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January 22, 2012
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time



From the Desk of the Pastor
The readings for this Sunday suggest the early Christian apocalyptic perspective on time. Jesus, and the first-generation followers of Jesus (Paul and his Jewish believed that the world as they knew it and experienced it was somehow coming to an end. Not the end of time and of human existence, but rather the fulfillment of time and a new mode of human existence. The Gospel reading is Mark’s account of the call of the first disciples. Last Sunday we heard the call of the first disciples from the Gospel of John. In setting the context for the call of Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, Mark presents to us the first words that Jesus speaks in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus’ first words serve an important function: they offer a snapshot of the major theme or themes of the Evangelist. Jesus says “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Jesus also says, “This is the time of fulfillment.” In Jesus’ words and deeds, there was a strong sense of time being fulfilled in and through Jesus, and in and through his public ministry. Much like Jesus has an urgency to his message and his ministry that left the impression that time was about to change.

Tomorrow, Monday January 23 is a Day of Prayer and Penance in our Diocese. We will have a holy hour of Eucharistic Adoration immediately after 8am Mass. The School children and faculty will lead a prayer service during that time.  Also, the church will be open throughout the day to encourage everyone to stop by for at least a little while to pray for human life and dignity. There will be a holy hour, beginning at 7pm at the Cathedral and at St. Patrick’s. All are encouraged to attend and pray for life.

Wednesday is the Feast Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle and the final day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Like Paul, there are times when we need to be “knocked off our horse” or let go of old ideas to see how God is calling us to growth.

Some thoughts on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: GIRM 102-104: Music Ministries. First there are a few words about the psalmist.  “It is the psalmist’s place to sing the Psalm or other biblical canticle to be found between the readings. To carry out this function correctly, it is necessary for the psalmist to be accomplished in the art of singing Psalms and have a facility in public speaking and elocution.” I always liked the Psalm sung, if possible. But the main thing to keep in mind that the Psalm is not just a song or an interlude between Scripture, but it is Sacred Scripture itself. What is the function of the choir and musicians? Simple: to sing its own parts and to foster the singing of others. “Among the faithful, the schola cantorum or choir exercises its own liturgical function, its place being to take care that the parts proper to it, in keeping with the different genres of chant, are properly carried out and to foster the active participation of the faithful by means of the singing.” What is said about the schola cantorum also applies to other musicians. The Church does NOT require a choir / musicians at every Mass, but clearly gives a set of preferences towards them, and singing in as much of the Mass as possible.

JOIN the CHOIR! This is a good place to put a plug for our Choir and encourage you to consider joining them in helping us all lift our voices in song and praise to the Lord.

St. Anthony School Open House is Sunday January 29^th. As I put in last week’s bulletin. Our diocese and our parish is committed to Catholic elementary education. We are here for the long haul, so to speak. Please spread the good news about our school!

                                                        Fr. Joe

Bulletin Connection
The call of Jesus, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” is relevant in our lives today, both personally and communally. While we may consider ourselves to be good Christians, there is always more that we can do to deepen our spiritual life. Even little things such as listening to religious music or reading a single Bible verse each day can help. Communally, our shortcomings are well known. Poverty still exists in our land. Abortion is still accepted by some. Immigrants are often unwelcome. And the sick sometimes lack someone to care for them. We are called to repentance here as well.

Opportunities for Life
Last month a woman called the Opportunities for Life hotline to ask for the number of the nearest abortion clinic. The caring volunteer who answered the phone, sensed that the caller was frightened, confused and in terrible pain. The volunteer encouraged the caller to talk, and as the story unfolded, it became clear that the caller didn’t want an abortion; she needed resources to help her at this critical time. The volunteer gave the woman the phone number of the local pregnancy center, and promised to pray for her and her baby. When the caller hung up, she felt much better about her situation and more determined to seek the help she needed for her unborn child.
On January 21-22, there will be a second collection to support the work of Opportunities for Life, a 24/7 hotline for men and women facing an untimely pregnancy. Please be generous in you support of this ministry. For information about OFL, please call (888) 496-3638.


 

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