport – JV (5th
and 6th graders) and Varsity (7th and 8th
graders). Season runs from April to early June.
If interested, please
contact John Hannaway at 914-948-2540 or hannawayjj@aol.com.
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS…
FIRST RECONCILIATION
Ninety six 2nd and 3rd graders celebrated their
First Reconciliation on March 3rd and 10th. Please pray
with these children whose stars are on the banner in the back of the church.
FIRST
COMMUNION PREPARATION
There are two important dates coming up as families prepare for their
children’s First Communion:
Thursday, March 15th: Parent Meeting at 7:30 PM in the auditorium
Sunday, March 18th: Enrollment Mass at 9:00 AM in the Church
DANCE for
5th, 6th, 7th AND 8th GRADERS
The Woman’s Guild will
sponsor a Spring Dance for the Parish Students of the 5th, 6th,
7th, and 8th grades. It will be held on April 20th
at 7 pm until 10 pm in the Auditorium. We will have a DJ and pizza. If anyone
would like to help chaperone the dance, please call Mary Haney at 833-2251.
A DAY of
REMEMBERANCE for OUR FALLEN SERVICE MEN and WOMEN
SPONSIRED
by the INTERFAITH GROUP of LARCHMONT/MAMARONECK
Sunday,
March 18, 2007
1:00 p.m.
St. John’s
Episcopal church Auditorium
Fountain
Square
Larchmont
CAMP ECHO
BAY
Open House for Camp
Echo Bay will be held on Saturday, March 31st, and Sunday, April 1st,
from 1 – 4pm. The camp is located on a 17 acre campus at Salesian High School.
This is a recreational day camp for boys and girls ages 4 – 14. Camp goes from
June 25th to August 16th.
Call 576-1251 or
632-0248 for a brochure or visit our website: www.campechobay.org. Or email:
campdirector@campechobay.org.
DINNER for
FR. GROESCHEL and the FRANCISCAN FRIARS
A dinner to support
the work of Fr. Benedict Groeschel and the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in
their work with the poor and homeless will be held at the Larchmont Shore Club
on Wednesday, April 18th, at 7:00 PM. The cost is $150 per person.
For further information and tickets, please call Mary Gail Barry at 834-6907.
SAFE
DRIVING COURSE
DISCOUNTS
OFF YOUR INSURANCE
POINTS OFF
YOUR LICENSE
The National Safety Council’s
Defensive Driving Course will be held here at Sts. John and Paul on two
consecutive Fridays, April 13th and 20th, 7 – 10PM in the
Rectory Meeting Room. THIS IS A 6 HOUR COURSE AND YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND
BOTH CLASSES. THE CLASS IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 40 REGISTRATIONS RECEIVED, SO
APPLY EARLY. YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE. If you participated in this course
in 2003, your discount is about to run out. This class is NOT limited to
returning participants. The fee is $45 per person; your check must be made out
to Bob Fogel and returned to the Rectory by March 30th, Attention:
Nancy Richy, Defensive Driving Course. Please fill out the form below and
return it with your payment.
DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, APRIL 13
& 20, 2007
Participant’s Name(s)
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Phone#____________________________________________$___________________
enclosed for____________________
participant(s) @$45 each. Please make check payable to Bob Fogel and
return to the Rectory by March 30th, Attention: Nancy Richy.
NEWS from
ST. AUGUSTINE’S…
St. Augustine’s Parish
invites all to the “Irish Fleadh” to be held in the auditorium on Sunday March
25th, from 2:30 – 4:45 PM. Entrance fee: $5.00 per person, or $15.00
per family. Refreshments.
Open to everyone.
Please join us. For additional info, please contact Anne-Mieka Smeets at
834-0194.
THE
PASTOR’S COLUMN
As we reach the seventh station, we observe
that Jesus falls yet again under the weight of the cross. We must marvel at his
perseverance. The violence visited upon him by the soldiers and the mob would
encourage a lesser man to surrender and let life drain from him on the road.
The suffering servant who Isaiah prophesized would not break. Though his body
was wracked with pain, his spirit was untouched. No person or thing could
distract him from the Father’s will. It is hard for us to imagine enduring such
suffering for friends never mind enemies and yet the Messiah accepted the cup
in order to save the very ones who are hurling curses and stones at him. In our
lives, we have experienced great difficulty in extending to someone forgiveness
who has betrayed our confidence. In Jerusalem, there was hardly a friend who
would stand with him and yet to those who cursed him, the only response he made
was a plea to the Father to grant divine mercy. To us, he gives a lesson as
well in maintaining our spiritual vision. When we approach the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, we are filled with good intentions. We desire to put our sins behind
us and resolve to give a more positive response to the call of the Lord to a
conversion of heart. Unfortunately, the onslaught of temptation causes us to
become weak and falter. In the face of failure, we yield too often to
discouragement and give up the struggle. This is not a unique experience. It is
shared by many members of the faith community. In the confessional, many
penitents complain that time and time again they admit to failure in exactly
the same areas that they had confronted previously. Though Jesus was without
sin, we know that he was no stranger to discouragement. His disciples’
hardheartedness was disappointing. The negative reactions of so many caused him
to weep over Jerusalem. And now, he rises to move closer to the end of his
earthly existence. Though we might experience physical illness, mental pain, or
spiritual upset, we must claim God’s grace and continue the journey to
eternity. “No one can separate us from the love of God.”
As he approaches Golgotha, the Savior
encounters weeping women holding on to their offspring. Some of them called for
his crucifixion. In fact, they might be part of the group of detractors who
were participating in the unholy procession. As people who listened to the
Sermon on the Mount, as people who witnessed several of the miracles of the
Christ, and as people who enjoyed seeing their children welcomed and blessed by
this gentle soul, they cried out their frustration. They did not grasp the
rationale of the persecutors for all they knew was the man’s forth-right speech
and compassionate work. They saw him as a victim of false witnesses. As we look
back at that dramatic moment, we are aware of the righteousness of their
position. Our lives are filled with many misperceptions in which we have been
victimized as well as been perpetrators of an injustice. Perhaps, we have been
deprived of a job position because of a misjudgment of our skills. Perhaps we
have been overlooked because of the biases of another. Or perhaps, we have been
denied our rights because of the malicious intent of another. We must be
equally aware, however, that, at times, we are guilty of prejudicial actions
which have harmed others. Because of narrowmindedness and selfishness, the fate
of Jesus was sealed. It is important for us to determine that in our
interaction with others, we maintain objectivity which grants integrity to all
words and actions. While our sins in this area might not have the divesting
effect that we witness in this station, they should still not be countenanced.
As the climactic end of Christ’s journey
nears, the weakness of body of the condemned man becomes more obvious. His
steps are slower. His whole torso is collapsing. As the hill’s crest comes in
sight, he falls again. Death might well be a most welcome prospect. We recall
at this point the words of Saint Paul to the Philippians: “He assumed the form (nature)
of a slave: accepting death, even death on a cross.” What a love has saved us!
Because of his sacrifice, we need not fear our falling asleep for we will awake
in the Kingdom of God. But like him, we must endure. We must be faithful
despite what might be the most difficult of circumstances. It is hard to
imagine, however, more dire events happening to us than that experienced by
Jesus on that dreadful day. At this juncture, it might be well to remember the
two criminals who were very much a part of the Good Friday drama. There is a
powerful lesson to be learned from them. Though they had come to this day
through a similar set of experiences, their reflections could not be more
diverse. One refused to acknowledge any personal responsibility for his
actions. He, therefore, felt no remorse. The anger which perhaps motivated him
to attack the fiber of societal order remained in him and bubbled over. He
looked upon the Nazarene as the most foolish of people. Perhaps, he knew his
reputation and considered him just another one of the numerous wonderworkers
though this one had run afoul of the Romans and some of the prominent religious
leaders. He hated his fellow prisoner for his naiveté. Didn’t he know that
human beings did not deserve the slightest concern. His impending death did not
change his low opinion of those who formed his community. The man, who is now
referred to as “the good thief”, was guilty of many crimes. Life his confrere,
he was considered a violent criminal. The penalty he was about to receive is
evidence of that fact. But his reaction to the most recent happenings in his
life take a different direction. As he walked along, carrying his instrument of
execution, he began as never before to realize that most of his troubles were
of his own making. He knows that he could have made other less deadly choices.
The man, who he deemed as innocent, gave him pause. What did he know that gave
him serenity despite the blood that seemed to flow from every pore? Did he see
something beyond the moment of death? Did he follow the belief of some that the
good will be rewarded with an eternal existence. Maybe, he thought, it is not
too late. Maybe, God will forgive him and grant him peace. Maybe, this man can
show him the way. The robber was able to wrest his final prize from the
Almighty. Because he was willing to admit failure, to express remorse, and to
seek mercy, he entered paradise. You and I in following the same path can do
the same.
Next week, we will continue our
meditations. Also, as part of this Lenten season, we will conduct the in-pew
solicitation for the Annual Cardinal’s Appeal. If you have not done so before
then, we ask you to be prepared, after this week of prayer, to make a pledge to
support the ongoing pastoral, educational, and charitable mission of the
Archdiocese.
May God’s grace give us and our world
peace.
Jesus vivat
Fr. Brian